Mister Popular's Little Sister

two: friends with the rival

Making my way down the marble staircase, I enter into the family room where there is a note and a credit card resting on the table. The note reads:

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Marley,
I have been very busy and I am sorry that I have not been able to see you. Here is a credit card for you to go buy some school supplies and new clothes for school. I hope to see you soon.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀-Dad.

Grabbing the credit card and note, I make my way back upstairs to get ready for the day. I basically live in my room because I don't leave unless it is to get food or go to the bathroom. Conner and I have not spoken since that incident, and I don't plan on speaking to him anytime soon, though I really want to catch up with him about his life and tell him about mine.

I pull out my light blue denim jeans and pull them on. My dark grey shirt sticks out of my drawer so I decide to wear that shirt. Pulling my hair to the side of my face, I braid the blonde mess hoping that I will look decent. I push up my glasses before I grab my grey converse and slide them on. Looking in the mirror, I make a face. I guess this'll do.

Alright, I am ready to go. I have my bag with everything I need, including the credit card.

John offers to drive me to the stores of my choice, but I decline wanting to walk and take the bus. I do not want to step foot in that flashy limo again, though I do like it, it just it is too flashy for me. The bus wouldn't be my first choice if I had an option between that or a car.

I find my way to target and make my way to the school section. I grab everything I need from a backpack to erasers. I save the pencil section for last because I am a very picky pencil user. I like mechanical, but it has to be a good mechanical pencil. Those cheap black and colorful mechanical pencils just do not work well in my book. I know what you are thinking: it's just a pencil, Marley! Yeah, well, not to me!

"Looking for a good pencil?" A male voice echoes in my ear as he approaches me. I look up to find a very attractive boy. He has dark brown hair that is styled very nicely. And his eyes are a very beautiful green that one could get lost in.

Stopping myself from staring, I look away and a slight blush creeps on my face. "Um, yeah," I reply sheepishly.

"Here," he hands me a pack of mechanical pencils. "These are the best pencils you can get." He smiles at me as I take the pack from him.

"Thanks, uh," I pause not knowing the boys name.

"Jackson Richards," he smiles that very gorgeous smile of his.

"Marley Parker." I smile back.

"Parker?" He questions. "Wait, are you related to Conner Parker?" My eyebrows knit in confusion. How does he know my brother? Oh, right, my brother is mister popular. I forgot.

"Yeah," I say barely above a whisper as I place the pencils in my buggy.

"Oh," he pauses pondering something. "I can't say I'm a big fan of your brothers." He shoves his hands in his pockets.

"I could say the same thing," I say under my breath where he couldn't hear me, but I guess the guy has supersonic hearing.

"You don't like your brother?" I shrug slightly, looking up at Jackson. "Well, he has been my rival in soccer for the past eight years, and Ridgeway has been our rival for as long as I can remember."

"Oh," I reply. I didn't know Conner played soccer. Wait, does that mean Jackson goes to a school different than Ridgeway? I am a tad disappointed. I was hoping that I would start school knowing somebody besides my brother.

"I go to Westfield High which is right down the road from Ridgeway." I nod my head like I know what he is talking about, but in all honesty I have no idea. I don't even know what Ridgeway looks like, yet I will be attending the school on Monday. "Well, I have to go. I have soccer practice to get to. Spring break training." He waves goodbye before leaving me alone in the school section of target.

Did I just make friends with my brother's and school's rival? I guess I did. Conner is going to be so mad, but at this moment, I don't care.

• • •

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Ridgeway High is huge. There are a lot of people here. Well, any school is huge compared to the school I went to in Raleigh, North Carolina. There was a total of two hundred people at Creekview Middle and High School. By the looks of it, it looks like the whole population of my old school could fit in the main entrance.

I make my way to the front entrance where students are hanging out before school starts. So nice of my brother to walk me to the office, not. (I hope you note my sarcasm. I'm just upset my brother didn't show me where to go in this strange new school). Struggling to find the main office, a girl with red hair comes up to me and introduces herself as Ryland Waters. She seems really nice, but really perky and bubbly.

"I'll show you to the front office," she points down one of the halls and starts heading that way. I try to keep up, but students keep bumping into me causing me to fall behind a little. "Sorry, Marley," Ryland bites her lip sheepishly. "I should have warned you. It can be very hard traveling in the halls when all the students are out and about."

After maneuvering through all the people, we finally make it to the office. It is much smaller than I had expected considering that the main entrance is ginormous. At the desk sits an elderly lady who seems to be hard at work with who knows what. There is a short line of student ahead of me causing me to have to wait my turn.

"I have to go, Marley, or I will be late for class. Good luck today. I'll try to find you at lunch," the perky red headed girl waves before rushing off into the sea of people. I wonder if we will have any classes together. Hmm.

Once it's my turn, it takes the sweet secretary fifteen minutes to give me my schedule and books. She also gives me a miniature map of the school so I will not get lost. Using the map, it takes me ten minutes to find my locker, place my books in my locker, and to find my first class of the day.

I'm currently standing outside of the Government class. Well, Marley, you have to enter sooner or later. So here goes nothing.

author's note

Hey! Another chapter done. Don't know how often I will be updating. I work in the summer, but I have this week off. I'll try to write in my free time. Hopefully this week I will get a lot written.

Tell me what you think in the comments and please vote! (: thanks.

Ps. The picture is supposed to be Jackson Richards.