This New Life

The Power Couple

Calida got through her first few weeks just as she planned: unnoticed. Yet she couldn't deny the fact that she yearned for a friend. Someone who she could share her burning secrets with, someone she could complain to about her parents, and someone she could gossip with. In the end, someone that could make her more normal. Whenever she felt this kind of way she'd remember why she does what she does; so that no one can hurt her because her fear of getting hurt was greater than any desire for a friend (or something more) she had. 

Vermenia was a self-sufficient town and that included education which included options from kindergarten all the way up to college. This meant that everyone knew everyone and it was incredibly difficult to insert yourself into a group. This also allowed for gossip and rumors to travel fast within the school and the town. Whispers here and there. Calida was on the lips of many people but each formed their own opinion about her. From the weird new student to the shy new girl next door, she just didn't know it.

Calida walked through the halls of her new school with her flowing red hair tied in a bun covered by a grey, oversized hoodie as a girl with hair as red as hers would stick out like a sore thumb. She wore matching black sweats and plain old sneakers. She walked with her head low, clutching her books losing the courage and confidence she felt during that indescribable feeling on the way to school with every step. As she walked closer and closer to her English class she couldn't ignore the growing silence that enveloped her even though she knew she was surrounded by other students as she saw their shoes peeking into her line of sight from the edges of her hoodie. She looked up and then she understood exactly what was going on. It was them. The 'popular' kids. She observed them walking through the halls splitting the groups of freshmen pushing them into the walls but no one fought back. They just moved aside preferring to avoid conflict than being made the laughing stock of the school. 

The alpha was a tall, blonde girl with the physique of a supermodel from one of the magazines Calida read through as she was bored out of her mind on the journey to Vermenia. She guessed that she was around 20 years old as the confidence in her step and the fear and awe she instilled in those around her came from experience. Her face was just the perfect shade of peach and the many freckles that dotted her nose just highlighted her deep blue eyes even more. She wore a white shirt that was knotted at the bottom revealing the outline of her abs and short jean tousers that barely covered half her thigh. Her name was Layla. At least that is what she assumed from the overheard whispers of the students beside her. It came as no surprise that the hot senior beside her was her boyfriend. 

He had messy brown hair that lied gently on his forehead and just barely began to reach over his eyes. OH, HIS EYES. They were green with a ring of light blue around the edge and blended into gold closer to the pupil. As Calida's eyes fell onto his jawline she could help but think that it could replace any of the knives her mother kept in the kitchen. She traced her eyes down towards his torso where his physique was on full display. While he was not as buff as the bodybuilders her dad used to read about he still had great muscle mass and body definition. His arms were wrapped in veins and he wore a shark tooth bracelet. She could only begin to imagine the six-pack he hid underneath his jacket. 

She didn't know how long she had been staring at them and the group of boys surrounding them, which she could only assume were their minions, but she did realize that she and the Greek God that strutted down the halls had made eye contact. 

Oh no! What are these feelings? Are...Are....Are they what I think they are? NO! It can't be. I can't be feeling these butterflies. I barely know the guy.No. No. I don't like him, I don't like him, I can't! I...I...I'm gonna be late for class I have to go. I....I...I can't stay here.

She snapped out of whatever spell he had put her under, lowered her head, and kept walking to class. When she was out of the crowded hallway and up the stairs to the second floor, Calida, glanced one last time at the school's power-couple. A 22-Year-old Greek God and a 20-Year-old Victoria's Secret Model. After witnessing a passionate kiss in the middle of all those people cementing their status and as a way for Layla to gun down anyone that was eyeing her boyfriend. It worked as after this Calida turned around and kept walking to class. 

Was he hot? Yes. But I can't do this to myself I have to forget him...forget all of them.

Calida made it a point to follow through with her intention and took different routes to get to class, ate in a different corner of the school, and did whatever she could to get away from them. It was hard at first as all she could think of for the next few days was that smile and those eyes and that hair and...

                                                                                                   *** 

The first few months passed sluggishly and Calida's mission to forget about the very type of people she had moved into a new life because of had succeeded. She had distracted herself with the tests that she had to study for and acing every single one of her classes. December had rolled around and after mid-terms, many students had changed classes due to timetable changes. At least Calida's had remained relatively the same, as she had experienced enough change. The only change that did happen was that a new student entered her Literature class and as he sat next to her in the back of the class she could feel that he had a certain aura around him, he was familiar but not enough for her to recognize him, remember his name or start a conversation. She just kept her eyes focused on her poem by some Old Vermenian man speaking about some forbidden love.