Chapter 2
I jump into the car… and land on Dylan’s lap.
“Oh God. Sorry…” I hurriedly get out again.
He laughs “Any time!”
I bend down so I’m looking in through the open door “Um… if the car’s full how am I supposed to catch a ride with you? …Don’t tell me you guys were bluffing!” I glare at Dylan who’s motioning for me to sit on his lap again. “No Dylan.”
“You’re riding with yours truly babe,” Jake says in my ear.
I jump about ten feet in the air “Jeez Jake, don’t freak me out like that! You know I hate people doing that!”
He gives me a knowing smile “Exactly why I do it. Anyways, I had to do something, you can see down your top when you lean down.” I immediately pull my shirts neckline up, blushing.
Jake starts to laugh so I shove him. “You’re gonna be riding with me,” he shuts the car door and Tristan waves out the window as they drive off. “Have fun!”
I turn to Jake reluctantly. “So where’s your ‘wheels’?”
“Right over there,” he points to the end of their driveway. My eyes widen in shock.
“No. Jake McLane, No. No, No, No, No! I refuse! Absolutely refuse!”
“Come on it’s not that bad,” Jake beckons me towards him as he walks over to his big, red, shiny motorcycle.
“I’m not getting on that freaking thing with you! It’s suicide! I’d seriously rather walk… There is no way in hell that I’m getting on it! No. Way. In. Hell.” I start to back away.
Jake grins at me “Well we’re on Earth, so I guess it doesn’t count,” he tries to catch my arm, I turn and run down the street.
I can hear his Converse’s thumping along the side-walk behind me, I look over my shoulder and yell at him “I don’t care; if you’re driving I’m not getting– HEY!”
Jake has caught up to me and he hauls me over his shoulder.
I start to beat my fists against his back and kick my legs out, trying to get out of his grasp. “Let go of me! I swear to God, let go now!” He just keeps walking down the street.
I see some little kids in their front yard, eyes as wide as golf balls as they see us walk by. An old couple are out the front of their garden watching us curiously.
“Come on, put me down. Everyone’s staring!” I say a bit more quietly.
Jake laughs as he puts me down onto the bike and hands me a helmet. “Come on Hale, we need to get to school.”
I glare at him as I put it on. “Fine… my parents will kill me if I get a detention while they’re gone… That’s the only reason why I’m going with you. I’m never doing this again! Got it? I’ll walk or something for the rest of the week….”
“Whatever you say babe,” he says as he sits in front and puts his own helmet on. Before he flips the visor down he turns a little to speak over his shoulder, “You better hold on by the way,” I grasp his t-shirt; there is no way I’m going to encourage him by throwing myself all over him. “Suit yourself” and he revs the engine.
I squeeze my eyes shut, Oh God, Please let me get through this alive…
And we’re off. I gasp as I feel the air whoosh past me. I grab Jake around the middle and press myself into his back, holding on has hard as I can.
Ok. I think I’d rather encourage him than fall off the back of this death trap.
I just know he’s grinning his head off.
***
We pull up into the parking lot at my new school: Shelford. Jake turns off the engine and tries to get off. He can’t.
“Um, Hale… You wanna let go now?”
I’m paralyzed from the head down. That was the scariest 10 minutes of my life. I’m still clinging to Jake, unable to let go.
“Well if we want to make it official about our relationship then I guess you don’t have to let go.”
That brings me back to reality. I immediately release my hands from around his middle and try to scoot as far away from him as I can. Turns out it’s pretty much impossible when you’re on a motorcycle. Jake pulls off his helmet and tousles his hair. He gets off it and puts a hand out to help me off. I ignore the gesture and try getting off myself. I immediately find out that my legs are pretty much fused to the bike. In the end I grab his hand and get off as best as I can. Seeing me struggle, Jake lifts me up and places me on the sidewalk.
“At your service me’ lady,” he says with a devilish grin and a small bow.
I ignore him and just thank God that I can stand up without collapsing. I start walking to the entrance.
“Yo, Hale! You’ve still got your helmet on!” I turn on my heels and head back to Jake. I take off the helmet shove it at him and start walking to the entrance again.
My hair is so messed up… I can just tell…
“Haley you forgot your bag as well!”
Yeah go ahead and shout just a bit louder. Once again I walk back to Jake. He’s just handing my messenger bag to me when someone puts their arm around my shoulder.
I look up in surprise to see Wes. “You guys took your time,”
I blush and don’t say anything because I can see a lot of other people watching us – me, the new plain-looking girl and two of the most popular boys at Shelford. Yeah, Great match. I quickly look down at my feet as some girls who are obviously the Barbie’s of the school glare at me from the entrance.
Jake speaks up “Well Hale ran away and I had to carry her back to our driveway,” Wes raises an eyebrow “She’s apparently scared to get on or into any vehicle that’s being driven by me.”
Wes chuckles and squeezes my shoulder “That’s the Haley I remember and love,”
“Well guys,” I speak up and lift Wes’ arm off of me, “Um, thanks for everything… I think I’ll just go find the office and you can –”
“What?” Jake says “You think we’re going to leave you by yourself on your first day back?”
I start to back away, “Well, yeah I guess s–”
“Not a chance, kid” Wes says as catches my arm and starts to walk with me. I stop and try to wriggle my arm out of his grip.
“No seriously, you don’t need to. Your really don’t.”
Wes ignores me and drags me through the gates of the school Jake walking along looking pleased with himself.
I realize that ‘resistance is futile’ and let Wes drag me up the steps and in through the front door. Instead, I try to rearrange my long brown hair. I manage to brush it out pretty quickly and immediately let it fall around me, shielding off most of my face. Wes lets go, realizing that I’ve given in and won’t run away.
It starts to set in for me that I’m the new girl at Shelford now. I can feel stares and glares trained on me, assessing how my tanned skin and brown hair clash horrifically, how I’m not exactly a size 8, how my face… well we won’t even go there. I try not draw too much attention to myself so I start walking behind Wes, trying make it look like I’m not with him and Jake. I don’t want to stand out too much… at least not now. I hug my messenger bag to my chest and watch my feet stepping one in front of the other.
After what seems like an eternity we walk into a room. I look up slightly and see a short elderly lady sitting at a desk. Her salt and pepper gray hair is styled in a sort of wave and she wears hot pink cat-eye glasses on a chain. Her eyes are a kind blue and she gives me a smile which I return tentatively. I’m always shy when I meet new people.
I glance at Jake who I can see is studying my hair with a puzzled look on his face.
Is there something wrong with my hair? I self-consciously reach up and run my fingers through it – hiding my face even more – before I turn to Wes and tell him that he can leave.
“Nah it’s ok we’ll st-” he protests but is cut off by a bell.
The receptionist turns to Wes, “It’s alright darlin’, I’ll get her sorted. You two get on back to class. We don’t want your teachers to give you a detention now, do we?”
“Ok, we’ll leave her with you then Mrs Pearse,” Wes and Jake made their exit with a hearty goodbye hug.
Mrs Pearse smiles kindly at my grimace. “Don’t worry darlin’, I’m sure they mean well,” she turns towards a filing cabinet “Your Hailey aren’t you?” she says more to herself than to me, I don’t answer.
She takes out a fluro green folder. She hands it to me.
Wow, now I definitely won’t stand out.
“Sorry about the color sweetheart, it was the only one I could find.” I open the folder and inspect its contents. “In there you have all the things you should need. There’s your schedule on top, and there’s a map of the school so you can get familiar with it. If there’s anything else you need help with just stop by.”
I thank her, give a small smile and then hurry out the door.
I open the hideous folder again and flip to the page with my schedule on it. I’m in room D8 and at the moment I have homeroom. I check my watch, I’m late. I hurriedly flip to the map as I start to jog in a random direction. I find out that my class is actually in the opposite direction and swiftly turn around and crash into someone else. We both fall to the floor.
“I was only going to ask if you wanted some help,” A voice says “don’t need to go all aggressive on me,”
I look up to see a tall red haired girl rubbing her head as she gets up.
I look at her in horror,
Way to go Hailey
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to! I just didn’t watch where I was going… I’m really sorry!”
“Hey, hey calm down. No need to apologize I was just kiddin’,” She smiles and holds her hand out to help me up “I’m Michelle, everyone calls me Mitch though,”
I take her hand grateful that she’s not pissed at me and give her a small smile. “Um, I’m Hailey. Nice to meet you,”
“So, where do you need to go? I can get you to class if you’re lost,”
“Oh you don’t need to… but if you could just tell me where it is it’d be a great help,” I hand her my schedule and point to what I think I have right now. “I think I’m supposed to be here, with… Um Mr Old-hag? Wow. Nice name.”
Mitch laughs “Whoa, sweetie, no one gets away with calling him Mr Old-hag, not even newbie’s. It’s pronounced ‘Mr Oldig’. Make sure you don’t slip up, you’ll regret it.”
“Why? Is he mean or something?”
She laughs again “Heck no! He’s hot, H-O-T!” I give her a puzzled look “You’ll see, don’t you worry. Anyways it looks like you’re in my homeroom so that just makes everything easier.”
We start to walk in the direction I was first going in.
Great, looks like I can’t even read maps now.
Mitch walks beside me, a picture of confidence. Her wavy red hair swings from side to side in her ponytail. She’s wearing a white t-shirt and soccer shorts, even though it’s not exactly warm enough for them and her soccer shoes hang on her right shoulder.
We stop outside a bright red door and Mitch grabs the handle. Before she opens it though, she turns to me “Do you mind if I use you as a cover story for why I’m late?”
I smile at her “Nah, it’s fine,”
She grins back, gives me a wink with one of her brown eyes “I can tell we’re going to be besties!” and then opens the door.
She steps inside and I walk in after her my ‘first-school-day’ fear rushing back to me. I cross my hands over my chest and stick close to Mitch. “Hey Mr O! Wassup?”
“Mitch,” a guy’s voice replies with a sigh, “Why are you late?”
“Ok, this time I’ve actually got a proper excuse. I swear!”
“Oh, please tell,” the Mr Oldhag says with mock eagerness.
“What’s with the attitude? I’m not always late! Oh come on! Give me a bit more credit Mr– ”
“Ok Mitch, get on with it. Tell us what happened to you this morning…”
“Well I was actually helping out a new student today,”
I recognize that this is my entrance so I step out from behind Mitch and give a little wave “Um hey,”
My eyes widen a little as I see who my homeroom teacher for this year is. Mitch wasn’t exaggerating. He. Is. Hot.
His sandy brown is a chaos of waves on his head in a cute messy style. He wears a white work shirt with the sleeves rolled up, the top button undone and an untied tie around his shoulders. What grabs my attention the most though, are his twinkling green eyes, so out of place on his tanned face… But in a nice way.
“You must be Hailey!” His mouth shifts into a grin. He turns to the class who I only realize are there right now. I turn towards them too. “Well guys, this is our very own new student! I hope you make her feel very welcome to Shelford and help her out.” Mr Oldhag turns back to me. “I’m Mr Oldhag, but you can call me Mr O like everyone else, it’s much easier, trust me… Anyways, would you like to introduce yourself to the whole class?”
“It’s a rhetorical Q Hailey,” Mitch says over her shoulder as she walks down to her seat. That earns a few laughs.
I glance between her and Mr O and after an encouraging nod from the latter, I turn towards my class again. I can feel myself flushing under the curious stares from the girls and the intense stares from the guys. I look down at my hands knotting together, “Um, well I’m Hailey Parker. Uh, I used to live here in America but I um, moved to Australia because of my dad’s work. We came back only, like 2 weeks ago. And….” I look back up at Mr O who’s watching me with an interested gaze. “Um, what else do I say?”
“Well, how about we let the class ask?” he turns back to the class and looks at them “Anyone got any questions?”
“Yeh I do,” A hand rapidly shoots up “I was just wondering if it’s true that you’ve never had a boyfriend. If so, I can give you a few starter points!”
I feel my cheeks burn up as everyone in the class laughs. I’d recognize that voice anywhere. Jake.
“Can I sit down now?” I ask Mr O as I hear Jake slap high fives with his friends and low wolf whistles. My homeroom teacher nods at me and I make my way down the row to an empty desk at the back. I feel relieved when I realize that the desk is next to Mitch. I slump down next to her and she gives me a sympathetic smile.
“Ignore him, he can be such a jerk sometimes.”
I smile a little to show how grateful I am that she’s not laughing at me.
I feel eyes on me but I refuse to look up. I open my messenger bag and take out my notebook, pencil and eraser. I start to sketch.
“McLane, stay back after class,” Mr O says above the laughter.
The laughter turns to “Ooooo’s” and remarks like “Busted”.
I let my dark hair fall around my face and just keep sketching. I feel better when I’m sketching. It calms me down.
Mr O gets everyone to quiet down and he continues with the morning announcements. I can feel tears pricking at my eyes.
Why isn’t it working?
I sketch more furiously – a waterfall starts to take form.
The bell rings just as I finish up the ferns and rocks around its base. I’m just about to close my sketchbook when a hand stops me. It’s Mitch.
“Wow…” she breathes “Amazing…”
I flush in embarrassment. I don’t usually let many people see my sketches. Especially people I’ve just met. They probably wouldn’t like the images I draw. But I see the amazement in Mitch’s eyes and I know that she’s someone I can trust. She hands my sketchbook back to me with a smile. Her brown eyes are sparkling.
“So what class do you have next?”
I pop my sketches into my bag and take out the hideous green folder.
“Ok. We really need to get you a new one of those.” She takes it from me gingerly and checks my classes for the year.
“Score! Looks like we have most of the same subjects… except for Math of course… and Art.”
“Don’t you do Art?” I ask her.
Mitch makes a face “My drawings are stick figures – even they don’t look remotely human.” She shudders, “Never going down that path again…”
I laugh. I can’t help but laugh. Mitch looks at me, astonished but then laughs with me.
She starts to push me towards the door. I try to ignore Jakes intense stare. And suddenly nothing’s that funny anymore. I hide behind my hair again as we walk out the door. Mitch glances over at me noticing my quick mood change.
“You know,” she says loudly, “you’ve got a killer smile. You could grab a few guys definitely!” She leans in a little closer to my ear “Don’t worry just ignore him. I bet everyone’ll forget about it by lunchtime. People here usually it’ll have some sort of story fresh off the gossip mill to spread around.” She tugs my arm “Come on we’re late for Double Geography… Not that that’s a bad thing!”