The Lunacy Fringe

Three

When the bell rang after class, Billie walked me to my locker so I could exchange books. Also, because I couldn't remember where it was.

"So what's it like being the new kid?" she asked as I followed her. "I moved here in elementary school, but it was a long time ago."

"It kind of sucks, to be honest. This is the first time I've ever moved."

"Yeah, I bet it's hard. It sucks that you have to find new friends and stuff. Do you miss your friends?"

"I miss them a lot." Finally, we found my locker, so she waited behind me while I fiddled with the unfamiliar combination and exchanged my books. Once everything was settled, we headed back down the hall to find my class.

"When I first moved here, the guys—Quinn and them, that is—were really nice to me. So I think it's kind of important to have someone like that when you move," Billie explained. I nodded.

"Oh yeah, totally. I really appreciate you guys helping me out."

"It's not a problem. When did you get here?" She was shorter than me by a few inches, with thick brown hair and big brown eyes. She seemed much more confident in the confined hallways than I did.

"Last weekend," I explained. She nodded thoughtfully. People kept bumping into me, and I'd always shy away, but Billie was patient and seemed to know how to get around them. "So, where did you move from?" I asked her.

"New Jersey," she said enthusiastically. "My parents wanted us to have a fresh start. But I was still a kid, so moving was a lot easier then."

"Wow—New Jersey is a lot farther away than Detroit." She laughed and stopped by an open classroom, but I took refuge by the wall where the crowd wasn't as tight.

"Yeah, it's not too bad, though. I'm more comfortable here than I was there. I mean, I've been here longer, so I'm sure that's why. But this place will probably be your home someday too." I nodded, and she motioned toward the door with her math book. "This is your class. You have it with my friends Aaron and Felix. That's how I knew where to find it. They're pretty cool for dorks."

"Thanks again for helping me. I really appreciate it."

"It's not a problem." She caught sight of someone over my shoulder. "Hey, jerks!" she said, but only one person stopped. He had naturally red hair, long like Quinn's. He nodded toward Billie and then looked at me as she pointed. "This is Ruby. She's going to hang out with us at lunch today. Be nice to her."

"Oh yeah. Quinn told me. How's it going?" he asked, giving me another nod in greeting. I smiled back politely. I was sure he didn't actually care to know.

"Anyway, I have to get to class, but I'll see you guys at lunch, okay?"

"Alright. Later, Bill."

She waved and then trotted off down the hall. Aaron didn't say anything else but nodded toward the classroom. I followed along but went to introduce myself to the teacher instead. Thankfully, she didn't bother asking me questions and just told me to choose a seat.

"Pick that one," Aaron whispered when I reached the first row of desks. He pointed to the empty one directly behind the kid next to him. I sat down and opened my notebook to get started. I wasn't sure if I could trust him yet. He could have stuck me in someone else's spot just to see them get mad at me. But Billie seemed nice, and maybe my dad was right about Quinn looking out for me. No one complained as class got started.

It wasn't easy paying attention to what the teacher was saying. I wasn't even in the same place as everyone else. So I just tried to take notes whenever something managed to break through my daydreaming. I was hoping Billie or Quinn might have the same teacher so they could possibly lend me their notes to help me catch up.

In the middle of the lecture, someone stepped into the class to wave the teacher over. She left us alone to talk out in the hall, and the room was immediately filled with noisy chatter again. I focused on trying to sort through what I'd scribbled down. I felt suddenly, uncommonly shy again. I wouldn't talk to anyone unless they spoke to me first.

"So, new kid," Aaron said. I looked up at where he was leaning on his desk. Eyeing me with pale blue eyes behind even paler lashes.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"Quinn told me to torment you."

"Okay."

"I don't know what to say now."

"I'm sorry?"

"Do you think Quinn is hot?" he asked. The question caught me off guard. Quinn was my brother. Did he not know that already? Did Quinn not bother to tell anyone?

"Um...," I started.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked. But I didn't get the feeling he was asking because he was interested. I wasn't entirely sure what his motives were, though.

"She hasn't been here long enough to have a boyfriend, dipshit," the kid in front of me said. I couldn't see his face, just the back of his head and his overgrown black hair. I figured this was probably the other friend Billie and Quinn mentioned. I couldn't remember his name. Just that it was unlikely he'd call Aaron a dipshit unless they were friends. Mainly because Aaron didn't seem bothered by it.

"Actually, I do," I corrected them. "He's still in Detroit."

"I highly doubt that," Aaron replied with a condescending laugh. I was startled by his abruptness.

"I don't care what you believe, asshole."

He smirked in response, apparently pleased that he'd gotten me to speak. Even if the result was that he'd pissed me off.

But then the teacher returned to the room, and it went quiet again. She returned to the chalkboard to continue her lecture, and I leaned against my hand, staring out at the football field.

"Hey, do you have an extra pen? Mine ran out of ink," the kid in front of me asked, turning around to face me.

And okay—I admit—I was a bit lost for words for a moment. He was much better looking than I'd anticipated. Actually, my initial thought was that he was beautiful. Heavily lidded eyes, bright and vibrantly green beneath unfairly long black lashes. He had a somewhat pointed chin and a straight nose. He was gorgeous. Even back then, when his features were so boyish, he bordered on pretty.

I could say that it was love at first sight, but I didn't know that yet. Not really. And if I didn't realize it, it certainly wasn't love. But it was something at first sight. A catch in my breath. A thump in my heart. Maybe just a sudden rush of teenage hormones. All I knew was that I'd taken one look at Felix Kanellis and was utterly ruined for anyone else for the rest of my life.
I didn't know that then, of course.

"I'm sorry—what?" I asked as he gave me an expectant look.

"Do you have an extra pen?" Even his voice was hot. Quiet but deep, even for his age. Puberty had clearly hit him hard.

"Oh, um—I'm not sure. Let me look." I reached into the pocket of my notebook, but all I had was an extra pencil. It had a giant penguin eraser. I was a little embarrassed to hand it over, but I did anyway. "Just a pencil."

"That works. Thanks." He took it and turned back around. Then I leaned on my hand and tried to go back to daydreaming, but all I thought about was the last time I'd seen my boyfriend in Detroit. When I'd held him close and promised we'd give this long-distance thing a shot. Now I wasn't so sure that was going to work.