Chapter one:
New people and rebels
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Some say that change is for the better but, what they fail to mention is that with change comes challenges and they might not always be on the easier side. Change can be good but, it can also be terrifying.
So when Haylee was standing outside the familiar classroom that she knew all too well, she was terrified. Not because she didn't feel welcome there or because she didn't have any friends. She was terrified because of the change that had happened to her.
You see, Haylee was always known as the girl who was on the bigger side and people might have labeled her as a nerd but, before the summer break, things started to change. The girl who was once blonde was now a brunette with much shorter hair than what people knew she had. Her body had gotten skinnier, and the bruise under her eye was now covered up with makeup.
But Haylee knew that she had to face them at some point and staring at the door was pointless as it could open at any minute.
So as she was adjusting her tight ponytail, Haylee took a deep breath and slowly placed her hand on the doorknob. She twisted it and opened the door.
At the other side of the door, heads shot up as they got aware of the door that was now opening. Some confused faces looked at each other. The class had already started and what they thought was all of the students were present.
Whispers started to go around the room as the brunette walked in. She didn't even need to look up to know that people were staring at her. She could feel it. It felt like they were staring at her bones and Haylee had never felt such discomfort as she did now.
"Ooh. A new girl"
The voice soft, squicky voice was familiar. It felt good to Haylee to hear that voice again. She immediately felt more comfortable. Looking up, the brunette noticed that there was almost nothing new about the classroom. A few new posters but, everything else was still the same.
A body that was facing the blackboard, put down his chalk and turned towards the girl. When he looked at her, he thought that there was something very familiar about her but, he just couldn't put his finger on it. "New student?"
Haylee didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry. She wanted to laugh because he didn't recognize her but, she also wanted to cry because he didn't recognize her.
Cory Matthews was the closest thing she had ever got like a real father figure. Sure, she did have a dad that she lived with but, he wasn't much of a father to Haylee. Because some times, the ones you are related to, can be the ones who hurt you the most. And in Haylee's case, that was exactly what happened.
"I guess you could say so," Haylee said before handing him her note that stated that she was late. When Cory looked at the slip and saw the name, his eyes widened. He knew something was familiar about her and know he knew what it was. It was Haylee. The girl he had known since she was just a little kid. But she looked so different now, compared to the last time he saw her.
And as Haylee was moving towards the only available seat, the one she had always sat on, she couldn't help but look at the brunette and blonde in front of her desk. The shocked looks that they had on their faces before whispering to each other, made Haylee's stomach tie in a knot.
She knew the girls very well and they were her best friends before this change happened but, know she wasn't so sure if they recognized her and some part of her felt saddened about that. But she knew that she would tell them about it eventually but, at the time she just wasn't ready to do it. And when she would be ready, Haylee didn't know. It could be in an hour, a few days or never.
"So, today we are gonna find out if anyone here believes in something so strong, they would fight for it"
End bullying in school, prevent global warming, end poverty, and hunger. Haylee could go on all day about all the things she would fight for. But at the time, it wasn't her time to talk.
So when the blonde sitting diagonally from the brunette had the chance to do so, Haylee knew that it wasn't going to end well.
"Maya."
"Yes, sir"
"Prestent your homework"
"Can't do that, sir"
"Why not?"
"Didn't do my homework, sir."
"Why not?"
"That's what I'm fighting against, sir."
oh boy.
"oh, this could go on for awhile," said Farkle as he put on a sleep mask, muttering "Farkle, Farkle, Farkle, Farkle"
"I didn't do my homework either." the quirky brunette said. What a liar. Riley always does her homework, it's a fact proven by many.
Cory looked at this daughter. "Oh, really?" He questioned.
"Yeah, we are the same now. I don't believe in homework"
Riley, that doesn't make you Maya at all. Haylee looked up as she felt eyes on her. Just as her eyes looked up she made contact with a pair of shocked brown ones. Yeah, she probably said it out loud again.
Maya raised her hand and announced, "I have something to say"
Mr. Matthews looked at Maya shocked. "Wow. I don't know what to do, I've never seen this before. The floor's yours, miss Hart."
Maya stood up, walked to Farkle and pulled his sleep mask off. "Get up, Farke. You're gonna wanna be awake for this."
"Is it our honeymoon?" Farkle asked Maya with a happy face as he stood up.
"No, you missed that. Now it's time to hand in our essays"
"Oh! Farkle goes first, Farkle always goes first!" He then proceeded to run out of the classroom. Why he did that was a wonder to the mind but, Haylee was sure that in just a few seconds she was about to find out why.
"Alright! Everyone who did your homework, put it on your desk" Maya told the class, most of them doing so.
"Are you sure about this?" Riley asked her bestfriend.
"I got this" was all the blonde said.
As she collected the essays, Farkle came in with his project. "The branding of Atlanta led to the end of Civil War, and of peace. I believe that peace is worth fighting for." Maya walked up to Farkle and took a sparkler, "Hey, that's a pivotal part of my diorama!" Then she took another one, "And there goes Virginia."
With two sparklers in her hand and all of the essays in the other, the blonde girl walked back towards her desk and got up on her chair. Everyone in the class carefully watched her every move.
"The burning of the homework led to the end of the Homework Rebellion because there was no more homework," Maya said as she put the sparklers to the paper only to have Mr. Matthers take them away.
"Alright, alright, that's far enough, Maya, I get it."
"No homework, more freedom!" Maya chanted, holding the sparklers up, only to have them make the sprinklers turn on. "So those do work"
Feeling drops of water hit her, Haylee stood up from her desk just as everyone else did. Some were shouting and running out of the room in a panic but, the brunette girl just stood there in shock. It was like her body was in a trance. She couldn't do anything else than just stand there and stare into the air.
It wasn't before a hand grabbed hers, and pulled her under a jacket that, she fully grasped what had just happened. Maya. Homework. Sparklers. Sprinklers.
Noticing that someone was still holding her hand, Haylee looked to the person that was holding her and was surprised to see a face that she hadn't seen before. A boy.
"Why didn't you stop your friend?" She heard the new boy ask Riley as he held his jacket above all of them, one girl on both of his sides.
"That's not what I do anymore!" was the answer to the brunette.
"You're better than that"
"I'm just letting her be her."
Haylee stared at the boy beside her and didn't notice the scene that happened in front of them as Farkle ran up to Cory and climbed on him.
"Ms. Hart, you have detention. The principal will determine if it goes farther than that," Cory told Maya then looked at his daughter, "Mr. Friar, Ms. Matthews, please leave."
"I deserve detention too!" Riley told her dad.
"No, you don't, Riley. You did absolutely nothing, which is why Maya is in trouble."
"Alright Farkle, you can get down now," Cory told the boy on his back.
"Well, you're actually quite comfortable, sir."
"Thank you," he told the boy, "Get off!"
"Farkle isn't going anywhere!"
~~~
After Maya had gotten detention and Farkle had gotten down from Cory's back, Haylee had stayed back in the classroom to collect her, now, wet things. Showing her notebooks into her backpack and letting out a puff, the brunette was about to head out when Cory walked back into the room. They looked at each other before he told her to take a seat.
"I almost didn't recognize you when you came through that door, Haylee."
"That's what happens when you change yourself."
"What happened?"
Haylee looked at the man in front of her before her eyes turned towards a poster about the civil war. "It's a long story." Her voice was soft, almost like she was scared that it would break if she talked any louder.
"You know, Riley and Maya really missed you this summer. They kept asking about when they would see you again. They tried going to your home but, your parents always said that you were either gone or unavailable. They were really worried about you."
The brunette girl dragged a hand through her hair before answering him, "People say that if you don't like something, then you should change it. That's what I did. I didn't like how I looked and frankly so did very many others too, so I change how I looked. I lost weight, dyed my hair brown and I stopped being so interested in books and learning. I just wanted to be like a normal teenager."
Cory felt for the girl. He didn't know that all of this was going on with her. He would have helped her get better if he knew.
"You need to talk to Riley and Maya. They have been so worried."
Haylee felt a tear run down her cheek and quickly rubbed it away with the hem of her sleeve. "I can't tell them. They wouldn't understand."
"Of course they would. They are your friends."
"I really appreciate you trying to help Mr. Matthews but, they don't know the whole story and frankly, neither do you." Grabbing her stuff, Haylee stood up and left the classroom leaving Cory there alone. She knew that she had to tell Riley and Maya about everything but, she didn't know how to. It scared her. She was scared to tell them.
Drying the tears from her eyes, Haylee bumped into someone on her way out of the school. Looking at who it was, the brunette saw that it was the same guy from her class. The new guy. He had light brown hair and was slightly taller than her.
"I'm so sorry, I should watch where I go." Her words came out like a waterfall. Quickly and maybe a bit too loud.
"It's totally fine. I'm Lucas." He held his hand out for her to shake, which she gladly accepted.
"I'm Haylee."
[word count: 2034]
Published: November 12th 2016
Edited: November 4th 2019
OMG! My first chapter of this book is out. I thought I was never gonna get it out, but I did.
And thank you so much for 4k reads! That's just crazy. Thank you guys so so so much. I love you all to pluto and back x
- lucbae