~11~ Turn Right
(Angel’s POV)
“Need help?” someone asked me. I looked over my shoulder to see a tall, light-brown haired boy with my brother at his side.
“Uh, sure,” I smiled nicely. Considering how half of our school was burnt, our students had to migrate into the nearest schools. This new school had about 40% of the school because it was sort of far away.
“This is my friend, Joey,” Devin greeted. I nodded as we shook hands, but didn’t respond with my name.
“Don’t tell me; you’re a nerd, aren’t you?” I assumed, turning up my nose, playfully.
“No. I’ll leave that title to Devin here,” he smiled back. One of the warning bells rang so nerdy Devin fled with a goodbye, leaving Joey and I alone…if you could consider alone in a rushing hallway filled with the population of more than one high school.
“So it must be hard, eh?” he asked after I allowed him to see my schedule. He had started to walk me to class…well at least the direction I think is the class. “Losing your school when it was only the first week.”
“So it must be hard for you too,” I commented, looking straight ahead. I looked over at him from the corner of my eye. “Being late to class.”
As a said that, the late bell went off.
“Eh, it’s worth it,” he smiled as we still walked. “And it’s not as hard as seeing half my school get burned down.”
“I suppose,” I mumbled.
“I just feel really bad about the girl and boy who were injured. Do you know them?” he asked. I paused.
“I am them,” I announced. Ugh. I was stupid. “I mean I’m her.”
“No way,” he said. I stopped walking and pulled up my jeans to reveal the ankle brace. I also pulled back my hair to show the burn marks and such. “Wow…I’m glad you’re okay.”
Says the guy that just met me…
“What about the guy?” he asked.
“He’s fine…” I gulped. “Perfect, actually. He comes here now too, well at least I assumed he would considering he lives a block away from me.”
“Oh, cool,” Joey nodded with a smile. I saw the numbers on the classrooms get close to the room number enlisted on my schedule. “Well I’d love to congratulate him for his heroism sometime.”
“I’ll…tell him if I see him,” I nodded. And then we reached the classroom. I looked inside and saw no one from my old school in there that I knew. I’d seen some, but not any that I was friends with.
“You know, it’s odd knowing that you’re Devin’s little sister,” Joey commented when I had started to touch the door’s knob.
“Then don’t think of me that way,” I flirted.
“That’ll be hard,” he smiled and looked down. He was truly adorable. He stopped from leaning over me and stood up straighter. “Well, since your brother is and has been my best friend for an ongoing four years, I assume it’s also my responsibility to look after you.”
“But you don’t even know me,” I laughed in a reminder. He smiled.
“Hopefully that’ll change,” he said lastly before grabbing the small of my back and opening the door. What…
“Hello Mr. Edwards,” the teacher smiled.
“Hi,” he smiled back. “I have a transfer student for you. She was lost.”
I disagree.
He handed my schedule to the teacher and I stood there awkwardly, not even wanting to look at the classmates that stared back at me.
“Angelique—”
“Angel,” I interrupted.
“Hallow,” she finished. “Do you happen to know that this year’s valedictorian is—”
“My brother, I know,” I finished. I looked to Joey.
“I’ll see you at lunch,” he concluded before leaving. I sighed and then took the only empty seat in the class. Let the awkwardness begin.
***
“I mean, sure, it’s weird, but I don’t see why that would matter,” Devin shrugged about the chances of him coming back to his true family and changing schools, only to change back.
“Hi,” I heard a voice say as we were having fun. I looked up to see Zac and my smile dropped. “Can I sit here?”
Joey nodded up at him and I gulped.
“What are you doing here?” I whispered. He wiggled his eyebrows at me, causing me to roll my eyes.
“Aw. Angel, he saved your life. I think it’s alright to save a seat for him,” Devin responded. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.
“Wait you’re him?” Joey asked, pointing to Zac.
“Depends…” Zac replied.
“Joey wanted to…congratulate you for saving me in the fire,” I said to Zac.
“Oh well…I’d say no problem, but—”
“He gets it,” Devin interrupted, making me question what his rush meant.
“Which brings me back…” I started. “What are you doing here?”
“My house happens to be in boundaries for here,” he smiled. As if I didn’t know…
“I meant specifically here at this table,” I clarified. “Don’t you have your stoner best friend to sit with?”
Hmm. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Brian here. I didn’t know if he was in range of even coming here, but it’s not like the district really cared about that factor.
“No, I don’t,” Zac answered. “Mrs. Hart decided that this was the perfect opportunity to send him to military school.”
“Good that’s where he belongs,” I smiled. I looked down to eat my food, but another thought crossed my mind and I looked back up to Zac. “Wait. Is Brian there too?”
He shrugged. Ugh. Great…
“So…” Joey said awkwardly.
“I actually have to go…work on something…” Devin said, standing up. He lightly hit Joey’s shoulder. “Help me, will you?”
“Dude. It’s the first day,” I reasoned as they started to leave.
“For you,” Devin scoffed.
“It’s okay. Don’t miss me too much,” Joey winked at me before leaving. He grabbed his tray and backpack and departed with my brother.
“New love interest?” Zac asked. My unintentional smile dropped when I looked over to him.
“Not the slightest,” I denied with swallow. “Just because you tortured me back at our old school, don’t think you can do it here—”
“Last time I checked, it was you that hated me, remember?” he said when he stood up and pressed his hands on the back of my chair and on the table. My jaw tightened as he sat back down. “And plus, I’ve decided that we should change our friendship from the beginning.”
“What friendship?” I asked. I wasn’t aware that we had one.
He stuck out his hand for me to shake.
“Zachariah Tyler, but you can call me Zac,” he smiled, revealing his to-die-for left dimples. I saw something flicker in his eyes and took his hand in mine and shook.
“Angelique Hallow,” I returned. “But you can call me…”
I didn’t want to be so willing and able for him to call me Angel like my real friends, because I still resented him in the back of my mind. But I didn’t like my full name enough to be called it by my ex-enemy.
“No worries,” he said, taking his hand back. “I’ll think of a nickname sometime.”
“Uh, sure,” I said, confused. He gave me another look before grabbing his things and leaving, making me realize that I didn’t notice him scarf down his food.