word count; 1931
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Liam hurried around the kitchen, rushing to get ready before work early the next morning. He wanted to see Ara and Teddy off to school, but he had a case. So Cat was going to drop them off.
As he hurried out the front door of the house, Ara was just coming down the stairs, and what she wore caused him to stop, and do a good once over with her outfit. Ara wore a white tank top with the American flag on it, black-grey jean shorts with some sort of print on it, and black converse, She had her long hair down, but wore a ribbon in the back of her hair. Her nails were black, and each arm had two bracelets on it. As she got closer to him, he noted the spacers in her ears, the nose ring, and the lip ring. And on her left leg was a rose tattoo going up to just below her knee. When Ara got him staring she frowned. "Speak now or forever hold you peace. This is who I am. If you have a problem, well then I don't care." Liam was lost for words, but swallowed.
"If they ask you to cover up, all I ask is that you do that." he manage to say, not wanting to offend her.
"Fine. Late?"
"Kinda."
"Well bye."
"Cat will be here soon. Be nice to her."
"Okay.
"Bye."
As soon as he left, Ara breathed out. "Well that was awkward." she mumbled. Ara hobbled into the kitchen looking for food. She was starving, but then again, she had her first meal only yesterday. She rummaged through the cupboards and found a stash of chocolate. "Well, if he kills me for eating it so be it." She grabbed a kit kat bar off the shelf and opened it up. Taking a bite, in walked Teddy, who eyed her.
"Since when do we have chocolate?"
"Just found it. Want one?"
"What do we got?"
"Kit Kat, Aero, Mars, Snickers, etc."
"Mars." Ara grabbed one and tossed it to her brother. "When's Cat getting here?"
"Soon." Ara mumbled.
The two quietly munched on the "breakfast" while they waited for Cat. Ara's bag rested at her feet, and Teddy's was hanging off his shoulders. There was a knock at the door. "Cat's here." Teddy said, heading to open the door. Ara stayed in the kitchen, not moving. Cat accompanied Teddy back into the kitchen.
"You two ready to seize the day?" she asked, enthusiastically.
"Yay!" Ara replied sarcastically.
"Well, it was worth a shot. Come on you two." Ara and teddy tossed the wrappers in the garbage, and headed out into the warm air. It was cloudy outside, but the air was warm, maybe a high of forty or something. Teddy climbed into the backseat of Cat's car, and Ara sat in the front. As soon as they drove oof, in went Ara's ear buds, blocking out the world. My Chemical Romance's Welcome To The Black Parade filtered through her ears. She sang along softly. Ara was too lost in her world to know that the car had stopped until Teddy pulled out an ear bud, and she went to slap him.
"Easy tiger. We're here." he muttered. Ara pulled out the other ear bud, and looked out the window.
"Joy."
"Oh come on. You're gonna have fun!" Cat said. "And if any one messes with you, give em' a reason not to." Cat smiled. That smile faded when two pairs of teenage eyes turned to her, dark and clouded.
"That wouldn't be a good thing Cat." Teddy said darkly.
"We don't play nice with others." Ara said. With that, the two got out of the car, slamming the doors.
"Okay, breath Caitlyn. They just need time." Caitlyn mumbled to herself.
Ara and Teddy stood outside the school, staring at what would become a new prison to them. "New school." Teddy said.
"New people. Come on. We don't want to be late." Ara said dragging her brother inside Satan's kingdom. They made their way to the front office. Liam said they'd help get them started for the day. It didn't take long for them to find it. The door had, in big bold letters, the word OFFICE on it. "Could they get any more obvious?" she asked herself.
"Maybe." Teddy said. Inside the office smelled like hand sanitizer and old people. Ara scrunched up her nose in disgust before moving over to the front counter. An older lady sat behind the desk with wildly curly blonde hair, and was typing away at a computer. It took her fifteen minutes to notice them, and when she did, she frowned.
"Can I help you two?" she asked.
"Yeah, we're new here to the school. They told us to come down to the office when we got here." Ara said.
"Names?"
"Arabella Lee, and Teddy Manning." Ara said.
"Wait here." The lady stood up, and hobbled into the backroom. When she was out of sight, Teddy gagged.
"She smells so bad." he laughed. Ara smiled, and nodded.
"Yeah she does." They were still laughing when she came back, this time with an older man. She eyed the two scornfully.
"Welcome. I've been expecting you two." the man said greeting them. "I'm Principle Harper."
"Hey." Teddy said.
"Hello." Ara mumbled.
"Here are your schedules." He said, handing them a slip of paper. "Theodore, you're class is just down the hall from here, Maths with Mr. Smith, and Arabella, yours is all the way on the other side of the school. English with Mrs. Beckett." he explained. Neither of them corrected him about their names. They didn't want to cause any trouble for themselves, but knowing them, they were bound too one way or another. "Theodore I can show you to your class. I'm headed that way, and Arabella . . . hold on a moment. Samantha!" Ara turned around as Principle Harper called out someone's name. Standing in the hall was a girl about Ara's age. She had blue hair tied up into a pony tail. She wore a black long sleeve, and ripped jeans. She wore beat up converse and had a septum piercing.
"Y-Yeah Principle Harper?" the girl said softly.
"Could you show Arabella to her class. She's new here." Samantha turned to Ara and did a once over of the girl. She looked a bit terrified.
"Um, sure." she replied. Ara gave Teddy a one arm hug, and whispered in his ear.
"Behave."
"You to." he replied. Ara let go, and headed over to the girl in the hall. They walked in silence for a bit before Samantha spoke.
"So where's your first class?" she muttered.
"English with Mrs. Beckett." Ara replied.
"This way." The girls lapsed back into silence.
"You don't say much, do you?" Ara asked her as they walked down the empty halls. The girl shook her head. "Samantha, right?"
"It's Sam." the girl said.
"Sam." Ara said. "So Sam, is there anything I should know about this school?" Ara asked. Sam was quiet for a few moments. Ara noticed the way the girl played with her fingers.
"A few things." she murmured. "Mrs. Beckett is an evil woman, so don't aggravate her." Sam said. "Uh," she looked behind her and around the corner before speaking again.
"Why are you looking around?" Ara asked. Sam ignored her.
"Felicity Burrow. Queen bee of the school, also a major slut. You don't want to make her mad." Sam whispered, afraid someone might be listening to her. "And three, don't ever comment on Michael's hair."
"Who's Michael?"Ara asked.
"A bad boy."
Sam and Ara didn't speak for the rest of the way to Ara's class. When they arrived, Sam was quick to hurry off, but not without muttering a quick, "bye Ara." Ara took a deep breath and entered the empty class. She made her way over to a seat by the window in the very back of the room and sighed. It was going to be a long day.
Ashton Irwin walked into his English class only two minutes late, only to find someone else in his spot. A girl, with long dark brown hair. He quickly noticed the tattoo on her leg. Roses. He frowned. She was still in his spot. "Mr. Irwin." Mrs. Beckett said. "How nice of you to join us. Take a seat." she growled. Some of his class mates snickered. Ashton huffed and made his way to the empty seat, next to the girl, angry that she was sitting where he sat. He tapped her on the shoulder lightly. She tuned to him.
"You're in my spot." he hissed. The girl rolled her eyes.
"What makes you think I care?" she snapped back at him. The teacher cleared her throat. Ashton sat back in his seat angrily.
"Alright. When I call you name, say here please. Mandy Hayes."
"Here."
"Andrew Fuller."
"Present."
"Courtney Say." Ashton glared at the girl while the teacher droned on. She was tapping her pencil lightly on his desk. He kept frowning.
"Ashton Irwin." The girl turned lightly to face him as he spoke.
"Sup Satan." he smiled.
"It'd be such a shame to give you detention Mr Irwin. I know for a fact that Mr. Smith would love to have that opportunity himself."
"Aw poor him. Why don't you beat to the punch." Ashton teased.
"Keep talking and I will." The class oohed.
"Whatever." Ashton went back to scowling as she went back to calling out names. He stared at the girl again, who went back to tapping her pencil to some beat. But she stopped when her name was called.
"Arabella Lee."
"It's Ara." the girl spoke. She had a soft voice, there was no evidence of harshness in it. But Mrs. Beckett glared.
"I'm sorry?" she asked.
"Nothing."
"I had you a question young lady." Mrs. Beckett said firmly. She now had everyone's attention, including Ashton's who was more than curious about this strange girl who taunted the teachers.
"And I chose to ignore." she replied, sitting up in her chair. Some of the students mouth's fell open while others gasped.
"Excuse me?"
"I think you heard me Mrs. Beckett, but I'd be more than happy to repeat myself." she challenge.
"Keep talking Miss, and we'll see where it takes you."
"Detention? Or the Principle's Office? Either one works for me."
"Oh you think you're so smart. Don't you?" Mrs. Beckett smirked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Ma'am if I thought I was smart, I would have ditched your class to smoke behind the school. But instead I'm here, sitting in a class with a teacher who has no self respect for any of her students, and insist on taunting me because I corrected you about my name. I'll give you two choices. Either shut up, and leave me be, or kick me out. I think we've dragged this on too long." she spat at the teacher. Ashton stared wide eyed at this girl. This strange new girl who had the guts to speak back to a teacher. For three years, it had been his job to taunt them, but he might have just lost that title.
"Get out of my class Arabella. You are not welcomed back until you learn some manners." Ashton watched as the girl stood up out of her seat and made her way to the door. But before she exited, she turned to the teacher.
"Remember, it's Ara. Not Arabella." and with that she left.