Midnight: Chapter One

Midnight
By: Cassie Little

Chapter One: The Cemetery

Annabelle Little and Tori Oakowsky were sitting on Annabelle's bed and reading magazines.
"I thought Todd was coming over to study with us?" asked Annabelle, putting down her magazine.
"He is." said Tori. "He should be here any minute."
Anna stood up and walked over to her desk, where her school supplies were sitting. She grabbed her Geometry book and sat back down on the bed. She flipped through the pages until she found the page that they had homework on. She pulled out pencil and paper and began working on her homework.
About five minutes later the doorbell rang. Anna and Tori sprinted down the stairs to the door. Anna's Mom was already greeting Todd. He walked inside the house and followed Anna and Tori up to Anna's room.
"Your Mom seems really nice," said Todd grabbing pencil and paper as well.
"Yeah, if you're not her kid." said Anna.
"What page was that homework on?"
"Two-Forty-Six." said Tori.
After they had done almost half of their homework, Todd sat up and slapped his forehead.
"I almost forgot!" he shouted.
"What?" asked Tori, suddenly awake. It was obvious to everyone that she liked Todd. . . everyone except Todd of course.
"Tonight there's going to be a party over on Duke Street!"
"Awesome!" Anna said, becoming interested.
"It's Jade's birthday. and the best part is that there aren't going to be any parents!"
Tori looked at Anna and then back at Todd. Anna rolled her eyes. She knew what Tori was thinking.
"I don't know if my parents would let me go if there aren't any parents." said Anna.
"Just tell her that you're going to Tori's house for a few hours. And tell her not to call Tori's house because her Mom is sick or something. We'll have you back by eleven." said Todd, picking up his finished homework.
"Well, where is it?"
"The cemetery."
Anna didn't like cemeteries. but Tori looked so excited that she couldn't just turn it down.
"Well, I guess I could come." said Anna, putting her things back on her desk.
"Yes!" shouted Tori, jumping up from the bed.
Todd gathered all of his things and shoved them into his backpack.
"I guess I'll see you guys there!" said Todd.
As soon as Todd was out of the house, Tori started jumping up and down and shouting, "I'm going to a party with Todd tonight!"
"Not to be 'Little Miss Raincloud' or anything, but technically, he's not really your date."
"I know! But he's totally going to fall for me when he see's how hot I'm going to look tonight!" said Tori, running to the closet.
"Tori, I thought that you didn't like my clothes?"
"Hey! You know that you have the best fashion sense out of the whole group!"
"Just make sure that you don't get anything on my clothes."
"Thank you!"
They spent the rest of the day getting ready for the party. Tori straightened her long brown hair and Anna curled her short blond hair.
When they left Anna's house, they told her Mom what Todd had told them to tell her. She believed them, and they left, heading for the cemetery on Duke Street.
Tori had already called her Mom and said that she was sleeping at Anna's house that night and not to call, because Anna's Mom was busy working on a project for the company that she was working for.
They were on their way when Lucas Widell jumped out from behind a hedge onto the sidewalk.
"God, you almost gave me a heart attack!" shouted Tori, jumping back.
"I'm sorry!" he said, giving Tori a friendly hug. "Are you guys going to the party at the cemetery?"
"Yeah," said Anna. "Are you?"
"Of course!"
"And. . . let me guess. . ." said Tori. "Ash is your date?"
It was obvious to everyone that Anna liked Lucas. . . including Lucas.
"Of course! She's the only girl for me!"
"Yeah," said Anna quietly. "She's great."
Tori smacked Lucas and gave him a stern look.
"But, no one's perfect. So. . . do you guys have dates?"
"Nope. But I will for the next party." said Tori, bouncing off the balls of her feet.
"Are you talking about Todd?" said Lucas turning around and walking backwards. "Because it might interest you to know that he got a girl-friend today. Jade Jones."
"What?!"
"Chill out! She only asked him because he's the quarterback."
"He's second string." said Anna.
"I know." said Lucas.
"That's not the point," said Tori. "He likes her."
"Tori!" said Anna, grabbing her by the shoulders. "You could change that. I mean, just look at you tonight! Not that you don't look great every night, but tonight you look really great! Plus, you're really nice and trustworthy. You've got to tell him that you like him. I'm 100% sure that he'll like you back."
"I agree," said Lucas, patting Tori on the back. "And if you don't tell him, I will."
"Okay."
"That's my girl. Here we are!"
They were standing in front of the cemetery gate. Torches were lit, so you could see in the dark. Everyone in sophomore year was there. Todd was standing on a statue of an angel with his arm around Jade.
"He's going to like you way more than her. I hope." Lucas added in an undertone after Tori had walked through the gate.
They were instantly greeted by Todd and Ash. Ash wrapped her arms around Lucas like she hadn't seen him in weeks.
"Hey babe." he said, kissing her on the cheek.
"I missed you!" she said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Anna busied herself by starting a conversation with Todd.
"I've got to show you guys something!" Todd said (anything to get away from their conversation about cheese). "Follow me."
He led the group to a gravestone near the edge of the cemetery. The Gravestone said:

REGENALD REMINGTON
1234 AD-1434 AD
RIP

There was a small engraving also on the gravestone.
"What's so special about some dead guy's gravestone?" asked Ash, bending down to get a better look with her flashlight.
"Look at the dates!" Todd said. "Do you know anyone who lived for 200 years? And just read the creepy stuff that's written on it!"

MAY ALL THE EVIL IN
THE WORLD PERISH AT THE
HANDS OF THOSE WORTHY
TO BECOME THE CHOSEN
ONES. IT'S NOT OVER,
NOR AM I.

"You see! This guy had some serious problems!" Todd said.
"They probably just put the wrong dates. It's not that big of a deal." Anna said, a little freaked out, none-the-less.
"Maybe. But the note is still pretty creepy."

Later that night, Todd, Anna, Ash, Lucas, and Tori broke out from the rest of the party to grab a burger at Betsy's diner.
"I don't feel so good, you guys," said Ash, putting a hand to her head.
"I know what you mean," said Anna. "I haven't felt well since we left the cemetery.
"You guys are party-poopers," shouted Lucas. "I've felt crappy since we looked at the stupid, creepy gravestone, but I still partied like a maniac!"
"Now that I think about it, I don't feel so hot either," said Tori.
"My head is starting to hurt a little. . ." said Todd, trailing off.
"I'll bet we'll all feel better after we've had a burger and some fries," said Lucas, holding the door to the diner open. "And maybe a milkshake."
"What can I get you guys," asked Patty, the waitress when they had all sat down. "The usual?"
"No. Actually, I just want a cup of coffee," said Anna. Everyone else ordered the same thing, except Lucas, who ordered a cheeseburger, fries, a milkshake, and a slice of apple pie.
"Why are you all out at 9:30?" asked Patty, getting them all a cup of coffee.
"We went to a party," said Lucas.
"Are you talking about the one over at the cemetery?"
"Yeah. Why?" asked Todd.
"On the scanner a minute ago they said that someone pulled a knife on a girl. Someone named Jade. Poor thing. It was her birthday too. She's in critical condition now. Down at James Madison Memorial Hospital in ICU."
Everyone looked at Todd. His jaw dropped.
"What's wrong, hon?" Patty asked.
"She's. . .she's my girlfriend."
"Oh. I'm terribly sorry, dear. It's 10:00 right now. Visiting hours are over at 10:30. If you hurry, you might be able to see her tonight."
Todd jumped up. "Who's coming with me?"
"I'm sorry Todd, but we've got to get back to my house," said Anna. "Tori and I will come to the hospital tomorrow morning."
"Fine. Apparently you two only care about yourselves."
"I didn't say that!"
"Of course not!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You can never say anything wrong, can you?"
"Todd," shouted Tori, jumping up from the table. "You really have room to talk! Where were you when Anna's Dad died last year? And when Lucas' brother was in a car accident two years ago? And what about me Todd?"
Todd looked up. "What?"
"Yeah! You heard me! For a year now I've been trying to make you see how much I like you and you still haven't noticed! I mean, why do you even like Jade? She's only using you to get popular!"
"I. . .I didn't know that you liked me. . ." said Todd, dumbstruck.
"Yeah, well, now you do. Come on Anna. I'm leaving."
Anna followed Tori out of the diner.
"That was amazing! You really told him!"
"That doesn’t make me feel any better, Anna."
"You did a great job."
"Easy for you to say."

Anna and Tori got back to the house not long after that. Anna's Mom was already asleep and had left a note on the fridge:

If Tori wants to stay overnight, then that's okay. Lucas called at 10:45.
He said something about a girl in the hospital. Let me know what it's about in the morning.
Love ya,
Mom

"Come on. Let's go to my room," said Anna quietly.
When they were in Anna's room, Tori collapsed on the bed.
"My head is killing me!" she said.
"Mine too," said Anna. "I wish we had never went to that stupid party!"
"I'm just glad we left early. I'm going to sleep. Good night, Anna."
"See you tomorrow Tori."