2 weeks before.
August 18th
My room's cold. It doesn't feel like home. I hate that I actually miss that place. Never thought I'd admit it. Texas wasn't so bad though. It was warm, and Chicago isn't.
I've always wanted to have this "true seasonal weather" as they call it. I take It back now, and it's only August. I'm dreading this first day as well. My Dad just HAD to have another Editorial Business open, and in Chicago of all places. My Mom is an artist so she can take her job anywhere. It helps to be your own boss.
"Honey, make sure you're up." My Dad yells at me from the hallway outside my bedroom.
"Aye, aye Captain." I say sarcastically.
"I made waffles for you. Not pancakes." He bribes.
"Now I'm motivated." I grin and run towards the stairs almost knocking him over in the process.
"Better hurry up and eat only about 30 minutes to get ready now." He tells me.
I stop in front of the stairs. "30 minutes?" my face pales.
"Why so little of time?" I'm pissed.
"Well your Mother just found out the bus comes at 7:20." He frowns trying to hide his laugh.
"But school starts at 8! Why would the bus come 40 minutes early?"
"I don't know sweetheart, but don't waste your time talking to me."
"Go eat." He tries to walk me down the stairs but I run back up them.
"No time for waffles! I have to shower!" I shut the bathroom door with a loud thud and strip the clothes from my body so fast I'm pretty sure I have a burn on my back.
"Shit!" I yell noticing the time when I get back into my room.
"Curly hair SUCKS!" I yell to no one in particular.
If you have straight hair you should thank the Hair Gods for blessing you. Curly hair, while it's wet, is the only way to style it. Then when you leave the house thinking it looks good the wind and weather get involved.
Now I have huge poodle hair and some dirty tight jeans with an awful white food stain on. My shirt has lace on the sleeves and the rest is a solid dark blue. My makeup is not what I had planned for it to look like. It's just mascara and black eyeliner on my top lid. It's not too shabby compared to the rest of me.
"Running late huh?" Someone asks me as I'm scrubbing the white stain off my thigh.
"What? Me? Oh yeah just a little." I turn red the moment he smirks.
"Well if you were waiting for that bus you're about 30 seconds late." He points towards the yellow bus and sure enough it's gone.
"Ugh! I didn't eat my waffle for this?" Today is not my day.
"Do you go to TCH?" he asks me.
"Yeah today's my first day, and as you can see it's not going to happen since the damn bus left me." I check my phone and its only 7:15. Asshole bus.
"I could give you a ride? I go there too." He doesn't seem like a bad guy but I don't know him. How old is he? Is he gay? He looks gay. Oh please let him be gay so this isn't awkward.
"Uh..." I try to weigh my options. If I go with him and he kills me then he's done me a favor for the day. If I don't go then I've missed the first day of school and then I have to deal with my parents' wrath.
"Yeah actually that'd be nice." I smile at him as he opens the passenger door of his blue Audi.
"Thank you...?" I wait for his name.
"Nik. And you're welcome...?"
"Lacey."
***
"So are you a senior?" Nik asks me.
"Oh yes." I say more rushed than needed. But I'm nervous and he's speeding in a 55 zone. Does he need to get us to school that early that he feels the need to go 80?
"You okay?" a smirk plays on his lips. I know he's trying not to laugh at me.
"I'd be better if you slowed down." I lock my hands together in my lap.
"Ah." He laughs and presses the accelerator.
"89 now." He voices the speedometer.
"Maybe 59 would be better?" this guy is insane, I've never been pulled over and I don't want to start today.
"Oh you're no fun." He shakes his head slowing down to 60.
"I'll compromise." He smirks.
"How kind." I roll my eyes still on edge.
"So where you from?"
"Texas."
"No accent." He points out.
"You do know that not everyone from the south has an accent right?" that stereotype annoys me.
"Is that so?"
"Yeah it is." I relax a little.
"Why are you in Chicago then? Isn't everything supposed to be bigger and better in Texas?"
"Only if you get to stay."
"And you didn't because?" he's prying and I don't like it.
"Why are you in Chicago?" I ask him.
"I asked you first." He counters.
"Okay." I stare at him. I don't want to reveal my life story at 7:30 in the morning.
"Would it make you feel better if I told you about me first?" He asks with a grin.
"You know, now that you've asked it would." I turn and focus all my attention on him.
"Well you know my name is Nik, and my last name is Bonnci. Italian if you were wondering. My parents are from there but sadly I'm from New York. We had family there that's why I was born there. My Mom hated it and wanted to live somewhere more "normal" and her speed." He stops and laughs though I don't find anything funny. "So Chicago is where she felt was more normal. I don't have any siblings. Just a couple of friends, don't worry I'll introduce you." He laughs again but I don't see the humor in anything he just said.
"Oh and I have a Girlfriend who you won't be meeting because she'd be pissed."
"Why would she be pissed?" I tense up again.
"Because you're a girl. She hates any girls that I talk to. She's a little insecure you could say. I don't know why though."
"You sound in love."
"You bet I am!" he tells me.
"And here I was thinking you were gay." I laugh he doesn't look amused.
"Why would you think I'm gay?" he narrows his eyes.
"Because you're put together nicely. I'm mean just look at your clothes."
I point to his outfit. He's wearing salmon colored shorts that come just a little bit above his knees. His shirt is a white collared button down with little blue birds on it, his tan Sperry's complete the look.
"I dress the same as everyone at TCH." He quickly checks himself before adjusting his eyes back on the road.
"So this is a normal thing? Not some first day outfit?"
"Oh Lacey you have a lot of adjusting to do." He pulls onto the campus and the bundle of nerves returns to my stomach.
"Welcome to Thorne Creek High Lacey."
We exit the car and he pulls out his phone, probably to text his girlfriend.
"Why are there so many buildings?" I ask him.
"It's a 3 campus high school." He doesn't lift his eyes from the screen as he tells me this. Apparently that phones more important.
"Why would a high school need to be more than one building?" the whole idea is beyond me I guess.
"I'm not sure, maybe to prepare us for what's to come. But don't let it stress you yet. You haven't even gotten your schedule to see what buildings to go to. You might get lucky and only have to go to 2 of them. " he looks up from his phone as he finishes talking.
"The middle building straight ahead is like headquarters; the main office, and core classes besides science. Any classes relating to math and English that's where you'll go. Then we have the building to our right and that's the café, auditorium, and social studies courses. The building to our left is electives, anything and everything you can imagine. Almost anything awesome; gym, robotics, law, business, culinary, journalism, they have it all. But since you're a senior you have the option of going into the city and taking classes at the college for the first 2 classes or last 2 classes of the day. You have 9 minutes to change classes so you better hurry. Also you want to get B or C lunch if you can. B lunch is your best bet but C is okay too. Never get A or D. Lunch is pretty pricy for school food so make sure you bring money or your own lunch." He turns around and points to a group of guys.
"And those are some of my friends."
The middle one walking towards us is cute. He has a black V neck long sleeve shirt on with dark faded blue jeans that cling to him nicely. His dark hair is pushed up and over to the side of his forehead. He smiles and I notice how white his teeth are. The boy behind him looks a lot like Nik only with blue shorts on.
I stand a couple feet back behind them all. I don't feel comfortable just walking into their group. But almost as if he could sense my awkwardness, Nik waves me over.
"Lacey I'd like you to meet Daniel and Joshua." He points to them both. The attractive boy now known as Daniel holds his hand out to me.
"Hi Lacey." He smiles.
"Hello." I return the smile.
"Hello Lacey, and just so you know I go by Josh." Josh nods and glares at Nik.
"Ah chill out Josh." Nik smacks his chest laughing. "Sorry Lacey, Joshua here's a little sensitive about his name."
"He should be." I stifle a laugh and Joshua gives me a funny look.
"Aw don't take it personal Joshua, she's only being mean because we dress nicely." Nik mocks our previous conversation.
"I'm not being mean. He's missing part of the story, don't let him fool you." I tell Joshua.
"And what might the other part be?" he asks me clearly intrigued.
"I thought he was gay." Both Daniel and Joshua start laughing.
"That's the best thing I've heard all day." Daniel tells me.
"Well it is early, give me another chance later." I say sarcastically.
"Oooh I like her." Joshua laughs and I smirk to myself. This isn't as hard as I thought.
"Nik!" Someone yells and we all turn to see a leggy blonde coming our way.
"Change of plans you are meeting her. Just go with it." Nik whispers in my ear as he brushes past me and I honestly feel panicked.
"Marly." Nik walks towards her placing his hands on her hips.
She's gorgeous, wavy blonde hair, green dress that shows off her curves. Her white skin clashes well with it. Her sandals are a sandy gold, I'm in love with her whole outfit.
Nik leads her down to meet us, and I try to prepare myself.
"Marly how was your summer?" Daniel asks her politely.
"It was memorable." She smiles.
"Ah." He returns her smile.
"Hello, I don't think we've met before." She turns towards me.
"Oh hi, I'm Lacey Niks-"
"Daniels friend." Nik cuts me off. "He gave her a ride to school today, he was just about to take her to get her schedule." Nik says in a rush.
"That's right I was." Daniel places his hand on the small of my back.
"It was nice to meet you." She yells at me as we're walking away.
"Is he going to hate me for almost letting that slip?" I ask him.
"No he shouldn't be lying to her anyway."
"Oh?"
"He lied for no reason. Marly really isn't that bad. He made the mistake of kissing another girl in a game. When she found out she was pretty pissed with well reason since the girl was her best friend. But now Nik's really cautious with all the girls he brings around her. Marly's not a monster, she just doesn't want anyone to try to take him you know?"
"Yeah I get it."
"Good, now let's get you the best schedule ever." He laughs and drags me into the main building.
***
My first class is in the 3rd building. Abnormal Psychology, and oh my gosh there's so many kids in here.
"Lacey right?" Marly approaches me from behind.
"Uh yeah." I'm on edge.
"Where you headed?"
"Morford. Abnormal Psychology." I tell her looking for the numbers 105 to help me escape this awkward situation. I can tell she's one of those girls whose bad side you don't want to get on.
"Daniel did that on purpose didn't he?" she laughs.
"Did what on purpose?"
"He put you in my class."
"Is that a bad thing?" I ask.
"No not at all, you seem nice. Now come on."
***
Marly is actually very sweet. She isn't rich like everyone else here. Her parents make her come here because TCH is one of the top ten schools in Illinois. She has 4 brothers all younger than her and she wants to be a therapist, or marriage counselor is probably the better term.
She says it's because she likes real life problems. Like when 2 people have been together for 25 years and their only issue is he won't do the dishes. She thinks its hilarious hearing what little things could kill a marriage. But that's the dream for her.
She also told me about her relationship with Nik. Apparently she would have never been with him if he hadn't been so persistent. She doesn't like how friendly he is with everyone and it sometimes annoys her. She says he'll go party if she's busy and that makes her a nervous wreck. His Dad's an FBI agent who's always gone, so he doesn't know what his son does. And his Mom just doesn't care.
I've learned a lot in a little over an hour about the people I'm hoping I can call friends.
After everything Marly told me this morning she was my inspiration to write about in creative writing class. As I finish my writing prompt the bell rings for B lunch which is what I got thanks to Daniel.
The food looks amazing. There's a whole buffet of pizza and I'm not sure which one to choose.
"The creamy buffalo chicken is a great choice." Daniel says in my ear.
"Is it? Well I'd hope so since its $3.75." I tell him.
"I don't know if it's worth that but it is pretty good." He smiles at me. He has a really pretty smile.
"Shall we?" he motions for us to walk over to a table by the windows. Marly and Nik are already seated along with two other boys.
"Hey do you mind if Lacey sits beside me Vince?" Daniel asks a shaggy blond boy.
"No not at all." He scoots down and I like how friendly everyone is here.
"How's your first day going?" Daniel asks me.
"I like it here." I tell him meaning it.