The bus doors open and we all clamber out. Will waits for me by the door.

"What class do you have first" I ask while he starts walking beside me.

"Gym" he says, clearly excited.

"That sounds terrible"

"You only think it sounds terrible because your sooo boring" he jokes, ruffling my perfectly done hair again. I huff and smack his hand away while glaring at him and trying to fix my hair.

Once we get close to the gym door, Will turns to me.

"Well this is where we depart my dear sister, have a wonderful day filled with many delights," he practically screams while mock bowing in the middle of the hallway before skipping off towards the Gym. A few people look our way confused. While I try not to blush, unsuccessfully . "He's so embarrassing" I mutter to myself.

I walk around the corner of the hallway and nearly plow into someone.

"Woah there, sorry," he says.

I look up and see a guy, he's tall, he seems kind of edgy with his shaggy dark Mohawk, dark clothes, black timberlands and piercings.

He has very kind, brown eyes. I would love to paint a picture of him. For his eyes I'd probably have to use ochre as a base and raw umber for the darker parts. No, a warm burnt umber maybe...

You've been staring too long I tell myself. Don't want to make him uncomfortable.

"It's fine" I say, adjusting the straps of my bag. 

He starts to smile but I rush off before he can say anything else. It's not like I have anything important to get to, the bell rings in 8 minutes. I just don't like talking. I always say the wrong thing and make every conversation awkward.

I let a sigh out, trying to settle my nerves, as I enter the class. I'm early, good. I can pick a seat without it being awkward. I choose one close to the window. I really hope no one asks me to move. I set my bag down as I sit.

I have nothing to do so I stare out the window. I watch as some students talk to each other while other students rush to their first class. They all seem happy to start a new year with their friends. I feel a sense of loneliness as I watch them go about doing what normal people do.

I jump when I hear the bell ring, I guess I zoned out for longer then I thought. I look around the classroom that is now filled. The same faces I see every year.

The teacher walks in, an older lady that seems nice.

"Good morning class, my name is Mrs.Corby. We'll start the day off with a little get to know each other conversation." She says with a kind smile.

I hate this. I really don't want to talk about myself to a group of people I've known since 6th grade. Mrs.Corby sits down at her desk.

"When I call your name please say here, if you go by something different tell me. Then tell the class something about yourself." She says before starting roll.

"Olivia Anderson"

"Oh, that would be me," the preppy blond cheer captain says standing up and pushing her perfect locks over her shoulder, giving the class the most irritating smile. Olivia has always irrationally annoyed me. "Hi, you can call me Livy", she giggles, why is she even giggling, nothings funny, I look away, rolling my eyes. "I went to England over the summer and had a little fling. He was so sweat. He wrote a song for me and gave me-"

"Yes Olivia, that's good enough, you can sit down now." Mrs. Corby says, cutting off Olivia's story. I turn my face toward the window trying not to laugh as Olivia gives an indignant huff and sits down.

"Blake Davis, you are the new student aren't you" Mrs.Corby asks seeming to look right behind me.

"Yes, ma'am" says a guys voice from behind me, I jump, startled, I didn't know someone was behind me. I turn around and see the guy from earlier, the one I almost ran into. Why is he smiling at me? He has nice teeth. Weird, I cock an eyebrow up confused then turn back around facing Mrs.Corby.

"Welcome to Pelican Falls High Blake, tell us something about yourself."

"Well I moved here from Arizona quite recently."

"Wow, the climate down there is very different from here."Mrs.Corby says.

"Yes, it's a lot colder here. I'll definitely have to get used to it."

"I can show you around Blake," Olivia chimes in, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear having the audacity to look shy, "well... only if you want." She adds fluttering her eyelashes. My gosh she's so annoying.

"Uhh... nah I'm good. Thanks tho." Blake says. Poor Olivia looks like a child that just got told Santa wasn't real. I think this is the first time she's ever been rejected in any type of way. I turn my face toward the window again, shaking from silent laughter. This day just got a little better.

Mrs.Corby continues roll call. Most people talk about there summer and the interesting things they had done. I hate talking about myself. What am I gonna say?

"Essence Miller" ugh, I internally cringe, not the first name. Welp, whatever.

"Here, I go by Victoria and I have a cat" I say, silently praying she doesn't ask me to talk about more.

She nods her head and thankfully continues without asking for more. Class goes pretty smoothly, she hands out the syllabus and talks about class expectations and rules before the bell rings and we all get up to go. I go to grab my bag but a hand with rings and a spider lily tattoo picks up my bag before I can. What?

"Walk me to my next class, Essence."  Blake says into my ear, I flinch away, startled. When I look over at his face that wears a cocky grin.

"My name is Victoria and I'm pretty sure Olivia is willing to take you" I say glaring, I really don't like my first name.

"Nah, I want you to take me," he says putting his arm over my shoulder and looking at Olivia who is now starring at me like she is going to kill me.

Great I really don't want to have drama with Olivia. I hate drama more than I hate mornings.

"Look, I-" I look up at him and stop talking, wow he's close, he smells really good and he's looking at me, his eyes are so beautiful, they look so deep and warm. I bet they look like pools of honey in the sun. I start to blush at his close proximity. What was I about to say? I don't remember.

He lifts his hand up putting the side of his finger under my chin and shutting my mouth that I didn't realize was still open. I think I'm gonna die. He grins at me and starts walking to the door...holding my bag with his arm still resting warm on my shoulder.

"I really don't know where I'm going," he says looking down amused.

"Uh w-what class do you have next?" I ask annoyed with myself. Why am I stuttering so pathetically.

"I dunno" he says reaching into his pocket pulling out a piece of paper that is folded up very poorly and handing it over to me. I take the paper and unfold it, it's his class schedule.

"You have Spanish next, in room 207," I say trying to hand him the paper back but he doesn't take it, instead he throws his other arm around my shoulder and places his head on mine, hugging me right in the middle of the hallway.

"Vicky I don't know where that is at. Your gonna have to take me." he whines like a child. I blush really hard as people start looking at us.

"I-I uh.." I start to say no but he gives me the biggest, saddest puppy eyes ever, I don't think I can say no. Well, this is a problem. "Fine, I'll take you but get off," I huff. He gives me a big child like grin, moving away but not removing his arm from my shoulder.

I walk the overgrown child to his next class.

"Here we are." I say stopping in front of the Spanish room. Blake removes his arm from my shoulder leaving me cold again.

"Thanks, Essence" he's says. I'm about to tell him my name is Victoria but he leans down and kisses my cheek before walking into the classroom. I just stand there blushing and blinking.

BRRRIIINNNGGGG I practically jump into the air like a Halloween cat as the bell goes off.

"Fig!" I say a little too loudly, causing people to look at me. This is great, I'm late on my first day.

💙💙💙