Free The Dawn of the Lost: Prequel to The Lost and the Wicked by Cesar Gonzalez Page A

floozies.”
    He smirks, moving so close to me that we’re now face to face. “Aw, I like my girls feisty.”
    Against my will, I feel my face grow warm. Andrew might be a jerk, but he’s insanely cute. He has a perfect mix of muscles, mesmerizing smile, and light yellow eyes. “T-too bad I don’t like you.” Before I can get more flustered, I stomp away.
    “Aw!” jeers the crowd of boys.
    “She told you ,” says a dark-skinned boy.
    “Turned down cold, man,” adds another.
    “That’s fine,” I hear Andrew say. “She’ll come along sooner or later.”
    Ignoring the rest of their heckles, I swing the door open and hurry into the hallway. The sounds of dozens of voices mix together into a buzz of indistinguishable noise. The hallway is long, with dozens of red doors at each side. Many kids stand together in uneven groups, which in itself isn’t too surprising. What is surprising is what they’re doing with their phones. Usually, they are texting, or taking selfies on them. But right now, they are all huddled in small groups, gagging over their phones. I bet whatever their looking at is something stupid. Some useless celebrity break-up that affects them in no way, shape, or form. Or maybe another picture of some famous person’s newborn baby.
    My insides twist. I never understood people’s obsession with celebrities and hanging on every detail of their lives. They’re just normal people, albeit better known, but regular people nonetheless.
    Sighing, I walk around the huddled groups and head upstairs. As I pass them I catch little snippets of their conversations.
    “My dad said it happened early morning, about one.”
    “I think they landed in Europe and Mexico, too.”
    “The Japanese are calling them Daitengu. Some sort of demons, I think.”
    I climb the stairs in silence and reach the second floor hallway. It’s more of the same. Groups of people speaking in hushed whispers.
    It’s now that I notice that their usual smiles are gone. Most of them look worried and scared. If I didn’t know any better, I would say I was at a funeral. Which wasn’t too far off. It was finals week.
    The loud sound of a thousand birds chirping suddenly bursts in my ear, causing me to jump . Stupid bell . Whose bright idea was it to have a lot obnoxious bird chirps replace the classic rings?
    “Did you not hear the bell ring?” asks Mrs. Todd, a short stubby woman with way too much make-up on her face. She stares back at me through wire-rimmed glasses. “Well, Miss. Moore. Are you simply going to stand there all day? Get to class.”
    “Y…yes, I’m going.” Quickly, I stammer away toward my class. Mrs. Todd has always been a pain in the ass, but ever since her divorce a year ago, she has become intolerable, handing out detentions and referrals for the smallest of infractions. I, myself, was sent to detention just last week for not ‘being in the school spirit’. Apparently, wearing a black leather jacket on ‘Spirit Friday’ when everyone else is wearing the school colors of red and white is a crime now.
    “What are all of you doing just standing there?” I hear Mrs. Todd shout behind me. “Get to class!”
    “But Mrs. Todd,” complains a boy’s voice I don’t recognize. “There is something going on in California. It’s some sort of att—”
    “You need not worry what is happening in California. Get yourself to class. Now!”
    I turn the corner and walk into my homeroom. Room 32. The shiny floor has clearly been polished. The windows look extra clean as well. I can almost see my reflection of off them. Antique red curtains hang at the edge of the windows. Five rows, containing six desks each, stand in even lines. The whole place has a homey, warm feeling that I’ve always enjoyed.
    Ms. Lopez catches my eye. “Hey, you’re the first student here, Summer.” I feel her deep blue eyes staring a hole into my back as I move around the room. “Are you ready for the exam?”
    “Yes, I think so,” I