Tempted By My Arrogant Hockey Captain

Chapter 02

~HAILEY~

~One month later~

Just like Mom and Dad had promised, I was transferred into Colton school after the holiday ended and I couldn't wait to begin this new chapter of my life.

I had spent most of the holiday forgetting and deleting every memory with Jacob and writing down a few things that could count as a dream because I clearly needed a focus to keep my mind off my past completely.

Since I didn't want to be late on my first day of school, I left the house early, bidding my parents goodbye with a scream from the entrance of the house. I had to catch the first bus quickly.

Thankfully, I was right on time. 30 minutes later, I was standing on the long road leading to the school entrance gate. I sucked a sharp deep breath in, inhaling the air in such a beautiful environment. Honestly, I had envied Colton when my parents chose to take him to a better school after high school especially because he was way smarter than I was, and of course, overly ambitious.

As I walked towards the entrance, I tried to imagine how my first day was going to be like. The first thing I had noted in my book last night was to avoid mean girls as best as I could. Of course I didn't want another Bianca in my life.

Suddenly, a strong arm gripped my perfectly combed blonde hair before it was wrapped around my neck,

“Hey little pumpkin!” I heard a familiar voice and while I still didn't look at the face of the person gripping my neck, I prayed it wouldn't be who I was thinking. Please dear Lord, not him!

“What the hell Brayden!” Colton yelled from behind me and I immediately gasped, forcing his arm away from my neck. I whipped my head to my side to see Brayden Asher standing by my side with a wicked smile on his face.

“Did you seriously run off like that because of Hailey?” Colton asked, standing by my other side and while I stood in the middle of them, I felt extremely small.

I hadn't seen Brayden in over seven years, and just like Colton, he had grown so much or even better. Strong arms, chiseled jawline, and really really tall.

“Are you kidding? I haven't seen this little pumpkin for so long.”

No! Not again with the word “little pumpkin.” I was no longer little and what if someone ended up hearing him call me that. I closed my eyes and clenched my fingers by my side, hoping to endure and ignore Brayden as best as I could.

“It's good to see you again.”

Fuck! I knew he didn't mean that.

“I wouldn't say the same.” I uttered as I stopped walking and let out a frustrating breath,

“Colton.” I tilted my head towards him with a forced smile curled on my face, “Brayden.” I snapped my head again to him, “Don't you both have things to do? This is my first day in school and I don't want anyone ruining it.”

Colton could mind his business and ignore me if I wanted, but Brayden, he had been my worst nemesis in middle school as that was the last time I saw him so I shot him another deathly glare, “Stay away from me.”

I didn't give either of them the opportunity to reply as I walked away, increasing my pace without looking back until I got into the school. A wave of fresh air shot through me as I watched the students walking around the school vicinity. Damn, this place was cooler and bigger than my former school. Totally insane.

I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and continued walking, my heart racing from excitement and finally halted in front of a door with a bold writing “Public Speaking.”

I pushed open the heavy wooden door to room 214 and stepped inside. The lecture seat wasn't so huge, maybe thirty seats in a row, but it felt worlds away from my old school.

My eyes scanned the room quickly, heart still doing that excited little flip from earlier. Most seats were taken by kids who already looked like they belonged here.

I spotted an empty seat near the middle, right behind a girl with long glossy raven hair that fell straight at her back. She turned her head just as I was approaching and gave me a warm and friendly smile like she had been waiting for someone to sit there.

I smiled back and slid into the seat behind her, “Hey.”

“Hi.” She whispered back, “New here too?”

“Transfer.” I responded, keeping my voice low, “Second year.”

“Same. I'm Maya.” She gave me a quick thumbs up before facing forward again and just like that, the knot in my stomach eased a tiny bit. Maybe I wasn't going to be alone in this,

In my bag, I pulled out my notebook, and the brand new text book I had bought yesterday, smoothing my hand over the glossy cover.

Nineteen years old, officially a sophomore now that I'd transferred and still completely lost. I was turning twenty in a couple of months, two more years of college and I was still just winging it while Colton was out there living his football dream like it was already written in stones. The thought twisted in my chest again, but I shoved it down.

New school, New start, New goals.

The door at the front of the room swung open and a tall, bald professor in a wrinkled button-down walked in.

“All right folks, let's get started. I'm professor Hales. Now, if you're in the wrong room, now's your chance to—”

The door creaked open again and I looked up.

Brayden strolled in like he owned the place—same messy dark hair, cocky half smirk and backpack hanging from one shoulder. His eyes scanned the room once, then locked on me and that smirk only deepened like the universe had just handed him the best joke of his life.

My stomach dropped as I let out a silent groan in frustration. No way! He was supposed to be out there with Colton, doing whatever the hell and not in my first class on my first day at my new school.

I couldn't breathe! His gaze stayed on me as he sauntered down the aisle and dropped into the seat next to mine. He leaned back in his chair, and shot me a sideways look that said he remembered every single middle school teasing, every time he'd made my life hell.

“Nice to see you here, little pumpkin.” He whispered, and God, I hoped no one heard that too. I closed my eyes and began counting numbers to prevent myself from exploding.

“Cool. Calm. Collected”

“Cool. Calm. Collected.” I repeated..