Reyna's POV:
I spent close to an hour the next morning looking through my usual outfits, vans, sweatpants, leggings, black tees, black tanks, gray sweaters, gray cardigans...nothing screamed new start like old clothes. Sighing I rummaged like crazy through all my favorite band tees and dark pants before finding two pieces of clothing I normally would cringe at- A light blue button down and white skinny jeans. I was guarenteed my mother had bought me these for some fancy event I probably ditched my way out of. It was extremely preppy and pretty, definetely not me. Or at least, the old me.
I groaned in frustration. Dropping the attitude would mean dropping the image too. I looked to the floor where all my shoes were scattered carelessly. I rummaged around before again finding something else I had yet to get used to.
Heels.
I slipped into the outfit and stepped in the heels, looking in the mirror for the first time in a while. I mean much like Tarryn, we looked messy most of the time. It was the usual thing, we might have glanced in the mirror once a day.
I let out a shriek, my jaw falling open. My hair was in its usual state of a messy bun and last nights makeup was all smudged around my face, but in comparason to my outfit, it was like the transition was visible from the new to the old, fading up like a gradient.
I rushed to the bathroom and washed my face of the nasty dark makeup and let my hair fall down into what was a somewhat nice mess of half done waves.
I looked at my face again, clear of the black and fresh with just the natural blue of my eyes. This was a major change, though it might not seem like it, in my eyes I didn't even look like me. Maybe I didn't need makeup? No, at least use mascara, you look like a deadbeat white girl. I ignored my concious and ran out the door before i could go back and revert to my old ways.
Here goes nothing.
Yeah, okay.
**
I knew it wouldn't be long until I ran into Tarryn, and I hoped that she either didn't say anything to our friends, or that they would be understanding. Though I expected neither, I could only hope for the best.
The drive to school was tense. Like really nerve wracking. My hands were shaky on the steering wheel the whole time, and my feet were unsteady in the damn shoes. I mentally cursed myself for the whole way for not sticking with sneakers.
When I arrived to school, I waved hi and stopped for brief conversation with some of my classmates, who seemed to be eying my outfit in shock but not saying aything at all to my surprise. Some people just turned and stared as I made my way down the halls. I wasnt sure how to handle all of this all of the sudden.It sure wasn't the same as my usual mornings with Tarryn.
After parting ways with some other people and being eyed more than I'd liked, my name was called out from behind me.
"Hey, Reyna Juarez, is that you!?"
I turned around and found myself face to face with a boy who I would have normally steered clear of completely, as well as the rest of my group.
Hunter Hastings was the typical, cliche hot piece of testasterone in my school, with his slick blonde hair, tall phisique, and piercing green eyes. He was on the school football team, and also on the Principal's Honor student list. Never once would anyone see him with the kind of friends I used to have.
Tarryn has the biggest crush on him, like all the other girls in this school. She'd never have a chance, not because she wasn't pretty, but just because she was trashy. Hunter only dated the preppy girls in school, I'd seen him myself. He talked to only a certain type of girls, the girls like him, smart, perfect.
I was beyond startled at his entrance.
"You know who I am?" I asked almost too soon in shock, still trying to let the fact that he approached me.
"Yeah of course I do. You were in my chemestry class last year, even though you slept through half of it." He let out a soft chuckle. "I didn't actually recognize you just now, that's why I called you over."
I looked at his eyes. They were soft, matching his expression. He had his hands shoved in his varsity jacket pockets and a warm smile on his face. "All for the better, right?"
My eyes widened at his comment. "What?"
Hunter smiled. "Ah, Reyna, you see I always knew you weren't completely like the rest of them." I knew he was referring to Tarryn and the others, and I nodded slightly. I guess deep down I wasn't in the same boat as them.
"You might have dressed like them and what not, and believe me I don't understand why, but you always looked uncomftorable around them. So seeing you like this now is a really big surprise. You don't look like someone punched you in your eyes with all that black on your face, no offense, Tarryn and all your friends look like clowns. And they act like them too, such-"
"They're actually not in my life anymore." I gained strength to smile up at him and cut him off. For some reason all of the sudden it felt like it was easier to talk to him, almost as if this conversation was meant to happen.
Hunter nodded in approval. "That's why it's all for the better. Say what, when do you have study hall?"
I reached in my pocket and pulled out my schedule that I completely neglected all summer.
" 7th hour."
Hunter slipped his phone out of the back of his jeans and handed it to me.
"Put your number in. I have study then too. I think I should introduce you to some people."
"You really aren't who I thought you were." I shook my head. "But I'll take you up on that offer."
Hunter smiled at me once I handed him his phone back. "Alright, I'll see you later. Also, Reyna, you look real nice like that."
I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out, so I slyly smiled at him before quickly turning around and walking the other way. I turned the corner and disappeared into the next hallway, but I had a feeling he watched me walk the whole way.
I reached the hallway where my locker awaited for my arrival. However, I guess I hadn't reached it in time, because there were people waiting for me.
People I didn't want to confront.
Xia, my former friend, was leaning against my locker with her arms crossed over what she liked to call her "blessed chest." Same outfit, dark colors, dark eyes. Katie and Sara had similar outfits and same rough expressions on their faces.
Rick had a beanie on, and an e-cig in his hand, along with Ross, Grant, and Darien.
And Tarryn, with her crotch pants and overzised sneakers, signature high pony and bright red lips was standing in front of them all. It was quite a sight. My heart was pounding so loudly I could hear it over the bustle of noise in the hallway.
I stood there completely dumbfounded, fear evidently written all over my face.
"Reyna." Ross broke the silence and stepped closer to me, his face barely an inch from mine.
I swallowed hard and tried to look anywhere but his eyes, but it was almost impossible. We were staring at eachother intently, and I feared every move he was going to make.
"You're a little bitch." he whispered before stepping back next to Darien, who was apparently next in line to say something to me.
"I don't know what to say, Juarez." He shrugged before slipping his e-cig in his mouth. "Bye I guess. Don't speak to me again." He breathed out a cloud of water vapor and made his way elsewhere.
Grant and Rick pointed to Darien before following him down the hall, Ross joining in and trailing along behind them. I guess he spoke for all the guys, then.
Sara shook her head and shot me a glare. "You are a traitor Reyna!" She spat, her bright red hair flopping around her face. "None of us can even believe you right now."
"How could you just turn your back on us like this? We didn't do anything wrong to you!" Katie piped up, looking more sad than angry.
"Exactly!" I protested, throwing my arms up. "It's what you are doing to yourselves! That's all I said to Tarryn!"
"So now you're lying too?" Katie squeaked, her expression dropping even more. "You're going agaist our morals!"
"Since when was smoking weed and rebelling a moral, Katie?"
"I'm out of here, I can't stand looking at her face." Sara interjected before storming away, Katie hesitating before following her along.
Tarryn and Xia were the last two left, both of them the worst of everyone.
"Girl if I could bitch slap you so hard right now I would!" Xia snapped. "After all the things we did, the hell we been through and the shit we do, this is how you pay us back?"
Now I was furious. "There is nothing that I owe you, Xia. You all chose this path and I just decided I must find another route! I didn't mean any harm, I just wanted to help!"
"Help my ass. You're just a lying ungrateful bitch and you are obviously unwelcome to us from now on. And don't you think you ever gonna be accepted again." She spat on the floor before walking away, leaving me and who used to be my favorite, now eyeing each other face to face with evil stares.
"Welcome to hell, Juarez.." Tarryn's lips curved into a smirk. "You start your shit with me, this year ain't gonna be in your favor. Good luck finding friends."
"Do you really think you matter to me anymore?" My nervousness was back but I couldn't let it show, Tarryn would pick up on it instantly. "Whatever you try to do isn't going to work. So you got everyone to hate me. So what. They're not the only people in this school. If anything, you're the most under respected people in this school."
"Fuck you. Tarryn hissed, her eyes narrow slits of rage. "Just don't remember where you came from, and you were once one of us, so you're no better. Even with your fucking change of mind. Look at you, all dressed up. Like that's gonna make a difference. You're a pathetic excuse for a person, Reyna."
"You sure you're not talking about yourself?"
"Just watch your back Juarez. I'm not fucking kidding."
Tarryn growled, lifting her middle finger at me before walking away, ending the conversation at that.
I sighed, leaning against my finally empty locker before feeling my phone buzz in my hand, an unknown number flashing across the screen.
"7th hour, meet me in the dining hall. Oh, this is Hunter. See you then."
I smiled down at the text. I wonder how Tarryn would be handling this, but then again, I didn't bother to care. She wasn't important anymore, and I wouldn't let her get to me.
New year, new morals, new goals, new look, new me.
___
A/N: That's chapter 2! updates between 1-3 times a week!
- Az AosLangeles