It was the first day of the new school year at Coaltown Community High School. The incoming seniors were thrilled to be in their last year, and that was all they could talk about.

"I'm so excited to be a senior!" Caitlin Messer squeals in joy.

MaKenna Reeves, who was to her left, looked at her with a small smile. "I'm excited to finish the year with all the athletic records."

"Well you should be. You're the school's superathlete. You make the other schools' teams fear you."

MaKenna laughs. "I wouldn't go that far but okay."

MaKenna and Caitlin both look to the girl on Caitlin's right, Marina Simmons.

"So…" Caitlin starts. "What does senior year have in store for Marina?"

"Honor classes." Marina says.

"You going to stress about that this year?" MaKenna asks.

"I wouldn't be me if I didn't. Plus, I'm still trying to become valedictorian. If it makes you feel better, I'm in a Study Hall this year."

"Took you long enough."

Caitlin smiles. "Does your senior year also still have some Marcus Backman in it?"

Marina smiles. "Always. How's Evan doing, Caitlin?"

"Great. I love him so much."

"I love sports." MaKenna says.

The three girls looked at each other and laugh as the school's football team walks through the hall.

"Look at all of those boys…" Caitlin says quietly. "Who's captain?"

Marina grins. "Marcus but he asked Kole to help. Speaking of Kole…hey, Kole."

"Hey, Marina, Caitlin." Kole says. "MaKenna, I'll see you at soccer practice tonight."

"See ya." MaKenna says.

Marina smiles as Marcus wraps his arms around her. "Hi, handsome."

"Hey, beautiful." Marcus says. "You excited?"

"Always."

Tyler Danielson sneers as he watched Marcus Backman wrap his arms around Marina Simmons. "I can't stand that asshole."

Tanner, his identical twin, laughed. "If I had a nickel for every time…"

"I know, I know."

"At least his girlfriend is pretty."

"Marina Simmons is not as pretty as Caitlin though."

"Are you just saying that because she's with Marcus?"

"No, she also dislikes me."

"Well you talk shit about her boyfriend."

"So?"

"Let's say you had a girlfriend still. Would you be okay with someone talking shit about her?"

"No…"

"Exactly."

Marina sat in her Study Hall class, bored as she had nothing to do since it was only the first day.

She groaned as she watched one boy walk in over ten minutes late. "Tyler Danielson."

The teacher supervising the Study Hall, Mr. Short, looked over at Tyler. "Mr. Danielson, glad to see you've finally joined us."

Tyler sighed. "Sorry, Mr. Short. I just got caught up in the bathroom. You know you're my favorite teacher. I won't let it happen again. Please don't give me detention. I'll do anything."

Kole Perkins looked over at Marina. "Kissass much?"

Marina gave a small laugh. "Tell me about it."

Kole laughed as well. "You have a really funny laugh."

"Well, Mr. Danielson," Mr. Short says. "You can do this for me. I borrowed these CPR dummies from the nurse in the Middle School. You can go over there and take them back for me."

"Okay…" Tyler replies. "Alone?"

Mr. Short thinks for a moment. "No, I'll send a couple people with you…how about those laughing pals there…Kole Perkins and Marina Simmons, go with Mr. Danielson over to the Middle School to take these CPR dummies to the nurse."

"But-" Marina gets cut off.

"Go."

Marina and Kole both rolled their eyes and helped carried the CPR dummies as they went to leave the classroom.

Marina, Kole, and Tyler trudged across the field between Coaltown Community High School and Coaltown Community Middle School.

"I cannot believe I had to help bring these back to the nurse." Marina says quietly.

"You wouldn't have had to if you weren't laughing so hard." Tyler responds.

"I wouldn't have been laughing if you weren't being such a kissass to Mr. Short when you came to Study Hall over ten minutes late."

"At least I made it to class, and I wasn't laughing at anyone else."

"But you are an egotistical douche so there's that."

"Alright chill, you two." Kole says. "Let's just drop these off and go back to Study Hall."

The trio drop off the dummies and start to head back to their high school.

"So…" Tyler says. "We could be slow and just say there was traffic on our way back."

"Dude," Kole looks over at Tyler. "We're walking through a field. Traffic doesn't exist."

"Mr. Short might not realize that."

"Mr. Short isn't stupid. Tyler, we should get back."

"Why?"

"We're supposed to go straight back. Do you have something against Study Hall?"

"No. That would be Marina. It took her four years to actually take one."

Marina rolls her eyes. "I'm trying to be valedictorian."

"But you're only salutatorian. Sierra is valedictorian."

"Just shut up, and let's go back to class."

"Yeah." Kole agrees. "We need to get back."

"Man, you two are no fun. Don't you ever wanna let loose and have fun? We've got Kole Perkins, who does all the sports and excels in all of them, and Marina Simmons, who does all the classes and excels in all of them. Don't you two ever wanna do something different and have some adventures?"

Marina and Kole both roll their eyes.

"Can't do that right now." Marina says. "I'll do that when I'm a financially stable adult."

"So when you're thirty?"

"Pretty much."

"That's like thirteen years."

"And?"

Suddenly, there was a bright flash. The three teens look at each other.

"What the hell was that?" Kole asks.

"I don't know." Marina replies. "But this is why we should get back to class."

Tyler rolls his eyes. "No…there's something flashing over there. And I want to see what it is. What's Mr. Short gonna do if you two return without me?"

"Leave it alone, Tyler." Kole says. "It could be dangerous."

"We don't know that. Live a little." Tyler runs over to the flashing and picks up a rock covered in red crystals. "It's rocks. Guys, come look at these."

Kole follows and picks up a second rock that is covered in yellow crystals. "This is not a normal rock. But they seem harmless."

Tyler looks at Marina. "Are you gonna come look at these? They're cool."

Marina sighs in defeat. "I guess."

Marina joins Tyler and Kole and picks up a third rock. This one is covered in blue crystals. "I took a Geology class, and I've never seen anything like this."

Tyler glances at her. "Really? I would've figured that you would've known if any of us did."

"Well I don't."

"Okay. Let's leave these and head back." Kole says.

"Wait." Tyler says. "They're cool. I'm taking this red one."

"Tyler, they could belong to someone."

"I doubt it."

"Marina, help me out here."

Marina stares at the rock in her hand. "Actually, I agree with Tyler. They're in the middle of a field, Kole. Plus, I'm fascinated by these rocks. I'm taking this one too. You said yourself that they seem harmless."

Kole sighs. "I guess so." He pockets his rock. "Let's go. I can't argue when the two people who argue more than literally anyone else agree with each other."