♫ Cloud 9 - Beach Bunny
My shiny leather loafers patter against the tiled floor. The backpack slung over my shoulder in a haste threatens to break free. I tug it back into place as I dash down the hall.
Rows of dull metallic lockers pass in a blur as I frantically scurry off, a damp sweat breaking out across my freckled skin.
Juggling an array of miscellaneous items in my scrawny arm, I attempt to fling open the door to English—a miscalculation. Notebooks, pens and a heavy metal water bottle clatter to the sparkling, waxed floor.
A dozen eyes seated behind tan desks peer up at me.
"Molly, you're late," Ms Hailey calls to me, stating the obvious. "Again."
Offering a sheepish grin, I scramble to gather my things. Squeezing past inquiring eyes, I make my journey towards the only open seats left available in the back of the room.
"Nice outfit, Molly," a devious blonde wench snickers at me under her breath as I pass by.
Rolling my eyes, I drop all of my belongings into a heap next to my feet before sliding my defeated body into the smooth chair. And then, for the first time since opening my eyes this morning, I attempt to make myself presentable.
Brushing my fingers through my ratted mousy hair, I try to salvage any hope of a decent hair day. Those of which are few and far between for me.
Underneath my pleated navy school uniform skirt, I still sport the old stained basketball shorts I wore to bed last night. I really need to start setting two alarms—the one just hasn't been cutting it, lately.
"Okay, does anyone have any questions about last night's reading assignment before we begin this morning?" Ms Hailey asks us. Her chocolate brown bob sways as she tilts her head at the group of girls before her, waiting for a response.
Shoot. I knew I was forgetting something. I sure did not read that.
"No? Alright, then we can begin—"
"Wait!" The voice comes from my best friend seated at the front of the class. "Well, I don't have a question about that, but hey, Molly?"
Naila turns around in her seat to look in my direction. Her curly dark hair is matted in a knot in the back of her head, a clear indication she didn't wake up early enough to primp either.
Not that many of us here at Wilcrest Academy do; one of just many perks of attending an all-girls school. We're not dressing to impress around here.
My head pops up over a girl's shoulder in front of me, flashing my friend a smile as I wait for her request. Ms Hailey's dark eyes burn into my head—we're lucky she's a cool teacher, or Naila and I never would've survived this long.
"Can you toss me a tampon?" Naila calls out before turning to our teacher to explain. "It's an emergency."
See, another perk of an all-girls school. We just get it—no shame necessary.
Ms Hailey offers us an exhausted stare, but then sighs. "Please be quick."
Twisting my spindly body, I lean down to the pile of things I dropped onto the gray floor. I pluck my navy-blue jacket up to reveal my backpack, digging around in a number of zippers before pulling out the sleek packaging of a Tampax.
With the tampon in my grasp, I raise my arm to toss it forward when the classroom door creaks open.
In steps Principal Wells, a kind woman with fluffy blonde hair. But it's what steps in behind her that makes me freeze in place.
A full six feet of lanky, attractive teen boy. Soft, messy dark hair. Angular, chiseled jaw. Brooding thick brows. And a full, frowning pair of pink lips.
If he were to look me in the eyes, I'd pass clean out.
"Sorry to interrupt," Principal Wells says to us.
Don't be sorry.
"I came by to introduce our new student." The principal steps aside motioning to the God next to her. "Everyone, this is Jack Moody."
Wait—did she just say new student?
"That's quite alright," Ms Hailey says. "I've been expecting him to pop in."
The boy—Jack, shifts his weight to the other foot.
"Please, take a seat and we will start our discussion for the day," Ms Hailey tells him.
He starts to saunter down the aisle; my fellow classmates contort their bodies, carefully watching his every move. His feet, fashioned in black converse, walk closer and closer towards me.
Until, he takes a seat in the open desk next to me.
"Have a great first day, Jack!" Principal Wells calls to him before leaving the room. That seems to make him uncomfortable as he scowls down at the sleek surface of his empty desk.
Ms Hailey begins to lecture, but I can't break my gaze from the shiny new boy beside me. His head is drooped, causing his mess of dark brown hair to fall over his eyes. But as if sensing my staring, he peers over at me.
Dark, brown eyes peek through the mop of hair, looking right at me.
My heart begins to thud against my chest. It's so loud and violent, I'm convinced he has to be able to hear its drumming.
Act like a human.
Slowly, I blink a few times, breaking myself from the frozen stance I've been holding since his arrival. Snapping back into reality, I make contact with the tampon I've been holding in my stretched-out hand for entirely too long.
"Oh—this isn't for me," I stammer in a hushed tone.
The boy scrunches his face at me in a grimace.
"Not that I don't use them," I add for no good reason. "Because I do. Use them..."
What am I saying?
My eyes dart away from him, onto the bland floor, suddenly horrified at my lack of social skills. I shake my head, before tapping the girl in front of me.
"Hey, get Naila for me," I whisper prompting her to poke a few more girls until Naila's curly head turns around to me.
Waving the tampon around I use my other hand to point at it, reminding her she had asked for it. Her baby face drops and she crosses her arms as she widens her already big brown eyes at me.
"Take it," I mouth, confused.
She shakes her head at me wildly, as I continue to wave it around.
"No, I'm fine," she whispers. Her eyes quickly dart to the boy next to me. "I don't need that."
With one finger, she delicately tucks a wild dark curl behind her ear before turning back around to stare back at a blank whiteboard ahead of us.
My nose is wrinkled up, brows scrunched together, trying to process what the hell that was. I slump back into the hard chair, tucking the tampon into the waistband of my skirt.
Looking out the side of my eye, I take one last look at Jack. He's still staring at me with the same grimace. Quickly, I shoot him a wild smile before settling my eyes onto Ms Hailey.
I'll stop staring at him now. Promise.
Well, maybe just one more look wouldn't hurt.
･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
Hey, readers! Thanks for checking out the first chapter!
At the very end, I've added some photos of how I imagined the characters while reading! If you'd rather picture them however you please, then feel free to ignore. (:
This is my first draft, so I'm sure there's many errors - please point them out for me, so I can correct! -Thx