Chapter 4

Surprisingly enough, my brain woke me up before my alarm. I’d been having a freakishly vivid dream about grey eyes before I jolted awake, my own pair of hazel eyes bugging out when I realised where I’d seen them before.

Let’s just say they definitely didn’t belong to Clay.

I’d woken up half an hour before my alarm, so I figured I’d just get a head start on the day, put a little bit of extra effort into my appearance for the first day back. I’d already washed my hair yesterday when I got back from Benny’s so I sat in front of the mirror and got to work on fixing the mess that is my face.

My alarm is now going off on my bedside table and I’m nearly done with my makeup, a small grin pulling at the corners of my lips when I realise I actually have time for breakfast now before I go to pick April up from her house. I swear, if I wasn’t an athlete I’d be huge. I eat my bodyweight in food every day and I’m never full. I’m the type of person who will eat because there’s food within arms reach and not because I’m actually hungry. I grab my school bag and bound down the stairs two at a time, walking into the kitchen to find my older brother Will already sat at the table, his sleepy eyes glued to the bowl of cereal in front of him.

My brother is lucky. He doesn’t go back to university for another two weeks so he gets to chill in the house by himself for another two weeks whilst I have to try and not stab myself with a pencil.

“Morning.” I say to him, running my hand over his recently shaved brown hair, pulling it away before he can slap my hand with one of his own. “Why are you up so early?”

“I have to drive back up to UPenn for football trials.” He responds gruffly before shoving a spoonful of lucky charms into his mouth. He chews a few times before swallowing, looking up and letting his green eyes stare at me. He smirks, like he’s just laughed at a thought in his head. “I can’t let all the weight training and growing I’ve done over summer go to waste.”

I snort as I grab a bowl from the cupboard and pour myself some cereal, dropping into the seat at the island counter beside him. It’s common knowledge that my brother didn’t make first string last year at UPenn despite his talent as a player. He was told to bulk up and come to trials before fall season starts to see if he could push his way into the team after the seniors opened up spaces in the squad. The same happened with my soccer team. Three seniors graduated, all of which played up front and scored over three quarters of our goals. That’s how Freya got into the team, by default, and I’ll never let her forget it.

“Don’t deny the fact your new physique hasn’t helped you out with the girls.” I wrinkle my nose at the memories of Will sneaking scantily clad girls out of his bedroom early in the morning just as I was leaving the house for morning practice. I have to hand it to my brother, he has good taste, most of the girls drop dead gorgeous. God knows what they see in my bald headed, gap toothed, broken nosed brother.

We eat in a comfortable silence, my eyes flicking down to my watch to see that I have to set off for April soon. I drink the rest of my milk before discarding my bowl in the sink and heading towards the front door, waving to my brother. “Good luck!”

“Thanks.” I hear him grumble as I shut the door behind me, twirling my car keys around my finger before unlocking my car and slipping inside. April lives about a five minute drive away so I don’t bother with music until she’s in the car. She hates my music anyway so it’s easier if she picks what plays during the short drive to school. Thinking about the amount of times I’ve had songs queued up only for her to skip through every single one of them and play her own music.

I pull up outside her house and send her a quick text, my finger barely pressing send before she’s running out of her house and towards my passenger seat. My eyes travel approvingly over her outfit, a white t-shirt tucked into pale pink trousers matched with her white converse, her hair flowing over her shoulders in fiery ringlets. Her eyebrows raise when she takes in my appearance, my ears turning pink with embarrassment under her scrutinous gaze. “Why have you dressed up so nicely?”

I look down at my plain white v-neck tucked into some ratty denim jean shorts, my striped, long sleeved flannel shirt left open and the sleeves rolled to the elbows. I didn’t think it was anything too fancy, in fact I wear this kind of clothes all the time. I look at her and raise my eyebrow. “I always wear this?”

April clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth as we pull away from her house. “You don’t wear that much makeup all the time, not that it’s a bad thing because you look hot! Have you dressed up for Clay?”

I cast her a dirty look out of the corner of my eye. I snap at her, “No, I put makeup on because it’s the first day back at school, I woke up early and I wanted to look nice.” It annoys me how every single one of my actions suddenly has something to do with Clay, just because our friend’s know we’re struggling at the moment. I do my makeup and apparently it’s for Clay, I wear nice clothes, immediately I’m asked if it’s because I know that Clay will like them. “I’m getting sick of you guys asking me if I’m doing something because of Clay just beacuse we’ve hit a rough patch.”

April shrinks back into her seat at my harsh, biting tone and a ball of guilt instantly settles in my stomach. I sigh and run a hand through my curls before looking back at her and resting my hand on her bare knee. “I’m sorry. Everything with Clay right now is up in the air and I really don’t want him coming up in conversation when it’s just you and me.”

April nods her head and rests her hand on top of mine, squeezing it before smiling slightly. “No I’m sorry, I know he’s a no go zone at the moment. And I totally just belittled feminism, god I’m such a sucky girl. How about a milkshake from Benny’s as my version of a piece offering?”

I smirk at her as I turn left towards Benny’s instead of right towards school. We have an extra ten minutes today because of how on time I’ve been this morning, so I feel like a milkshake is a deserved reward. “Only if you’re paying.”

We both laugh as I pull into the drive thru, which is much quieter than it was yesterday evening when I came. We quickly order two milkshakes, one medium banana for April and one extra large raspberry for myself, before setting off in the direction of school.

The mood has lifted in my car and my best friend is now screeching out the lyrics to every pop song that comes on the radio, her hair flowing behind her like red water as she decided to put the roof of my car down. I wouldn’t be surprised if my hair has gotten all knotty by the time I get out of this car. I pull into the school parking lot, my usual spot by the front entrance still empty. I park and we both hop out, making our way to the office.

To make life easier for the staff, students have to go and recieve their new yearly schedules from certain rooms in school instead of posting them in lockers etcetera. This year as seniors we collect our timetables from the office, which is smack bang in the centre of school, next to the principal and vice principal’s respective offices. We arrived to school pretty early with me being ahead of time for once in my life so the office isn’t very busy and the queue isn’t long.

We get to the front and I smile brightly at the school’s beloved secretary Mrs. Beverley. She’s a petite woman in her late sixties with short white hair and a constant smile. She makes it her personal mission to know every student’s name and to constantly check up on them and the whole school, students and faculty alike, adore her. A lot of people also think she’s the reason this school runs as smoothly as it does, her stellar ability to sort out meetings and budgeting aiding Principal Webber immensely.

She also loves me, which makes me very smug.

“Morning, Alex.” She greets me chipperly, her eyes skimming across my best friend before greeting her too. “Here are your schedules, along with the sports timetables so you know when soccer practice is going to be held after tryouts. April I also printed off the music and drama schedule, just in case Alex and Faye convince you to go to drama club this year.”

I laugh boisterously as April’s face burns as red as her hair, Mrs. Beverley joining in with me. I grab my stack of paper and April does the same, mumbling her embarrassed thanks. We say our goodbyes and just as we turn to leave the office, Mrs. Beverely’s hand rests on mine briefly. “Alex, you wouldn’t mind doing me a favour would you?”

“Of course not miss.” I smile, taking a sip out of my drink as April says she’s going to find Faye and she’ll meet me in homeroom to find if we have any lessons together. “What do you need?”

“Well, we have a new student joining today, a senior, and she’s in your homeroom.” My eyes flit around the room to see nobody out of place, and I let my gaze fall back on the beloved receptionsist. “She’s talking to Principal Webber at the moment, but would you be a dear and take her to your homeroom and show her to her first few lessons of the day? I’ll write you a tardy slip which you can show your teachers and they’ll understand.”

My body buzzes with excitement at the prospect of a new student, a girl at that. I hope she’s nice, and easy to get along with. I hate holier-than-thou bitches like Freya Pope and her band of hollow followers.

The small, gay part of my brain nags at me to hope that she’s hot, but I quickly shut her off and ignore her. I don’t need drama like that in my life when I’m struggling to deal with Clay.

“Sure miss, I don’t mind.” I say in response to Mrs. Beverley’s question and I watch as she sighs with relief. “You want me to just sit here and wait for her, or do you want to call me to the office when she’s done?”

“I don’t think she’ll be long now.” The receptionist says as she taps away at her keyboard, her eyes flicking between looking at her computer screen and me from behind her glasses. “You can just sit on the chairs in the waiting area if you want, I doubt they’ll be more than five miuntes…”

Just as Mrs. Beverley finishes her sentence the door to Principal Webber’s office opens. My gaze flickers to the receding hairline of my principal before my eyes bug out of my sockets at the sight of the girl he’s opening the door for.

I couldn’t forget her if I tried. Her shoulder length hair is curled and stroking her collarbones, pushed out of the way of those intense grey eyes with a pair of sunglasses. Her wire frames are nowhere to be seen, exposing her freckled cheeks and soft nose, a thin nose ring replacing the stud that was there yesterday. Her athletic body is now wearing a sundress paired with some battered converse, the fabric hugging to every dip and curve of her frame.

I need to remind myself to keep my mouth closed and the drool in my salivary glands for fear of looking like a complete psycho. I feel my grip tighten around my milkshake as I try to centre myself, my hand making a noticable dent in the cardboard.

“Ah here she is.” Mrs. Beverley claps her hands together, gaining the attention of the hot stranger I met in Benny’s, her eyes widening in a similar fashion to my own. Then, so fast I swear I missed it, she composes herself and let’s a smug look fall across her face as she sees the clenched cup in my iron grip. “Alex, this is Mackenzie Daniels. Mackenzie, Alex has agreed to show you around on your first day.”

I open my mouth to speak but Principal Webber beats me to it. “Great! Saves me having to grovel another student to do it. Alex Doherty is an esteemed member of the school and will no doubt be a great tour guide on your first day!”

I wave dumbly at her which only has her smirk growing. I want to slap myself for looking and acting so stupid but then everyone would think I’m weird, not just her. So much for the cocky persona I showed her yesterday, now I bet she thinks I’m some sort of awkward idiot.

I run a hand over my hair and check my watch to see how much time I have before first bell as a way of distracting my mind from the blonde beauty stood less than a metre away. I’m aware that principal Webber is speaking but I can’t hear him for the blood rushing in my ears. I let my gaze fall on the blonde bombshell now known as Mackenzie. The name suits her. Her grey eyes are light at the moment, staring straight back at mine with a wicked smile on her face. I shake my head at her grin and take a drink from my milkshake, my confidence slowly climbing now I’m over being blindsided by her presence.

I even go as far as tipping the drink in her direction before drinking again.

“Great!” Principal Webber claps his hands together, forcing us to break eye contact and return our attentions to him. “I’ll see you at the end of the day, Miss Daniels. Alex, I expect you to be a star example of the students at this school.” Principal Webber eyes me. “If I hear you haven’t been I can guarantee you won’t play your opening soccer game.”

My mouth drops and I feign horror. “Principal Webber! Do you think so lowly of me?”

He rolls his eyes but I catch the grin on his face before he turns around and heads into his office, leaving me with Mrs. Beverley and the girl that has my heart rate increasing. I look at her again to find her grey gaze already on me, her long slender fingers tightly grasping her paperwork and timetable.

We stand a few feet apart without saying anything. I don’t want it to be awkward between us, at the very least I want her to see me as a friendly face or someone to talk to. She’s not going to talk to me if I can’t even string a sentence together whilst in her presence. “So where are you from?”

“West Chester.” Mackenzie replies, her eyes becoming a slightly darker grey, like clouds just before the thunder arrives. “I moved in with my brother over summer.”

“That’s cool.” I nod, deciding not to breach any sensitive topics. There’s nothing worse than someone who sticks their nose where they have no business being. I know that we play West Chester in a couple of weeks once the soccer season has started, so she might see people that she knows if she comes to watch the game. “I’ve been to West Chester once for a soccer game. They have a great little Italian place I remember eating at.”

Mackenzie grins and her posture relaxes, her hands scrunching and unscruncing the paper in her hands. “Little Italy? Yeah they do the best pasta I’ve ever eaten in my life.”

I see the colour copy of the school map that the school always give to new students, but it isn’t helpful in the slighest. The plan is all backwards and the floor plan just makes you even more lost than you were without it. I grab the map from her grip, smirking as her eyes widen before I shove it into the pocket of my shorts. “Trust me, blondie. You’re better off without it.”

Mackenzie scoffs at my arrogant tone, pointing her thumb towards the door. “Alright then, all knowing milkshake thief, shall we go? Or are you going to make me late on my first day?”

I snort as I hold the door open for her, her perfume climbing my nose as she breezes past me. “You can’t steal your own order. If anyone is a thief it’s you.”

“I’ve only been here five minutes and you’re already calling me names.” Mackenzie pouts, her bee stung bottom lip seemingly made bigger because of it. I tear my eyes away from her mouth, the tips of my ears growing hot. “I’m sure Principal Webber would love to hear about it.”

I roll my eyes and glare playfully back at her. “Been here five miuntes and you’re already threatening me. Looks like I’m going to have my hands full.”

“Shut up.” Mackenzie laughs and knocks her shoulder with mine. “Come on then, give me the tour.”

////