Chapter 2. Jennifer

Jennifer’s POV

“Jennifer, you’re late for school. Wake up!” My mama’s voice echoed through the house. I groggily shifted in my bed, opening my eyes only to close them again, basking in the rare warmth of the sun on my face. It had been a while since I appreciated such simple pleasures.

Cassandra, my mother’s sister, took me in after my mom passed away five years ago. She became my guardian and provided for me. We had moved to New York twice in an attempt to start fresh after everything that had happened.

“I won’t repeat myself, Jennifer!” My mama’s voice grew louder, snapping me out of my daze. I groaned and reluctantly got out of my comfortable bed, my mind still half-asleep.

I stumbled into the bathroom and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I looked like a complete mess as if I hadn’t slept in days. I sighed as I started brushing my teeth, trying to wake myself up.

After taking care of my morning routine and enjoying a hot shower, I realized it was the first day of school after the vacation. I hurriedly changed into a comfortable and casual outfit.

“What took you so long?” My mama came downstairs, and I heard her talking to my younger brother, Kleo. He was engrossed in playing video games on his phone while my mama prepared breakfast.

“Morning,” I greeted them as I walked into the kitchen.

“You’re late, sweetheart,” my mom scolded me while cooking.

“What’s up, little buddy?” I tousled Kleo’s hair, but he brushed my hand away and let out an annoyed sigh.

“Do you want to come with me today?” I asked him, hoping he would join me for the day. My mom brought me my favorite breakfast, bacon with scrambled eggs, and I thanked her while waiting for Kleo’s response.

“No, sorry. My friends and I are meeting at the bus station,” he replied, and I nodded in understanding.

“Mom, by the way… I have archery practice today, so I might not be home until six or seven pm,” I reminded her.

“Okay. Then I’ll pick up Kleo later,” my mom replied. Kleo mumbled his response with a mouthful of bacon, and I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. I hated it when people made strange noises while eating.

I checked the time on my phone. It was already 8:13.

“What the… I have to go. Bye, see you at school, Kleo. Bye, Mom. Love you,” I exclaimed as I rushed out of the house.

I hurriedly made my way to the garage and opened the door, revealing my bike.

“Hi, baby. Long time no see,” I whispered, running my hand over the seat. I grabbed my helmet and hopped onto my bike.

After adjusting my helmet, I started the engine and rode off.

As I rode, I turned on my all-time favorite playlist. Music had always been my escape, soothing my mind from the anxiety and insomnia that plagued me. I occasionally revved the throttle, enjoying the sensation of freedom.

Music was my therapy, my sanctuary, and my confidant. It seemed to understand me better than the people in my life who were supposed to support me.

“Nice ass,” someone shouted as I stopped at a red light. Irritated, I shook my head and raised a middle finger in response. I quickly turned my attention back to the road as the light turned green, making a few turns until I arrived at school.

Notre Dame High School. My dad had attended this school before he met my mom but eventually moved away.

My parents had a strong and loving relationship. They had been married for a long time, and I was born just a year after their wedding. My dad used to tell me that it was love at first sight, but I found it hard to believe in such a concept. How could you love someone the first time you laid eyes on them?

According to my dad, love was a magical creation that you couldn’t escape once you experienced it. He said that it would find you when the time was right. But how could I love someone else when I didn’t even know how to love myself?

But then again, how would I know? I had never been in love or experienced that kind of connection. So, how could I recognize love at first sight?

Shaking off my thoughts, I parked my motorcycle in my usual spot and turned off the engine. Taking a deep breath, I tried to gather myself before getting startled by a high-pitched voice calling my name.

“Jen!” my best friend Reyna exclaimed, making her way towards me.

Reyna Bernal, the one who had been my support since I moved to New York a year ago. She would visit me with chocolate or treats, thinking I needed friends. But truth be told, I preferred being alone.

One day, I asked her to leave me alone, not realizing that Reyna had two sides. There was the cute and nice Reyna but also the hellish and confrontational Reyna. She made it clear that I should appreciate her efforts and affection, and I couldn’t deny that she scared the shit out of me. Despite that, I grew to love her goofy vibes mixed with some bitchy attitude. And now, I was stuck with her. It took me five months to truly trust her.

Reyna was the epitome of an extrovert, while I remained the introverted girl I had always been.

“How is my beautiful best friend doing on this lovely morning?” she greeted me, despite not being too far away. I furrowed my brows at her infectious energy.

“How can you be so energetic on a Monday morning? The first day of school after the bullshit summer holidays,” I replied, adjusting my bag on my shoulder.

“Aww, you’re so sweet! I missed you even more!” Reyna said, enveloping me in a tight hug.

“Okay, that’s enough. How was your summer?” I asked, wanting to catch up with her.

“Oh my God, you won’t believe it. It was amazing—” she began before getting interrupted. From a distance, we spotted our other friends, Samantha and Aaliyah.

“Hey, girls!” Reyna called out as we walked towards them.

“Hi,” they both replied.

We started discussing how we spent our summer, and I realized that I hadn’t done much. My stepmother and I had taken a trip to France after visiting my relatives in Canada. Kleo wanted to see our mother’s side of the family, as it had been a while since we had seen them. France was another destination because my mother’s family lived there.

“Hey, did you guys hear the news? The notorious four are coming back,” Samantha shared with excitement.

“What? Really? Oh my God!” Reyna exclaimed, taken aback by the news.

“Yeah, I heard that too. I thought it was just some stupid rumor,” Aaliyah replied, rolling her eyes.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

“Who are the notorious four?”