BY THE TIME the secretary dispensed my class schedule, my locker number and called a monitor to escort me to class, I was twenty minutes late and starting in trigonometry. The monitor knocked on the door, and the teacher opened.
"Come in."
I followed the supervisor inside. Silence fell over the class. Immediately, a swarm of eyes goggled to the front, and I found it hard to stand while wondering what went through all those minds.
"Everyone," he called, "we have a new student. Her name is Riley Addison. I expect you all to give her the usual warm welcome and any help she may need."
He smiled down at me. "I'll be leaving now. Riley, you'll be sitting in the free seat next to Karla." He gestured at a desk next to the windows, left from a girl with short brown hair and an orange shirt. "Have a nice day."
The man walked out of class. I made my way to the empty desk, focusing on the wide windows to avoid any eye contact. I settled with my books and blocked out the whispers running through the classroom.
Next, I had English period. The school was rather easy to navigate through once you got the hang of it. The whole building seemed to be already aware of a new kid. Heads turned everywhere I passed, making me want to bury myself six feet underground. I stopped at my locker to change books when an unpleasant, condescending voice addressed me.
"Just the person I was looking for. I didn't think it'd be that easy."
I jumped inwardly but somehow knew who it was beforehand. "Seriously? Of all the places, I run into you here?"
The disturbingly hot boy with bright emerald eyes and dark brown hair closed his locker. It dawned on me that we were right next to each other. Oh, hell to the no.
A lazy, slightly annoyed brow lifted. "There is one high school in Oakwood. Where else did you expect to find me?"
"I don't know. Out in the woods doing your creepy watchdog game or in some private boarding school along with other kids who own land," I answered above the ambient chatter. I turned to him, clutching my books. "Not in an ordinary, mundane school with the rest of us commoners, at least."
That only seemed to please him.
"Playing watchdog has its perks, such as finding that thing you were looking for the other day. That thing you need to take new phone numbers around here. Ring any bell?"
No way. My phone in the woods was a needle in a haystack and... Did he really have it or did he somehow figure out what I'd lost?
The distrust must have been obvious on my face, because he slipped a hand in the front pocket of his jeans, and there it was. My phone with the sassy sun wearing sunglasses case.
"Where was it?" I asked, in shock.
"Just on the side of a trail. It's flashy and stands out." he said. He smirked widely. "I'm giving it back on one condition, smart mouth."
I became apprehensive. Who knew what someone like him would ask in return, for simply being a decent guy.
"Oh yeah?"
"You have to apologize for being such a bully," he stated. "For drawing a knife when I was just on my property, and for making me feel insecure. Then you have to thank me for helping you when you were lost, and for getting your phone back. Think you're capable of that, Sunshine?"
Unbelievable.
I felt the urge to walk away or at least put some distance. He'd thrown the first insult. I was looking out for my safety because I didn't know him.
"Are you serious?"
"Dead serious." The boy replaced the phone in his pocket, where it was guaranteed I wouldn't try anything. Lips tugged upward for a fraction of a second.
I was tempted to be nasty about it, but I stared and shook my head. He wasn't worth it. It wasn't worth it, letting him get under my skin. And I needed my phone.
"Fine. I'm sorry."
"Sorry for..."
I made a conscious effort not to show any emotion on my face. "I'm sorry for being a little rude that day—"
"—and being aggressive," he added, even more amused, and I closed my eyes a brief moment.
"I'm sorry for being rude and a little aggressive," I said, articulating each word to get it over with. "And thank you for still helping me out."
Satisfied?
Oh yes, he was. If I didn't know better, this kind of winning smile would be printed on magazine covers. "See? That wasn't so hard."
As promised, he offered my phone, and I all but snatched it from him before he could milk more laughs out of it.
"I'm sorry you got scared by a dwarf," I shot. "Can't imagine what other things scare you on a daily basis."
I didn't recognize myself. He managed to transform me into the bitchiest person I've ever met.
The boy gazed at the hall, then looked at me, and he did the thing again. That weird thing where he stared at me entirely, yet not seeing me. All traces of humor were whisked away and his features hardened.
"Well. It's been lovely doing business with you, but now my eyes need a rest."
I stiffened. Somehow, hearing that cranked my self-awareness when I shouldn't give a rat's ass about anything he liked or didn't like.
I forced a smile. "Please. Look who's talking."
"English is your next class?" He gestured at the textbook in my arms.
"Yeah..." I replied, taken aback by the change of subject.
"Fantastic." His jaw flexed. He side-stepped me, nearly bumping me in the process, and probably on purpose. "See you there, Sunshine."
I shuffled to English class in time, dreading the moment I'd see him again. But when I entered the classroom, I was relieved to find Emma. She waved and pointed the empty desk next to hers. I joined her, ignoring the side glare in the back from guy-with-no-name. Boys in varsity jackets surrounded him, and they stopped a second to find what he was staring at with such loathing.
I didn't understand why he held such a grudge for that forest story. I didn't know it was his territory or whatever. Sick of all the stares, I sat down.
"Seems like you caught Luc's attention," she whispered. "And maybe a couple of his friends."
So that was his name... I let out a long-held sigh and dropped my books on the desk. "I don't want him within my sight."
"I'm starting to feel like you two are already not fond of each other. You've met?"
"We met, all right," I said, looking everywhere but at Luc and his gang. "We're locker buddies."
"Ah. If it makes you feel better, he'll leave you alone when he gets bored." Emma glimpsed in their direction, and I thought I saw a fleeting glimmer in her eyes, like she'd just seen a ghost. "It'll happen fast enough."
It was wiser not to ask questions or to meddle with that. None of my business.
"He's not as bad as people think," she finished, and I recognized the glimmer.
Concern.
"Hard disagree. I've seen enough in less than an hour."
Emma tried not to laugh and failed. "I'm just saying. Don't worry about him."
The presumed teacher, a man in his thirties with brown hair, walked in.
"Good morning, class." He gave the room a little once-over, lingering over me for a brief second. I really stuck out like a nun in a brothel. His eyes narrowed. "And what is your name?"
"Riley Addison," I said, voice thinner than I'd intended to.
He scanned me, then carried his attention to the class. He tapped his hands and ordered the people to sit and quiet down. When it was calm enough, he spoke again.
"Forgive my curiosity, it's just that we hardly ever meet foreigners." The class laughed, though there was no humor in his tone. "We are pretty limited, as you may have noticed. Where do you come from?"
I told him some of the specifics and indulged some questions from the rest of the class, which caused a small commotion once it came to the beach and palm trees. Mr. Kennedy leaned on his desk.
"So, you moved here four days ago?"
"Yeah."
He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "Well, welcome to Oakwood, Riley. I hope you'll enjoy it here."
I mirrored his expression. So did I.
▲▲▲
At lunchtime, I followed Emma through the school. We joined two other girls in the cafeteria, Samantha and Jennifer. They preferred I called them Sam and Jen. They asked me a bunch of questions and I hardly had time to chew my lunch, but it was nice to see their interest. In a way, it was refreshing.
Luc was standing a few tables away, next to a group of equally model-like teenagers. As if searching too, his eyes connected with mine across the room. He settled next to a dark-skinned girl with perfect hair. I quickly forgot about it.
Sam proved to be quite the investigator. She was good at extracting answers, and Jen strung along. Both of them took turns with the questions. Soon enough, they knew everything concerning my life, mainly because there wasn't much to recount. Even though the girls were not related, they often spoke in near-perfect unison and had the same mannerisms.
"That's what happens when you've been around the same people all your life," Emma explained with a shrug. "You just absorb their personality."
"Like a sponge?"
She nodded as she took a bite of her sandwich. Her lipstick remained flawless and I wondered how she pulled that off.
"Yeah, you totally just suck in the traits. Qualities and faults. No individuality."
They jabbered on and on until a click interrupted them. I turned my head over to the end of the table where a boy held a camera.
"Hey, Chuck," Sam said, leaning forward. "What are you doing?"
A long face encircled by thick, short curls popped up. He had a scar above his right eyebrow and pale skin. Thin, bony fingers glided over the lens as he lowered the camera.
"Documenting our newbie's first day at school," he responded proudly and gave a timid smile. "What else would I be doing?"
Emma spun her seat toward me. "Oakwood High has a blog mostly run by anonymous people. They post everything submitted to them that is school-related. Truths, rumors, incidents, it's all in there. Chuck is also the student body photographer."
The boy looked like he wouldn't harm a fly, but I wasn't sure how to feel about my first day being recorded and posted on some website.
"That's...nice."
Another boy, light brown hair, clear eyes and dimples, came our way and stopped alongside Chuck, landing a friendly swat over his shoulder. He was athletic, and Chuck's frame made him appear twice as large.
"Come on, Chucky Boy, give the new girl a break. We know you mean well, but a gentleman lets women eat in peace." His gaze slid to the girls next to me. "I see you guys are already fawning over her."
He switched his attention to me and smiled broadly, flashing a set of perfect teeth. "I'm Adam, by the way. Nice to meet you, Riley."
His smile was contagious. I felt my lips quirk. "How come you know my name, already?"
"News travels fast, here. People love to gossip." He turned back to Chuck. "Well, you had your photo. It's probably time you headed out for lunch, too."
The boy clutched his camera tight and lowered his head. He left the table after risking a glimpse in my direction, his back hunched. Adam slid on the free seat next to mine, facing Emma. He casually picked one of her fries and popped it into his mouth.
"So, you girls coming to the opening game tonight?"
Emma slapped his hand off as he reached for a second fry, rolling her eyes. "Of course, we are, dummy. We have nothing better to do than to stare at your handsome ass on the field."
I swallowed my water hard, narrowly avoiding a choke.
"What are you playing?" I inquired through little coughs.
Adam grinned, and it looked juvenile—in a good way. "Soccer. Our first match of the season. You should come, too."
I wasn't so sure about going. It felt too soon, and I wasn't used to the high school climate. In fact, I could barely understand it. Everything was so... weird, different. This place wasn't just about learning. Kids had a life with clubs and activities.
I gave a small nod and hoped I sounded more convincing than I felt.
"Sure. I'll try to come around."
✩