Young Adult Contemporary Fiction

Work-In-Progress

 

Excerpt:

 

Chapter One

 

 

A building never seemed so intimidating. It wasn’t much to look at, really. Normal, plain, just like any other high school. Except that now, it was my high school.

A crazy swarm of jitters settled in my stomach and I took a deep breath. No big deal. My mom told me I had no reason to be nervous, and really, she was right. Sure, I was a freshman, but I was also the head cheerleader. At least I wouldn’t have to walk through those doors alone.

I readjusted my red plaid backpack over my shoulder and continued up the long sidewalk leading to the main entryway. If the school itself didn’t put a damper on my confidence, the crowds of guys and girls in their little—or in some cases, large—cliques did it for me. Where were my friends? I rose on my toes, glancing over heads before crossing to the grass. I’d wait. My group would eventually find me.

The letters carved into stone above the doors had chipped red paint, and the P on “Parker” had mounds of bird poop defacing it. Even the metal railing lining the walkway had flecked away, revealing the dull metal beneath. Parker High, home of the patriots.

“Lexi!”

I turned to see Chloe bounding up the sidewalk, her blond ponytail swishing behind her. She stopped next to me, leaned forward on her toes and gripped the straps of her backpack against her shoulders. “I thought I’d never find you. Didn’t you get my texts?”

“Mom said if I got my phone confiscated at school she’d ground me from it.”

Chloe twisted her lips. “Oh. Gag me, really? That sucks.”

I shrugged, totally understanding my mom’s point-of-view, but not willing to come across as the goody-goody. “Where’s everyone else?” I did another sweep through the crowds.

“Yeah, Jenna just got dropped off and Maddie texted me to meet her in B Hall. We got lockers next to each other!” Fab. Of course I was the only one in our group who got stuck with a locker in D Hall.

The crowds parted. Chloe and I turned in time to see Jenna swagger up the walk, bouncy strawberry blond hair tumbling over a too-tight shirt with a few buttons undone. She smiled at us, batted her eyes at the senior boys hanging out on the steps behind us, and looped her thumbs through her jeans hoops.

“Hey guys. Oh, Chloe, love those earrings.” She gave a nod and wink to me. I sort of envied her a little for all that confidence. She had plenty overflowing to share, if only that were possible.

“Maddie’s meeting you guys in B Hall,” I said, starting back up the steps. One of the senior boys—assuming, what with the letter jackets and all—said something to Jenna. I kept going. I had way more walking to do than them, and the heck if I was going to be late to my first ever class as a freshman.

Chloe caught up to me half way through A Hall.

“I can’t believe we didn’t get lockers close to each other.” Chloe flicked her ponytail back behind her, as it constantly enjoyed sprawling over her thin shoulders. I’d always been slightly jealous of her petite build. My flyer days were over the minute she tried-out for eighth grade cheerleading. Only when there was more than one stunt would I get that chance of feeling gravity at its greatest. But she’d been my best friend since 5^th grade, and I’d give up flying any day to have her on my squad.

“At least we have first period together,” I said.

“And lunch.”

“And fourth and fifth period.” We laughed. It wouldn’t be any different than junior high. A bigger school, sure, and a butt load more people. But with Chloe and my other friends around all the time, and cheerleading my constant obsession, everything would be fine.

We separated at her locker and I did my best to weave through people without bumping anyone, or myself, off course. I finally managed to make it to my hall, with the help of my crumpled up school map clutched in my left hand. I checked the overhead clock just as the five minute warning bell rang.

Once I hurried to my locker, I put in the combination about a dozen times before it finally clicked. A good thing, too, since I was on the verge of busting it open. Normally, I’d go straight to first period, bypassing the locker stop. But I really didn’t want to lug every single one of my books with me.

One by one, I stuffed them into the locker, leaving my math book and notebook inside. Slamming the locker door, I turned to walk to Ms. Gates’s math class. A guy stood in my way, neatly stacking his books in the locker next to mine. His long, almost-black hair fell forward over his forehead. Total skater boy. He noticed me, and I found myself even more flustered than when I couldn’t open my locker.

A quick side step got me around him. I returned his wave with an even more awkward one. “Gonna be late,” was all I said as I hustled down the hall. Seeing as he was my new locker buddy, I was sure I’d run into him again and offer a proper hello. For now, though, I had a mission, and it was to be on time.

Once I got to the room, I slid into a desk next to Chloe’s and chunked my backpack on the floor. Made it with a minute to spare. Chloe was busy hiding her phone under the desk, more than likely texting her boyfriend. Well, so much for the traditional pre-class chit-chat. I dug a pencil out from my bag.

“Way to show school spirit,” said Jenna from the front of the class. A group of giggles followed.

I felt my cheeks flush. I hadn’t even thought about the colors of the Parker Patriots when I put my red hoodie on this morning. For Jenna to call me on it like that, with venom snootiness she only saved for the Others, well—

I finally forced myself to face her and that’s when I realized I wasn’t the target of her words. Two rows to my right, a girl I didn’t know shot Jenna a scowl.

“Shove it, cheer-bitch.”

The entire classroom seemed to fall into a hush. My jaw dropped open and I darted my eyes back to Jenna. I heard Chloe sigh a little too dramatically, but kept my attention glued to Jenna, whose face turned a few shades pinker. I swore she’d leap across the desk and rip the girl’s hair out. The bell rang, and Ms. Gates saved the day.

She looked like a normal math teacher. Bobbed brown hair and thinly framed glasses, a boring color scheme of taupe and chocolate brown as her chosen outfit. She wrote her name on the dry erase board, as if people didn’t take the time to look at their class schedules. I didn’t miss the this-isn’t-over-yet look Jenna gave to the girl. Either the girl was really good at pretending to ignore her, or was completely aloof at who she’d just insulted. Then again, she’d known Jenna was on the squad, so maybe she knew exactly what she was doing. Still, it made no sense.

“Integers will be our first chapter of study.” She wrote a definition of integers on the dry erase board.

The door opened, and locker boy strolled in, saggy jeans and all. Ms. Gates paused, glanced at him, then returned to the board.

“Since it’s the first day, you’ll get a freebie. But after today, if you’re late to my class, you get a slip.”

He only rolled his eyes, picked an empty desk in the back row, and dropped his backpack with a loud thud. Chloe snorted her disapproval while the rest of the class dug out their journals to start taking notes.

By the end of class, I had a pretty good handle on integers, and came to the realization I was a total overachiever. After the third time to be the one Ms. Gates called on, thanks to my own volunteering, I slunk down in my seat, determined to keep my mouth shut even if everyone else in the class was a pre-algebra idiot. Thank God she didn’t call on me the one time no one raised their hands to answer.

“See ya at lunch,” said Chloe as we left class.

Jenna came up behind us. “Save me a seat, I may be a little late, ‘kay?”

“Sure.” We all parted ways. I headed to English class now, which was . . . shoot, where was it? I stopped to dig out the map from my back pocket. Someone ran smack into me. To my horror, I went flailing forward. Oh my God, please don’t face plant, please!

A hand grabbed my arm and yanked me upright before I could get thrown too far. I stumbled back into them, backpack flinging to the ground. Utterly mortified, I scrambled to pick it up, ducked my head and hoped those who noticed would move on.

“Man, my bad.”

Clutching my bag, I turned on my heels and stood. “Locker boy?”

“Huh?”

Oops, didn’t mean to say that out loud.

“You okay?” He pulled out his ear buds and looked me over. Like, a real, slow look as if he liked what he saw.

Sure, it was nice to feel, um, appreciated. But could he be any more obvious? “Fine. Just, watch where you’re going, alright?” I sighed and turned to storm off, ignoring all the eyes on me due to locker boy’s horrible clumsiness.

Unfortunately, the guy didn’t seem to get my hint. He strolled up next to me, shrugging his backpack to one shoulder. “Where you headed to next?”

“English.” Change course, no friendly conversation with the guy who just humiliated you. “Why?”

He put up his hands in defense. “Just a question. I know the halls pretty well is all, thought I could help you get to class after you know, embarrassing you and stuff.” He ran a hand through his choppy hair.

“No thanks, I’m pretty sure I can figure it out myself.” I fought the urge to roll my eyes at him, trying to come off as civilized yet slightly pissed-off.

“You’re Alexis Hansen, right?”

My feet almost stopped on their own. To my credit, I don’t think my shock came off as visible. Was this guy from LJH? I glanced at him again from the corner of my eye. He didn’t look familiar, but then again, how many guys had gone to LJH? Surely I didn’t know them all. “Yeah? Do I know you?”

He laughed. “No.”

It dawned on me I wasn’t paying any attention to where I headed. Pulling out the map, I tried to read and walk at the same time, which would’ve been a lot easier if the map came sans wrinkles.

“This way,” he said and turned down a hall.

I stopped to study the map, convinced on doing this on my own.

“You’re going to be late, and don’t you need your book?”

Why did he have to be right? “I don’t need a personal tour, thanks.” I brushed past him, realizing I was in C Hall. I passed what I thought was my next class and rushed through the hall to get to the next one.

This time, my locker opened the first try. I switched my books, packed my third period book just in case, and bee lined it back to C Hall. I slipped through the door just as the bell rang and blindly chose a seat. Mr. Higgins stood from behind his desk, thumbing through our lit book. I tried to calm the frantic beat of my pulse. Pulling out my book from my bag, I noticed a familiar pair of baggy jeans to my right.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Locker boy grinned, sitting in the desk next to mine. This was so going to be the worst first day of school ever.