《︎𝘊𝘩𝘭𝘰𝘦'𝘴 𝘗𝘖𝘝》︎
"Now Clover I know that you're not good at making friends-" I scrunch my face up in disgust as my step father speaks. We just arrived at the school. "-but please be nice if you come in contact with that McCormack kid." Roger finishes. I nod and he leaves me outside. I spot Ariel and Rusty, they pull into a parking spot in front of me. Based on the look Rusty has on her face. She is probably still mad at Ariel. I head over to their vehicle and stick my head through the window.
"Hey Clover." Ariel is the first to greet me. I nod my head at her, giving her questioning look. She scoffs looking back to Rusty. "Seriously? Are you going to pout all day?" Rusty says nothing as she gets her bag situated. "Look, I already said I was sorry."
Rusty sighs, sitting her bag down. "It's Monday. Everybody gets a do-over." She playfully rolls her eyes as Ariel grabs her face and kisses her cheek. They're so dramatic.
"You love me!" She exclaims.
"I know I do!"
A loud vehicle enters the parking lot, blasting their radio. "Ren McCormack." I whisper as I see him exit his vehicle.
"Hey Clover. Isn't that that new kid my mom introduced me to at church?" Ariel leans on Rusty's car.
"Sure is." I mumble.
"He's cute." Rusty gazing at Ren.
"You think everybody's cute." I scoff. Especially Willard.
"I know, but I think he's cute." She drags out. He exits his car, I hold back a laugh when I catch sight of his tie.
"Awe...He dressed up for his first day
of school. That's so cute!" I laugh, getting his attention.
"Come on, let's go." Ariel turns to walk away.
Rusty tugs my arm. "Did you see his tie?" She whispers.
"Yes Rusty. He's the only kid wearing one that isn't in book club or mathletes." I retort.
"Well I like it and I'm going to tell him." Rusty turns around.
"Rusty no-"
"That's a nice tie." She smiles at the boy. "Hey, I mean it! Don't let anyone tell you different."
He adjusts his backpack strap. "Thanks, uh..."
"Rusty."
Ren nods. He looks to Ariel and asks. "It's Ahriel, right?"
She turns around and lowers her sunglasses. "It's Ariel." She corrects him.
He nods. "Ariel."
"Very good." She says as her and Rusty enter the school. I turn to follow.
"Hello to you too, Dunbar." He calls from behind me.
I lick my teeth and turn back on my heels. He has a smirk plastered on his face. "Don't call me that, McCormack." The first warning bell led off. I give him a smile before turning around, heading inside to my locker. "See you around. Don't get too lost." I yell through the crowd.
"Hey wait-" I hear a smack.
"Hey. Watch where you're going, little guy!" Willard, my best friend yells out. I turn when I hear his thick southern accent.
"Sorry, man. I didn't see you." Ren says in defense.
"Yeah? It's like driving. Stick with the flow of traffic, numbnuts." Willard says taking a step closer to Ren.
"Maybe if you weren't wearing all that camouflage, I could see you. You should get one of them orange vests so hunters don't shoot you." Ren retorts. I bite my lip, holding in a laugh.
Willard holds an offended look on his face."An orange vest? I don't wear orange. I'm not a Tennessee fan. I'm a Georgia Bulldog." The boys turn to me when an laugh escapes my mouth. "What's so funny, corncob?" Willard quirks a brow at me.
My laughter stops and I glare at the boy. "Your face, you hick."
"Now you listen here princess, you may be principal douchebag's daughter and one of my friends but I will knock your teeth in." Willard exclaims pointing a finger in my face.
I grab his hand and push it away from my face. "Alright chill, and don't be talkin about hittin girls. Just 'cause I know your joking doesn't mean everyone else does." I slam my locker shut.
"You country people are insane." Ren shakes his head.
"We're crazy?!" Willard says putting a hand on his chest. He gets offended easily if you can't tell.
"Yeah." Ren says trying to turn around.
"Yeah well, Where you from? You talk funny." My eyes widen and I nudge Willard.
"I talk funny? You should hear you two from my end. I'm from Boston." Willard continues to give him a confused look. "Massachusetts? It's in the United States?"
Willard bites his tounge. "Yeah, I read that somewhere." He grins."What's up, man? I'm Willard and this here is corncob." He says wrapping an arm around me.
"I'm Ren McCormack." They shake hands after
"Nice to meet you. Let me see this." Willard grabs Ren's schedule. "Literature and Composition."
"That's this way. Follow me." I say leading the way.
"People give you shit about that tie yet?"
"Willard!" I hiss.
"Nah, but the day just started."
We get to the class and take our seats. Ren sits in between me and Willard.
"That's Tyler Mackabee's old seat." Willard says. He looks around before whispering to Ren. "He's in jail now." Ren widen's his eyes.
"Don't listen to him. Tyler got transferred because he couldn't follow the rules and his dad got a new job." I say, taking out her textbook.
"Rules?" Ren asks. But Mr. Anderson walked in before any one can answer him. The students turn their attention to him.
"Okay time for morning attendance. Please stand up when I say your name." He calls a few names. Till he finally gets to the back row.
"Willard Hewitt." Willard stands.
"Ren McCormack." Ren stands. Mr. Anderson looks up at Ren. "Welcome to Bomont." Ren nods at him.
"And finally. Chloe Dunbar."
"It's Jenkins, Mr. Anderson!" I spit.
"Good one, Dunbar. Okay on to our lesson-" Mr. Anderson mumbles to himself.
~t i m e s k i p t o l u n c h~
It had been a few hours and it was finally lunch. Chloe was currently inside the cafeteria with Ariel and Rusty.
"So Clover, you seem to be getting along with McCormack." Rusty says.
Chloe shrugs."Yeah he's nice. I'm just trying to help the guy out."
Ariel scoffs."Or you wanna just get in his pants." Chloe smirks.
"Kinda like how Chuck got into yours last night." Ariel snaps her head and faces Chloe.
"Shut it, Dunbar. You don't know what you're talking about."
Chloe rolled her eyes and grabbed her lunch tray.
She made her way to the tables outside so she could sit at her usual table with Willard. When she got there she saw Ren was there too. They were talking so instead of making her presence known she decided to just sit down beside them and listen in on their conversation.
"You haven't been overseas?" Ren asks. Chloe unwraps her grilled cheese and starts to eat. Ren looks at her and nods his head at her. She does the same.
"I've been to Alabama, if that counts." Willard says. Chloe shakes her head.
"No. It doesn't. I went to Russia two years ago with my gymnastics team. It's kind of a sister city thing with Moscow." Ren says taking a bite of his food.
"You do gymnastics?" Chloe asks. Ren nods.
"Yeah. What do you do other than sneak around and eavesdrop." Ren says in a serious yet joking way. Willard snorts.
"Oh hush Marty McFly. Continue on with your story." Ren laughs and continues.
"Where was I? Oh yeah Russia." Willard cuts Ren off.
"Russia. I don't know if I dig that. It sounds kind of boring."
Ren scoffs. "Do you know anything about Russian girls?"
She lifts a brow at Ren."He doesn't know anything about any girls."
Willard throws a glare at her. "Well, I know that Russian girls range from bearded to drop-dead beautiful."
"Yeah? Well, I can vouch for the beautiful ones. Two girls from the Russian team snuck me out of my dorm room late night. They didn't have beards. They were smoking." Ren gets cut off by Willard again.
"What were they smoking?" Chloe and Ren give Willard a look. He finally catches on. "Oh, you mean, like, smokin' hot. I'm sorry. Continue." Ren nods.
"So we go to this club. The music's banging. It's pitch black. I couldn't see shit, just two hot girls drenched in sweat all over me."
Chloe cringes. "Sounds gross." Ren shrugs.
"A little bit....But we danced all night."Ren says looking down at his food.
"Great. What'd you guys do after?"Ren shrugs. Willard throws his hands up. "Oh, come on. Look, down in the South, you can't start a story about a threesome and not finish it. Come on."
"It goes without saying, these girls are flexible. They take me into a bathroom stall. One shoves her tongue down my throat, the other one's on top. This girl's a champion pommel horse gymnast. I'm talking killer upper body strength." Ren makes groping motions towards his chest.
"Ole Clover can't relate to that." Willard says nudging Chloe.
"Excuse you!?" She spits.
"Sweetheart, you're built like a binder!" He retorts.
"You know Willard, I would make a joke about your nuts but then I remembered you don't have any." Willard drops his jaw and Ren starts laughing.
"Anyways. She's scratching my back, she's tearing my clothes off. And her friend's whispering in my ear, "Hernnya." Willard tries to sound it out but fails. Chloe bites her lip. Ren says it again. "Hernnya."
"Hernnya?" Ren nods.
"Yeah."
"What does that mean?" Willard asks. Ren smirks.
"It's Russian for "bullshit." Chloe laughs.
"Why would she say that?" Willard asks confusion written across his face. Ren just smirks and continues to eat his food. Willard finally catches on.
"Oh I get it.. 'Cause you're bullshitting me?"Ren laughs and nods.
"Yeah. But we did dance, man." Ren makes eye contact with Chloe. "We danced our butts off."
"Sounds awesome." Chloe smiles.
"It was." It was silent for a few minutes. "So. Chloe Jenkins?" Ren asks. She shakes her head.
"It's a long story."
"We got time."
Chloe looks up and him and bites her lip. Luckily the lunch bell goes off. "Maybe next time." Chloe quickly gets up and grabs her trash. "See y'all in math!" She yells as she runs away.