Photograph [Maya Hart]

02 ~ high school

"What do you have?" Harley asked, hoping he has a class with Emma.

"I have history with some teacher named Mr. Matthews," she said.

"Oh, me too," Harley said, relieved.

Emma smiled, relaxing.

They walked over to their first class and took their seats.

Harley tried to hide himself with his backpack when Riley Matthews and her friends entered the class.

"What are you hiding from?" Cassie asked.

"You see that girl with brown hair?" Harley asked. "The one who just entered with her friends?"

"Yeah?" Emma glanced at Riley and her friends.

"Um, she's my neighbor," Harley said.

"You're hiding from her because..?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I don't know why I just don't want her to see me."

"Hi, Harley," Riley noticed Harley.

Harley closed his eyes.

"Looks like she noticed you," Emma said.

Harley nodded.

He forced a smile on his face and turned to Riley.

"Hey, Riley," she said.

"I didn't know you were coming here," Riley said.

"Yeah, me neither," Harley said.

Riley noticed Cassie.

"Hi, I'm Riley," she introduced herself to Cassie.

"I'm Cassie," Cassie smiled.

"These are my friends," Riley introduced her friends to them. "This is Maya. That's Gabe, Farkle, Lucas, and Caleb."

She pointed at each one of them as she said their names.

Harley nodded.

Cassie smiled.

Class began and everyone turned to the teacher, who turned out to be Harley's neighbor and Riley's father. 

"Good morning and welcome to World History," Mr. Matthews said enthusiastically. "Who's ready to learn?"

"What's that on the board?" a girl in a green blazer asked.

"We were kings, now we're patriots," Mr. Matthews read.

"Why does it say that?" the girl asked. "It's cryptic. You can't teach us cryptic. What are you trying to get away with? Huh?"

Mr. Matthews hesitated. 

"I'll be right back."

"Hm."

"What's her name?" Mr. Matthews asked Riley.

"What's your name?" Riley asked her.

"Marly," she said.

"Marly," Riley turned to her father.

"Marly sees right through me," Mr. Matthews said.

Harley and Cassie glanced at each other. He leaned over to her.

"Is this normal?" he whispered. 

"No," she said. "I'm just as confused as you are."

Harley nodded.

"Just keep on teaching about our lives and she'll come around," Riley said.

Harley bit his lip as he glanced at Cassie again.

"Abigail Adams was the wife of John Adams," Mr. Matthews said, "and the mama of Johnny Q," he chuckled. "They were quite the historical triangle."

"Ha."

"Triangle."

"And I'll tell you that one thing they understood about this brand - new nation was to stick together," Cory continued, "because every direction they turned was brand new, undiscovered country."

"I am an Abigail Adams Patriot," Riley said, proudly.

"How?" Gabriel Miller asked. "We don't even get to walk in the hallways."

"Gabe, these seniors are older and more experienced than us and I think that they're trying to help," Riley said, turning to Gabe, who was sitting in front of Harley.

"Riley, they're making fun of us," Gabe argued, "and we're letting it happen."

Riley looked at Gabriel, stunned.

"But most of all, these patriots knew to remain loyal to each other," Mr. Matthews added, "because their survival depended on it in a dangerous, new land."

"Riley, we don't even know our way around the school yet," Gabriel said. "Why would we just par ourselves in a hole?"

"Okay, so you just want to throw us into whatever goes on in this place and just see what happens?" Riley questioned.

"Yes, because you know what I call that? Normal."

"Let me see if I can get how you teach," Marly said. "My boyfriend and I get into a fight -"

"Aww," Riley said.

"I was talking about you," Marly said.

"I'm not her boyfriend," Gabriel said. "We're just friends."

"Yeah, and me? Why?" Riley asked. She turned to Gabriel. "Are we fighting?"

"Oh, I don't know," Gabriel said, sarcastically. "Let's go to the weird undefined area between the two floors and talk about it."

"We are fighting!" Riley said. 

"May I but in?" Harley asked.

"What?" Riley said.

"Yes?" Gabriel turned to Harley. 

"Based on what's going on, he's right," Harley said, referring to Gabriel. 

"Told ya so," Gabriel smirked.

"But the seniors are experience!" Riley argued. 

"So what if they're experienced?" Harley shrugged. "Are you seriously telling me out of all the freshmens in this school, they told you guys specifically go down some dumb hole?" 

Riley wasn't too thrilled to hear this.

She turned to Maya.

"Fight them," Riley demanded.

"Why do I -"

"There is two of them and one of me!"

Harley leaned back in disbelief. 

"Huh - hurr!" Maya siad. "Huh - hurr! Huh - hurr! Huh - hurr? Huh - hurr! Huh - hurr! Huh - hurr!"

Harley looked at her, confused.

Gabriel, on the other hand, was unaffected by this.

Maya sat back down on her seat.

"Who misses middle school?" Cory wondered.

Everyone raised their hands.