Marilyn sighed. She stared outside her classroom window, where rain drizzled onto the grass, the sky a gloomy color. It was as if the weather was mirroring her mood. Heartbroken, shattered, alone and despairing. Okay, maybe that was a bit dramatic but the point is. . . . Oh, what was the point? She sighed again. It seems like sighing is going to be a common occurrence now. Why? Because she will turn eighteen in a few days. There’s nothing wrong with the number eighteen, it is just that a person usually finds one’s soulmate when they are seventeen. And Marilyn’s seventeen was a year ago. And she still hasn’t found her soulmate.
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She placed her head on top of her crossed arms which lay on the desk. She glanced over at her best friend, Dalya, who was laughing and blushing with some guy. Wait, no, not some guy. Her soulmate. Her heart ached. Her best-friend. . . . and her crush. Marilyn huffed in annoyance and ripped her eyes away from the couple and turned back towards the window. It’s not like she cares or anything, she thought while muttering under her breath. She doesn’t need a soulmate!
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BANG!
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The door burst open and a girl marched in, back straight and long, blonde hair flowing behind like a flag. The teacher silently walked in next.He stared at the girl in wonder. Marilyn did too.
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Mr. Kennel cleared his throat, closing the door and walking over to his desk.
“Good morning everyone!” A chorus of replies filled the classroom. The blonde girl still stood at the front of the class. “So,” Mr. Kennel announced. “We have a new student. Please introduce yourself.”
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The blond girl stepped forward, a soft smile on her face. “Good morning everyone! Name’s Charlotte Renai. I was fifteen three years ago. I am also hungry. Also, also, I have a dog named Kitty. But nevermind me, how’s everyone doing on this marvelous day humans call Monday?”
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The whole room cracked up laughing but Marilyn looked away frowning. She had a feeling the blonde girl would be popular in no time. And Marilyn wanted nothing to do with popular people. It was irritating.
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“Hello!” a voice said in her ear. She jumped away, clutching her desk. She looked up to see blondie. The girl was grinning at her while placing her stuff on her desk.
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Marilyn muttered a ‘hi’ and turned her head towards the front of the class. “What are you doing?” she asked.
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The girl, Charlotte, hummed, sitting down. “Mr. Kennel told me to sit next to you. Hope you don’t mind, Marilyn.”
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She blinked rapidly, a strange, warm feeling filling her chest. “Of course not,” she muttered. She grabbed her pen and started clicking on the top, a way to ease her nervousness.
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“Have you found your soulmate Marilyn?”
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“No, have you?”
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Charlotte shook her head. “You know,” she said, staring at Marilyn, “you have a beautiful name. It suits you. You look like a total Marilyn.”
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Marilyn narrowed her eyes. “What. . . do you mean by that?”
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“Star of the sea,” Charlotte replied. “That’s what your name means doesn’t it? I mean, you sure do look like one.”
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She gawked at the blonde. What is wrong with this girl? Marilyn refused to accept the fact that she was blushing.
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“T-Thank you, now stop talking!” Marilyn sputtered out. “He’s starting class!”
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Charlotte only winked back at her but thankfully, she looked back towards the teacher.
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~ - ~
It was break now. Luckily, she didn’t encounter Charlotte for the rest of the day. Marilyn picked up her tray and her gaze washed over all the tables, most of them already filled. There! She saw an empty table and she made a run for it, careful not to drop the small amount of food on her tray.
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She placed her tray down and shrugged off her bag, seating herself and opening a packet of iced coffee. She shoved a spoonful of fruit salad in her mouth, savoring the multiple, tangy, sweet and sour tastes. Her eyes fluttered shut and she exhaled from her nose.
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Food, food, beautiful food. What would I do without you, my love?
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Marilyn’s eyes snapped open when she heard a clatter. Her eyes had opened to view Charlotte Renai happily munching a mini-donut with one hand and twirling the cord of her earphones in the other.
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“Um.” Marilyn paused and frowned. This is unexpected. “Hello?”
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“Hi,” the blonde shot back with a goofy smile.
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“Hey,” she said, not knowing what to say. What does someone usually say when the newbie sits at my table?
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“Hola,” Charlotte replied in spanish.
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Marilyn, silently agreeing to go with the flow, returned, “Salut.”
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“Je suis mauvais en français. J'espère que vous ne connaissez pas le français.”
She stared at the blonde. “Uh, arigatou?”
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Charlotte burst out laughing and Marilyn noticed how her eyes curved into moons. “Guess you’re as bad as I am,” she said. Marilyn laughed nervously along with Charlotte. Needless to say, she was confused. Her day is going like nothing as planned.
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“Uh, why are you sitting with me? I’m pretty sure there are more seats,” Marilyn said, looking around.
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“Just because,” Charlotte answered, deciding to remove her earphones. “I want to ask you a question.”
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“Go ahead,” she said curiously.
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“What do you think about soulmates?”
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Marilyn blinked and placed her drink down. This was an interesting turn. “Well, I certainly would like one. I don’t really have many friends and I don’t have siblings either. Heck, I don’t even have a dog or a fish. It would be nice if I had a soulmate. Then I wouldn’t be so. . . . lonely.” She clenched her fists and looked away at the last part.
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Charlotte chuckled. “Guess what?” Marilyn raised an eyebrow while watching the blonde entangle her fingers and putting them on the table. “I was fated not to find a soulmate. Ever. I will never find my soulmate, let alone receive a soulmark.”
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Marilyn clasped her hands on her mouth. She reached a hand and put it on top of Charlotte’s. Stranger or not, something like that was terrible. Never finding your soulmate?
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“I- I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
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Charlotte laughed again and waved her off. “It’s fine, it’s not much of a big deal.”
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“Charlotte,” she said, looking concerned. The girl looked at her. “Why are you telling me this?”
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The blonde tilted her head, watching the other curiously. “Why did I tell you? I honestly don’t know. I just wanted to.”
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Marilyn could only reply with an ‘Oh’.
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~ - ~
Charlotte walked through the library, her hands skimming over the covers of books. Obviously, she was in the fantasy section glaring at the books so that she could find one that would interest her. She wasn’t much of a reader but her mother always forced her to read one, whatever it is, as long as she read. But then again, if she opened a book, a face would still distract her focus. She met the most beautiful girl today. Raven hair pulled back into a bun, a constant frown on her pretty face, and clear green eyes like the meadow on a sunny day. Marilyn was just gorgeous.
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She sighed and picked up a book in the far corner of a shelf. Throne of Glass, the cover read in big, silver lettering. There was a pale-looking girl on the cover with white hair flowing in the wind. She hummed.
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I remember reading this, the girl wondered. Wasn’t there a girl named Aselyn or someone?
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She heard a gasp from in front of her. Her eyes snapped up to see Marilyn peering at the book with a shine in her eyes. A smirk quirked up on Charlotte’s face.
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“Have you read this?” she asked the raven-head.
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“No,” Marilyn replied, still gazing at the book. “No, I haven’t actually.”
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“Why? You seem to like it.”
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Marilyn frowned again. There it is, Charlotte thought in amusement. “I couldn’t find the book. I searched everywhere in the section of the series but it wasn’t there! How did you find it?”
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“It was in a far corner of the shelf. Picked it up by chance. Do you want it?”
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“H-huh? Me?” Marilyn pointed at herself, blinking rapidly.
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“Who else? I’m talking to you aren’t I?”
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“Um, right, okay. Me. You’re talking to me,” Marilyn murmured. Charlotte couldn’t help but laugh at the other.
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“So do you want it or not?” she said, thrusting the book at Marilyn.
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“Well, if it’s fine with you then. . . .”
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“You can have it.”
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“Oh, thank you Charlotte!”
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“But.”
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“But?”
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“You have to read a chapter to me everyday.”
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“H-huh?!”
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“Yeah! ”
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Marilyn huffed, deciding to agree. Anything for her precious book. Charlotte smiled. Life ought to be a bit interesting now, she thought.
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