Chapter 24
1027 Words
The rest of the morning blurred together in a way that only a first day can. Too many hallways, too many names, too much trying not to look lost. Thankfully, Keisha stayed close. She showed me to English Lit with Mrs. Holloway first, then World History, where the teacher spoke so fast, I wondered if he ever paused to breathe. Fourth period was Chemistry, which smelled faintly like disinfectants and regret, mercifully short and painfully boring. Most of the classes we either had together or were just a room or two apart, so Keisha kept tossing directions over her shoulder like she’d been doing this forever.
By the time fifth period lunch rolled around, I was starving. We entered the lunchroom, and I was once again blown away. The cafeteria resembled a buffet-style restaurant more than it did a high school lunchroom. We grabbed trays and moved through the line, the cafeteria buzzing with voices and clanging trays. As we walked toward the seating area, a cluster of girls in matching cheer uniforms caught Keisha’s attention. A blonde waved exaggeratedly. “Heyyy, Keisha! We really miss you on the team,” she called out, her smile wide and sugary. I could tell immediately that it was fake. Painfully so.
Keisha didn’t even slow down. She rolled her eyes and kept walking. Behind us, the cheerleaders burst into laughter, the kind that was meant to sting. We slid our trays onto a table a little farther away. “Friends of yours?” I asked carefully, glancing back at them. Keisha snorted. “I wouldn’t befriend that b***h squad again if my life depended on it.” I raised my brows but didn’t press.
A group of guys in letterman jackets wandered over to the cheerleaders’ table, immediately drawing attention. Football players, I assumed. They were loud, confident, and very aware of it. Keisha leaned closer. “Take notes.” She subtly nodded her head. “Okay, see that one there? Blonde, blue eyes, not very bright? That’s Courtney. Her dad’s some hot shot lawyer.” She gestured to the guy next to her. “That’s Luke. Her boyfriend.” “The Brunette with the ‘I-know-everything’ face is Whitney. Don’t let the warm, brown eyes fool you. She’s as cold as ice. Parents are both surgeons. Boyfriend’s name is Chris.”
Then she lowered her voice. “And that one—” she pointed discreetly, “That’s Wynter. Queen B. Blonde, blue eyes, perfect smile, perfect hair, perfect everything… except her attitude. A real she-devil behind that fake smile. Her mom’s the mayor of Redhaven.” I blinked. “Seriously?” “Dead serious,” Keisha said. “She usually dates the captain of the football team, Brice. All-American hero type”, she says, rolling her eyes. She glanced around the cafeteria. “Guess he’s not here today”, she shrugged.
As if summoned by her words, Luke suddenly peeled away from the group and walked over to us. “What’s up, K?” he said casually, leaning on the table like he belonged there. Keisha didn’t look impressed. He laughed, trying anyway. “Damn, you still mad at me?” Then his eyes flicked to me. “And who’s this?” he asked, grin widening. “Because wow— you’re new, right?” My brain short-circuited.
“I— uh— I’m—” I started, instantly hating how my voice stumbled. “She’s not interested,” Keisha cut in flatly. Luke clutched his chest dramatically. “Hostile. I thought we were friends,” he said, laughing as he straightened up. “Relax, K.” He strolled back to his table, and I couldn’t help but notice Courtney’s face twist with clear irritation as she watched him go. I turned back to Keisha. “Yikes.”
“Rule number one,” she said, stabbing at her food. “Never trust them.” I nodded. She glanced at my tray. “You done?” I was, actually. I shook my head. “Good. Come on, new girl.” She stood and grabbed my hand without warning, tugging me up. “Let’s get out of here.” She led me through a side hallway, down a quiet stairwell, and to a door marked Employees Only. “This is a secret,” she whispered. “So be very quiet.” We slipped through and climbed up onto the rooftop.
The view stole my breath. The city stretched out in every direction. Sleek buildings, tree-lined streets, sunlight glinting off glass and stone. The breeze was warm and peaceful. “I come here when I want to be alone,” Keisha said softly. I smiled. “I get why.” We talked for a few minutes about nothing and everything. It felt as if I’d known her a lot longer than a few hours. She looked at me and said, “I like you, new girl.” I laughed. “I like you too.” The door creaked open suddenly. “s**t,” Keisha whispered. A janitor stepped out, humming to himself. We ducked low, creeping behind an air unit, then bolted back toward the stairwell the moment his back turned. We didn’t stop running until we were safely inside, laughing breathlessly. “Worth it,” I said. “Always,” she replied.
As we headed back down the hall, still talking, someone slammed into me hard. My books and papers went flying everywhere. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” the guy said at the same time I blurted out, “I’m sorry!” We both dropped to our knees, scrambling to gather my things. I looked up and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. Before me was the most beautiful guy I had ever seen- silky cappuccino skin, striking grey eyes, shoulder-length curly brown hair threaded with blonde highlights, a perfectly trimmed beard, and a smile that looked like it belonged in a museum. His face was art. Our eyes locked. Time stretched, warped, disappeared. And in a breath so quiet I almost thought I imagined it, I heard him whisper—
“Mate.”
- Writer
