Cool Girl

41: School Reopens

"Miss Aaron!" I hear someone call out and turn around to find the high school headmistress standing just outside the administration building with a nervous girl in school uniform that I haven't seen before.

I walk up to her and stop a respectable distance away, "Yes, ma'am?"

"Miss Aaron, are you free this period?" She asks.

I nod, "I am."

"Can you kindly show Miss Wilson to her class?" She says it more like a command than a request so all I can do is nod, "Of course."

With this the headmistress heads back into the building and I look at the girl who has blonde hair and really pretty eyes.

"Hi, I'm Hazel." I say, holding out a hand.

"Hi, I'm Alesia." She smiles, shaking my hand.

"Are you new?" I inquire.

She nods, "Yes, it's my first day."

"You're in luck. Today's our first day back after Christmas break so everyone's a bit out of routine." I tell her, trying to soothe her nerves.

"Okay." She nods, clearly not comfortable enough to make conversation so I gesture towards the paper she has in her hand and ask, "What's your first class?"

She looks at it and then says, "Math in room 14."

"Come on, I'll show you." I start walking and she falls into step with me as I ask, "What year are you?"

"Freshman." She tells me and then after a moment's pause asks, "And what year are you?"

"I'm a senior. If there's anything that you need help with just let me know." I tell her and from her smile I can tell that she appreciates the offer.

I'm leading the way towards the stairs when we run into Sebastian who is walking out the first floor Computer lab.

"Seb!" I call out since his back his turned to us.

He says something to the boy he's talking to and then walks to us, "Hey."

"What class do you have?" I ask him.

"Math." He says so I ask, "Room 14?"

"Mhmm." He nods with an eyebrow raised as I clap my hands and introduce them to each other, "Alesia, this is my brother Sebastian. Sebastian, this is Alesia. It's her first day and she has Math with you. Can you show her where the room is? I really need to go meet Claire for a yearbook meeting."

He has barely said "okay" before I quickly thank him and take off running to the room that we used as the homecoming office which is now the yearbook planning office. I'm cringing as I enter the room, praying that Claire doesn't throw a tantrum about me being five minutes late but thankfully the room is empty.

I heave a sigh of relief and sit down in a chair. The editorial board has already listed down the things that will be covered and our main focus for today is the student photos and quotes. I'm going over the lists on my laptop, making note of students that I need to give a final deadline to when suddenly a pair of arms wrap around my neck and I'm kissed on the cheek.

I laugh and duck at the touch as Ben pulls out the chair next to mine and sits down. "Angelina said I'd find you here. Where's Claire?"

"Nowhere to be found." I motion at the empty room.

But I speak too soon and Claire struts into the room, laptop in one hand, notebooks in the other and phone held to ear by the support of her shoulder.

"Uhuh...Yes, I'll see you at five. Bye bye. Love you." She sets down her things and only after a few seconds does she realize that Ben and I are in the room.

"That was my new boyfriend. We're going on our third date tonight." She smiles at Ben.

"Poor guy." Ben mutters, deliberately loud enough for Claire to hear and then hurries out of the room. I groan and bend forward, resting my forehead on the desk in front of me as I silently smile at the string of justifications that Claire begins to issue about her latest relationship.

I've posted the next chapter too! :)

-T