I held my breath as I pulled into the driveway, the tension in my shoulders releasing only after I had turned off my car and let out a long sigh of relief. I leaned forward, letting my forehead rest on the steering wheel as I slowly took three deep breaths and attempted to try and put everything into perspective.
Ms. Johnson had let me know that there was no way to change my classes around when I had gone to see her at the end of the day, completely shattering any and all hope I had of getting away from Ashton. All I could do now was pray that he'd get over messing with me and finally leave me alone.
I leaned back against my seat, staring at our new house
I stayed in the car for a few more minutes, trying to clear my head of today before I got out and walked to the front door.
"Hello."
I gasped and dropped my bag, whirling around to face the person who spoke. 'I didn't even hear her come up behind me!' I thought as I took in the girl before me. She looked to be my age, and had glossy, dark brown hair, doe-like mahogany eyes, and two perfect dimples on either cheek. She was utterly adorable--yet she gave off the vibe that she could rip a person's head off if she wanted to.
"I'm Ruby Hartfield, and you're Delilah Farrell." she greeted, going ahead and introducing me before I even said anything, with a smile that showed all of her perfect white teeth. "Y-yes, I am." I confirmed, although I knew it was totally unnecessary. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and she laughed at me. "I scared you!" she announced with glee, causing me to think that she probably did it on purpose.
I merely nodded, unnecessarily confirming what she said again before I turned back around to pick up my bag. I unlocked my door and stepped inside while she stood at the threshold, looking around the foyer but not taking a step inside. "Um, you can come in." I said as I threw my backpack on the stairs, turning to look at her. "I can, can't I?" she smiled brightly. She took a look at her feet as they crossed into the foyer, and the charming grin she wore stayed on her face.
"Oh, it smells wonderful in here." she sighed blissfully. I sniffed the air but couldn't smell a thing, and I shrugged it off, thinking it was just her own cooking that she was smelling. "So Delilah--you attend Wolf Pine High. Have you met the notorious Ashton Riddle yet?" she asked as she walked to the kitchen to put down whatever she was holding, me tagging along behind her. "Yes, I have--and to be honest I was thinking about running him and his stupid bike off the road today."
Shit. Why did that slip out? I bit my lower lip, embarrassed at myself as I wondered what Ruby must think of me now. Another terrible impression made it seems. She turned around and stared at me silently for a good two minutes, her expression hard. Suddenly, she just burst out laughing, and I soon joined in. "Oh--oh, I like you!" she said between her fits of giggles as she bounced over to me and grabbed my hands in hers. She had a strong grip for such a petite girl.
"From now on, you're going to be my friend." she said, not giving me an option to say no. Even if she did, I wouldn't have refused. Even though she was a bit odd, she still seemed like a nice girl, and considering I have no other friends at the moment, I was more than happy to accept her friendship. "Alright. It will be nice to have someone to talk with at school." I said relieved. "Oh, I don't go to Wolf Pine, I'm home schooled." she said, causing my face to fall. "--Although now that you're there I'll just have to start attending. Besides, I wouldn't mind seeing the look on Ashton's face when I show up."
The look on her face and the tinkling laughter that followed that sentence sent shivers up my spine, and I couldn't help but ask, "Does he not like you?" She smiled at me, but her eyes were narrowed and it seemed as if the smile was forced. "He hates me. He would kill me," Talk about dramatic. "If he could." she replied, ending that topic of conversation by walking to the front door.
She spun on her heels to face me, the innocent, childlike smile on her face once more. "I live right next door to you--I'm the house on the left. Can I depend on you for a ride to school tomorrow?" she asked. "Of course." I answered immediately, giving her a smile in return. "Fabulous! I'll see you tomorrow morning!" she gushed as she jumped forward and hugged me, her nose buried in the nape of my neck. "You know, you smell very sweet." she said before she disappeared out the door.
I shut and locked it after her, thinking to myself that she was the second person to tell me that today. I took a lock of my hair and sniffed it, but it just smelled like my regular lavender shampoo and conditioner. 'Maybe that's the sweet smell they're talking about.' I thought to myself as I hoisted my book bag onto my shoulder and went up to my room to finish unpacking.
------
The next morning was the same routine, except this time my alarm clock was the one to wake me up instead of my mother. She didn't come home last night, which wasn't unusual. She probably spent the night working at the office--or shacking up with her new boss or a co-worker. Typical mother. I do admit that she's out of control, but I love her all the same. That's the curse of being a good daughter.
I plugged my iPod into one of my portable speakers and turned it on, wanting to listen to music to put myself in a good mood for the day ahead. 'Dear River' echoed through the house as I showered and reflected on yesterday's events. So I was probably the most hated person in the school now. Managing to make enemies out of everyone in the school in a single day has definitely got to be a record. I let my forehead rest against the cool tiled wall of the shower as the water cascaded over my head, and a small groan escaped my lips. I wanted to go home. Home to California. Home to the sea, sun, and surf. Home to my friends--who strangely haven't texted or called since I moved here.
'Well, at least Ruby is my friend now.' I thought to myself, trying to make my situation seem a little less glum. I turned the shower off and got out, wringing the water from my hair. I hummed along to Passion Pit's 'Take A Walk' as I dressed in blue skinny jeans, a tight-fitting brown long sleeved shirt, a beige scarf, and an open cream coloured sweater. I arranged my hair in a fishtail braid and swung it over my shoulder so that it hung down the center of my back, and finally I was ready. I slipped on a pair of brown leather boots and swung my backpack over my shoulder, grabbing my electronics before I left.
I jumped back in surprise when I opened the front door and saw that Ruby was standing right at the threshold, a smile on her face. "Good morning Delilah. Lovely day, is it not?" she chirped. I looked at the sky and frowned, seeing that it was once again a cold, cloud covered day. "Depends on what your definition of 'lovely' is." I murmured as I closed the door and walked to my car. She chuckled and followed behind me, appearing at the passenger side door before I had even reached the driver seat. She slipped gracefully into her seat as I unlocked the door, and I climbed in as well, tossing my bag into the backseat.
I glanced at her from the corner of my eye, admiring how sophisticated she looked. Even in such chilly weather she wore a floral blood red dress that ended right at her knees, black pumps, and a cute, tight-fitting black trench coat. She was definitely a beauty--as beautiful as Ashton was...I shook the thought from my head as soon as it appeared, not wanting to think of him during the last peaceful moments I had before I arrived at school, and thinking that it was quite strange to think of a boy as 'beautiful'. "Ashton won't be coming today." Ruby announced, as if she knew I was just thinking of him. "Joy, a day of peace." I muttered, truly glad that he wasn't coming.
After my little "outburst" in English, whenever Ashton saw me the rest of the day he would whip out his guitar and start singing 'Hey There Delilah'. He had a wonderful voice--but still. I wanted to smash his guitar, and his face, into the ground. Ruby's tinkling laughter filled the car, and she flipped her perfect hair over her shoulder. "He's luckily being--held up. I'll have time to settle in before he comes back." she continued, her eyes crinkling at the corners when she smiled. "No offense Ruby, but I could hardly care less about where he is and what he's doing." I sighed. She turned in her seat to face me, the smile still on her face. "You see Delilah, that is exactly what I like about you. Every other girl in this town is deathly in love with him. It's quite annoying."
"Yeah, well I don't see why. Sure, he is majorly attractive, but besides his good looks he acts like a jerk. Well, at least I think he does. He's like every cliche bad boy that's ever existed in life, film, or book. I don't understand how people don't see that." I explained, keeping my eyes on the road as we pulled into the school parking lot. Glares were cast my way from Blaire's group that hung out just outside the school's doors, but I ignored them. "Come on, I'll walk you to the office so that you can get your paperwork filled out." I said, ending our conversation about Woodbine's notorious delinquent.
The two of us got out of the car, and like I silently assumed, all eyes turned to Ruby. She was quite a sight to behold, and I could only imagine that boys would soon be lapping at her feet. She wrapped her arm around my own with a beaming smile on her face, and kept in step with me as we made our way to the school steps. The jealous stares from the females were paid an extra bright, mocking smile from Ruby, while the catcalls from the boys were paid with her lowering her eyes and batting her lashes in fake modesty. I was duly impressed with her act, and by the merriment shining in her eyes I could tell that she was enjoying it.
"Back already hun? Did you find your classes okay yesterday?" the secretary asked me with a smile as we entered the office. "Yes I did, thank you. I'm walking my friend here today. She needed to enroll." I answered with a smile, peeling Ruby's arm off of my own. "Hello. I'm Ruby Hartfield." Ruby murmured as she stepped forward, keeping her eyes cast down in a demure way. What a little actress. "Hi Ruby. Where have you been attending before you came here?" the secretary asked with a gentle smile. "I was home schooled. Since this is my first time actually enrolling in a school, I was wondering if I could get all of my classes with Delilah. She's the only friend I have here." she murmured, and I turned to leave the office to wait outside for her.
The bell for first period hadn't even rang yet before Ruby left the office, her schedule in hand. "Did you get the same classes?" I asked curiously as I pulled out my schedule and handed it to her. She looked at it once before a smile blossomed on her lips. "Yes--that secretary was very understanding." "You do know Ashton has all the same classes, right?" I asked, not liking that fact one bit. If he hated Ruby as much as she said he did, wouldn't the two of them being in the same class cause problems?
"Oh, trust me, I knew."
-----
"What the fuck!?"
We all looked up from our lunches, and the smile that had previously graced my face dropped as I took in a fuming Ashton. "Oh joy, he returns." I muttered under my breath, leaning back against the shoulder of my new friend Zachary. Ashton's eyes flickered down to me, and they seemed to swirl with an emotion I couldn't place before they ventured down and narrowed at Zach's hand wrapped loosely around my middle.
I raised a brow as he turned his attention back to Ruby, his eyes hard and full of burning rage once more. "Finally decided to wake up did you?" Ruby asked with a smug smile as she looked up from the boy who's lap she was currently sitting on. Ashton clenched his teeth, and in one swift movement yanked Ruby up and began dragging her out of the room. Everyone sat silently watching, and figuring that no one was planning to stop them, I scampered out of my seat and ran after them.
The hallway was empty when I got out there, and the silence of it soon surrounded me. 'Where did they go? Ashton wouldn't hurt her--would he?' I wondered in a panic, looking up and down the halls. The muffled sound of strange noises drew me to a storage closet, and without thinking I yanked the doors of it open, gasping loudly at the sight of Mr. Jay ravishing the blonde secretary. They stopped what they were doing and stared at me with wide eyes as a violent blush crept up my cheeks.
"I-I'm so sorry!" I stammered. I quickly backed away from the erotic scene in front of me, stumbling as I backed into something. The something turned out to be a someone, and a hand quickly clamped over my eyes as an arm wrapped around my waist to steady me. "You two might want to find a different spot." Ashton spoke to Mr. Jay and the secretary, his voice laced with humor.
He shifted my weight easily and began steering me away from the two adults, and I could only cringe inwardly as I thought about going to first period tomorrow. I reached up and gently removed his hand from over my eyes, and blushing I murmured, "Y-you can let go of me now." His arm was still wrapped securely around my middle, and although I was grateful to him for getting me out of that awkward situation I still didn't feel comfortable with him touching me. He dropped his arm and I moved away, eager to widen the space between us.
My cheeks were still bright red, and in a stupid attempt to rid myself of the colour I pulled my sleeves over my hands and began rubbing at my cheeks, as if the colour would just come off. "--By your reaction, I'm guessing you're a virgin." he said with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest as he regarded me with those intense mahogany eyes of his. "So what if I am? It's not like its any of your business." I growled, shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably. 'I figured he knew that I was a virgin from the start...' I thought to myself when he didn't answer.
I looked up and made eye contact with him, and he startled me by stalking toward me like a predator, his eyes seeming to flash red. Cowering before him, my back hit the row of lockers behind me as I tried to keep the distance between us. He stopped only when he had me trapped, and he stared down hungrily at me. Talk about creepy... "W-what happened to Ruby?" I asked, remembering why I chased after him in the first place.
"She went home for the day. She shouldn't have been here to begin with." he spat in a disgusted tone, his eyes hardening for a single moment as he focused on something above my head. I sucked in a quiet breath, and he turned his attention back to me, much to my displeasure. He raised his hand and brushed a few loose strands of hair behind my ear, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end. I looked down at my shoes, biting my lower lip as I wished that Ruby was here to stop this--whatever this was, or was turning out to be.
"Stop that." Ashton demanded suddenly, causing me to look up at him with wide eyes. "Stop...what?" I asked, my brow furrowing in confusion. "Biting your lip." he growled, pressing his body closer to mine. I narrowed my eyes at him as I put my hands up to stop him from moving closer, my chin jutting out in defiance as I asked rudely, "Why should I?" He smirked, drawing ever closer until our faces were a mere few inches apart.
"Because there's no reason you should when I can bite it for you." I stood in mortal confusion, shocked as he wrapped his arms around me, locking my hands to his chest as he pressed his lips to mine. His kiss felt absolutely extraordinary, and I could feel myself melt in his grasp. He did as he said and bit my lip--the bastard--causing me to open my mouth and allow him further access. I gave in to his embrace, kissing him back passionately as he pressed my body even further against the lockers, if that was even possible.
The sound of the bell ringing then registered in my mind, and I started to struggle to pull away, not wanting the students that were flooding out of the cafeteria to see us. Ashton on the other hand had different plans. He held me in a vise-like grip, making escape impossible. Determined to get him off me, I tried to bite his tongue--but ended up biting my own. I groaned in pain as a bit of blood pooled in my mouth. Ashton's kisses became more hungry then, and his ever tightening grip on me started to hurt.
I was aware of half the student body staring at us, and my struggles because more persistent. I was able to wiggle one of my hands free, and with a sore wrist I pulled hard on Ashton's ear, bringing him back to his senses. He finally released me, stumbling a few steps back as his eyes gleamed a dark crimson. I quivered where I stood, but once I had gotten my labored breathing under control I slapped him as hard as I could.
I didn't even seem to phase him--his head didn't even move despite all the force I put behind my hit. He continued to stare down at me with those strange red eyes that swirled with a multitude of emotions, and anxious to get away from him and all the eyes that were focused on us, I ran down the hall, tears blurring my vision as my thoughts focused on going home.