I walked downstairs and entered the kitchen, to say it was messy would be an understatement of the year.

Sherry who was wearing mom's apron was standing near the Island staring at what looked like pancakes. It would be a lie if I say I was surprised, that is to be expected when you let Sherry try to cook anything. She can't cook and I mean it. Actually to see that the kitchen wasn't on fire yet I can say it was an improvement. I only told her to make me breakfast so that she can drop the subject of my dream. It was too terrifying to talk about it.

I coughed to announce my presence, she looked at me and smiled awkwardly.

"Let's just eat cereal," she told me while taking off the apron.

"Mom would kill you if she was here, you better clean this mess as soon as we get back," I told her while getting bowls from the cupboard.

"Have you talked to her?" she asked, referring to mom.

"Yeah, she called me few minutes ago when I got out of shower" I answered her.

Mom is usually here for our birthdays but this time she couldn't. She had a seminar out of the country the whole week, which was starting on my birthday. She just called me to apologize for her and Dad not being here for my eighteenth birthday and that we would celebrate it together the next week when they get back.

"Sorry mom is not here for your birthday but you have to understand her, she loves you so much, as much as I hate to admit this but she loves you more than me," Sherry tried to cheer me up after noticing the sadness in my voice when I answered her.

"I know and I understand. She has been looking forward to this seminar for months. It's a chance to meet famous designers around the world and I would feel bad if she were to miss this chance for me but there's this little part of me that can't help but being sad she isn't here," I voiced my thoughts.

"Oh..and I am glad we established that I am the one who mom loves the most," I smirked taking a completely 180 degree from my previous mood.

"Ughh! I was fooled, you tricked me!!" she complained and I couldn't help but laugh.

  *       *     *       * 

We were waiting for traffic lights to turn green so that I can continue driving us to school when I heard my phone vibrate, I took it out of my jeans pocket and look at the text which was from Betty saying "Where are you? still haven't reached school?" I smiled and texted her back "I'll be there in 5."

I put my phone back and turn the car radio on , I smiled when I heard Ariana Glande's song playing, I started humming along. I glanced at Sherry who was busy reading her novel, I looked in front to find that I was second on this lane. Wait! This looks familiar! This scene looks like... no, it can't be. Come to think of it we are wearing the same clothes! My eyes drifted to the second lane searching for a particular car, "Please let it not be here" I prayed. But It was there, the black SUV, Mrs Jim's car, our English teacher's car.

"No, that was just a dream. Everything will be fine, nothing will happen. It's just a coincidence everything looks like in my dream," I stared at the traffic lights, I was holding tight the steering wheel and I could feel myself sweating.

The lights changed from red to green and I closed my eyes. "Nothing will happen," I assured myself.

But I heard it, the sound of a car crush and I could feel my heart stop beating for a second, "let her not be dead" was the last thing I could hope for.

"I think there's an accident, I'll go check" Sherry told me while getting out of the car. I couldn't bring myself to get out of the car, I just waited, my heart was beating faster and I felt like I couldn't breath.

"What takes her so long? she should be back by now," I was going impatient.

I felt someone walking towards my car. I forced myself to look. Sherry came on my driver side, she looked at me in the eyes and ran her fingers through her shoulder length blonde hair, her bangs bounced back to her forehead, she sighed heavily. I knew right there that it happened, Sherry was handling it better than I ever could, she has always been the strong one.

"You can't believe what I saw there!" She said nervously.

"Is s-she, Is Mrs Jim's r-really d-dead?" I asked her trying not to break down.

"How did you know!?? how did you know it's her?" she asked looking more confused.

I couldn't help it anymore, I cried. I felt guilty, It's not like I caused the accident, It's not like I was driving that Lorry but still I felt very bad and guilty.

Sherry was confused by my sudden outburst, she didn't see that coming. It's not like I was close with Mrs Jim but still she opened the driver's door and hugged me so tight while patting my back.

Few minutes later after I calmed down Sherry gave me a bottle of water and I was very thankful she was there. She still hadn't asked anything, we didn't talk about it at all and I was glad she didn't ask me anything. She took me on the passenger's seat and she got on the driver's side instead.

"Should we just go back home?" she asked me.

"No, It's fine. Let's just go to school," I answered her in a low voice.

"Will you be okay?" she asked and I nodded. But I kept on asking myself the same question, will I be okay?

We reached school and I quickly got out of the car. I said goodbye to Sherry and walked to the direction of my locker hoping to find Betty there since our lockers are beside each other. I needed to find Betty, I needed to find her quickly, I need Betty now.

I reached our lockers but she wasn't there, I sighed and took out my phone so that I can ask her where she is, she picked up after two rings.

"Hey Baby girl!!" she greeted me teasingly.

"Betty!! where are you?" I asked her.

"Right behind you," she answered.

I turned and saw Betty two feet away walking towards me, she was grinning like an idiot. I smiled at her but she could sense that something was wrong, she hurried to me.

"Oh my God! you look like shit!" she commented after seeing my face closer, she pulled me in a hug but that didn't last even a minute, she pulled back and stepped back away from me. There was this kind of mixed emotions on her face and I couldn't tell why exactly, she looked confused, scared, terrified and pained at the same time.

" I-I h-have to go....I remembered that I have to see coach before class, I have to go... " she turned and stormed off to the direction she came from. I could tell she was lying. What made her think I would fall for that, I have known her for ten years.

What is going on? Who is she running away from? And why? Betty has never been one to get scared of anyone, so what was terrifying her like that? Out of all days, she had to act like that today, at this time, just when I needed her the most. I sighed and walked to class.

*      *       *      *      *

I entered class and went to sit on my usual table. I felt someone looking at me and I turned to see Britney looking at me with disgust on her face. I rolled my eyes at her and looked back in front. I didn't have time for her childish games, not today.

Britney Jones is a head cheerleader and a queen bee of our school. She is a senior like me. She is skinny with long straight blonde hairs and grey eyes. Her clothes are always either way too tight or too tiny or both. She always likes to get on my nerves, reason behind being she found out about my crush to Luke. She has been claiming Luke to be hers since the day Luke transferred here. I heard she confessed to him but Luke rejected her and I think she feels like I am the one to be blamed. Since then we never liked each other, It's not like we liked each other before or anything.

Betty walked in few minutes later. I smiled to her and removed my bag from a sit next to me, surprisingly Betty passed through me and walked to sit besides Britney, she didn't glance at me even once. How could she? I felt so angry, lonely and hurt.

Though me and Britney were sworn enemies, it wasn't the same to Betty and Britney. It's not like they were close or they hang out together, no. They just say hi to each other once in a while when they meet. I guess they could have been close friends if it weren't for me.

*       *         *      *

Betty didn't talk to me the whole morning, she kept on avoiding me, she didn't even show up for lunch break.

I had library period right after lunch break. On my way there I met Kyle at the hall, he smiled at me.

Kyle Robert is Luke's best friend, he is 18 and a senior like us. He is in a football team too. He has black hairs and green eyes. He is also good looking and tall. He has also been Betty's boyfriend for almost two years now. He is one of the sweetest guy I know.

"Hi Kyle!" I smiled back.

"Hi Kayla! how are things?" he asked me.

"Fine, have you seen Betty?" I asked him.

"No, last time I talked to her was in the morning. I had football practice at lunch so I couldn't meet her. I thought she was with you," He answered.

"No, she wasn't. She is mad at me for some unknown reasons," I sighed.

"Cheer up! you know Betty, she will come around. She can't stay mad at you for too long," he assured me with a smile.

"Thanks Kyle," I smiled back "I gotta go, I have library."

"Ok," he answered me "Have a good day and Happy Birthday again." I got texts from Kyle and Luke wishing me happy birthday, the texts were sent since midnight but I only saw them in the morning.

"Thanks Kyle," I thanked him before turning on my heels but he held my wrist to turn me back.

I turned to see him flinch then he removed his hand from my wrist quickly, there was this pain expression on his face and he kept staring at my wrist, he looked shocked.

"Kyle, are you okay? you look pale." I went to touch him but he backed away so quickly before my hand could reach him.

"I-I'm fine.... I'm just tired from all the practicing," he answered too quickly trying to hide his emotions. I couldn't help but feel hurt, why is he acting like this?

"Oh, okay. So, what did you want to tell me?" I asked him, deciding not to question him any further about his reaction.

"Me? what did I want to tell you?? I didn't want to tell you anything," he answered. He was acting really weird.

"Didn't you stop me because you had something to say?" I questioned him, irritated with the way he was acting.

"Aaah that!" he gave an awkward laugh while scratching the back of his head "I wanted to tell you that Luke was looking for you, he said he can't get through you on the phone"

"Oh, okay," I answered him.

"I gotta go, bye" he said before sprinting off. I watched him almost tripping twice before he dissapeared in a corner.

What is wrong with everyone? I sighed. And right then It clicked me; Betty was making everyone acting that way and then she would throw me a party at my or her house at night. It only made sense that way, I did the same thing for her when we were in sophomore year. I pretended to forgot her birthday and then I threw a party for her. But she was getting out of line, the joke was getting out of hand. I was going to have a talk with her.

Though I didn't like her way of surprising me, I couldn't help but smile and be excited.