The Bad Boys Salvation

Chapter 2

************ Nicole POV*************

After I was dropped off, I slowly made my way to the office to get my schedule. It’s as I expected, everybody already had their own friends, clicks, and normal hangout spots. I was obviously an outlier and from the looks I was getting, everybody else knew that too.

“Hi, I’m Nicole Burkman, I was supposed to be coming up to the office for my schedule this morning” I said it to the woman sitting in the front desk. She seemed… Cold. Definitely not overly friendly like the teachers and staff at my old school. Her brows nitted together, and her lips thinned into a tight line.

“Very well, take a seat while I get it printed” she replied, looking me up and down. If this was any indication of how the school year was going to go, it certainly was not off to a good start.

Great.

I sat down and chewed on my bottom lip until she called me over, and handed me a paper that had my schedule.

“We have very high standards at the school, Miss Berkman. Tardiness is not acceptable, so please study your schedule, learn it, and get to class” The woman told me in a stern voice. I glanced at a plate on her desk that read “Mrs.Smith” I’ll commit that name to memory and stay clear of her, because this woman is not somebody I would like to run into often.

“Yes, ma’am” I replied, while nodding my head. “I should get to home room then.”

Mrs. Smith just waved her hand, gesturing to the doors and sat back down at her desk chair. I took that as my queue to leave.

306, 306, 306. Why doesn’t this school have a freaking map. I’m gonna make an assumption that it’s on the third floor since the room number does start with a three… Let’s hope I’m right and not tardy my first day.

I glanced around to take my surroundings and was able to spot the stairwell. People were bustling past me, a few of them even bumping into me and not even saying sorry. It’s already like I’m invisible here. I groan as I made my way to the stairs and up to the third floor.

I was right! Here’s the 300 hall… Now to find 306. I spotted a girl alone at her locker and figured if I wanted to be on time instead of wandering around, I should just go ahead and ask somebody.

“Hi, sorry to bother you, but I’m new here and looking for room 306 can you point me in the direction?”

As she glanced up at me, she looked shocked. It was as if she was in her own little world and I broke her from some sort of trance. She had beautiful blonde curls, tumbling down her back, and a shy smile.

“You’re…. New? I thought there was a rule, not allowing upperclassman to transfer here” she stated, not in a rude manner more just out of curiosity.

“Um well … there is, I guess? I don’t know. Somehow my parents got me in… Anyways, room 306?” I replied

“Oh, sorry, here I’m actually going there too you can just follow me, I am Amanda by the way” Amanda said, as she shoved a few things from her locker into her book bag and closed it up.

“Nicole” I replied

Amanda just nodded and started walking. I stayed a few paces behind her trying to observe as much as I could.

As we walked into the classroom I almost gasped. It looked like one of those old classrooms you see in movies about prestigious colleges. Definitely gave me old money vibes. Which I’m sure with how long the school has been around and some of the elite parents of the students that go here, that was exactly what it was. There were rows of desks, going up on an incline, with two sections of stairs, breaking the desks up into three rows. All facing the front of the classroom. Everything in this classroom looked old, not in a unkept way, but in a ‘holy s**t, a lot of this wood is handcarved and how did they keep everything so nice’ way.

I looked down at my schedule to remind myself of my teachers name, and headed in her direction.

“Good morning, miss Burkman I presume?”

At first, I was surprised that she automatically knew who I was, until I remembered that she had probably been seeing the same students all four years… Except me.

“Yes, Nicole Burkman”

Unlike scary Mrs.Smith in the front office, this teacher, Ms.Gayle, Seems… Nice, warm, and younger than I expected? I don’t know why it was expecting all the teachers here to be old and scary, but she was quite the opposite of that. She had honey colored, dirty blonde hair, blue eyes and a bright smile. My shoulders relaxed, and I didn’t even realize how tense they were before.

“Okay, Miss Berkman, please take a seat. This is going to be your homeroom and your first period”

I gave her an unsure nod, and turned around to face all of the desks that were quickly filling up.

“No assigned seats… Go” I heard her say behind me.

I decided to take a seat in the far left corner behind everybody else. Normally, I always sat upfront. In my hometown, I had always liked school, my teachers and learning but… this was different, intimidating, and I certainly didn’t want to be noticed.

After I took out a pen and my lavender spiral three subject notebook, I glanced around once again. I didn’t have time to notice before, but Jesus Christ. Even all the students are beautiful. It was unreal. Borderline weird. I sank down in my seat with a knot in my stomach. I’m too normal for this place.

There were still students tricking in so I figured it would be a good time to read a few pages of the book I was currently reading while waiting for class to start

As the bell rang my head darted up from behind my book and I noticed one more person walking in… and he was oh my god, unsurprisingly beautiful. He had to have been at least 6’3” with a straight nose, sharp jawline, and dark messy hair. And he was coming in my direction. He kept on climbing the stairs, getting closer and closer finally taking a seat in the row right in front of me.

Suddenly he turned around and his piercing crystal blue eyes met mine.

”Why are you staring at me?” he said with boredom and arrogance dripping from his voice and facial expression. “Knock it off.” He turned back around to face forward and I heard him mumble “bookworm” under his breath.

My cheeks flushed and jaw dropped. But he turned around before I could even reply.

I was mortified. Good going Nicole.

I sank down in my chair as a sigh left my lips, just waiting for the day to end.

********

During lunchtime, I found a secluded spot where I could sit eat my lunch in peace and read my book. It was actually the nicest part of my day.

I was lucky enough not to have any other embarrassing encounters, the rest of the day. Actually, I had no encounters with anybody. People were not overly friendly to introduce themselves here, or associate with the new girl. I got some side eyed glances, but other than that people just ignored me. I guess it could be worse but I also had a feeling that they knew I didn’t belong. Every single student here had filthy rich parents. It’s so weird to think that I now technically fell into that category with my parents new positions at work, but it wasn’t the same. I wasn’t the same; they all knew that. I could read a room well enough to know they all looked down on me for it.

A breath of relief left my lips as I heard the bell dismissing the last class of the day. I rushed out of there, so quickly I almost tripped over my feet.

Keeping true to my promise, right as I walked out of the school grounds, I pulled out my phone from my backpack and called my boyfriend, Thomas. He answered the first ring. He’s always so sweet, waiting for my calls.

He immediately started talking as he answered “Hey!! How was it? How was your first day?”

“It was… great. I only talked to two other students the whole day. Once to ask where my homeroom was and once was when I nearly had my head ripped off for looking in the same direction as someone” I replied to sarcastically

“Jesus, Nicole that sounds rough.” Thomas said sounding genuinely concerned.

“It’s honestly fine. It’s better this way, Thomas. I don’t have to make friends here, besides, it’s only my first day anyways. The second I graduate I’m coming back and we’re getting an apartment together. I just have to worry about my grades and that’s it.” I justified.

“but enough about me… How was your first day?” I said, in hopes of changing the subject.

Thomas chuckled before he answered

“It was interesting in a whole different way, apparently Kaitlyn and Jared broke up over summer”

I gasped. Kaitlyn and Jared have been part of our friend group since middle school and they’ve been dating since eighth grade! Everybody was sure that they were going to be that couple that got married right out of high school.

“Oh my God? Details?” I nearly yelled.

“I don’t have any yet, but it was so awkward. They didn’t technically say they broke up, but you could tell from a mile away. They weren’t walking together, talking or doing all the normal “Kaitlyn and Jared” things they always do. Not to mention, they sat with us at lunch at opposite sides of the table. I’m sure whatever is going on. We’ll find out soon enough” he uttered.

“Hmmmm weird” I managed to get out. I was honestly stunned, and sad.

I’ll have to text Kaitlyn.

“Oh and Mrs. Buck is pregnant” Thomas declared sounding very excited

“That’s so great! I knew she got married last year, so it was just a matter of time.” I was just excited as him about it.

All of a sudden I felt hot tears roll down my cheeks.

“Nicole? Are you OK? What’s wrong?” Thomas asked sounding worried again.

“I just hate this. Hate that we had to move. Hate that I’m not there with everybody and I have to miss out on all of these big moments from people I’ve shared my whole life with.” I said while trying to stop myself from crying.

“Yeah I know babe, just take a breath. You just said it, it’s only a year and then you’ll be back in my arms, and nothing will have changed.” Thomas tried to sound cheerful but I could tell he was upset about the situation too. He had been upset about it since the moment I told him.

“Yeah, OK… “ I replied while wiping my tears away. What is wrong with me? I never cry like this. Today it was just a lot to take in.

“Hey Nicole.. I have to go, varsity football tryouts. You know Coach Travis always gets riled up if we’re not there exactly when we should be.” Thomas said.

I wished Thomas luck, not like he needed it. He was on varsity last year, but per school rules he technically has to try out again.

And with that, we both clicked off.