Maybe

One

So I wrote the first several chapters in past tense, but I'm working on changing them to present tense. Sorry! I promise they get better 

---

"Scout?" Ryan asks from the kitchen.

"Yeah?" I call.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah one second."

I tie my converse, rushing out of my room. Grabbing my backpack from off the kitchen counter and shoving a handful of blueberries in my mouth, I hop in my brothers car.

"Ready for your first day?" Ryan asks casually, one hand on the wheel.

"No, not really"

"C'mon you'll be fine,"

"I'll sit alone,"

"Doubt it"

"Ryan, it's my first day of not having my brother in high school with me. Now that you're in College I won't have anyone."

"That's not true, you'll make friends."

"I didn't at my last school" I huff. 

"We only lived there for about two months"

"Exactly," I roll my eyes. 

He is quiet as we pull up in front of the school.

"Look, Scout, I'm sorry that we had to move. But ever since-"

"Later." I say quickly hustling out of the car. I don't understand why Ryan is so open about the fact that our parents left us. Maybe he still has hope that they will come back. I don't.

I throw my backpack over my shoulder and walk up the steps toward the school. Glances are shot my way, everybody already making their opinions of the 'new girl'. Eventually I find the office where I pick up my schedule. On a map, an aid shows me where each of my classes are along with my locker.

"If you need anything else feel free too ask,"

"Thank you,"

I find my locker, which is located in what everybody calls the 'new kid wall' which is where all the new kid lockers are placed. I take my books out of my backpack, and just as I am about to put them into my locker, somebody walks by, and smacks them out of my hands. They spill all over the floor, but when I look over to see who did it, all I catch is a flash of brown hair before he is immersed into the crowd.

I run an annoyed hand through my hair before bending over to pick up my books. Just after I pick the first one up, somebody bends down to help me.

"Pain in the ass aren't they?"

I glance up, and a boy is staring back at me.

"Huh?" I ask.

"Seniors. Think they are on top of the world."

He has a soft Irish accent, as if he lived there a long time ago. I can see his muscles through his football jacket, and his eyes look straight into mine.

"Seems like it,"

He hands me my books, and I stand up and put them in my locker. I don't even realize that my palms were sweating and quickly wipe them on my jeans.

"So where'd ya move from?"

"Maryland"

"Ah nice. I'm Niall by the way," he says extending a hand. I'm glad my hands aren't sweaty.

"Very Irish"

"You know it," he smiles.

"Im Scout,"

"Very American. Cute name,"

I can feel my ears turning red.

"Thank you."

"Well since you're new, I suppose I'm supposed to walk you too your class."

"Only if you want too."

"I definitely want too." By now I'm sure that my entire face is pink.

"I have English with Dewees first."

"I do too."

The walk with Niall is nice, and it is the first time I have felt legitimately happy since my parents left. He talks on and on about his home in Ireland, where he had lived up until he was 11, before his parents decided to pursue the American dream and open a Irish Pub. I don't care that he does all the talking, because it left less room for me to embarrass myself.

We eventually get to room 116 and Niall holds the door for me. Mrs. Dewees is already seating people, and I get sat between Niall and his friend, so I know I will have to get used to them talking across me. But sitting next to Niall also means talking to Niall, which I am very excited about.

"So what was your old school like?" Niall asks. I can't get over how beautiful his eyes are.

"It was okay I guess. I didn't live there long though, so I didn't have much time to settle in,"

"Are ya planning to stay here long?" He asks curious.

"Hopefully. I mean my brother is in college now so we will hopefully be here a while,"

"Good,"

Mrs. Dewees calls for everyone to be quiet, and class begins. After about 20 minutes Niall taps my arm and hands me a note. Written in curvy writing it reads:

Sit with me at lunch?

I look over and nod, filled with excitement. Niall is the cute-boy-next-door-jock that every great romance movie needs.

First period finishes, and Niall walks me to second, then third, then fourth. And by the time lunch comes me and Niall know quite a bit about each other.

"Wait wait- so you've never seen Titanic?" Niall asks in pure disbelief.

"Never."

We stop at my locker so I can set my books down, but Niall keeps talking.

"But... How!? It's like the greatest love story of all time!"

"Well I know the plot line so it's not like I don't have any clue."

"Still you gotta watch it."

"Okay maybe I will."

We walk to the cafeteria, where Niall introduces me to his group of friends which includes most of the football team and all of the cheer team.

Everybody can see that Niall is the heartthrob of the table. The cheerleaders cling to his every word, and they all crowd around him like a moth to a light.

It doesn't surprise me that Niall is popular. He is beyond charming and very attractive, while also being the star football player. Also he seems so... solid. Like nothing in the world can shake him.

Somehow Niall and I have gotten separated, and he ends up at one end of the table while I am at the other. A cheerleader who is near to me and smells much too strongly of bubblegum is clinging to Niall's arm, and the thought of her being his girlfriend makes me slightly upset..

But he only seems interested in me.

He talks to me all the way across the table, and everybody listens to our conversation , but for some reason, it feels Niall is mine.