I hoped gym wasn't as bad as everyone said.
They were right about the smell of the locker room; sweat, dirty socks, and a hint of cheap perfume.
I held back a gag.
The stalls didn't even lock properly, either.
After I got changed, I went over to the sinks to fix my ponytail.
"Hey. Need help?" I turned around to see a skinny blonde with 4 pounds of makeup on, and a fake smile plastered across her face.
Her hair was perfectly curled into a gorgeous high-pony that only one person could achieve; a cheerleader.
I looked back at the mirror.
I had no time for bitches like I knew she was going to be.
I shrugged, pulling my ponytail tight.
It was ugly. I knew it, but I frankly didn't care.
"Here. Let me help." She reached her perfectly manicured hands towards my scalp, then paused.
Good, cuz I was about to slap those witch hands away.
"You don't have lice... Do you?" She asked with a nasty snarl on her face.
I wanted to say, "Yes. And now you're infected. Go run home to sleep with your boyfriend." But, of course, I didn't.
I clicked my tongue. "No, of course not!" I giggled and rolled my eyes.
"Oh, good, because," she looked blankly at my head, "I don't know if you can tell, but I'm like, a super popular cheerleader, and like.. Just let me give you a ponytail." She took out my hair band roughly before I could object, and then after a few seconds, ta-da, my hair was "goddess perfect".
I stared at the beauty of hair which was mine. "Well, um thanks, I guess."
"You're welcome." She looked me over with her hand in the air Mean Girls style. "Oh, and bt-dubs, if you lost maybe a few pounds, you could totally be a cheerleader." She walked away, her hips swaying, and her hair bouncing.
I blinked like a deer in headlights.
Okay. That just happened.
I slowly made my way through the toxic wasteland of sweat, and out into fresh air; the gymnasium.
The gym teacher, who was apparently an Olympic athlete, told us to go outside.
"Great." I muttered to myself. "Time to fall on my face in the mud."
I jogged out onto the gigantic field that was just for gym, and started doing my laps to warm up.
"Hey. Slow down, will ya'?"
I looked back to see a girl with bright green eyes.
I stopped.
She caught up to me. "God, you're fast." She huffed, putting her hand on her knees.
"C'mon, let's keep running." I said, motioning for the cheerful girl to continue.
She shrugged, and then smiled brightly. It almost hurt to see someone that happy.
"So, you're new, right?" She panted.
"Y-yeah. I'm Lydia. And you are.." I wanted to be a little nicer to her, but it seemed like whatever I said, she wouldn't ever get upset.
"Um.. Just call me Liz. My name is waaaaay too confusing." She rolled her eyes as she said "waaaaay". She smiled again.
I don't know if my frozen heart could take this.. This.
"Alright.." I stopped as we ended our laps. "Liz." I tried to smile too. It probably looked like I was constipated, though.
"I only did one lap." She said, trying to catch her breath. "We're supposed to do two."
"Oh, I did three." I said, not really trying to brag. Okay, maybe a little. It wasn't my fault I was fast.
She looked wide-eyes at me. And then she laughed. "C'mon." She tugged at my sleeve. "Let's go."
I furrowed my eyebrows. I wasn't used to people not believing me.
"No, I seriously did three laps." I stood still. I like how I was already fighting with this girl, and I literally met her seven seconds ago.
"Are you like, from the Olympics? Is that why you're here?" She put her hands on her hips, still panting.
I laughed. "No, I'm rich. But, I am pretty fast, not to brag."
Just then, someone brushed past my shoulder, just finishing their lap, along with some other people. The shoulder was hard, and large.
I coughed, smelling Axe Body Spray.
I turned around to see the person who had been so rude not to say sorry. He was looking at me too.
He had glasses.
He was tall.
He had a cowlick.
And those eyes. Those light blue, gorgeous eyes that could only belong to one person. And those eyes were looking into mine.
He was the murderer boy in my dream.
"Lydia?"
He turned his head away, continuing to talk with his friends.
"Lydia."
I turned back to Liz. "Yeah?" I put my hands on my hips.
She snickered. "Jocks, huh? They're so rude."
I blinked my eyes, trying to get the image of that boy kicking the boy I met earlier, and the sound. The sound..
"Lydia? Woo-hoo. You there?" A hand waved in front of my face.
"Who's he?" I asked, pointing at the boy.
Her smile turned into a frown even she saw me staring at him.
She grabbed my shoulder.
"Oh, no, no, no. " She grabbed my shoulder roughly.
I pulled away. I just met this girl.
"As your friend, which I've assumed I am, I need to tell you the basic rules." She said, pointing to the group of teenage boys who bumped into me. "They- are the jocks. AKA the athletic hotties that sleep with every cheerleader in the school." She pointed to the boy, who had just wrapped his arm around a cheerleader's skinny waist.
A blonde cheerleader with a perfect ponytail.
It was her.
My throat went dry, like I had just swallowed a spoonful of cinnamon.
"He's like, the most popular dude in this school. He's the football team captain, he's dating the bitchiest cheerleader in this school, and he's really, like, really hot."
My forehead started to sweat as he touched his nose with hers, his glasses getting in the way. His lips grazed hers a little, and he pulled her in deeper. His large hands moved down to her butt, but she slapped them away.
"She's Amelia. She's the head cheerleader, too."
I nodded. I wanted to know the name of him, though, the boy in my dreams, who I was strangely really attracted to.
"Alfred. Alfred Jones is his name."
Alfred. Alfred. ALFRED.
I repeated the name over and over in my head, letting it bounce around in my skull.
I hadn't ever had many boyfriends, because I was always such a rich bitch, but none of them had ever made me feel.. Like that.
"Hey Liz." I turned around to see the boy I had met earlier in Spanish class.
"Toni! Hey." Liz said back.
"Lydia, this is-" She started to say.
"Antonio. I know. The Spanish kid who takes Spanish just to get an A." I smiled, and he laughed.
Wow, he was really cute.
"So, wanna go play football?" He paused. "Sorry, soccer. That's what I meant. But we can play American football if you want to." He asked.
"Sure, let's do that. American football." I smiled again, reaching for a football.
Someone wanted the same one.
A rough hand came on top of mine, and it stayed there. I looked up.
It was the boy. Alfred.
He didn't say anything. He just looked at me.
I probably looked super stupid. I felt like his light blue eyes were putting me in a trance.
The corner of his mouth lifted a little, like he was amused.
I cleared my throat, slipping my hand out from underneath his. "Uhrm.. Sorry." No words could fm come out. I was never that nervous in front if anyone, but for since reason, I felt scared.
"It's cool, dude." He picked up the ball, and tossed it up to himself. He smiled a little before waking over to his friends.
I stood there, and blinked.
His voice replayed in my head, over and over, like a tape recorder.
I just took a soccer ball, since that was the last football.
I walked over to where Liz and Toni were standing.
"What a jerk." Toni said, rolling his eyes. "He's been like that since middle school. Being selfish and greedy. Idioto." He crossed his arms.
"Who?" I asked stupidly. "Alfred? He had it first." I didn't really believe it myself either.
Toni scoffed. "Sure, whatever. At least we get to play football." He paused again. "Soccer. That's what I said." He took the call from my hands, and started kicking it in the air to himself.
"He got a scholarship here from playing soccer. He's really good." Liz whispered in my ear. I jumped. God, she scared me for some reason.
I watched the Spanish boy juggle the soccer ball with ease. She was right. He was good.
He kicked it over to me.
"C'mon, let's play pass." He said, smiling.
I smiled too. He was really nice, and cute.
I kicked the ball with my toe, and it hit him in the stomach.
"Oh my god, are you okay?" I gasped. I was the idioto.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine. I'm used to it." He clutched his stomach. He kicked it back to me.
I kicked it into his stomach again. He fell.
I ran over to him, and so did Liz.
"Oh my good, I'm really sorry. I'm so bad at soccer." I helped him up.
He coughed. "Yeah, you are." He looked at me with his deep green eyes. "Let's play football.."
"We'll join the game." Liz said, and walked over to where the actual football players were playing.
Alfred was one of them.
I followed her, and Toni went to go play soccer with his friends that could actually play.
"We're joining in." Liz grabbed the ball from a heavily muscled boy. "Me," she pointed to me, "and her, are on the same team."
"Whatever. You're not on my team though." I heard a voice from behind me. I turned around to see Alfred.
He was looking right at me. He smiled a little, taking the ball from Liz.
His hair was all messed up. He was sweaty, too.
He was wearing a Yankees t-shirt and a pair of shorts.
His muscles bulges through his shirt slightly, and they bulged even more when he threw the ball to someone.
He ran his hand through his hair, walking to where he was supposed to be to play, and his cowlick was pushed down, but it popped back up.
He winced, as if doing that hurt him.
He glanced over at me, his beautiful blue eyes locking onto mine.
I was staring.
I looked away quickly, focusing on my sneakers.
I had never really felt this way about any boy, but for some reason, I felt really shy and self-conscious.
Liz motioned for me to get into place.
I stood next to her.
I had no clue what to do.
Everyone else started running, so I did the same.
I ran straight towards Alfred, as fast as I could. My back was turned to the ball.
I was standing in front of him, flailing my arms like I was guarding him in basketball or something.
He looked at me like he felt bad for me or something. Then his expression changed. He started yelling, and pointed behind me.
"Jesus! Get the FRICKING BALL!" He pushed me to the side, his hand touching my waist. He caught the football with one hand before it hit my head.
I put my hand where his had touched. It was cold there. And tingly.
He looked down at me. He was really close.
I could smell his sweat, and his cologne. Axe.
He looked me directly in the eyes. "You're welcome. A new kid usually gets nailed their first day in gym, unless they're like some all-star athlete, so.. You're welcome." He walked past me, and threw the ball to one of his friends. I turned around to look at him.
"Let's restart. But not with these two." He pointed and made some signs that were special football things I guess. He turned his neck to face me for a second, his blonde hair whipping back.
I let out a breath. I really, truly was an idioto.