Surviving The Hockey Jerk

Mirabel's pov They say life is like a coin...two sides, right? One filled with laughter, love, and peace. The other, with heartbreak, silence, and wounds that don’t bleed on the outside. But no one ever tells you what to do when your coin lands and never flips again. Because mine did. A long time ago, it landed in pain and stayed there, stubborn and cold like the grave we buried my father in last month. I still can’t say the words out loud....My father is dead. I don’t know how people do that...how they speak about their pain like it’s a badge of survival. I’m not there yet. I’m just… floating, trying to forget his last moments. The way his last breath sounded, the way his fingers slipped out of mine,and the way the hospital room smelled like bleach and death. After all that, after losing him, I had no choice but to move in with my mother in Neverwood. My mother Mrs Joy abandoned me when I was just two years old. She left to live her dream life with her wealthy lover who is now her husband Mr Arthur. This morning I woke up in a room that still felt so strange , with my suitcase half packed, and that sense of sorrow that clung to me like my second skin. It's the first day at a new school. Neverwood College. The name sounds very fancy like something ripped out of a fantasy novel...the one with curses and haunted woods. The thought of starting a new school, with new strangers makes my skin crawl, but what choice do I have? I stared at the mirror at least ten complete minutes, deciding which face to put on today.... should I go with the I don't care look, or the you all can f**k off look. I took a deep breath, pulled out a hoodie, jeans and boots. The perfect look that screams safety and invincibility. But the moment I got closer to that massive door, I felt it...The stares, the shift in energy, and the whispers. I knew that feeling too well, like wolves sniffing out the lone lamb I took a deep breath, tightened my books on my chest, adjusted my bag and buried my head to the ground. "Keep your head down Mirabel... nobody must know what you are in this town...just blend in." Mrs Joy's words kept echoing in my head. I was so deep in thoughts that I wasn't watching where I was going, and bumped into someone just at the entrance of the school’s door. "I'm so sorry," she said, her eyes widening in panic as the cup slipped from her fingers and the warm coffee splashed across my shirt, and the warmth seeped through the fabric almost instantly. "f**k!" I murmured to myself, looking down at the large brown stain spreading across my shirt. "Just what I needed right now." She bit her lower lip, clearly feeling guilty. Without hesitating, she pulled out a neatly folded handkerchief from her bag and gently tried to wipe away the stain. "It's fine," I said, stepping back. You don't need to do this, please just point me to the wash room. She hesitated a little but then said, "I can show you where it is, because you may confuse it with…” “There is no need, just direct me, I’ll find my way,” I cut her off immediately. "Oh okay, once you get inside, you walk down to the end, by the left there are two sections so it may be confusing, but you will see..." "Thank you," I replied, cutting her off before she could finish. I didn't have the time for all these explanations, when I get there, I will figure it out. I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and walked away immediately, not giving either of us the chance to say another word. The first day in this new godforsaken school and I'm already having bad luck... Just perfect. I murmured to myself as I walked down the hall. I pushed through the crowd, finally reaching the wash room. Still consumed by my own thoughts, I grabbed the handle and pushed a door open, and walked in, but froze midway. What the... My eyes opened wide as I stared at the hot naked boy in front of me. Water rolled down his broad shoulders and traced the muscles of his body before disappearing onto the tiled floor beneath him. His dark thick hair fell perfectly around his shoulders, a few damp strands hanging over his face as droplets slowly dripped from them. His hazel eyes locked onto mine, and he didn't look surprised at all, it was almost as if he'd been expecting someone to walk in. He had well defined lips, and for some weird reason, I couldn't just look away. His hand slowly slid through his wet hair, pushing it back effortlessly. The corner of his lips curled into an amused smile, like he was enjoying every second of the attention, and he made no effort to cover up. He just... stared. I could feel my heart beating really fast, but I just couldn't look away. "Take a picture, that'll last for a lifetime," he said, with a teasing smile playing on his lips. His voice was so soft and calm. How can someone be this hot and be so soft spoken too...DAMN! "Wh... what?" I stammered, still fixed on him. He took a slow step closer, closing the distance between us. I could almost feel his breath. "You like what you see, right?" His smile grew wider. "So take a picture." I could feel my pulse beating more than usual. Come to your senses, Mirabel, I whispered to myself. I stumbled a step back immediately, my face was burning with embarrassment. My eyes dropped to the floor as I desperately tried to avoid looking at him again. "Why..." I cleared my throat. "Why are you in the girl's wash room?" I managed to voice out, folding my arms defensively as if that would somehow save me from the humiliation. "Girl's wash room?" he scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "Did you look at the tag? This is the hockey team's wash room." "Wha... what?" I stammered. I turned around so fast I nearly lost my balance and hurried back toward the entrance. There it was, boldly written on the sign. Hockey Boys' Wash Room. "f**k!" I groaned, slapping my left hand against my forehead before squeezing my eyes shut. Could this day possibly get any worse?