This chapter is dedicated to @upwiththefairies for making me my lovely new cover!
**********************
Man, I need a car.
Here it has this nasty habit of getting very hot, very fast in the summer. This I found out the hard way at 8:30 in the morning as I struggled down the street. It sucks out loud to live within walking distance of your school, you know, cause everybody expects that you have no problems walking every day and therefore don't ever need a ride. My backpack seemed to weigh 10 more pounds with each step. After about a block I stopped, breathing heavily and resigned to my fate.
I was going to die out here on the scorching pavement. Dead before I even got to my new school. It must be some kind of record. As I was saying a final goodbye to my possesions and wishing I had written a will before I left the house, I heard a loud honking behind me.
"Hey there...you look a little tired..want a ride?" came a voice from behind.
Oh god. So not only was I going to die of exhaustion, I was going to be kidnapped, or worse!
I turned around, fully prepared to tell the creeper where to get off, but my words froze in my mouth as I got a view of who was talking. A fancy blue car sat idling before me, and in front of the wheel wearing a friendly smile, was a boy. A cute boy. I praised each and every one of my lucky stars and scrambled to my feet. I mean, if I was going to die anyway, what a way to go out!
"That's really nice of you thanks, but before I say yes, can you tell me who you are?"
"Oh yeah sorry, my name is Sam Baxter. I go to SC high school...just down there."
Excellent. Just where I was trying to go. And he was a student so obviously he wasn't going to attack me. Right? Good enough for me. I flashed a smile at him and grabbed my backpack, which suddenly seemed lighter now that I didn't have to carry it. I ran around to the passenger side and hopped in.
We drove in silence for awhile, so I took the opportunity to look him over. He was dressed nicely, with tousled blonde hair and blue eyes. At the moment, he was sporting a rather impish smile, probably at my predicament. Not bad.
As we were driving, he turned and grinned at me. "You know, that's not fair," he said, still smiling.
"What? What's not fair?" I asked, puzzled.
"I told you my name and who I was. Now you have to return the favor."
Oh. Right. That stuff. Great.
My parents thought it would be lovely to name me after a Shakespearean character, so I always have to go through the whole name thing when I meet new people.
"Um...my name is Rosaline-Rae, but you can call me Rosie, or even Rosie-Rae, if you're feeling adventurous. My parents are weird and thought it would be fun to name their poor kid after a jilted Shakespeare character, but 'with a twist.' I just moved here from Chicago and I go to the same highschool as you. However, I live within walking distance so nobody ever thinks that I might need a ride. Except you. So thanks a lot, that was really nice of you."
And I started in rambling. He smiled, and I trailed off with a bashful grin of my own.
"Well it's nice to meet you Rosie, Miss Shakespeare. With a name like that, I'm sure you'll have no trouble fitting in. Hey, we're here, do you need help finding your classes?" He grinned yet again, an engaging puppy grin. How could I say no?
"You know what, sure, that'd be great." I flashed my most brilliant thank you smile at him.
"All right then Rosaline, lets go."
And we went.
Together, the breeze in our hair, we strode towards the school like a scene from a movie.
Okay, maybe not, but it sounds so good that way.
What actually happened was I, being me, tripped on my backpack strap as I was getting out of the car and Sam had to catch me as I fell forward.
How embarrassing!
I'm pretty sure I was red as a cherry tomato as I looked up at him.
"Wow, I'm so sorry. I'm probably the least graceful person in the entire world. But thanks for the catch!" That's right, turn it into a joke. I had friends where I came from, really.
"And you are also without a doubt the most entertaining. Don't worry about it, I quite enjoyed that."
He actually hadn't let me go yet.
Is it possibly to go redder than shades of cherry tomato? I'm fairly sure I did as I mumbled something and pulled away to untangle myself from my backpack.
He laughed, a deep, short, happy chuckle. I liked the sound of it.
He bent down and helped me get free of the evil backpack and handed it to me.
"Thanks."
"Anytime Rosie-Rae. Now let's go, and try to stay on your feet this time okay?"
"Hah hah hah. He's a funny boy," I grumbled as we crossed the parking lot and entered into the lobby of the school. And the day was just beginning.
Oh my god. This place is huge.
I couldn't believe my eyes as I looked around the lobby of San Christo Highschool.
Right as you walked in, you were arrested by the sight of the enormous foyer; vaulted ceilings to the max, with three stories of landings looking down. It was all very fancy, with those plants you always see in business offices and bank waiting rooms (I think these were actually real though), ornate wooden banisters, and marble floors so highly polished that I could practically see Sam's smile gleaming off them.
He appeared to be pretty high on the popularity roster because he couldnt finish a single sentence without turning around to smile or wave at a various passerby, or answer this or that girl's flirty "Hey Sam".
Apparently I've been picked up by Cassanova on my first day.
Exactly how I wanted to start my school year; with every girl in the place after my blood. Not!
But really, if I couldn't find my classes or complete my new student registration papers, it wouldn't matter if they wanted to kill me, because I wouldn't be around for it! And it was starting to look that way- the line up for the secretary's office seemed to go on for miles and miles.
I was beginning to believe I would grow old and die in that line, and contemplating the thrills of never escaping highschool, when some guy who looked like a teacher came up and said "Um, Sam? Hi, I've been looking all over for you! We need you to do a speech about this year's football and soccer teams to the freshmen in an assembly this morning! Will you do it?"
Sam blinked, a little dazed and confused at the thought of having to use his brain so early in the morning and on the first day to boot. I shot him a sympathetic look. Poor guy, I guess that's the disadvantage of being the school's sports star.
"Well...you're sure you can manage without me Rosie?" He looked hesitantly at me.
"I'll be fine, don't worry," I smiled reassuringly.
Mommy wow! I'm a big kid now! Don't get me wrong, it was cute that he was concerned, even if I am perfectly capable of looking after myself!
"Right, well then, if you're sure you're fine, I'm gonna go..but I'll come back and find you, okay? It's easy to get lost around here!"
Sam touched my arm briefly and ran off with the teacher man, leaving me with possibly the stupidest grin ever on my face. I shook myself out of it. What was I thinking?
Hello Rosie-Rae, welcome to the real world, remember the one where you just met the guy you're staring so goofily after. Earth to Rosie!
Man, sometimes I'm the biggest dork in the world.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
So remember the time I thought I was a big, grown up, I-can-tie-my-own-shoes girl?
Turns out I'd better stick to velcro, 'cause from the moment I stepped out of the secretary's office (with promises to come again soon; apparently she knows my mother, which figures) I was more lost than Bruce McCulloch when he said "Stealing Harvard? That's a GREAT idea for a movie!" In case nobody got that obscure reference, it meant I was pretty freaking lost.
So what was I going to do? Being the cool kid I am, I closed my eyes and pointed to the right. I opened my eyes and saw a hallway. Excellent. I started off intrepidly down my chosen hallway, on a mission to find my locker. Of course, I got distracted looking around at all the new sights and promptly walked into something solid. Yeah, that'd be a chest. A male chest. Now I'm not that short at all, so this guy had to be pretty tall. I was too afraid to look up. I heard a chuckle.
Oh great. Tall, and a nice voice. Just who I wanted to make a fool of myself in front of today.
Thank you, inner sarcasm, I'm so comforted.
Hey genius, instead of being sarcastic at the sarcasm, why don't you look up so at least he knows you have a face? Just an idea..cause you know, it's cool if you just stand there like an idiot with your face in his chest too..
Right. Time to move. I hesitantly looked up. I was right about the tall and about the voice, which I discovered as he gently moved me back so he could see me.
"Well, hello there. Having some trouble?" I felt my cheeks flush as I looked up into his smiling face.
He had dark greeny blue eyes, adorable dimples, and brown hair that fell over his forehead. I was right- he was super tall with broad shoulders, and he had an easygoing face that looked quick to smile and was currently looking extremely amused.
Uhh..Rosie? Now would be a good time to say something!
Right. Speaking. I laughed embarrassedly.
"Yeeeah, actually. As well as being the clumiest person alive, my other hobbies include being hopelessly lost in a new school." Okay well, that wasn't as bad as it could've been. At least I didn't cry.
He laughed.
"Well at least I can help you there. What exactly are you looking for?"
"Umm..heh..my locker.." I admitted ashamedly.
What happened to the big, capable girl? Oh yeah, she told her escort to be on his merry way!
"Wow, you're really lost aren't you? Well, uh, what's your locker number?"
"7077"
"Hey! Haha, what a crazy coincidence, you're right next to me! Well that's easy, follow me my pretty!"
My pretty? Who does he think he is, the Wicked Witch of the West? "Follow me my pretty, and your little dog too!"
I scurried off to follow my unknown escort. "So what's your name, twinkletoes?"
Hah hah hah. Everyone in this school's a comedian.
"It's uh, Rosaline-Rae. But you can just call me Rosie or Rosie-Rae. Long story, will explain later."
"Gotcha. I'm Chase." Chase. Sounds like something a couple of hippies came up with, but it fit him. I liked it.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It had been an interesting day. After the episode with the locker, Chase insisted on being my escort, taking me throughout the halls and showing me where my classes were.
It turned out we had Chemistry, History and Music together. Even if I had wanted to, I couldn't have gotten away from the guy. He stuck to my side, talking earnestly and rapidly, with flailing arm gestures now and then to really drive home his point.
"And so I said to the guy, 'No way man, you just don't get any better than chocolate. It's like, the Mozart, or Beethoven of ice creams. Classic, simple, yet intricate, and it will be around way longer than any of those fancy, ridiculous flavors you're getting nowadays.'"
I couldn't help but smile as I watched him talk, a totally serious expression on his face, one hand raking through his mop of chestnut hair in a move that I was beginning to recognize as a Chase trademark, and the other at his side, motionless for once. All this about ice cream. Dorky? Yes. But somehow completely endearing.
"Be that as it may, you know, the guy may have a point. Think about it; taking chocolate, a classic, and putting a twist to it. Like say, chocolate and orange. Two very classy flavors, spun together to make something that can only be an improvement on either of the originals." Hey, what can I say? I'm a dork too. He gave me a crooked, lazy grin with a glance from under his hair.
"You may have a point, Miss Shakespeare."
Why? Why must everyone call me that?
It became obvious after awhile that he and Sam Baxter were socially different. Chase seemed to be friendly to everyone, part of his giant personality that was always just waiting to burst right out of his borders. However, he seemed to have a small but tight group of friends who looked like an assortment of what you would call the social drifters. The ones who were not unpopular but not known by everyone and on the "it list" either. They were lazily and carelessly dressed, like Chase, which, like Chase, seemed to work for them, and they had the same slightly scruffy yet deliberate and endearing untidyness about their hair and appearances.
He introduced them to me, "These are my fellow visionists. My troupe of assorted oddballs, idiots and self-proclaimed, yet rather unsuccessful, ladies men. In short, Rosie, this is the band."
Apparently he was in a band.
They weren't very good, he assured me. Just something they liked to fool around with in their spare time, a "hobby, if you will". Dennis, the one with long straight hair that fell across his green eyes and a smattering of freckles across his nose, was a truly lousy drummer, I was told, while Ben, the one with a mop of auburn curls was mediocre on bass at best. John, the tall, dark one, was the only true genius of the group, both on guitar, and as a lyricist. And Chase got by, as a singer and guitarist. And they were all as crazy as Chase. I was laughing at something ridiculously dorky that Dennis had said, when I heard footsteps running up behind me, and felt a hand on my shoulder.
OH GOD WHO'S ATTACKING ME!
Just Sam, once again. "Hey Sam" I said, smiling once I had managed not to die of a heart attack and turned around to see him standing there.
"Hey Rosie-Rae! Listen, I'm so sorry I didn't get to find you again, the football and soccer meetings took a lot longer than I thought! But, I see you managed anyway," he said, glancing over at Chase and the "troupe". "Hey Chase," he added.
"Suuuup Bax," Chase drawled, "tell Coach I'm awfully sorry I missed the meeting, but I had some...business..to attend to." Sam laughed.
"Yeah, right. One of these days Donner, I'm telling you, he's going to call you on your 'business'. You're just lucky that we need you in the midfield, Winger Whiz."
Chase just smiled his lazy, sideways grin.
"And one of these days, Bax, you're gonna give up, and stop telling me about what's gonna happen 'one of these days'."
Sam flashed his own, brilliant smile. "Maybe. Well, I'll see you on the pitch, tomorrow, 4:00 sharp! Sharp!"
"Yeah Mom, sharp, I got it."
"Later. Oh and Rosie, I would offer you a ride after school today except that I have a meeting about the start of school assembly. So, how about I pick you up tomorrow morning, so that you don't die out there on the sidewalk? Or, you know, kill yourself falling over your backpack." Oh, the evil, evil boy. I could already see the diabolical grin starting to spread across Chase's face, matching the one already set on Sam's.
"Hilarious, terribly hilarious. You two look like twin hyenas. It's not attractive, you know. And although I'm sure I would manage JUST FINE on my own, a ride would be a little appreciated. So yes, I suppose I'll let you pick me up. But don't expect all you comedians to have a captive audience!" I am a terrible huffer. Everything always sounds better in my head. Sam laughed at me.
"I'll get your number later. See you!" And with that, he jogged off.
"He's always jogging, isn't he," I remarked.
"Yeah well, you know the type. Never can sit still, always moving around. Neurotically mobile. Can't imagine being that type," as Chase raked his hand through his hair, bouncing a little and tapping his foot.
"No, me either," I said sarcastically. And with that he grinned his charming, Chase smile.
************************************
I loaded my backpack as the bell rang and started off down the hallway. Day One over. Classes had been boring, Chase had apparently decided to actually go to the soccer meeting that had been called again, (man, talk about over meeting), and so I sat and talked to Dennis in my History clas, and stared, bored, out the window in Chemistry and Music. I began my slow, long, hot trek down the sizzling sidewalk.
It was going to be a long trip home. Or so I thought. Out of nowhere I heard a whooshing sound, and had barely turned to check it out when I was knocked forcefully aside by something large, wiry and moving. I shook away the canaries and looked to find who else, but Chase, standing and beaming at me.
"Hey stranger, going this way?" he purred.
"Not if you are, you walking disaster!" I retorted, rubbing my damaged arm.
"Now, now. That is highly unnecessary, just because "grace" is not exactly my middle name. Actually, it's Jacob. But that is not the point here!"
"Um, what is the point then, other than rendering me physically handicapped?"
He had to think about it for a minute. His forhead wrinkled, making a little furrow between his eyebrows. Then, his face lit up.
"Ice cream!"
"Ice cream?"
"Yes, come on, you obviously haven't been to Rodriguez's yet. Now we'll see what can beat chocolate. Come on, you game?" The boy was a bundle of boundless energy. I couldn't help but feel like it was contagious as I smiled back at him.
"Yeah, chocolate and orange will never fail me!"
"Okay, last one to my car is a rotten egg!" He tore off towards the parking lot.
"But Chase! I don't know which one is your car!" I yelled after him.
"Then I'm going to win! Rotten egg! Rotten egg!" He sang out over his shoulder. I rolled my eyes, then ran off after him. What a boy.