Shelley's day was planned from beginning to end. She even studied a map of the school and plotted her routes from one class to the other. If she kept her focus on her studies the way she was doing, Principal Marlo would let her graduate early.
She looked out the car window. Her schoolmates were dressed in their burgundy and white polos, plaid skirts, and khakis. She, too, looked like a private school stereotype.
Mr. Stone turned the corner to drive into the school parking lot. "You have everything you need?"
Once he stopped, Shelley held her books with one arm and opened the car door. "Yes, daddy."
"That's a girl. I'll pick you up at three-thirty."
"Four-thirty, in front of the library, please."
"Four-thirty then. Have a great first day, beautiful."
She giggled. "Daddy, it's just the first day of the semester."
Mr. Stone looked at her with warm affection."Have a great day nonetheless."
She leaned across the armrest that divided them to kiss his cheek. "Have fun at work."
She got out of the car, and stepped into the crowd of students who were killing time playing games and comparing class schedules.
The hallways were loud with worthless chatter. It was impossible to pick words out of the dozens of conversations happening at once.
From the crowd, she noticed a hand sticking out like a shark fin in the ocean.
"Shelley, over here," cried Debbie.
Shelley squeezed her way between bodies to get to her.
Debbie, who was Shelley's height, wrapped her arms around her. "You made it."
"Like I'd miss school. Did you get your schedule?"
Debbie gave Shelley an apologetic look. "I did, but I lost it. Can you come with me to the office to get another one?"
Shelley thought for a moment. "Okay, let's make it quick."
They locked arms and walked down the crowded locker hall, on the lookout for any new faces.
"Have you thought about my idea for this summer?" asked Debbie.
"The college visits? I already told my dad."
"Is he letting you go, or does he still want you at USK?"
Shelley sighed. "USK."
Debbie released herself from Shelley's arm. "Your dad's no fun."
"It's how I keep my scholarship."
They got to the main office, where the Monday-hating staff was serving a long line of students who were all in Debbie's situation.
"Are you taking Miss Millen's English class this semester?" said Debbie.
"Miss Millen?" said Shelley. "Oh, no. That woman scares me. I've got Hughes."
She checked her watch.
"Running late?"
"A little."
"Go ahead, I'll catch up. If we don't have a class together, I'll see you at lunch."
Shelley gave Debbie a farewell hug, stepped out of the line, and walked the familiar walk to homeroom.
She held her books close to her chest, looking down at the cover of the top one. Trigonometry. It was no wonder she was close to graduating. With all the effort she placed on her studies, up was her only direction.
With her eyes still on the cover of her math book, she walked straight into a tall, hard body. Her books and glasses spilled onto the floor.
She gasped. Immediately, she got on her knees and squinted, searching for her glasses.
"Damn, I'm sorry," said the blonde boy she crashed into.
He tucked a magazine under his arm, picked up her glasses, and placed them in her hand.
She hung her glasses before her eyes, blinking to readjust her vision. The first thing she saw was a lanky teenage boy gathering her books into a pile.
He read one of the book covers. "Trigonometry, huh? Are you a senior?"
Shelley straightened her skirt. "Sophomore."
His face brightened with interest. "No kidding. Me, too, but I'm no brainiac like you."
He wiped his palm against his slacks, then stretched it out in front of her. "Douglas Cassles."
He had a flirty grin free of braces, blue eyes, and apple red cheeks.
The name sounded familiar. It took her three seconds to recollect her thoughts and shake his hand. "Shelley Stone."
"It's a pleasure, Shelley Stone. I'm sorry about the mess. Did I hurt you?"
Shelley pushed her glasses up the rim of her nose. "I'm okay. Are you?"
He frisked her with his stare. "Definitely."
Shelley's face got hot. This wasn't an everyday thing. She reached for her books. "I should get going."
Douglas pressed the books tighter to his chest, twisting his torso away so Shelley couldn't take them. "Let me hold on to these for you. Where are we going?"
Where was I going? She looked up, trying to pull her schedule from the recesses of her head. "Uh, homeroom."
"I know where that is," said Douglas.
She beamed, amused. Of course he didn't know.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Shelley's hand, keeping their fingers untangled.
A weak firework went off inside her. "It's History, upstairs."
Douglas led her away from the bundles of students, until they reached a long stretch of clear hallway. He looked heroic stretching his neck out to look over the other students' heads, like a park ranger guiding a city girl through a forest.
"What class do you have next?" asked Shelley.
"Art History."
"Isn't the arts department downstairs?"
"So?"
"You're going to be late."
Douglas chuckled. "I won't get in trouble. I never do. My dad practically owns this place."
Shelley studied Douglas' face. It was him. She pulled her hand from his. "Wait, is your dad the Cassles of Cassles Oil?"
"Oh, no," said Douglas, almost disgusted. "That's my grandpa. My dad doesn't touch oil anymore."
Shelley couldn't believe her luck. Douglas Cassles, one of the heirs to the largest fortune in San Kolbe, was walking her to class.
She didn't feel comfortable in his presence. In an effort to get away, she pried her books from his hold. "I can take it from here."
Douglas' eyes fell. "Are you sure? I promise you won't make me late."
"I'm sure. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Cassles."
He looked at her with disappointment. "Don't call me that. You're not like the others."
Shelley starred. She didn't understand what he meant by "the others", but it made her muscles tighten in delicious ways.
"Just Doug," he said.
"Okay. Just Doug."
She held on tight to her books and turned to walk to her class.
"Hey, Shelley Stone?" he called out.
She turned.
"I'm going to see you around, right?"
Shelley managed to nod.
Douglas smiled and waved her goodbye.
Shelley forgot where her homeroom was.