Who Is That Girl?

Chapter 1

I grabbed my backpack off the kitchen island before grabbing my keys and leaving the house, trying to tame my floppy brown hair in the wind that wouldn't calm down even for a second. It was my first day at Eastern Crest High. And I was late. Great start, Ollie. I mumbled to myself as I noticed my shoelaces had come undone. I wasn't usually bothered about first impressions, I got my Saturday job by turning up for the interview in black skinny jeans and a pair of Doc Martins. They still loved me. School was different, I wanted to make a good first impression, I'd been kicked out of my old school, and I'd decided that it was time to completely change my life. Stop with the smoking, cut back on the weed and just try and make some decent friends for once in my life. 

So far so good  I thought sarcastically as I ran down the road.

I didn't live that far away from the high school, mum and her boyfriend chose a pretty good place to live when we moved after the incident at my old school. She was barely ever home, so I had pretty much free reign of the house most times.

I walked into the main gates of the high school just as the bell rung and I saw people scatter to their classrooms. Well it could have been worse. I walked to the reception area where a snobby looking old woman looked up at me, her glasses perched on the end of her nose and her tweed blazer looking a little too fitted around her shoulders. She looked scary.

"I'm Ollie Stanford?" I'm not sure why I turned it into a question, her vibe just seemed to make me unsure of anything, including my name apparently.

"Yes Mr. Stanford. You're..." She looked at her watched, and then sighed as if she was almost disappointed I wasn't late. "Right on time, although we do encourage students... Especially new students... To arrive at least ten minutes before lessons start."

"Sorry, I had an erm..." I wasn't sure any reason for my not being ten minutes early would be good enough, and she didn't look like she was going to laugh at a ridiculous reason. Good impression. Good impression  I kept repeating it in my head, trying not to get sarcastic and try and make an awkward joke about my snake escaping during the night.

"Save it, Oliver,  you're not late and so don't have to explain. Here is your schedule. Your first lesson is English, it's in Room 31 upstairs on your left." 

Nobody called me Oliver. Not ever, but I resisted staring her down, or making a comment about calling me Ollie, no matter how much I wanted to, I bit my tongue. Not today Ollie. Not today.

I walked up the stairs, and walked along the corridor looking along the left for Room 31. 

27

29

31! There we go!

I knocked on the door, and a much nicer teacher opened the door. A lot younger than the receptionist. 

"I'm guessing you're Ollie?" I nodded and shook her hand as she introduced herself as Miss Palmer. 

I was told to sit next to Zara, once she had heard her name her head popped up, looking as if hearing her name had taken her by surprise. I looked to her desk to look what she'd been interrupted on and saw so many pages of notes, pink highlighter scattering the page. 

I made my way over to the seat next to her and introduced myself.

"Nice to meet you, Zara" I smiled. She was stunning. Jet black hair cascaded down her back, her eyes a piercing blue. She was tiny, in all aspects, but it just suited her. She looked up at me, smiled shyly and then got back down to highlighting her notes.

During English all I could think about was how hard Zara seemed to be working, she must be an A student - easy. If not, then she's working damn hard to get there.