Painting Flowers (A Jack Barakat fanfic)

Chapter 2

*Kathryn's POV*

It's my first day at school here in Baltimore, and as far as I know, I'm going to be attending the same school as Alex.

After having breakfast, I rummage through my suitcase to find some decent clothes to wear and end up just wearing an oversized Suicide Silence shirt and black skinny jeans. Alex walks in just as I'm brushing my long blood-red hair.

"Are you serious?" He says.

"What?" I reply, confused.

"You're wearing that?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing, if you want to have a million chicks asking if you're depressed. Trust me. Most 10th grade girls are bitchy."

"Oh." My mood suddenly drops as I look down at my black converse. He sighs, scratching his head awkwardly. "Look, I didn't mean it like that. I just don't want you to get picked on, okay? Especially on your first day. Gotta look out for my little cuz' don't I?" He says. I smile at him shyly. "Thanks Alex..." I mumble awkwardly, "But I'd rather be teased by bitchy girls than befriend them." I say, continuing to brush my hair with one hand, and pack my bag with the other. "Good point." he shrugs, and leaves the room.

I look around Alex's room for the millionth time this week. It's covered in posters of bands, some I've never even heard of, but he's devoted a corner beside his bed to his guitar and pictures of him and his friends. The night before, he let me sit on his bed with him as he told me stories about the stupid things they'd do and still do, and the stuff he did with his old friends before he moved to Baltimore. Alex is really nice and I'm staring to like him a lot. Even if he is the only friend and relative I have here in Baltimore.

Alex pops his head back into the room and says to me quickly, "The bus is here!" before running back downstairs. I grabbed my bag and chased him down and out to the bus, without saying goodbye to my mother. I climb onto the bus, following Alex who's seated next to a boy with big blond hair that grew out like an afro. I guess everyone knows I'm new because I'm getting a few funny glares. I sit in the seat in front of them. "Woah. That spots saved." The boy says. As I open my mouth to apologize and move, Alex speaks up. "Dude, she's cool. This is my little cousin, Kat. Kat, this is Zack." He says. I smile awkwardly and wave. He smiles back. "Hey." he says.

Zack and Alex talk about whatever boys talk about while I sit with my headphones in awkwardly, when a boy with a normal haircut takes the seat next to me. I take my headphones out and wave awkwardly. Alex introduces us. "Rian, this is my cousin Kat. Kat this is Rian." I smile awkwardly at Rian as I did to Zack and get a nod and "Hey" in return. Zack turns to Alex and says, "Where's Jack sitting today, then?" before putting his bag in his lap. "Jack's sick. He said he's probably staying home for a few days." Alex explains. Rian rolls his eyes sarcastically. "Its probably a sniffle. He's being a princess like always." before Zack adds a comment that I can't help but giggle at. "Princess Barakat." he snickers, making the other two laugh as well.

When the bus arrives, I try my best to stick with Alex, but end up losing him and so I stand, lost in the middle of the courtyard. Obviously I look lost, because people are coming up to me, asking if I need help and then running away. I decide to wing it and hope there are signs. I enter the main building and try to find my way around before finally coming across a sign that had "STUDENT SERVICES" written across it. I enter and speak to one of the receptionists.

"Can I help you?" she says.

"Yeah... I'm new." I say.

"Name please?" she asks.

"Kathryn Gaskarth."

The receptionist gives me an uneasy look, before picking up a folder and taking a paper out. "That's your timetable." She explains. I thank her and head off just as the bell sounds. It takes me a while but I soon find my home room and receive the lock for my locker. I quickly pack my bag and take out the books I need. And at that moment the bell for first period sounds, and I hurry to my very first class here at my new school.

At lunch, I look around for someone to sit with when I hear someone call my name. It's Alex and his friends. I go and join them at their table awkwardly. "So." Alex says. "How's it working out so far?" he asks. I shrug. "Not bad. I don't hate anyone... yet." I tell him, picking at my food. Alex chuckles and pushes his hair out of his face and takes my timetable, taking a look at it. "Oh hey," he says, hitting Rian's arm. "She's in your homeroom." He says to
before looking up at me as repeating what he's just said. "You're in his homeroom." I look up at Rian and smile shyly. He smiles back for a moment.

I look back at Alex, who's calling to someone from across the lunch hall. Rian looks at Zack. "Jack isn't here today?" Rian asks Zack, who shakes his head in response. "He wasn't in math with me this morning." Zack tells him, taking another stab at the food in front of him. "If he doesn't show up this afternoon then I'll be happy to knock whatever kind of cold he's got out of his system." Rian says, making me giggle.

I'm beginning to wonder who this "Jack" guy is. Alex and his friends keep referring to. I'm not too sure what the big deal with him is, but he must be popular, because the girl who's just walked up to our table is asking about him too.

She wears a short pink dress with matching sandals and her long blond hair is in curls. She leans on the table, chewing her gum loudly. "Where's your friend? the one with the big nose and the bowl cut?" she asks in a careless tone, indicating that she's one of "The Popular Girls." Alex turns away from the table he's yelling at. "What do you want with Jack, Stacey?" He asks her. She rolls her eyes and looks at Alex. "Because he owes me." she replies, blowing a bubble with her rosy-pink gum and popping it with her teeth. Zack looks at her strangely.

"Owes you? For what?" He asks.

"For that crappy 'date' he took me on last Friday night."

"Well that's really a question of your intelligence isn't it? Everybody knows Jack could never pull off a decent date. I guess he owes you for making you look like an idiot." Rian remarks, jumping into the conversation.

The girl scoffs in a way that tells us Rian has successfully offended her. "Whatever. But tell him when you see him that he owes me. Big time." And with a flip of her long blonde locks and a final pop of her bubblegum, she leaves. Alex turns around to face our table properly and and grins at Rian. "Nice one." he says.

At that moment, the bell for 3rd period sounds. Zack sighs and stands up. "I hate English." he says. Alex looks at him as if he's crazy. "What would you rather speak? Japanese?" Rian rolls his eyes at the pair. "He means the subject, you idiot." Alex's face lights up in realization. "Ohh I get it now!" he says. I laugh at them and stand up, gathering my books. "See you after, Kat."Alex says. I wave happily and as I walk off to my next class, I notice a girl glaring at me from the corner of my eye.

Great. I guess I've made an enemy.