It was the penultimate week of August in San Francisco. Fog shrouded the entire city. The muffled crash of ocean waves in the silence told that it was still early morning. The sun emerged from beneath the clouds, revealing its brightness in a gradual manner. Yet the combination of clouds and fog prevented the sun from shining at full intensity.
In the Sunset District, Jessica's bedroom window was damp with fog. Beneath the covers, Jessica was relishing the final moments of her slumber. She had wanted to stay wrapped in the warmth a little longer, letting the grey mist outside lull her into delay. But her mother's calls had drifted up the stairs again and again, each one nudging her closer to reality until, finally, with a groan, she had pushed the covers aside.
She rubbed her eyelids as the fog outside captivated her attention. For a moment, she hesitated, and she wished she could linger in the quiet of her room. The chill of the morning made her shiver slightly as she leaned toward the window, opened each side, one at a time, and tilted her neck for a better view. A powerful gust of wind caused her ocean-blue eyes to widen. With a sigh, she tucked a strand of her light brown hair behind her ear.
Every morning, as she observed the mist, she found the weather even less appealing than the day before. The fog had hung heavy over the streets, dulling the colors of everything around her and making the world feel distant and quiet. That was why she had preferred the summer season more.
As she looked outside, Jessica sensed the same melancholy of fog within herself. The morning chill and the stillness of late evening always drowned her in the thoughts she constantly evaded. However, the thoughts always win, drawing her into the depths of the memories she worked tirelessly to avoid. Her hands felt cold, and she shut her eyes for a moment. She grasped the amount of her change. She realized how much she had grown up. One single event had shattered the way she saw the world.
She was lost in her thoughts when her Mom knocked. The voice that always caused her to cease her thoughts. She looked around to see her mother gaze at her with the same blue eyes she possessed. Jessica had the same gentleness and compassion as her mother. She always felt pride whenever others noticed this similarity as well. "Are you okay, Jess?" Mrs. David asked in her usual gentle tone.
Jessica smiled faintly and replied, "Yeah, Mom… I'm fine."
Mrs. David paused for a moment, gazing at her, and then gave a nod. "Alright then, come down and eat breakfast," she added playfully, "You start senior year of school today as well."
Jessica let out a fake sob as her mother descended downstairs. She cast a last look at the fog, which was striving to draw her back into quiet contemplation, but she shook her head with a prolonged, heavy sigh and headed for the shower.
Eventually, she made her way down to the kitchen. She found her mother preparing coffee and her father assisting his wife. She quietly admired the serenity and love shared by her parents. Her father always treats her mother like a queen. It provided her with a feeling of comfort. One main reason contributing to her excessively high standards was her father.
She approached her dad with a smile, "Good morning, Dad," and kissed him on the cheek.
Her Dad gazed at her affectionately, "Good morning, Jess."
She circled and grabbed her cup of coffee and toast. She rarely spoke when she saw her parents engaged in an activity together. Her parents endured a lot, and after years of pain, witnessing their joy once more brought her warmth. But as soon as Jessica sat down for breakfast, her twin brother John walked in through the front door. He entered the kitchen and brushed Jessica's hair. "Good morning, sleepyhead." He said in his usual teasing tone, and perched on the chair next to her.
Jessica scowled and looked at her brother, who had greenish-blue eyes similar to their father's. He flashed her a playful grin before grabbing her plate and munching on the toasts. "Did you just finish jogging? Because you smell," she scrunched her nose and retrieved her plate of toasts.
John chuckled, and dimples emerged on either side of his cheeks. "At least, I'm not as drowsy as you." He stormed out of the kitchen and dashed upstairs to his room to take a shower before Jessica could hit him.
"If I'm late, I'll share your doodling photo from last night on Instagram," Jessica called out after him.
As Jessica and John walked to school, the fog had lifted slightly. Jessica inhaled deeply, thankful for the thinning fog. As they walked, she was continuously glancing back, as was her routine, and strolled alongside John. Noticing her, John grasped her hand gently, "Hey, it's all good, just simply walk naturally."
As they both turned left from Ashthorne Street onto Sunset Valley Lane and walked a few steps ahead, Jessica's heart started racing like the sound of hammering. Her eyes were drawn to the empty house near the school. She started to breathe heavily, stopped in her tracks, and stayed there quietly. All at once, she experienced an overwhelming sense of hatred for this house.
Jessica had always disliked this route to school due to this house. This morning, she struggled to stop those thoughts, but they returned now. Her chest began to feel tight. A sense of fear started to envelop her. She shut her eyes to remain calm, but the memories flooded her. Her mind was in disarray, and she clenched her fists.
Suddenly, she sensed a hand on her shoulder and another on her back. The gentle touch of those hands allowed her to breathe deeply and steadily. She blinked her eyes open, and John was there, looking at her with sadness clearly reflected in his eyes. "I can't promise, but let's hope someday everything will turn out fine," he said, gently tapping her back.
Jessica remained silent for a moment, holding back her tears. She nodded in agreement at John, wiped her face, let out a deep sigh, and walked to school next to John, never letting go of his hand.
Upon entering the school grounds, Jessica and John noticed their friends Theo and Rose approaching them. Jessica smiled, pretending as if nothing had occurred before arriving at school. She disliked it when people questioned her, as it completely disturbed her once more. She stared at her brother, who was now blushing upon seeing Rose. His chest rose and fell with deep breaths, making an effort to remain calm.
"Do not even think about flirting with her," Jessica spoke, stifling her laughter.
John's face became more flushed. "I don't engage in flirting with her. I'm earnest regarding Rose," he straightened his broad shoulders.
"I suppose John didn't spend much time in the shower," Theo walked over to them, then laughed at his own joke with his cheerful hazel eyes. He had broad shoulders like John's, both of them shaped by hours on the basketball team. Jessica had always been fond of Theo. He was simply like another brother to her. John and Theo had been best friends since middle school, but Theo had always viewed both of them as his own siblings.
Rose, conversely, had secured her blonde hair in a ponytail, accentuating the intensity of her amber eyes. She had always been the most beautiful in their entire friend group. Yet John liked her even more due to her kindness to all.
Jessica burst into laughter at Theo's joke, while Rose merely sighed with a smile. Jessica preferred to be by Theo since he always brought her joy. She always overlooked her issues as his goofy jokes grabbed her attention.
"How were the vacations?" Rose beamed at John.
"Yeah, they were great," John replied nervously.
Theo wished to tease John further, but the school's bell chime prompted them to head indoors. They walked into the corridor side by side. It was teeming with students, joking and exchanging tales from their vacations. They walked to their lockers and shoved some books inside.
Jessica felt significantly better now. She had returned to her routine at last. Though she despised that vacations had ended, she liked keeping herself busy.
Once they were in class and had settled in their seats, laughing at each other's jokes, the Professor entered the classroom. Every student fell silent as if they had never spoken in their lives.
"I hate him," Theo cast a disdainful look at Mr. Smith.
"Trust me, dude, we all do," John said with a shrug.
Mr. Smith gazed at the classroom with his keen eyes. He never exhibited a smile or displayed warmth toward any student. Mr. Smith typically dressed in black, and the mystery behind it was unknown to everyone. "We have a new student with us today." Mr. Smith spoke up, his tone sharp and stern. "He moved here today, and I hope none of you will overreact towards him, leading to another transfer."
Mr. Smith looked at the entrance of the class, "Please come inside, Mr. William."
But no one came into the classroom. Jessica and her friends shared bewildered glances. The entire class burst into whispers and murmurs since no one came in.