Ghost Bird Fanfiction: Sang's Lyric, The Story of Sang Sorenson's Mother

The New Boy

Humanities passed in a blur. I tried not to sneak looks at Taylor, but it was hard. Really really hard.

The bell rang and I looked down at my notebook. I had written just one thing: the date.

How had I managed not to absorb a single piece of information?

"Where to?"

I looked up and saw Taylor waiting for me. He held the pen out toward me and I took it, sliding it into my backpack. I carefully closed my folder while I pulled my thoughts together.

"Um, physics?" I said.

"Are you asking me, or telling me?" he joked, the half smile appearing on his face.

I felt myself smile back, before mashing my lips together. "Telling?"

Taylor snorted and took my bag from me, looping it over one shoulder.

"I can carry it," I said quietly, reaching for it.

"I got it," he said and nodded his head toward the door. "Lead the way."

We started walking down the overcrowded hallway. "A friend of mine is in Physics," he told me as I twisted and turned my body to avoid getting knocked by other kids.

"Oh?" I asked. 

"This is me," I added, pointing to my locker.

I started working on the combination and put out my hand for my backpack. He held it out to me as I pulled out my Physics book and notebook and stuffed it into my backpack along with my Calculus book. Since the math and science wing was downstairs, I wouldn't have time to get from Physics to my locker, and back downstairs to Calculus.

Taylor leaned his back against the locker and stared across the hall as I switched out items.

"Today's his first day," Taylor added, turning to face me, propping his elbow on the wall and then leaning his head against his hand.

"I hate switching schools when it's already started," I replied sympathetically. If my mom and I lasted a year in a town, that was a lot.

"Yeah," Taylor said noncommittally. "He was overseas, so don't feel too bad for him. James and I were the ones who had to move all his crap into his new house."

I made a move with my backpack but Taylor plucked it from my hand.

"He's new to this town?" I asked.

Taylor nodded. "James and I have lived here a while, but Kell moved from England. Well, by way of Texas, but..." His voice trailed off. 

"Really?" I asked. I had always wanted to go to England, especially after reading Jane Eyre and watching Pride and Prejudice. "Is that where he was?"

I hadn't noticed that Taylor was neatly maneuvering me through the halls. I hadn't been bumped or banged once, and we'd somehow managed to get to Physics.

Just not my physics class.

"I'm in Mr. Johnson's," I said pointing down the hall.

"AP Physics?" he asked, surprised.

I nodded, a little embarrassed. I was the only sophomore in the class, but I was really good at math, so physics wasn't too difficult for me. I had started in this class, but after the first test, I had been placed in AP physics. It was extra work, because I was learning about two concepts to every one that was introduced in class, but I liked it.

Taylor walked me to the next door. "I guess you're going to meet him now. I wondered if you'd have class at the same time, but he's a junior, so I just assumed not." 

I was surprised when Taylor walked me right into class and sat next to me at a table. I looked nervously at Mr. Johnson, but he didn't seem to care.

"Taylor," I heard a deep, accented voice say. "Shouldn't you be in gym?"

I looked up and saw a boy. It was silly, actually, to call him a boy, because he looked much older than any of the boys I went to school with. Well, besides Taylor and James, who looked like models playing high school kids, and who acted much older.

Everything about this boy seemed to project confidence. He wore a black motorcycle jacket, a pressed, button-down shirt, and jeans with motorcycle boots. His hair was dark, almost black, and slightly curled. His eyes were dark as well, and seemed a bit cold. He was English, from his accent, but his skin and hair made me think his parents might be from India or Pakistan. He had the shadow of scruff on his face, and when he spoke, his cheek creased with a dimple.

How was it possible that in the space of two days, I just met three of the most beautiful people I'd ever seen in my life.

"Hey," Taylor said, nonchalantly. "I thought you might like a friend."

Kell's dark eyes flickered over to me, but he didn't speak.

"Lyric," Taylor said, "This is Kell Garewal. Kell, this is Lyric..."

"Sorenson," I said, when it became clear he was waiting for me. "Lyric Sorenson."

"She's a sophomore," Taylor said. "We met her when she took her bike off-road. Since you're into crashing bikes, I thought you'd hit it off."

Kell raised his eyebrow a fraction of an inch, but still said nothing.

Taylor stood up and winked at me. "I'll see you around, Lyric," he said.

He stared at Kell for a moment, as if communicating with him silently. I saw Kell's shoulders relax a smidge and then he nodded, almost imperceptibly. My face flushed as I realized I was staring and I quickly looked down at the table.

The chair next to mine was pulled out noiselessly and I felt, rather than heard, Kell sit down.

"Lyric," Kell said, his voice deep and melodic. "It's nice to meet you."