The Girl Next Door Gone Bad

Chapter 1 - Not the new girl

“April out the door now, you're going to be late” my mum’s loud screech reached me in my small bedroom on the second floor of our small house.

“Coming mum” I shouted back and straightened my skirt for the thousandth time this morning.

I have been ready to go back to school for a full half an hour before my mum decided to demand my exit but I have been standing in the mirror trying to gather up the courage to do so.

Today was a different day.

It was different from all the other first days of school. For one it was my last first day of school, the next first day of school I plan to be in Dartmouth but that was not the only different thing this year. This year April Jamson plans to be the hottest nerd Olympia has ever seen.

I gave one last glance at myself in the full length mirror in the corner of the room, I looked nothing like the shy reserved girl I was the previous year. I skipped lightly down the stairs making sure I did not trip on the 4 inch heels I had chosen to wear.

The moment my mum’s eyes fell on me she paused, the cup of coffee in her hand halfway to her lips. She looked at me from head to toe and a bright smile appeared on her face.

“I see you were serious when you said things were going to change”

“So what do you think” I said doing a little twirl

“Honey you look ravishing” I laughed at her old fashioned comment “ go knock all the boys off their feet sweety”

“Thanks mum, I’ll see you later” I waved before exiting the kitchen in a hurry.

My mum had always been a supportive parent, she wanted the best for me and nine out of ten times we agreed on what that was. She had been a big help in trying to make my last year the best I could be.

Getting into my mum’s old chevy I cranked the stereo and cranked up the new Panic at the Disco album. Before the beginning of the last summer I had never even heard of the  Panic at the Disco   but a lot has changed this summer.

The old car coughed, stuttered and begun running, sure it was not the best car in the world but it was a car and I was grateful to have it either way. Despite my mum’s screech about being late it was early enough that I got semi-decent parking space.

The moment I stepped out of the car I could feel their eyes on me, no doubt looking at the skinny jeans and red heels that clicked against the marble floor, at the scarlet top that revealed just the right amount of the cleavage I developed over the summer. At the short blond hair and the attitude that I made sure they could sense.

I looked good.

I knew it and I damn made sure they knew it too. Walking down the hall I knew that none of the recognized me for the shy blond haired girl who always had her head in a book. No, what they were looking at was a rebel.

Stuffing the books I hauled from my car into my locker before I headed to my first class of the year, English lit.

walking down the second floor where the English department was I finally realized what it was not to be invisible, to be noticed by people instead of being trampled on and it felt good. Looking at my watch I realized that I was going to be late. Normally I would run as fast as possible no doubt falling on my face on the way but today…

Who cared.

I strutted into the class undeterred by the fact that Mr. Mason hated lateness more than anything but I could not muster the energy to care.

“I see we have a new student” he said when I walked into his class

“Mr. Mason you have known me for five years” I exclaimed with annoyance. I could see that he was studying me for signs of who I was. Finally recognition lit his face

“Well next time you might want to be on time for class Ms. Jamson, since it’s clear that you don’t can’t claim ignorance for turning up late to my class. Now will you take a seat next to Mr. Jarelled so we can get this class underway”

I could hear them whispering, the tiny little chatter at the back of the room looking at the new and improved April Jamson.

“Now today we're starting the year with the interpretation of heroes in poetry throughout the ages, starting with Alfred Lord Tenneson’s Ulysses”

So it went, the class began and the whispers stopped for a while but I could still feel their eyes on me. Probably wondering what else I was going to do.

An hour and a half later I was out the door before Mr. Mason had fully dismissed us all.

“April!”

I heard my name being called and turned to find Jaden McAlister standing in front of me, I looked at him wondering how may times I have dreamt that this would happen. You see McAlister is what my mother would call a man whore. The kind that sluts around with every hot chick he could find.

“You look different” he said giving me a once over

“I see you noticed” I said dryly making sure my tone did not betray the feeling that invaded my body at his stare

“Always” he said with such blatant invitation that I wanted to slap him.

“You're such a jerk” I started walking away

“I just want to hang out April”

“Jaden you don’t hang out with chicks, you either screw them or they tutor you and there is now way am doing either so guess what… get lost”

I was so intent on having this conversation that I had not noticed that we had an audience. I turned away from the guy I had been fantasizing about ever since I learnt to fantasize.

I walked away with a backward glance. I could feel his eyes no doubt focused on my jean’s framed ass. The bait was set and now all I have to do was play the game right.

AS soon as I out of sight I stood an unsteady breath, I adjusted my shoes which had started to hurt. I caught a glimpse of myself in the murky reflection of a nearby classroom window. The girl who smiled back at me looked so different, my blonde hair was shorter than ever my eyes smaller without the glasses I always wore. Anybody looking at me right now would see a stupid blonde looking lost and confused. Nothing new there.

Not for the first time since I decided to invest in this change I was unsure of myself. Perhaps this change was stupid and unnecessary.