Teaching River

Exposed

RIVER

I stood in front of the sign-up list for the musical looking like an i***t. I really didn't want to do this, and I hated Chris for making me take that bet. He knew all too well about my stage fright, as well as my incapability to sing. But a bet was a bet. Stupid Mystique. Why did she have to be so different! She could have at least done me the favour of liking me. But no, she wanted to be stubborn, as always.

"Hey bro, what are you doing?" I knew that annoying voice anywhere.

"Leave me alone sis!" I yelled at Lacy as she swung her arm over my shoulder.

"Nope, not after you broke your promise. I told you to stay away, but do you ever listen...no!" She went on and on about how I never keep my promises and how she was one day going to make me pay. Honestly, I doubted that very much.

"Okay are you done now? Please go back to your friends, Summer and Foggy." I said chuckling at my clever nickname.

"Small minds!" She said and then she flicked my ear and walked away.

MYSTIQUE

On Monday in accounting, I ended up sitting next to Jay who had convinced my old partner to switch seats with him. He had his arms folded as he listened closely to what Mr Mark had to say. I on the other hand was completely zoned out. In fact, I was sleeping with my eyes open. This was all because that i***t Skyscraper made me drink with him in the car so he would stop coming into the house and throwing up everywhere. I slept the whole of Sunday and still I felt hungover.

"Miss Lillian... are you here with us or on Mars?"

"Huh? What? I must be in the wrong class; I don't take astronomy." I mumbled confused. This seemed to be humorous to him so he chuckled.

"Looks like someone partied too hard!" He said.

"No, I did not!" Which is what I would've said, but I was way too scared.

Instead I just sat up and put an innocent smile on my face.

Eventually, after an hour of agony and Jay trying to keep me awake, the bell rang.

"Thank you, school!" I yelled out as I packed my books away. I was about to zip up my pencil bag when I heard popping sounds right next to me.

I looked up and was mortified.

"Jenny." I acknowledged, trying to sound firm.

Jenny who was popping her gum looked at me and then at Jay and smiled at him.

Then, her gaze went back to me and she frowned.

"You... I just came to say that I like this whole "thing" going on between you and Jay. Keep it up and stay the hell away from what's mine!" She said trying to sound intimidating. Was she honestly unaware that I was not the one whose pants River was trying to get into? If anything, I was probably the first one to refuse him.

And all of a sudden, as if the shy girl in me died I walked up to her and stared her right in the eye and said, "Make me! You plastic twig!"

She looked taken aback and was about to carry on talking when Jay came between us. He turned towards Jenny, enraged.

"Say another word to her and I'll tell River that you have been sneaking around with Damen!" He said seething. I'd never seen him so angry before. His blue eyes became a darker shade of silver and his pupils were large.

Jenny backed away in fear. In fact, her bony legs were trembling like skeleton bones as she exited the classroom. Jay took in a deep breath and then turned towards me, his face calmer.

"Sorry, I don't know what her problem is! She's never that persistent." He said running his fingers through his soft, silky hair.

I followed his fingers with my eyes, wishing they were mine-

"Misty?"

"Mmmmm? Oh I'm... it's okay. I've grown used to bullies. I used to be bullied a lot as a child by this boy." I said thinking back to my childhood, and once again, zoning out.

"Earth to Misty!" I heard Lacy say. She must've come in when I was zoned out. Summer stood next to her, smiling as usual. By now she had caught up on all of the weekend drama seeing as she was not at the party because she needed to visit family in Paris.

"Sorry, hey guys, how are you?" I asked.

"Great! Now get moving! We need to go to English before Mrs Lee shouts at us!" Summer said hurriedly while Lacy pulled me by the shoulder.

We ended up reaching English- the only classroom I hadn't set foot in yet- in time and by in time I meant exactly right on time.

"Aaah, I see old faces from last year!" Mrs Lee, a tall thin lady with shiny red hair and grey eyes said as she scanned the crowd of teenagers strolling past her to find seats.

"Uh uh uh! No. I will seat you. I've learned from last year!" She said.

"Mmmm...." she looked around and started placing people at different seats.

Lacy, lucky girl, sat next to Christian who was smiling like an i***t as he gazed at her, never once taking his eyes off of her. They were definitely madly in love.

Summer sat next to Jay, to my disappointment. Jenny got paired up with Mandy. And as for me...

"Aaah! A new pretty face!" Mrs Lee said. She looked at me and then at someone behind me. I was way too scared to look. All I could do was pray that the person behind me was someone kind.

"Mmm... you Mister, are always causing havoc in my classroom! I guess I will pair you up with this quiet new girl." She said. She pointed to a table at the front of the class.

I walked to it, still not wanting to see who I was paired up with. I sat at the desk and then took out my books, not even daring to look up. Soon, my partner made his presence known by scrapping his chair against the floor, throwing his books onto the table, and then sitting himself down.

"Hi I'm..."

"A pain in my-"

"River! Keep your mouth shut!" Mrs Lee said.

River smirked at me and I began to dread this class even more. I hated the fact that we were so close together. So close that there was sort of a familiarity about his mischievous smirk.

"I'm not a pain! You are! You are so spoiled when you are drunk! I had to take five pills this morning just to stop the nausea!" I said.

"Well I was surprised you drank at all. I thought you were a goodey two shoes!"

"I am... I'm just a goodey two shoes who likes to have fun. There's nothing bad about having fun!" I said angry. So stereotypical of this i***t!

"When you're done Miss Lillian, I will go through the register to make sure that you are all here!" She shouted.

I blushed and slapped Skyscraper on the shoulder.

She went through the classlist. I wasn't paying attention though. She just droned on and on until....

"River Loumann?"

"Present!"

"And your sister, Lacy Loumann?"

"P-present..." she almost whispered it.

The whole world froze for me. Everything stood dead still as I processed this.

Lacy, was related to River?

That's what she had been trying to tell me the entire time!

I turned to look at her ashamed face, then I looked at River, then back to Lacy.

They did not look alike at all! All except for the fact that they had the same tanned skin.

"S-sister..."

River turned to Lacy and gave her a look of sympathy. I would need it too if River was my brother.