A/N: I'm really sorry for not updating on Saturday. I was caught up with some stuffs. Anyways, i'll be posting two chapters to make up for Saturday.
Mr. Harlow passed out the quiz sheets, and I stared down at mine, already panicking. Ten questions. All short answer. Of course.
"Begin," he snapped, collapsing into his chair like he hated being here more than we did.
I picked up my pen and froze at the first question. who was the 16th president of the United States?
Okay , easy. Lincoln. Thank God for Netflix documentaries.
By the fourth question, though, I was toast. Something about the Treaty of Ghent. Was that even a real thing? It sounded like a Harry Potter spell.
Ryan leaned back casually, stretching his long arms as if he wasn't trying to peek at my paper.
"Don't overthink it," he whispered. "Just write something. Harlow barely reads these."
"Speak for yourself," Vanessa muttered loud enough for me to hear. She was scribbling furiously, her ponytail bobbing like she was competing in the Academic Olympics. Then she glanced at me, lips curling. "Though I guess for some people, even writing something is hard."
My pen stalled. Did she just...?
Chris caught my eye, grinning as he shielded his paper. "Don't let Queen Bee get to you, Emily. Half the time, she bribes the teachers anyway."
Vanessa snapped her head toward him. "Excuse me?"
"Oh, relax," Chris said, leaning back like he lived to annoy her. "I'm just saying... your daddy's donations to the school fund do wonders, don't they?"
The room went so quiet I could hear Ryan trying not to laugh.
Vanessa's jaw tightened, and she turned her icy gaze back to me. Great. Day two at Northwood, and I'd just been drafted into a cold war I didn't sign up for.
I forced myself to keep writing, even though my answers were pure nonsense at this point. When the bell finally rang, I wanted to melt into the floor.
As I gathered my things, Ryan leaned over with a smirk. "Not bad for your first pop quiz. You didn't faint or anything."
Chris winked. "And you laughed at my jokes. That already makes you smarter than half the class."
Vanessa brushed past me, her shoulder grazing mine like an unspoken warning. "See you around, new girl."
And just like that, I knew she wasn't planning to let me breathe at this school.
I shoved my papers into my bag and made a quick exit. Hopefully, I was just overthinking things. Maybe Vanessa was actually a sweetheart. (Yeah, right.)
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
The day dragged on, but not in a bad way. For once, I wasn't eating lunch alone or pretending to text just so people wouldn't notice I had no one. Bella had said i could continue sitting with them and I found myself staring at a round table near the center of the cafeteria. The kind of table I used to watch from the far corner at my old school.
Jeremiah was already there, tossing grapes into the air and catching them in his mouth while Tasha recorded him. Adrian was scrolling through his phone, probably Googling ways to avoid human contact. Bella waved me over.
"Emmy! Over here!"
I slid into the empty seat next to Bella, my tray shaking slightly because my nerves were still alive and kicking.
Jeremiah stopped mid-grape and grinned. "There she is. My lucky charm."
"Lucky charm?" I half-laughed.
"Yeah." He leaned closer. "Ever since I met you, things have been looking up. I even got an A-minus on my math homework."
I chuckled. "Well, what do you usually get?"
"Umm... most times a B-plus."
"Ohhh." I smiled awkwardly. "I'm glad I'm your lucky charm then." What a stupid thing to say.
"Well, you could be much more," he said suggestively, making me blush.
"Jeremiah, can you not?" Tasha had put her phone away and was glaring at him. Playfully, I think. "Stop making her uncomfortable. And also, your pickup lines are cheesy."
"They're not," he shot back. Both of them turned to stare at me. Oh no. They wanted me to choose sides.
"Uhh..." I stalled, still unsure of what to say.
"She's just too nice to tell you," Tasha said, saving me.
I kept my head down as I ate, hoping not to get dragged into another conversation. But, of course, things don't always go as planned.
"Hey, Emily," a familiar voice said as someone slid into the seat across from me. I looked up and froze. Chris. Smiling.
"Um... hi?" My voice sounded awkward, my social battery already flatlining. Chris didn't seem to notice. He bumped fists with Jeremiah before turning back to me.
"So, I'm having a party at my place Friday night," he said. "And I decided to invite you personally." He paused, then glanced around. "You're all invited, of course. But Emily, should I be expecting you?"
A party? Me?
I'd never been to one before, but there was no way I was admitting that.
"Of course she's coming!" Jeremiah said, sliding his arm around my shoulder. "But with me."
I stiffened. What the hell was happening? I hadn't even agreed yet. I looked around the table, hoping for answers but Bella looked just as confused as I felt, Tasha smirked like she was enjoying the show. And Adrian? He didn't even look up from his book.
