Storm's POV

Saturday Morning

Sleeping in is the best! It feels great not having an annoying alarm to wake me up at half past six in the morning! When I roll over to check the time on my bedside clock, it reads:

10:31

The house is so quiet that you could hear a pin drop! Sitting up, through my window, I watch birds of the colours bright pink, dirty orange, sea-blue and dark green perch on the sturdy branches of our apple tree. I chuckle as some of these creatures peck at the unripe apples hanging opposite them. When my friends are around, I pretend, just like them, to not take an interest in nature and just chatter and use technology though there's a secret wish inside of me wanting to explore the beauty of the earth.

I shuffle in my hot pink slippers across the landing and down the stairs. River, hair ruffled and eyes droopy, is eating Cheerios on the sofa, watching BBC News.

"Where's Mum and Dad?" I ask, cringing at the sound of a spoon banging against a bowl.

"Work," River answers in a monotone, eyes still fixed on the news reporter.

"They're supposed to be off on weekends," I complain as I saunter to the kitchen.

"And they were supposed to go buy food," I add after browsing through the very little breakfast options.

I settle for half a packet of Oreos and I bring an almost finished jar of peanut butter to the available spot on the sofa next to River.

"Yuck! Please don't do what I think you're going to do," River pleads, shielding her eyes.

I twist the lid off the jar and my other hand creeps into the packet of Oreos, bringing one out.

"Please, Storm! No!" my older sister begs, a bit more desperate now.

Too late! The Oreo has been dipped into the peanut butter.

Next to me, River's doing gagging noises.

"Shush! Let me enjoy my breakfast in peace!" I hush her through a mouthful of peanut butter and an Oreo.

"That's not breakfast, hun," River criticises, grimacing," It's an insult to the creator of Oreos and the creator of peanut butter."

"No! It's a compliment, hun."

"You wish."

River stares at the TV screen intently.

"Since when did you watch the news?" I question.

My big sister never watches the news(something we have in common).

"Have you ever felt like you've seen someone on TV, specifically in a certain film or programme and when you try to look for them on telly, you can't find them?"

What is she talking about?

"Sorry, sis. But, I understand English," I reply.

"You wouldn't understand," River mutters.

"Yeah, I totally don't!"

A silence that is only disturbed by the people talking on TV, River's spoon banging against the bowl and the munching of our teeth hangs over us. I clear my throat.

"I'm going to a party later," I state because it's the only thing I could think of to say.

"OK. Just remember your curfew," River responds.

"You sound old."

"I do not!"

"And you look old, too."

River grabs the nearest cushion and hits my head aggressively with it. I can smell a pillow fight!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, girl!" Emma and Sophie chorus when I unlock the front door.

"Hey!" I chirp back, stepping back to allow my BFFs enter the house.

We've planned to prepare ourselves for the party while River goes to the supermarket. I cheer myself up by thinking to myself that she will probably meet up with Tom.

"Come on, Storm! It's time for a makeover!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I peer in my mirror. Sophie has applied my concealer, mascara, eyeliner and silver glittery eye shadow to perfection. In my opinion, the eye makeup is the best: it suits my sleeveless shimmering silver top, my black leather jacket and my black zipper mini skirt. Silver-painted nails and large hoop earrings are the finishing touches. Sometimes, I really wonder if she's really a teenager with a talent for makeup and not a professional makeup artist. Emma has taken the role of being in charge of the hairstyles and decided that the straighter version hair look would look best on me. I totally agree because my straightened hair looks more of a dirty blonde.

"My makeup and hairdressing skills suck!" I wail as I observe one of my BFFS' talents.

"Yeah! They totally do!" Emma agrees, chuckling,"Now, stop being such a baby and do my hair!"

"There's something called manners," Sophie mutters while rearranging her makeup bag.

"Omg! Really! I had no idea! I'll have to Google it when I get home," Emma gushes, each hand on each side of her head and her mouth in the shape of an 'O' in mock shock.

"Yeah. You definitely have to. Maybe Google can help you realise how dumb you are. Now, I don't want another peep from you until we finish your makeover," I order.

Emma decides to wear a black dress with straps and and a grey cardigan.

"My mum will never let me go to a party again if I catch a cold," Emma explains, modelling the look she's gone for.

I had braided, unbraided and brushed her brunette hair to create a wavy look. Sophie has painted Emma's nails gold and has used the same colour for her eye shadow and her studs. After Emma is satisfied(which isn't easy to achieve), it is Sophie's turn in the chair.

Matching her hair, Sophie has chosen a bright orange dress with straps and I choose to apply orange sunset eye shadow while Emma curled her hair.

We were ready to party...

"So glad you could come," Oliver drawls as we enter the house which is vibrating with music. Let's hope that the neighbours won't call the police!

There are already loads of people here. Some are dancing wildly to the beat, some are chattering excitedly and some are watching, amused.

"Wow! She looks completely different!" Emma breathes.

"Yeah. Who knew what not wearing glasses and more makeup can do to you!" Sophie exclaims.

"And wavy hair," Emma adds.

"And a nice white dress," Sophie adds.

"Which girl are you all envying?" I ask as I turn to face what they're all staring at.

It's Stella. She's wearing a white dress that looks fabulous with her tanned skin tone, gold eye shadow, concealer, mascara and eyeliner. Her straight hair is wavy and she's not wearing her glasses. When I approach her, Stella's face drops: we haven't talked since she rushed out of my house.

"Hi," I greet.

"Hi," is her quiet response.

"You don't seem like the girl who parties."

Stella shrugs.

"I only came here because my mum forced me to when she heard about the party," Stella answers uneasily.

"Wow! Your mum sounds nice! The only time my mum actually realise I exist is when she refuses for me to party," I chuckle.

In the corner of my eye, my abandoned BFFs are shocked at my surprisingly polite conversation with my enemy.

"So...when am I coming to your house?" I question, trying to make this quick so that I can go back to Emma and Sophie.

Stella's face is now full of confusion.

"You know, that deal we made. When you come to my house for the project, I get to ask you questions about you. When I come to your house for the project, you get to ask me questions about myself," I remind a puzzled Stella.

"Oh. Look, soz, but can I still ask you questions about you at your house? My house is usually so hectic because my relatives always come over. We wouldn't get any work done," Stella gabbles anxiously.

"If you're sure..."

"I'm sure."

Suddenly, my eyes fix onto a group of teens, including Noah and Oliver(the hosts), sneaking out through the back door.

"I want to see what they're up to. Come on," I whisper to Stella.

I follow the group discreetly while Stella follows me out of the back door into the pitch-black night.

"Where are they?" I pant, my eyes frantically scanning the back garden.

Stella points to a group of dark figures climbing over the wooden fence before starting to go after them.

"No! I don't want them to see us until we know what they're up to," I whisper, stopping her.

We hide behind the garden shed and wait until the group we're watching are out of sight. I signal to go and we scamper across the unlit garden, occasionally stumbling over unseen plants and unstable pavestones. As skillful as monkeys, we climb the fence, which is taller than how we noted it from a distance, and jump on the other side, onto a backstreet.

The streetlights make our mission easier and we jog past the lit windows on Tythings Court and into Wellington Square. We pause to check if we've gone in the right direction and Stella taps my shoulder. Following her stare, I notice Noah, Oliver and their friends standing near Costa.

"They don't seem to be doing something wrong so can we go back now," Stella urges.

However, I do the exact opposite and approach them.

"Hey, Noah! Hey, Oliver! Wassup," I greet innocently.

"Oh, hey, Storm. We were just..." Noah starts.

"Showing Noah and Oliver how Minehead is at night," a fair-haired girl interrupts.

"Cool! So you won't mind if Stella and I join you," I invite myself and Stella once I notice she's still here.

"Why not?" Oliver agrees, ignoring the 'I don't want them here' look from the fair-haired girl," This is Amber and that's Daniella."

Amber tosses her long, blonde hair and looks like she doesn't care while Daniella, her brunette friend next to her, barely acknowledges us.

"So, why are you guys hanging near Costa. It's a bit late for a coffee, isn't it?" I tease, deciding not to care about the treatment Amber and Daniella are giving us.

"Like we would get a coffee from Costa when Starbucks exist," Amber states, rolling her eyes.

"Amber was just telling us the backstories of these shops," Noah explains politely," How about you start again, Amber?"

"OK. So, I was saying that Costa and McColl's weren't always here. My mum told me that thirteen years ago, a new coffee shop was built where McColl's is now. It was owned by a couple and literally everyone in Minehead went to this new coffee shop. But..."

"But, what?" I ask, interested.

"Well, don't interrupt me and actually listen, then!" Amber warns before continuing.

"But four years later, another family built a new coffee shop where Costa is now, so next to the couple's one. Suddenly, everyone in Minehead went to this new coffee shop and forgot about the couple's so rivalry began to brew..."

"Uh-oh," I comment.

Amber raises her eyebrows at my interruption.

"A year later, at night, the family's coffee shop was put on fire and none of them survived. It was thought that the couple had done this but before the police could take them into questioning, the couple had left. They were never seen in Minehead again," Amber concludes.

"The couple had obviously done it," Daniella shares her opinion.

"Yeah, definitely," Noah agrees.

"They were guilty," Oliver adds.

"They wouldn't have left otherwise," I agree.

"I have to go," Stella says.

"OK. We'll continue our project on Monday after school at my house," I state.