Ace of Spades

Chapter 1: Invisible

By: StargazerLillies

Author's Note: Inspired by the Stand by Me-esque forest near my house. I can't believe I'm writing this! Yay!

Rating: T (some swearing, intimacy but nothing dirty)

Ace Merrill is not a guy I ever thought would talk to me. Sure, we grew up together, but Castle Rock is a small town. It's hard to say when he developed his sense of danger, because I seem to remember him sneaking a smoke in the bathroom in the 3rd Grade, and spray painting the walls of the school in Grade 4.

He's lived across the street from me my whole life. Does that mean anything? Not really. Of course, I did witness his father beat the shit out of him a lot. That's really why he turned out to be such an asshole. He toughened up, because his father was one. Now, his father resides in a penitentiary somewhere, and will be for along time.

Somehow he became the leader of the Cobras. The Cobras are the most feared gang in all of Castle Rock and the surrounding area. Me? I'm nobody. Really, I'm nobody. I'm not popular, I'm not bad and I'm not a nerd. I'm pretty much invisible, and I like it that way. I've never had a boyfriend, or any real friends. I observe.

I never really thought much about Ace Merrill and he never really talked much to me, until a couple months ago.

I was sitting at my desk in English class when "Eyeball" Chambers strolled into class late. Now, this was a surprise to me, because he usually doesn't even come to class. Along behind him smelling of smoke and car oil was Mr. Merrill, strawberry blonde hair slicked back, with a smug smile on his face. I knew something was going on. The teacher knew something was going on. Hey, even Joey Anderson, who was taking a nap in the class, was dreaming that something was going on. That was when the fire alarm rang. That's it? I thought. Not very original.

In fact, it wasn't very original at all. The Cobras had pulled the fire alarm a total of 57 times this year. 45 times of them still unproved. They had never come to class though. Why would they come to class? That's when I saw it.

Everyone had left the classroom but me, Ace and Eyeball. They had switched the names on everyone's test around on Mrs. Stevens' desk. Of course, thinking I was invisible I stood there wide eyed, staring at the whole thing. Ace looked up.

"Well if it isn't Mary Ann Quinlan?" He said smoothly.

To Be Continued…