Moon Phased: The Triple Claim

Chapter4

Raven’s POV

Thankfully, Chase drove the rest of the drive to school at a normal speed, with both his hands on the wheel, while we rode in complete silence. After what he had just pulled, I really had nothing to say to him, and to be honest, I preferred the silent treatment we were both giving each other.

Finally, after about a fifteen-minute drive, the school came into view, as I read the huge sign out front, “Welcome to Beaumont High School. Home of the Wolves.”

I had never been so happy to see a school in my life, as I was at this moment, knowing that I would be out of this jeep and away from Chase, and the awkwardness that I was feeling right now being near him. After the stunt he pulled, he would be lucky if I ever got in a vehicle with him again, making me realize that I was going to have to find an alternate form of transportation home, because there was no way in hell I was getting back in his jeep with him today.

As he pulled his jeep into a parking place, I didn’t even wait for him to turn it off, before I got out, grabbed my bag, and headed straight towards the double doors. But before I reached the doors, I heard someone yell, “Chase.” Making me turn to see a beautiful blonde-haired girl running over to him, planting a kiss on his lips.

Of course, he had a girlfriend, as it all now made sense why he didn’t want me touching him, but it didn’t dismiss his erratic behavior this morning. His eyes at that moment moved towards me, as if he could sense I was watching him. Quickly, I turned away, moving inside the school, out of his sight and straight to the office to get my schedule.

“Raven, Mrs. Jacobs is ready to see you.” The school secretary said, motioning to a door to her right that read, “Principal’s Office.”

“Raven Knight, your transcripts are very impressive. President of the Student Council, Vice President of the Honor Society, Captain of the Cheering Squad, and early acceptance to Berkeley. Your parents must have been proud of you.” Principal Jacobs says to me, making me try not to think back to how happy my parents were when my acceptance letter came from Berkeley, but it was too late, and I couldn’t get the memories out of my head.

I remember arriving home from school to find both my parents just sitting at the dinner table. At first, I thought something was terribly wrong, but then my mother pushed the letter towards me on the table, and I quickly opened it. I began to read the letter out loud, and when I came to the part where it said, “You have been accepted.” Both my parents jumped out of their chairs with joy.

That night, my parents took me out to dinner to celebrate, and after that, we drove down to the boardwalk to my favorite ice cream emporium. We planted our toes in the sand and watched the sunset on the beach, as it was our last night together as a family.

“I see your request for certain courses, but unfortunately, we are a small school, and we can only accommodate you with what we have available.” She then said, drawing my attention back to her, as I realized what she was saying.

“But I need to stay on course, if I want my acceptance to be honored when I graduate.” I explained to her how important these certain courses were, hoping there was something that she could do to keep me on track.

“I personally called Berkeley and explained your rare circumstances to them, and they were very accommodating to your situation.” She then said as she handed me a schedule of my new classes, along with a paper from Berkeley for an online college course that I would have to take along with my classes here.

“As for your extracurricular activities, try-outs for the cheerleading squad are this Friday. Unfortunately, student council positions have already been filled, and we don’t have an Honor Society here.” She then told me, and I quickly said back to her, “Can’t I just focus on my studies?” As I dreaded the thought of having to join the cheerleading squad with a bunch of girls I didn’t know.

“Unfortunately, if you want to go to Berkeley, you will need to maintain not only your academics but your extracurricular activities too. Listen, Raven, I know this is hard on you. I can’t even imagine what you have gone through, but if this is truly what you want, then you have to move on, and focus on your future. I am sure your parents would want this for you.”

She was right. My parents would want me to succeed in life, especially my mother. She had told me time and time again that my education was the key to making something of myself, and if I wanted to get out of this godforsaken town like she did, then I was going to have to do whatever it took to do it.

Just then, the door to the office opened, and I heard a voice say, “You wanted to see me, mother.”

My head turned as the voice sounded somewhat familiar to me, to see the beautiful blonde-haired girl that had run up to Chase when we had arrived at school.

“You are right on time, sweetheart. Jessica, this is Raven. She just transferred here from California, and I would like you to show her around the school.”

Of all the students in this school, what were the chances that Jessica here was the principal’s daughter, and that she would be my welcoming committee? Dread at that moment filled me, as Jessica glared at me, while it was clear that she too wasn’t excited about having to babysit the new girl, especially when the new girl showed up this morning with her boyfriend.

As if Jessica was playing a role to win an Oscar, she plastered a smile on her face, one that I could see clearly was fake, as she says to her mother, “I would be delighted to show her around, and explain the ropes to her.” And by ropes, I knew what she meant.

As the two of us walked out of her mother’s office and into the now vacant hallways of the school, Jessica turned to look at me, before she said, “Let’s get one thing clear, Chase is mine. You stay in your lane, and we won’t have a problem. Capeesh?”

“I’m not interested in Chase, or any boy here for that matter. I just want to make it through the school year and get the hell out of this town and back to civilization.” I explained my position to her, wanting her to know where I stood, and that I had no plans on interfering with her relationship with Chase.

The last thing I needed on my first day at school was to make enemies with the principal’s daughter, who held all my playing cards in her hands, to make sure that the dreams I worked so hard for remained my reality.

“Good, because you don’t belong here anyhow.” She then said, reminding me of the obvious, as she turned and began her tour of the school, like nothing was ever said between the two of us, making me believe that she wasn’t wrapped too tightly.

Thankfully, the school wasn’t large, and her grand tour only took about ten minutes before she came to a stop in front of a classroom. “Your first period class.”

“Thanks.” I said sarcastically to her, as I reached for the door handle, thankful that my time with her was over with, but then she grabbed a hold of my arm firmly, stopping me, making me turn my head to look at her.

I could have sworn her eyes darkened a few shades, just like Chase had with me this morning in my room, making me wonder what the hell was in the water here. “Don’t forget what I said.”

“Trust me, I won’t.” I said quickly back to her through gritted teeth, as her grip was becoming painful on my arm.

“Good.” She said as a smirk formed on her face, before she released my arm, and started walking down the hallway, humming some damn song, as I rubbed my arm, trying to relieve the pain she had just caused.

Jesus, this girl was nuts. Maybe she should be the one medicated and not me, I thought to myself, as I watched her head into a classroom, before I turned back to my own, thinking could today, get any worse. But as I finally walked into my own classroom, I realized that it could, as my eyes immediately landed on Chase, sitting in the only seat with an empty desk beside him.