The Girl They Never Saw Coming

Chapter 6 — Iris

By Thursday morning, I had finally stopped checking my schedule every five minutes.

That had to count as progress.

I walked through the front doors of Westbrook High with my bag over one shoulder, my hair still slightly damp from the morning shower, and a cup of coffee I wasn't actually allowed to have before breakfast.

Ava spotted me almost immediately.

"You look different."

I stopped.

"Different how?"

"Less terrified."

I smiled.

"Maybe I'm getting used to this place."

"Give it another week."

"That's encouraging."

She laughed.

We started walking toward our lockers.

For the first time since I arrived, I didn't feel like every hallway was unfamiliar.

I knew where my classes were.

I knew which staircase was faster.

I knew where the library was.

I even knew which vending machine stole people's money.

Westbrook was slowly becoming less of a strange building and more of a place I actually went to every day.

But there was still one thing I hadn't figured out.

The people.

I had met Ava.

I had met Sophie.

I had spoken to Trent.

But there were still entire groups of students whose names I didn't know.

And one name, in particular, seemed to keep appearing around me.

Iris.

I had heard it several times.

Usually in whispers.

Usually followed by another whisper.

I finally turned to Ava.

"Who's Iris?"

Ava's expression changed.

Not dramatically.

Just enough for me to notice.

"You've heard of her?"

"I've heard her name."

"Then you've probably already seen her."

"Who is she?"

Ava closed her locker.

"Iris Monroe."

"And?"

Ava sighed.

"She's popular."

"That doesn't tell me much."

"It tells you everything at Westbrook."

I laughed.

"Okay. Explain."

Ava looked around before lowering her voice.

"Iris has been here forever. She's one of those people everyone knows. She's involved in student events, she knows almost everyone, and she has a lot of influence."

"Influence?"

"People listen to her."

I thought about that.

"Why?"

Ava shrugged.

"She's confident. She's social. She's smart enough to know how people work."

"Sounds dangerous."

Ava smiled.

"Not necessarily."

"That's not very convincing."

"Just don't assume she's your enemy."

I nodded.

"I wasn't planning to."

Ava closed her locker.

"Good."

The warning bell rang.

We started toward class.

I didn't think much more about Iris.

Not until lunch.

---

The cafeteria was unusually crowded.

Ava and I had just collected our food when Sophie waved us toward the table.

I sat down beside them.

For a few minutes, everything was normal.

Then Sophie looked over my shoulder.

"Oh."

I turned.

"What?"

She hesitated.

"Nothing."

Ava followed her gaze.

Then she looked at me.

"That's Iris."

I turned around.

This time, I saw her clearly.

She was sitting at a table near the center of the cafeteria with several other students.

I understood immediately why people noticed her.

She wasn't trying to draw attention to herself.

She didn't need to.

She carried herself with confidence, speaking to the people around her as though she belonged exactly where she was.

She laughed at something one of her friends said.

Then she looked up.

Her eyes met mine.

For a second, neither of us looked away.

Then she smiled.

Not warmly.

Not coldly.

Just knowingly.

I turned back around.

"She saw me."

"Yes," Ava said.

"Is that a problem?"

"No."

"You said that very quickly."

Ava laughed.

"You're overthinking."

Maybe she was right.

I took a sip of my drink.

Then I heard a voice behind me.

"You're Mia, right?"

I turned.

Iris was standing there.

Up close, she seemed even more confident.

She smiled.

"I'm Iris."

I stood.

"Mia."

"I know."

I raised an eyebrow.

"That's becoming a little concerning."

She laughed.

"I've heard about you."

"Good things, I hope."

"Mostly."

I smiled.

"Mostly?"

She pulled out the empty chair across from us.

"Can I sit?"

Ava looked at me.

I shrugged.

"Sure."

Iris sat down.

She looked between Ava and Sophie.

"You're already making friends."

I smiled.

"I'm trying."

"That's good."

She studied me for a moment.

"So, London."

"Yes."

"What brought you here?"

"My mum's job."

"Do you miss it?"

"Sometimes."

"Friends?"

"Definitely."

Iris nodded.

"I understand."

For a moment, she seemed genuinely interested.

Then her eyes moved toward the cafeteria.

"How are you finding Westbrook?"

"It's different."

"Different good or different bad?"

I smiled.

"I'm still deciding."

Iris laughed.

"Fair answer."

She seemed almost easy to talk to.

Almost.

There was something about her that made me feel as though she was always paying attention to more than she said.

Then she looked at me again.

"You're pretty."

The compliment caught me off guard.

"Thank you."

"I mean it."

I smiled politely.

"I appreciate it."

She leaned back.

"People have been talking about you."

I sighed.

"Apparently."

"It's not a bad thing."

"I didn't say it was."

Iris smiled.

"Good."

She stood.

"I'll see you around, Mia."

"Okay."

She walked away.

I watched her return to her table.

Ava waited until Iris was out of earshot.

"Well."

I looked at her.

"What?"

"That went better than I expected."

"Why?"

Ava shrugged.

"I wasn't sure she'd come over."

"Why wouldn't she?"

Ava gave me a look.

"You really don't understand this school yet."

"I guess not."

She smiled.

"That's probably a good thing."

---

After lunch, I had English.

Mrs. Bennett handed out an assignment that required us to analyze a short passage and explain the author's argument.

I read it once.

Then again.

By the time everyone else was beginning to write, I already knew what I wanted to say.

I started writing.

When Mrs. Bennett walked past my desk, she stopped.

She read over my work.

Then she smiled.

"This is excellent, Mia."

"Thank you."

"You have a very strong understanding of structure."

I looked down at my paper.

"I enjoy writing."

"It shows."

She moved on.

I smiled to myself.

There were things about moving to Georgia that still felt difficult.

Missing London.

Missing my old friends.

Learning a new school.

Learning new people.

But schoolwork?

That part was familiar.

It was something I could control.

When the bell rang, Mrs. Bennett called me over.

"I'd like you to consider joining the writing club."

I looked at her.

"The writing club?"

"Yes."

"I didn't know there was one."

"There is. We meet every Thursday after school."

I thought about it.

"Okay."

"I think you'd enjoy it."

"I'll come."

"Good."

I left the classroom feeling strangely proud.

Another teacher believed in me.

Maybe I was beginning to build a reputation for something other than being new.

---

After school, I was standing at my locker when I heard someone behind me.

"Mia."

I turned.

Iris.

"Hey."

She smiled.

"You going home?"

"Yeah."

She leaned against the locker beside mine.

"How was your day?"

"Good."

"Good."

There was a brief silence.

Then she said, "Trent likes talking to you."

I blinked.

"Okay."

She smiled.

"I'm just saying."

"I know."

"He's usually busy."

"Maybe."

Iris studied my expression.

"You don't seem very impressed."

I laughed.

"Should I be?"

She laughed too.

"Not necessarily."

I closed my locker.

"Why are you asking?"

"Curiosity."

"Right."

She smiled.

"See you tomorrow, Mia."

"See you."

She walked away.

I watched her for a moment.

I still couldn't figure her out.

She wasn't rude.

She wasn't exactly friendly either.

She seemed to be studying me.

Trying to understand me.

Maybe that was normal.

Maybe it wasn't.

I picked up my bag and headed toward the exit.

Outside, the afternoon sun was beginning to fade.

Ava was waiting near the school gates.

"You took forever."

"Sorry."

"What happened?"

"Iris."

Ava's eyebrows rose.

"What about her?"

"She talked to me again."

"And?"

I shrugged.

"I don't know."

Ava looked at me.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

I paused.

"She's just...interesting."

Ava smiled.

"That's one word for her."

We started walking.

I looked back at Westbrook High one last time.

Six days ago, I hadn't known anyone here.

Now I had friends.

Teachers who knew my name.

A basketball player who seemed interested in talking to me.

And a girl named Iris who seemed determined to figure me out.

I didn't know what any of it meant.

But I was beginning to understand something.

At Westbrook High, nothing stayed small for long.

A conversation could become a rumor.

A friendship could become a problem.

And one person noticing you could change everything.

I just didn't know yet which one Iris intended to be.