Like the rest of my student body, I couldn't move. It was really hard to when staring at the group of newcomers just standing at the entrance of the school with these dark glares.
There were six of them. All---to an extent--- different from the other too. The first that I noticed was one of the blond guys on the ends who looked like he lifted in his spare time---since he was born.
He had dark eyes that were close to the color of obsidian and a permanent snarl. He was in just as dark clothing with his fists clenched at his sides. His light blond hair stuck up in spikes that were apparently gelled in that formation. The tips of his hair were dipped in green.
On the other side of the group, was another blond, though this one was more lean than his hulk formed compandre. But he wore a look on his face that warned off anyone to approach him. His shaggy hair fell in front of his ice blue eyes and he too was wearing a nasty snarl though his preppy outfit didn't match with his intimidating aura.
Beside the lean blond was a tall brunet whose green eyes were scoping the hallway in a predatory manner. His bottom lip had a lip ring that he was moving slightly while he looked around.
His appearance was a simple olive green v-neck with dark jeans. The sides of his head was shaved but the mop of hair he still had on top of his head came down at an angle over his forehead.
There were only two females in the group, but they looked pretty intimidating either way. One of the girls was Asian with short cropped hair up to her ears and a pink headband to accessorize. She was tall and thin, wearing dark jeans and a black crop top that showed a lot of her belly. Her eyes were ice blue; identical to the blond boy and even then that eye color not a very common feature for someone of her background, and she had a few facial piercings, but still looked very beautiful.
Her female friend was just as beautiful with her long dark hair and bright green eyes. This female was tall too, not as tall as her Asian friend, but definitely taller than myself if I stood beside her---which I wouldn't.
This particular girl looked a bit more mean than intimidating---or maybe both. Is there a word for that?
She wore a similar outfit to her female pal but with a red top and white jeans. Her neck was being a place holder for the arm belonging to the last person in the group.
Though the hulk-sized guy on the end was scary looking, this last one in particular looked a bit more menacing. His facial expression was stony; his jaw locked and his gray eyes were narrowed in an irritated no-nonsense manner.
The dark hair on his head had little success in hiding it. He had a similar look to the boy with the lip ring. They looked oddly similar to one another, presumably they are related somehow. But it was the way this main boy was standing at the front of the group with his arm slung around the girl's neck that made this particular guy possibly be in charge of the six of them.
Still standing beside Christa, I was shivering.
She glanced at me and her brows furrowed before placing a hand on my wrist that was at my side and squeezing to keep me calm. I didn't understand why, but I really didn't like this group of newcomers. It was really scary to have them standing at the entrance and just give the stink eye to every single one of us.
Not one of them made a motion to move until the guy at the front looked to the sides of him silently and nodded. That was when they started moving forward; the student body splitting down the middle to let the newcomers pass by.
Christa had to pull me to the side this time because of how still I was. I bit my lip, picking at the scab there as the six newbies started to pass us. I swallowed hard when the lean blond's blue eyes happened to scan over to me and his eyes narrowed further before turning away slowly.
Little by little the other students leaned to the sides to watch the group disappear down the hall and turn the corner.
After everyone started murmuring amongst themselves, was when I realized I had been holding my breath. I let it out with ease, looking at Christa who frowned if I was alright. I nodded with a small smile and looked over my shoulder at the end of the hallway that the group disappeared down.
There was something strange about them. That was a given with the way they had huddled together as they did and just walked in here with their sour attitudes.
I personally wasn't going to be around any of them if I could help it.
To break up our sudden trance of the new students, the bell's shrill ring echoed through the hall in warning to get to class. Christa looped her arm through mine, smiling with her head tilted in my direction that she was so glad that a few of the new guys were hot. She giggled that maybe at lunch we could sit close enough to the group so that she could pick one out for herself.
I halted, frowning that I was not going to sit anywhere near those people.
"They don't look very friendly, Christa. Maybe we shouldn't be getting in any of their proximity for our safety."
Christa scoffed, wrinkling her nose in distaste.
"Oh my god, Thea! You are so boring!"
She tilted her head to the side, raising a brow that it wasn't going to be the worst thing for me to just sit nearby the new people. But despite my protests that it could totally be the worst thing because of how dangerous they looked, Christa held up a hand between our faces to silence my rambling.
"Enough!" she spoke, frowning at me. "I get it. You're a scardy cat. So we won't sit by them. Happy?"
I nodded, raising my brows and my best friend rolled her eyes, mumbling, "Let's get to class."
☙§❧
I kind of wish I never stepped into homeroom.
The moment I did, my feet planted firmly on the ground with my eyes wide at what I was seeing. There were three of the newcomers sitting in the back. Which wasn't the problem.
The problem... was that one of them was sitting beside the desk that was assigned to me.
I gulped loudly, worried about walking a step further and over to my seat. I glanced to the corner seat in the front where Christa sat drumming her fingers on the desk while staring at her other hand's nails again. She happened to notice me standing there while other students piled in and walked around me to their seats.
Christa lowered a brow, shrugging and mouthing, 'What are you doing?' before she caught where my gaze was and slowly turned around until she snapped back to look at me. Her green eyes were wide and I swallowed hard, scrunching my face in horror.
"Miss Saranto."
I jumped, eyes wide at my homeroom teacher, Mr. Harris. He was staring at me then up at the clock that was hanging above the door. He looked back at me, leaning his head forward and asked if there was a problem.
I shook my head silently and held my book tighter to my chest. Mr. Harris nodded, "Well then... may you please take a seat so that I can take roll?"
"My---my seat?" I squeaked.
From the corner of my eye, I could see Christa facepalm.
My homeroom teacher frowned, standing up with his hands on his hips.
"Yes, Miss Saranto. Get to your seat. Now."
I blinked, nodding a little slower than normal and then side glanced over to my seat way in the back. I licked my lips, forcing my feet to wedge their way forward; squeezing through the aisle to get to my desk.
I didn't look up at the person sharing the long desk with me, just sat down and tried to scoot as far as possible to the side as I could.
There was no doubt I could feel someone's eyes on the side of my face, but I fought tooth and nail to keep from turning my head.
All throughout roll call, I could feel this person staring at me until the name, "Auric? Auric Dennison?" was called. Only then did the person beside me staring had momentarily looked away to raise their hand since Mr. Harris nodded in acknowledgment of the person beside me.
Chewing on my lip, I stared at my desk for the longest time. I just kept thinking about what excuse I could tell Mr. Harris that I needed to be switched seats; more towards the front.
Perhaps I could lie and say that I couldn't see the board? But then that wouldn't do any good because there's no reason really to see the board because after roll, Mr. Harris lets us catch up on homework or chit chat until the bell rings. But I couldn't think of a way to get away from this back room.
"Thea!"
I jumped, eyes wide at Mr. Harris who looked a bit more annoyed with me. My brows lowered, catching sight of the other students looking at me weirdly. I felt a tad bit embarrassed that Mr. Harris must have called my name a few times and I didn't answer.
My body was slowly sinking into my seat, raising my hand and squeaked, "Present!" before leaning forward on my desk and burying my face into my arms.
After five minutes of burying my head into my arms, I leaned my head to the side to stare out of the window on the other side of the room, only to have pairs of eyes on me from three particular new people. I shot up in my seat, brows lowering in wonder of what they were staring at.
I glanced behind me then back at them. I opened my mouth to say something to the staring new people, but nothing came out. Instead I was just sitting like an idiot; staring back at the three boys with various expressions.
The first one at the end was the lean blond who narrowed his eyes at me in the hallway and had a curious expression on his face while the one sitting at the long desk with him was the hulk sized blons and he was narrowing his eyes with a snarl.
Lastly was the ring leader... sitting beside me.
He didn't look very happy that he was sitting with me. Not at all. His locked jaw had a few muscle spasms that kind of indicated that he wasn't pleasant with the seating arrangements. That made two of us.
My gaze seemed to linger a bit too long on his gray eyes because they narrowed in a challenging manner. One that I was so not up for taking. I could feel my eyes widen with the look he was giving me and watched the way this new guy's lip curled before a deep growl rumbled from his chest.
I blinked, my head craning back at the noise. He seemed to notice that it startled me because of how he smirked before turning away towards the front of the class. My brows furrowed at this pompous attitude of his, but I squinted my eyes wondering what on earth that noise was. It was very animalistic was what it was.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I turned away to find Mr. Harris barely finishing roll call and some of the students getting up to move around with their friends.
I side glanced beside me where the three newcomers were doing the same; huddling together and glaring around them. I turned my gaze to Christa frantically calling me over and swooped my book off the desk as I was getting up and walked over to her.
I slumped in the seat beside her, frowning towards the back of the room where the three guys were huddled.
"They look intimidating as hell," Christa noted, her green eyes focused on the students.
I silently nodded, not sure whether or not she noticed this and shook my head shortly after, telling her that I didn't want to talk about the new people anymore.
"Why not?" she asked, giving me a look of raised brows as she tilted her head. "They are the most interesting thing at this time of the year, in this boring ass town, Thea. Maybe it's not such a bad thing to talk about them. Keeps us interested."
"Yeah, well..."
My fingernail knit-picked at the corner of my science book that was wearing off and revealing the cardboard color underneath.
"Maybe I'm not as desperate as everyone else in this school. I couldn't care less about some new people. Regardless of it being a boring town or not..."
I shrugged, glancing up at her for a second before back to my book.
"I'm content with my simple boring town. Sometimes it's just better that way. Safer."
Christa's shoulders sulked a moment and i could feel my face contort into a scrunched expression. I knew she knew I was talking about my parents accident being so hot of a topic at the time and how it made the papers and everything that went along with it. Christa reached her hand over and placed it on top of mine that was messing with my textbook. I peeked up at her, feeling a bit misty-eyed, and she sighed with a small smile.
"I know it still hurts, Thea... it was really sudden. And unfair. But... but the longer you hold onto the past, the harder it is going to be for your future. You have to remember that they wouldn't want you to be so stuck on what happened to them... they loved you so much."
I nodded, sniffling and glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to our conversation. They weren't.
I started to feel bad of bringing up my parents and killing Christa's good mood. I quietly apologized to her, shrugging, "You have a point. I have to learn to let it go... just not right now. But I won't trouble you anymore with that topic."
To please her, and get her to perk up again, I rolled my eyes and then winced out, "How close is close exactly to wherever the new people sit?"
Christa beamed, leaping over and squeezing me tightly in thanks. I looked upward, sighing as I lightly patted her back.
I wasn't looking forward to lunch. I so wasn't. Because I didn't want to be anywhere near the new students. I was perfectly content with sitting at our usual table and to talk about usual things while we ate the usual nasty cafeteria food. But for Christa, just this once, I would put my normalcy on hold for her just so she can get a better look at Blood Moon Falls newest arrivals.
Dear God may lunch go by fast.
☙§❧
"Hey, Thea!"
I turned around at the call of my name and blinked a few times when Josh Hawthorne was coming up to me; Travis and his girlfriend in tow. I should probably mention that Josh and Travis were best friends which was the only reason Travis was following Josh who was beaming widely at me.
My blinking habit hadn't stopped until he was directly in front of me and he was stuffing his hands into his letterman jacket. I glanced at his two friends beside him who both paid little attention to me and were more for whispering to one another. Looking back at Josh, I offered a small smile in acknowledgment.
Josh swallowed, raising his hand and rubbing the back of his neck. He grinned that it was a bummer for Mrs. Valley rearranging our seating assignments so that we weren't able to talk anymore. He mentioned how he missed our conversations. I smiled, laughing lightly that that was probably why she switched everyone in the first place; because we were all talking too much.
"Yeah," he chuckled, his brown eyes flicking up to mine before there was a long pause.
Josh frowned at Travis when the quarterback nudged him roughly in a silent way to protest for Josh to hurry up. Josh raised a brow at him before Travis grumbled that he wanted to get lunch sometime soon and be able to eat it too. His blue eyes glanced at me before looking back at his best friend.
Josh gritted his teeth at him, "Alright! Gimme a minute!" then waited for Travis to roll his eyes and pull Miranda a few paces away.
When he looked back at me, I was feeling a bit nervous. I remembered about him and Christa the night before and how it started out with interest in me before they ventured into the depths of my best friend's couch.
"So listen... I was wondering... if uh, you spoke to your bestie at all?"
He looked anxious, biting his lip while waiting for my response. His feet kept shifting to a more comfortable stance for a few seconds before shifting again.
"I spoke to her this morning before homeroom actually... Why?"
There was a moment of his eyes widening and then groaned out, "She didn't mention anything about... about last night, did she?"
I pursed my mouth to the side, looking in the same direction and that seemed to tell him everything. Josh cursed under his breath before taking hold of my shoulders. I raised my brows at one of his hands then slowly turned my attention back to him.
"I didn't--- that wasn't---oh crap. Thea... I really like you. I do. I just..."
He couldn't seem to find an explanation that would justify him having feelings for me, yet sleeping with my best friend at the same time. It sounded kind of bad now that I was thinking about it. And I honestly felt bad for Josh. He was really handsome and sweet.
But he did sleep with my best friend...
Josh opened his mouth to say something, but Travis interrupted, stalking over and grumbled, "Alright already! This shit is taking too long, J!" The quarterback turned to me, narrowing his eyes, "He slept with your best friend and still wants to go out with you. Do you accept?"
I blinked a few times, craning my neck back a bit as I glanced between the two boys. Josh was in the middle of telling his friend to back off and that he was handling it, but Travis wasn't hearing it. He just stared at me with this intense and impatient look that I crumpled under.
"It's just... I... um... I dunno. I really don't have time for a... boyfriend..." I whimpered, really wishing that Christa would appear to help me out.
Travis sneered, looking at Josh and sniffed, "See? Now you know what happens when you let it out of your pants. Let's go already. I'm hungry, damn it."
I stayed frozen to my spot from Travis' hard stare as he sneered at Josh that I didn't look like I put out anyway. I felt my cheeks burn. I looked at Josh in hope that he'd defend me, and he sighed, "Trav, that's not nice. Leave her alone." before shoving his friend forward.
"Let's just go eat," He grumbled, making sure that Travis and Miranda were already walking before turning around to face me. He was doing that rubbing of his neck again, his cheekbones flushed from my answer earlier and I felt mine do the same.
Josh bit his lip, shrugging, "I get it that you're busy with school and stuff. I just hope that... that you didn't turn me down because of my stupidity from yesterday..."
Partly.
I gave him a small smile, reaching over and touching his forearm.
"Josh. We have had really good talks, right?" He nodded. "And I liked our talks. I really did. They just make you seem really sweet even though you are this popular jock and everyone flocks to you."
He chuckled as I continued, "But you're right. I'm really busy with school right now. And I am still going through some stuff that I rather not get into, so no... I don't think having a boyfriend right now is the greatest." I lowered a brow, squinting as i leaned my head forward, "You understand, right?"
Josh grinned, though it didn't reach up to his eyes.
"Yeah, I totally get it. I'm just glad that you forgive me for what I did with Christa. I shouldn't have when I was talking to you. But I'm hoping that somewhere near prom I'll be able to ask you again."
He raised his brows knowingly and wiggled them which made me laugh. I shrugged, "Maybe." before Travis shouted, "JOSH!" and Josh rolled his eyes mumbling that he had to go.
I nodded, waving goodbye and watched him disappear around the corner. I would have suggested us walking together to the cafeteria, but I didn't want to be around Travis. He wasn't a very pleasant person to be around, to begin with.
"Hey!"
I jumped, startled at Christa popping up out of nowhere; where was she ten minutes ago?
She giggled, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
She looped her arm through mine and we began our walk to the cafeteria. Christa was telling me of having to stay behind class because her English teacher wanted to discuss her paper that she has yet to turn in.
"So I'm gonna need your help with that by the way," she added casually after the teacher had given her the weekend to complete it and turn it in Monday morning before school. I threw her a flat look and it made her smile wider.
"What do I get out of spending my weekend writing your paper, exactly?" I asked, knowing that Christa wasn't going to write it on her own. She was going to have me write it after throwing out an idea and her lying on the floor with her arms outspread as she says, 'yeah, write that down...'
Christa grinned, pushing open the cafeteria doors, "Well my undying love of course!"
"Pft... like I need more of it," I retorted, following her up to the lunch line that had died down by now.
There wasn't a great selection of the food today, but what was expected with such a small budget. As we were making our way down the line, Christa was chattering about something happening this weekend, but I was too engrossed with being picky in what I ate today. I kept reaching for the most healthy looking foods while keeping in mind that I couldn't have anything with dairy because of being lactose intolerant and I was so not going to use the restroom here at school. That'd be embarrassing.
As I was deciding between a corn dog and two tacos---nothing healthy at all about those--- Christa started to hurry me. She kept whining that there wasn't going to be any place to sit if I didn't hurry up. I nodded, mumbling for her to give me a minute before I decided to take the corn dog because it was much safer. Plus, they were one of my favorite things to eat.
I smiled at the lunch lady on the other side of the counter, asking her for a few packets of mustard and then stood beside Christa who was already scanning the caf.
The place was buzzing with different conversations; everyone sitting within their cliques and then there was Christa who sat anywhere she could want and nobody would tell her anything because of how people friendly she was. I, on the other hand, would rather sit off to the side at a table not in use so that I could eat my lunch without conversing too much.
I tried to help to find a place to sit, my eyes wandering the room until I found an empty table by the trash cans near the doorway. I nudged my best friend until she spotted the table too but frowned that it wasn't anywhere near the new kids. As she said this, I happened to look over at the far back of the room where the six newcomers lounged at their own private table.
The main guy was currently swapping spit with his beauteous girlfriend and I scrunched my nose, not really sure I'd want to see that while I was eating anyway.
I grinned at Christa shrugging, "Maybe next time?"
Christa narrowed her eyes at me, accusing that I was took too long on purpose so that I didn't have to sit with the new kids.
"Correction; you wanted to sit near the new kids, not with them."
Christa rolled her eyes and led the way to the empty table. She sat down, picking up her spork to scoop up some of her salad while she frowned, "You are such a buzz kill, Thea. You totally harshed my mellow today."
I didn't touch my corndog, asking her how I did that, but then answered my own question with another, "Just because we couldn't sit by the new people in town?"
"Yes!" she responded with a hard breath, looking up at me. She then frowned as she looked down and took a bite of her salad into her mouth.
"Well... I'm sorry, Christa, okay? I just don't feel comfortable around them. You saw how they looked at us this morning. And then you weren't there when I was sitting in homeroom and three of them were staring at me like they were ready to kill."
I sighed, shaking my head and picked up my corndog, chomping into it.
"You keep forgetting that I enjoy the way my life is. Simple."
"Yes, and boring is what it is. The only excitement in your life is me!"
I laughed, shaking my head without having to say that she wasn't wrong. She usually brought a bit of wildness to my life when I'd least expect it. But as I was finishing the rest of my corndog, dipping it into the blob of mustard in the corner of the paper container my food came in, the realization of how simple---and boring---my life really was didn't sink in. And it should have.
Because I wish I would have known that my simple little life would soon change.