The Raven Four Books 1-3 - Jessica Sorensen Page 0,6

school works, but I need my calm.

I smoke until my mind is hazy. I smoke until I can’t feel anything but sedation—numbness. I smoke until I can’t think about much of anything.

Emptiness. Just how I like it.

Once I’m good and blazed, I spray some perfume on, put some eye drops in, and then head inside the school.

Last night, my aunt told me that I’m supposed to stop by the office this morning to pick up my schedule. I expect to see Dixie May in there and plan on giving her the stupid sparkly case then, but by the time I enter the office, she’s either already picked up her schedule or she decided to spend the morning trying to find a clique she can dictate.

The secretary sitting behind the front desk looks up at me as I wander in, eyeing my outfit over. After seeing how most of the people in the hallway are dressed, I kind of expected that.

Preppy is the word that came to mind when I noted the outfits almost everyone is sporting. Not that I believe everyone is preppy here, but there are an awful lot of polo shirts and khaki pants.

Once the secretary is done scrutinizing me, her lips move, but I can’t hear what she’s saying.

Shit. I forgot I had my earbuds in.

I tug one out. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you. Can you repeat that?”

She gives me a wary look and I wonder if she suspects I’m high as a mother effer.

“I said, can I help you with something?” she asks with mild tolerance.

I do my best to focus on her and rest my arms on the counter. “Yeah, I’m new here and need to get my schedule.”

She turns toward the computer. “What’s the name?”

“Ravenlee Wilowwynter.”

She starts typing then pauses. “How do you spell the last name?”

I spell it for her, and she types it in, briefly smiling. "That's a beautiful name. Does it mean anything?"

I could tell her the reason my parents named me after the cursed bird, tell her the prettier part of the name. But nothing about me or my life is pretty anymore, so I answer her with honesty instead.

“Yeah, bad luck. Or well, Raven does, which is what I go, by so…”

She glances up at me with her brows furrowed. “Excuse me?”

“Raven, the bird, represents bad luck,” I say with a shrug. “Which is what people call me.”

She blinks. “Oh.” Then she starts to look back at her computer.

Awesome, Raven. She definitely probably thinks you’re on something.

I’d probably would be more worried, but that numbness I love so much settles me.

Calms me.

Calm.

“They also symbolize wisdom, knowledge, creativity, mysteriousness, and unpredictability,” a guy who looks to be around my age says as he steps up beside me.

I start to turn my head, wondering how the hell this guy knows what ravens symbolize. Then I blink, sure I’m seeing things.

He seriously might be the prettiest guy I've ever seen, with chin-length blond hair, long eyelashes, and bright blue eyes. And just by looking at his pretty face, I expect him to be dressed in an outfit that goes with the preppy theme around here. So, I'm surprised he's wearing a black shirt, matching jeans, and boots. He also has a chain dangling from his belt loop and leather bands covering his wrists.

The strangest part about him is the way he’s smiling at me. I can’t even remember the last time someone smiled at me, let alone some pretty guy with eyelashes so long I swear he could be wearing mascara.

“Are you real?” I ask, blinking again.

His forehead creases, the corners of his lips quirking. “Yeah, are you?”

I nod, pulling my head out of my ass.

Did I just ask this guy if he’s real?

Dude, I smoked way too much this morning.

“Good morning, Mr. Hathingford,” the secretary greets him with what can only be described as a somewhat tolerant, somewhat amused look. Still, the look lets me know this pretty guy is totally real. “And to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence today?”

He rests his arms on the counter and gives her the same charming smile he tried to dazzle me with. “Now, what’d be the fun in just telling you? Let’s make a game out of it. I’ll give you three tries to guess, and if you guess wrong, I get to walk out of here, free and clear.”

I glance at the secretary, expecting her to get annoyed. Instead, she shakes her head and cracks a small smile. “I’m