Life and Bubblegum (part 1)

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Chapter One: New Things are Always Scary
“No matter how bad things get, they can always get worse.” ~Baroness Rodmilla, Ever After
Lost. Stranded. These are just a few words to describe how I felt. The new school was unfamiliar and cold. I was surrounded by people yet I felt alone. I stood in the middle of the chaos looking hopelessly at my schedule. Was it second of third period that I had lunch? What room was PORT 4? How the hell was I supposed to get to room 207 if I wasn't permitted to cross through the library? Yesterday seemed so easy. Of course, yesterday was Sunday and I was taking a private tour of the large high school.
I just transferred to the small town of Bel Air, Maryland from Louisville, Kentucky. We got into Bel Air around three-thirty on Thursday afternoon. Friday we got all of our stuff from the moving trucks and on Saturday we were unpacking and getting settled. On Sunday, my mom and I went to my new school to enrole me into the eleventh grade. The ninth grade vice principal, Mr. Macks, showed me around the school. It seemed pretty easy... but that was with the school empty. Now, fuller than I ever imagined possible, it was overwhelming as anything.
I looked around for familiar faces. One family at the end of our new street brought us some brownies on Friday evening. It was a woman and her two kids. A freshmen and a senior, two girls. Katherine – or Kate – was a freshmen and Kelly was a senior. Kate seemed nice for a kid. Kelly was really nice too and I did have one class with her. We had AP Europe together fourth period on B days. I had no idea what today was. A day? B day? What was the difference?!
At my school in Kentucky, we had seven periods a day, 45 minute class periods, and the same schedule everyday aside from alternating gym/health days. Life was simple in Louisville. I lived there my whole life.
I heard an annoying trill bell and everyone scrambled around me instead of socializing like they were before. I saw Kate and caught her arm. She was walking with a boy who was three feet taller than her. They were holding hands. “What?” she asked, annoyed. “Oh it's you.”
“How do I get to room 340? I have science and I am so confused,” I confessed. I felt stupid asking a freshmen for directions.
“Go upstairs and you'll see the signs. Hurry though 'cause that bell means you have three more minutes.” She walked away with a flip of the hair and the boy still in her hand.
I sighed and just went to the office and asked for help. A nice secretary named Mrs. Betty helped me find my science room. She also gave me a map of all the floors and showed me where the back staircases were. I thanked her and inhaled as I entered my Honors Biology classroom. I told the teacher that I was new and he put me next to someone named Ian Jackson. I walked over to him. He was alone while all the others had a partner.
I slid onto the stool next to him. “Hi,” I said, starting conversation.
“Hello,” he said roughly, like he was holding his breath.
“I'm Veronica but my friends back home call me Rover because... I love dogs,” I lied. Yeah, my friends call me Rover but not because I love dogs. In fact, I've only ever had one
“I'm Ian. Please let me pay attention,” he said sharply. I took that as a 'shut up and turn around so I don't have to talk to you anymore.' I did. I faced forward and didn't say another word the entire class period.
About mid class period, I felt his eyes on me. I turned my head slightly, making it look natural. He was staring at me with his dark amber eyes. I turned my head back to the front where Mr. Nett was talking about how the class would be disecting frogs next week. I wasn't paying too much attention though.
When the bell rang, I sighed with relief. I didn't see Ian leave, but I was glad he did. The way he watched me, it was weird. One more period... gym. All I had to do was find the gymnasium. It was much easier to find than my biology classroom was to find. The gym was right next to the front doors. I went in and seeked out my gym teacher, Ms. Bell. I found her in the locker room. I was surprised that I found it. “Hi, Ms. Bell?”
“Yes?”
“Hi. I'm Veronica Williams and I'm new... I was told that you were going to be my gym teacher...” I said cautiously. I didn't want to be in the wrong place.
She looked at her class list and said “Okay great! Let me give you a locker and a combonation and you can come on down!” She gave me locker 413. It was a top locker, which I was greatful for. I hated getting the bottom lockers at my old school. I tried out the combonation and it popped open. Finally. Something went right today. I follwed Ms. Bell down to the gym with the rest of the class. I was the only one not dressed in a uniform.
I sat on the bleachers while the rest of the class played organized games because it was a rain day.
Finally the last bell rang. I scrambled up to my locker on the second floor and opened it. I fished out my backpack and the books I would need to complete the homework. I know the teachers said they wouldn't count it against me, but I needed something to keep me busy.
I got on the right bus (thankfully) and got off at the right stop. I walked to my new house and opened the screen door. I put my backpack on the stairs and went into the kitchen where my mother and her latest boyfriend were, unpacking one of the last boxes. They were putting the plates away on one of the shelves when I came in. I grabbed an apple from the bowl on the island counter. “Hi Mom,” I said before biting into the small, red-yellow gala.
“Hey honey. How was school?” my mom, Giselle, asked.
“Fine,” I said even though it hadn't been. I excused myself to go up to my bedroom. I grabbed my dull, faded orange backpack from the third step and went up. I turned to the left and opened my door. I closed it slowly behind me. I turned to face my largish room. My wide screenless window was closed, making the room warm. I waltzed over to it and opened it wide.
The cool autumn breeze felt good on my skin. I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly. I smelled rain in the air. I smiled slightly. I remembered sitting in the rain with my friends back home. Every time we heard that there would be a storm, we'd make plans to go to the field near my house. We would sit there on lawn chairs in tank tops and boy shorts just sitting getting soaking wet. Sometimes we'd sing, sometimes we'd dance, sometimes we'd scream. We didn't care. We were together. My smile turned into quiet laughter at the memory.
I quickly realized that my eyes were wet and when I blinked, a tear strolled slowly down my pale cheek.
I overlooked my bedroom from the bay window I sat at. My desk was in the far corner; just a table and a chair with my laptop and a lamp. My bed was facing towards the center of the room with my bedside table on its right. I had a dresser adjacent to my desk with my small, old television set on top. My closet was right near the door opposite my window. I had an overhead fan that shone light when it was on.
I shut the window halfway. I loved the smell of the rain regardless of the unhappy memories it brought back. My orange bag landed on the floor with a slight thud and I plopped on the bed. I held my cell phone in hand while I traced the complicated swirls of turquoise and emerald on my bedspread while I depicted whether or not I should call Crissy.
Crissy was my best best best friend back in Louisville. We met in third grade and were inseperable since. When we were in fifth, we met Alice and Maggie and we were all instantly friends. We weren't super popular; we were the smart girls that could still pull off cute clothes. At least that's what we told ourselves. Crissy had beautiful, long, blond hair that hung down her back in complex whisps and spirals. She had deep chocolate eyes and a ski slope nose with a single piercing on her left nostril. She was the one that everyone thought of as “pretty” instead of “smart.”
Alice and Maggie were the pretty-smart ones. Alice was petite with short brown hair that stayed flat but with volume. She had dancing green eyes and full lips. She was Maggie's step-sister. Their parents got married when we were in seventh. Maggie had strawberry blond hair that hung in low curls. She had sparkling brown eyes and was very quiet.
I loved them all very much, and I hated having to leave them. My room got very dark as I contemplated on whether I wanted to endure Crissy at the time. I decided that I did. I dialed the six on my speed dial and waited for the ring. I stood and walked over to my window seat and sat, looking up at the cresent moon. It looked like cheese.
The phone didn't ring but three times before she picked up. “Rover?” I heard Crissy's tinkling voice through the speaker.
“Hey Cris!” I smiled.
“Holy shit! Why didn't you call sooner?!” I heard laughter in the background.
“Hey don't blame me! Blame my mom, she's the one that didn't unpack anything 'till yesterday!” I laughed. “Who are you with?”
“The girls minus one,” Crissy sighed.
“Who's minus one?”
“YOU!” my three best friends screamed. I laughed and I heard Crissy put her cell on speaker.
“Ohhhhhhh!” I laughed with my friends. “God, I miss you guys so so so much. You have no idea.”
“Uh yeah we do!” Maggie squealed.
“You guys aren't at a new school in the middle of the semester with a bunch of people you don't know.”
“Okay dude, you got us there but still!” I could literally hear Alice grin.
“I miss you. All of you.”
“Uh yeah!!!” my three friends said simultaneously.
I heard a light tapping on my door. “Hang on a sec, guys,” I said as I pulled my ear away from the phone. “Come in,” I called.
“Hi honey,” my mother said quietly.
“Hey Mom. Uh hang on a second. Lemme get rid of the girls.” I smiled. “Hey guys? I gotta go but I'll try to call you tomorrow. Three way, kay?”
“'Kay! Bye! We love you!” Crissy called.
“Love you guys too. Bye!” I snapped my phone shut. “Whats up?” I asked my mom. She kept the door open only a crack.
My plump, floppy-earred bassett hound, Daisy, pushed through and waddled over to my bed. I laughed internally as she tried to jump up onto my bed. I leaned over and scooped her up. I got Daisy when I was twelve, my first pet. I got Daisy when she was only a few weeks old. She was such a sweet little puppy. Always behaving, never doing anything wrong. She was like a small child. A bit unruly, but good.
She hates car rides and loves back rubs. In that way we are much alike. Actually when I really think about it, we are very much alike. We both love sleeping in, we both enjoy sitting on the couch watching late-afternoon soap operas, and we both hate sushi. My mom and I experienced sushi when we visited Los Angeles last summer. It was an outdoor resteraunt and we both tasted raw fish and California Rolls. I gave a bite to Daisy when Mom's head was turned, and Daisy spit it out like a child. She stuck out her tongue and wrinkled her shiny black nose. It was adorable.
“I didn't get the chance to talk to you downstairs, you disappeared so quickly. How was school?”
“It was fine.”
“Just fine? Make any friends?”
“Not yet.”
“Learn anything new?”
“No. Just my locker combonations.”
“Okay...” my mother continued. She then sighed and let me alone with Daisy.
I sat back on my pillow and propped Daisy up on my lap. “Daisy, Daisy, Daisy.” I kissed her wet nose. “School was terrible. I was so lost and I felt so alone. I want to move back to Louisville.” Daisy whined slightly and rolled her eyes. I smiled.
I put her back on the bed and picked up my small black remote and pressed play. “Circus” by Britney Spears came blasting out of the speakers across the room. I looked through my bag in search of a pencil. I grabbed my diary off of my bedside table and finally found a pen. I clicked it open and began to write.
“Dear Damn Diary,” I wrote. “Today was my first day at C. Milton Wright High School. That's a mouthful right? It wasn't too terribly awful. I made no new friends or anything. I am basically miserable. I miss Crissy, Maggie, and Alice so much. And our farm in Kentucky. It was so peaceful there. Serene, lovely, perfect.” I paused. I thought carefully about what to write next. I always dreamed that someday my diary would be discovered and published as a book. I always wrote carefully and cautiously. “I miss my barn bedroom beside the main house. I miss the homey horse smell of the area. I miss the way I could just wake up and smile. I miss the sun shining on my face in the field behind my house. I was trampled in the hallways today. That is something else I will miss. The way everyone knew me back home. I may live here now, and my mother may be paying the mortgage, but I cannot bring myself to call this place home.”
I slammed the leather-bound book shut and turned off the music. I scooped Daisy back up into my arms and inhaled her scent. She always smelled like lilacs because I gave her a bubble bath twice a month. She was in need of one soon though. She usually got one on the second and fourth Saturday of each month but we moved last week so she missed her bath. I got up and walked around my square room with her in my arms. A low hum came from within her chest, almost like purring.
I sat with her on my lap on the window seat and glanced out the window. “Breath, just breathe,” I mumbled almost inaudible to my own ears as I absentmindedly pet Daisy on her brown head.
I heard the sound of my mother and Joel (her boyfriend) walking slowly around the kitchen. She wasn't wearing shoes, but everything about this place was unusual. I decided to go downstairs and ask about dinner.
My mother, Giselle, loved me very much. She married my biological father, Steven, when she was nineteen and had me when she was twenty-three. She divorced Steven soon after I was born and then remarried a man named Topher. I hated Topher and my mom caught him trying to feel me up. So that was the end of that.
Since Topher there have been a multitude of boyfriends.
There was Wolfgang, the scientist. He was married.
Then there was Isaac, the musician. He chewed with his mouth open.
I can't forget Joshua, the architect, who coincidentally built our farmhouse all those years ago. He cheated on Mom with another woman two weeks into their relationship.
Hunter, the wild life photographer, went on too many business trips.
And Jackson, the professional clarinetist, snored AND was a bad kisser. Which was sort of surprising considering he was a pro at clarinet...
Finally, last before Joel, there was a man named Chris. Chris realized that he was gay right after he had sex with my mom. Lame, right? I mean, how do you not know something like that?
My mother is very picky. I'm surprised she likes Joel so much. They've been dating for almost five months. That's why we moved up here. Because he wanted to be closer to his family. So my mother said “what if we buy a cute little house and we can all be up there with you?” and that was that. So I blame Ian for my unhappiness.
I stumbled down the stairs and smelled the familiar smell of garlic bread and macaroni. I heard no talking, which either meant A) they were making out or B) Ian went out to get my mom more tampons.
I went into the kitchen anyway. They were making out. “Hello there,” I said loudly, startling them.
“Hey honey,” Mom said, biting her lip.
“Hey Veronica. How was school?” Joel asked. He was still waiting for me to warm up to him. His pathetic attempts were usless because they weren't going to work. I'd been through too many of my mom's break ups to get close to another that she would (hopefully) be soon shooing away.
“It was fine, Joel. And I've told you. My name isn't Veronica. My name is Rover,” I said with an annoyed tone. My mom shot me one of those looks that said “watch-yourself-missy.”
“I'm sorry! Rover is the name for a dog not the name for a girl! Can't I call you Veronica? Or even V if you want! Anything!” He was getting on my last nerves.
“Fine. Call me whatever you like. But I won't answer to anything but Rover,” I answered snootily. I grabbed a plate and put the spoonful of macaroni and a slice of garlic bread on it. I marched back up to my room without another word. I slammed the door. I put the green plate on my desk (for all intents and purposes) and turned on my laptop. I logged onto Facebook and posted: I hate it here. Please save me. I checked to see who was online. Most of my sophmore class was on, including Alice. I clicked on her name and opened a chat box.
Rover Williams: Hey!
Alice Jenson: Hey girl! How ya doin?!
Rover Williams: Not too great. I absolutely hate it here. I hate Joel and I hate this stupid little town.
Alice Jenson: That bites, Rove. What's wrong with Joel? He seemed cool at our last sleepover at your house...
Rover Williams: He's trying to be my dad. I never had a dad. He's trying to be someone he's not. I know he thinks I'm an annoying pain in his ass. But he really seems to like my mom so theres nothing I can do about it.
Alice Jenson: Wow... has he told you that?
Rover Willaims: No but I can tell. Just the way he talks to me. It's almost like he's mocking me or something. I don't know.
Alice Jenson: Sorry Rove I wish I could stay but I have to finish my homework. I'll talk to ya tomorrow! Love ya!
Rover Willaims: Love you too! <3
And she logged off. I then exited out of Facebook and logged into AOL Instant Messenger. I saw that six people were online. Alice (doing homework, DND), Maggie (bored as cheese in the fridge), Crissy (listening to some Fall Out Boy :)), Marc (cod all the way dudes), Tucker (I love Blair), and Blair (I love Tuck <3). Marc was one of my closest friends back in Kentucky. He liked to draw a lot and play video games. Typical boy stuff. Marc and Blair were the “it” couple back at Louisville Prep but they were really nice and cool.
I didn't feel like talking to anyone so I set my status to “invisible” and pulled up my iTunes playlist. I looked through the movies I had and clicked on Meet the Fockers. I had began watching it before we moved and it was about halfway into the movie. I watched for about a half hour when I heard a light rapping on my door.
“Can I come it?” It was Joel.
I got up from my seat and opened the door. “What?”
“Look. I don't give a crap if you don't like me but I love your mom. Your just a kid and you can't do anything about it.”
“I'm gonna be seventeen in two months. I'm not some little kid.” He stared me down and I stared at him right back.
Daisy snuggled on my pillow and must have nudged the remote. “Boys In The Summer” by Jessie James came blasting out. I broke our stare when I went to get her paw off of the play button. I turned the music down. I carefully picked up my cell phone. I pretended that I got a text. I hit “record” and held it near my thigh.
“I don't think your some little kid. I think you are the kid of the woman I love. And nothing you do can change either of our minds,” he said sharply. His voice was harsh and cold.
“I know that.”
“Then cut the brat crap. If you think I give one shit about you, you'd be wrong. The second your mom says yes, your leaving this town and-” I interuppted him.
“Good. I hate it here.”
“Don't cut me off. It's rude. As I was saying, you will be leaving Bel Air and you'll be off to Switzerland to a boarding school.”
“Good luck getting my mom to marry you so soon. Her last boyfriend told her that he loved her too soon and she dumped him. She's incredibly picky.” I smiled because I knew that all of this would definitely turn my mom off.
“Whatever, Veronica.”
“My name is Rover.”
“Shut up,” he said and he slapped me across the face. Tears came to my eyes. Not because I was upset about what was happening or what this would do to my mom, but because it hurt. A lot. I'd never been slapped before. The tears were more from shock and surprise though.
“Get out of my room,” I said as I pushed him away and slammed the door in his face. I locked it and shoved my chair in front of the door under the handle so he couldn't get it open. I sat on my bed, accidentally sitting on Daisy's tail. She yelped but didn't move. She's so lazy.
I rubbed my cheek where his hand had met my face. I remembered my phone. I pressed play on the recorded message. It was a bit fuzzy but you could still make out the words. My hand must've been covering the speaker. I decided that I wouldn't give it to my mom yet. I'd wait for the perfect moment. When Joel WASN'T around. That would be difficult because after our little dispute, he probably wouldn't leave her side.
I blinked furiously. This new place was a stranger to me... it was too dusty. I hated Joel. I hated him with every part of my being. Hate is a strong word, but it seems to fit in this context correctly. My mom won't be too happy about him bringing a hand to her daughter. Maybe then we can move back to Louisville!
I got up from my bed to change into my pajamas out of my “first day at a new school gotta make a good impression” outfit. I had been wearing a striped camisole and a dark blue cardigan-vest with dark skinny jeans and my favorite purple Chuck Taylor Converse All Star sneakers. I changed into my school sweatpants and a eve green tank top. The sweat pants said SQUIRRELS down one leg (the school mascot, also the state animal of Kentucky) and Louisville Prepetory School down the other. Both were written in maroon while the sweatpants themselves were dark gray. Our school colors.
C. Milton's school colors are blue, black, and white. Boring! When I was in my pajamas, I went into the bathroom quickly to avoid my mom or Joel. Once in the bathroom, I brushed my long brown hair out and pulled it into a ponytail. I splashed cold water on my face. I looked in the mirror as I dabbed my face dry with a yellow cotton towel. My green eyes were bright. My pale cheeks were flushed and my nose was shiny.
I left the bathroom and rushed back into my room. I had left the door open and Daisy had left. She had probably managed to waddle down the spiral staircase by now. I grabbed my laptop off of my desk and sat on my bed. I turned on my TV to the Food Network and listened to Emeril and Paula as I played Spider Solitare.
Around eleven twenty-seven and thirty-two seconds, I remembered that I had school the next day. I put down the laptop and fell into a restless sleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning, I woke up to Daisy licking my face and my mom's head sticking in the room. I never understood that expression. Wouldn't that be kind of weird having only the head in the room? What happened to the neck and shoulders and arm and leg?
“Time to wake up, hon,” she whispered from across the room. I looked at the time and sat up. Of course I sat up too quickly and ended up being dizzy.
“Thanks, Mom,” I said with a quaint smile. She smiled back and closed the door. I sighed heavily and rolled until my feet hit the floor. I went into the bathroom and used my Waterless Shampoo on my hair. I didn't feel like taking a shower so I just dry washed my hair.
I splashed water on my face and applied my makeup. Cover up for blemishes, foundation, eyeliner, eyeshadow, and mascara.My put my long hair in a side ponytail with a cute little plaid green ribbon.
When I got back into my room, I picked out what to wear from my closet. I chose a simple black longsleeved tee shirt with a bright green camisole (to match the ribbon in my hair) and my favorite pair of jeans. I threw the ensomble on and walked slowly down the staircase. I smelled bacon and eggs.
I sat at the counter in our new kitched and watched as my mom scooped some scrambled eggs and a few slices of bacon and toast on a plate. She gave it to me. I ate it as she stood there, watching me. “How are you today?”
“I'm fine. I didn't sleep too well though,” I confessed.
“What happened last night between you and Joel?” Uh oh. She was on to me.
Play it nonchalant. “What do you mean?”
“I mean Joel told me that you too had a spat.”
“Yes?”
“What happened? He seemed upset,” she said worriedly.
I looked around for him. “Joel had to go to work early this morning.” YES!
I took out my phone and pressed play on the recording. She heard our dispute from my cell phone. She covered her mouth with her manicured hand. I smiled and cheered internally. She knew what a jerk Joel was. Then the deafening slap sound came from the speakers. “What was that?”
“He hit me...”
“WHAT?”
“Yeah, on my face.” I took a napkin and smeared away the cover up so she would see the red mark that his hand left. She gasped.
“Rover what did you do?”
“What do you mean?”
“What did you say to Joel to make him upset?”
“Wha-... I didn't say anything! He just came up to my room and told me that I didn't matter and that I was going to school in Switzerland and...” She cut me off.
“I know I heard. I mean what did you say to him?”
“Nothing just that I wasn't a little kid and that I knew that nothing I did could change the way you two felt about each other,” I recalled.
“I'll talk to Joel when he gets home. Finish eating and then get to the bus.” She walked in the direction of her new room. My room was the only bedroom that was upstairs. Mom's and Joel's room is on the ground floor, the basement is in the basement (duh), and my room, my bathroom, Joel's office, and the TV room were up on the top floor.
I finished my last piece of toast and put the plate in the sink. I went up to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. I grabbed my orange backpack off the floor of my room and put on my favorite jean jacket. I walked down to the bus stop and waited for the bus. God bless the day when I get my own car.
I just got my license a few weeks ago and I am hoping to get a car for my seventeenth birthday but I know my chances are slim. As I was standing there like an idiot, I saw Kelly's dark purple Honda drive by. I saw Kate in the passenger seat doing last minute homework. Kelly had on big, dark sunglasses so I couldn't tell if she saw me or not.
The ugly yellow monster stopped at the corner and I climbed aboard. I sat in the first empty seat I saw; the one right behind the drivers seat. I leaned against the window and breathed evenly in attempt to calm myself down.
When the bus got to the school, I turned my phone to silent. I shoved it in my back pocket and walked off. I somehow managed to get to my locker and homeroom easily. When I got my homeroom, I went to the teachers desk. Mr. Smithey looked at me and I looked right back.
“I don't understand how this schedule works.”
“What don't you understand?”
“Why don't I have the same classes that I had yesterday today?” I asked stupidly.
“Because you only had four classes yesterday so today you have the next four.” His phone rang. “Excuse me,” he said and shooed me away.
I decided to walk around the school, exploring.
Someone tapped on my shoulder. I spun around. It was a guy from my German class. “Hi, your Veronica, right?”
“Rover,” I said smiling. He was tall with straight black hair and dark eyes.
“Hey Rover, I'm Logan Pike. Your in Herr Lounder's class, right?”
“Yeah. I'm in German III.”
“Cool. So your new... what lunch do you have today?”
“I actually have no idea... Could you help me?” We stood there for a few minutes trying to decipher what lunch I had.
“Okay, you have math third today which means you have first lunch. So do I! Did you bring or are you buying?”
“I brought my lunch. Cafeteria food is gross.”
“I totally agree! Lets do lunch. I can show you around the school and teach you the ropes.”
“Great thanks!” The bell rang.
“See ya at lunch!” He touched my shoulder and walked away. I walked back to my homeroom and sat. I listened to the announcements silently and I went to my first class.
I was restless until lunch came. When it did, I was surprised to see Logan standing right outside my class to walk me to my locker. We walked quietly not talking at all. When we arrived at my locker I twisted the lock and popped it open. I grabbed my lunch and my math books and we went to the cafeteria.
We sat at the first table we saw and I opened the brown paper bag in which my lunch was held. I pulled out the turkey and corned beef and cheese sandwich on pumpernickel bread out of the bag and took a bite. Logan was just looking at me... it was sort of awkward. To break the silence, I said “so explain to me what the deal is here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, like, why is there different lunches everyday?”
“It goes by class... but other than that I really don't know,” he admitted.
When we finished eating, we left the cafeteria and sat on the “Y” stairs right outside the lunch room. I'm guessing the staircase got its nickname from its look. It does look exactly like a “Y.” Logan and I just sat there, talking.
“So why did you move to Bel Air?” Logan asked me.
“Well, my mom's boyfriend was from here. He was in Kentucky for work. My mom met him at the gym and they instantly hooked. He moved in with us and somehow he convinced my mom to move up here with him because he 'missed his family,'” I mocked in Joel's voice.
“You don't like him?”
“No. He slapped me the other night,” I said, lowering my eyes. I turned my face to show him the red marks. I didn't know why I was telling him all this. I only just met him... Logan was just so easy to talk to.
“Oh my god... what did you do?” he said, his eyes widening.
“I told my mom but she didn't seem to believe that Joel's just a jerk. She thought it was something that I had said to tick him off.”
“That's not cool.”
“I know.”
The bell rang and Logan stood up. He stuck out his hand and I grabbed it. He pulled me up and, clumsy me, knocked right into him. He held me like that for nearly seven seconds. He had really nice eyes. They were dark dreen with orange flecks around his pupils.
When he let me go, he turned away. “Um...” I started to say.
“Yes?”
“Walk me to class?” He smiled.
“Yeah, sure. What room?” he asked, still smiling.
I told him my math class and he walked me to it. I turned around and he put his arms around me, books and all. He squeezed me hard, and then touched my hair with his...lips? When he let me go, he followed me into the classroom.
“Don't you need to go to your next class?”
“This is my next class,” he said with a wink.
“Oh,” I replied. I smiled. I sat at the seat next to him. When the teacher, Mrs. Haber, came in, I told her my name and that I was new.
“You can just sit at the seat you were sitting in, dear. I think it's the only empty seat...” She went back to her desk mumbling to herself. I sat back down next to Logan. He smiled. He seemed to do that a lot around me... he had a really nice smile.
Mrs. Haber went over to the overhead and put up the drill. “Wow, an overhead?” I thought to myself. “Please, that's like ancient history to us! All the classrooms that I've been in so far this year have SmartBoards.” SmartBoards are these cool white board type projector screen things. You can highlight, color, draw, note, and add onto slides that the teacher made on a board across the room. They're really cool.
As I finished the drill, I felt Logan's elbow on my upper arm. I turned and saw he had passed me a note. It read: Mrs. Haber's crazy, just saying. Youll hate this class... hopefully we'll make the class better together ;)
I wrote back: Really? She seems okay... but you've been here longer than I have... I suck at math... let alone trig/precalc! :)
He laughed softly. Mrs. Haber cleared her throat and the class began. About mid class, I felt Logan looking at me. My eyes met his, which were sparkling and dancing. I turned back to my work, my ponytail swishing. I heard him chuckle under his breath.
I tried to focus on my work for the rest of the period, but it was incredibly difficult. Everything that Mrs. Haber said was unclear. I didn't want to ask Logan because I knew I'd just get distracted and I'd miss something important.

<3