by Iris Taylor
I looked away from them and into the direction of the main building, where I presumed the offices were. I needed to get my schedule for the day and hopefully get a longer version of the skirt I was wearing.
“Need help finding your way around?” a voice asked me. I turned to see a guy with russet brown hair and twinkling eyes give me a friendly white smile. Judging from his muscular physique and smooth confidence, he was one of the school’s heartbreakers. He was leaning against a red SUV next to Hans, who made no move to introduce me or even make eye contact with me, his arms around a cute, petite blonde.
“Um, that’s alright, I can figure it out,” I replied, unsure if I was expected to answer otherwise. I glanced quickly at Hans and saw that he had no interest in my exchange, so quickly left. So much for having some familiar faces here.
***
After being told there was only one length for the skirt, and once I got my locker number and combination and a map of the school, I found myself in first period Math looking out the window and wishing the weeks would go by quickly so I wouldn’t be the new girl anymore. I had forgotten what it meant to try to fit in, especially when everyone already had their own group of friends. It wasn’t that people were unfriendly, other than Cole’s girlfriend, that is. It was just the feeling of being alone in a huge, happy crowd.
What would Melissa do if she were here? I decided that the first thing I could do was to stop feeling sorry for myself and wipe the uncertain look I probably had on my face. I should have said yes to the guy’s offer to show me around earlier. Squaring my shoulders, I strengthened my resolve. If I wanted to fit in quickly, I had to be more approachable and smile.
Leaving class, I looked at my map and realized that AP literature was in another building, and that I had less than five minutes to get there. Letting go of a sigh before slapping on a more pleasant expression, I fingered the strap of my backpack and hurried in what I hoped was the correct direction. The hallways became less crowded, and soon turned empty altogether. Had I read the map wrongly? Or was everyone already in class? Turning a corner, I immediately ran into what felt like a brick wall, the wind getting knocked out of me from the impact.
“Well, well, well, who do we have here?”
I looked up to see a crooked smile marred by an old scar across the upper lip. The guy had spiky black hair and was looking at me lasciviously. It didn’t help my dwindling sense of security that he towered over me by at least a foot and was built like a bull.
“You must be new. What are you doing all the way here, gorgeous? Got lost?”
“Hank. She’s the Isaacs’ new stepsister.” A lanky, pimply guy who I hadn’t noticed earlier, stood behind him, a worried look on his face as he glanced surreptitiously at me. The apprehension in his words told me that being associated with the twins brought with it some kind of tremendous power, which didn’t make sense. A shorter guy flanking Hank’s other side silently looked me up and down, his greedy eyes finally fixating on my legs.
The guy named Hank looked at me with renewed interest, his eyebrows raised. “Oh, is that right?”
I hated the way he made me feel, like nothing more than a piece of flesh to ravage, how my skin crawled under his scrutiny. I tried to sidestep him but his hand latched roughly onto my arm, biting into my skin. “And where do you think you’re going?”
Summoning my courage, I steeled my voice. “I’m late for class.”
“I’m late for class,” the guy imitated in a high-pitched voice. The shorter guy snorted through his nose, his fingers lightly tugging at my skirt. I smacked his hand away, and he laughed.
The attention I was getting was too much. I itched to ram my curled fist into the guy’s sneering face, despite knowing I was outnumbered and definitely outpowered. It seemed my brain hadn’t yet caught up with the fact that I was all alone in a quiet part of the school, cornered by three slimy guys.
“Let me go,” I said again, quietly. “I just want to get to class.” They sniggered at that.
“I suggest you listen to the girl.”
My heart leaped at the sound of a male voice. I caught sight of one of the twins, and an involuntary shudder ran through me. The voice was a firm, commanding one, and in other circumstances, it was likely to induce hysteria and vivid, sexy thoughts. I forced myself to focus on the situation at hand.
Seeing the guys distracted, I drove my knee into the bull’s groin and sidestepped him when he howled in pain. Seeing the short guy freeze in shock, I ran past him but soon felt a tug on my shirt and found myself hurtling backward, falling roughly onto the floor. Clutching at my throbbing back, I looked up to see Cole/Hans slam his fist into the bull’s jaw, causing a resounding crack and making his head snap back harshly. Ouch.
I scrambled to my feet again, and froze when I noticed the lanky guy advancing towards me. I swung my textbook-laden backpack into his side, barely stopping him, and watched as he growled and bared his crooked teeth at me. His eyes widened and before I could figure out what was happening, a brown-haired guy seized him by the front of his shirt and slammed him against the wall.
“Listen to Cole. Let the girl go, or you can spend the week in the hospital with a punctured lung and some broken ribs.” It was a threat, and apparently not an empty one, judging by how the guys started to back away. The bull was rubbing his jaw with an ugly frown, as if trying to decide whether to pursue the fight further, but then shook his head and sent a spitball flying towards Cole. His face twisted in rage, he stalked towards them, sending all three guys running backward and out of sight.
The bell rang but I was obviously not in the right frame of mind to care. Looking at the guy who came with Cole, I realized it was the same one who had offered to show me around school earlier. I smiled at him thankfully.
“Thank you. For helping me.” I glanced towards Cole, who was deathly silent. “Both of you.”
“WHAT the hell were you thinking, trying to take on a guy twice your size like that?” Cole spat out. He was seething. Even the murderous look couldn’t stop me from noticing how attractive he was. But the venom in his voice showed exactly how disgusted he was with me, and I could feel fury bubbling up within me. Attractive or not, Cole was without doubt a complete jerk.
“Well, what else was I supposed to do? Fly away?”
He advanced towards me, looking at me with a mixture of bewilderment and wrath. “How about calling for help like a normal girl would do? The counselor’s office is just down the hall.” His mouth curled, and I suddenly felt stupid and indignant all at once.
Searching my brain for a counter-argument, I realized it didn’t matter. Cole and his friend had already turned and walked away, leaving me standing alone in the hallway again. Argh! Like it’s my fault the school’s full of immoral dicks!
Chapter 4
Ella
My bad mood lasted until Math, when I found an empty seat next to a curly-haired girl with a small, sympathetic smile. “Bad day?” she asked in a whisper. The white-haired, thin lady standing at the front with a permanent frown didn’t appear to be someone who would appreciate chit-chat in her class.
“Is it that obvious?” I didn’t need her answer - I could hear how sulky I sounded. I couldn’t help it. It seemed that Cole was hell-bent on being rude to me, and I didn’t know why. It bothered me, that my own soon-to-be-family hated me that way, when all my life I hadn’t made a single enemy, not one.
“Judging from the long face, you could use a smoke,” she replied. I tried not to wince. I had a feeling that being too straight-laced wasn’t going to work in my favor at this school.
The girl laughed quietly. “A cup of coffee then, maybe?” She had read me correctly. I smiled awkwardly. “I’m Sarah. You’re the twins’ new sister, right?”
I guess good news traveled fast. “Ella,” I confirmed with a nod.
“You’re gonna need a strong coffee then. My treat. The twins aren’t easy to deal with, especially if you’re on their shit list.”
; My head snapped towards her so quickly my neck hurt. How did she know what I was going through? But she remained focused on the lesson – integers, something my brain didn’t want to process at the moment – and kept me in suspense for the entire class. Afterwards, she linked her arm through mine and walked me towards my locker to help me drop off my books.
I rubbed my shoulder, which was aching from both the heavy bag and after the fight earlier. I hoped I wouldn’t find any bruises on myself tomorrow. The cafeteria was over in another building, and I was glad to have Sarah walk me there so there wouldn’t be an encore of what had happened earlier. I didn’t feel like being cornered every time I found myself in the wrong part of school. We crossed an expansive courtyard and entered a large, airy building from where the delicious aroma of food called to me invitingly. My stomach rumbled in reply. I guess the pancakes and sausages weren’t enough to tide me over until lunch. I made a mental note to pack some snacks from home.
“Let’s sit over there.” Sarah pointed to a table where a guy with mousy brown hair and a girl wearing a rose pink bandana were sitting. I walked behind her, hoping these were a decent bunch. “Cameron, Jules, this is Ella. Ella, the gang behind the success of the school paper.”
Cameron beamed at me and held out a warm hand. Jules smiled and scooted over so we could sit. My stomach rumbled again when I saw the food on their trays – fries and a hearty burger on Cameron’s and some pasta on Jules’. Cameron must have heard my stomach because he laughed and moved his tray closer to me.
“Ella...?”
“Hamilton,” I filled in. “The school paper?”
“The Gray Lake Reporter,” Cameron answered. “I’m the chief editor and Jules here looks for all the juicy news.”
Jules smiled at me knowingly. “I think juicy news is unfolding as we speak.” We all turned to see what she was looking at.
Cole and the brunette he had made out with earlier in the morning seemed to be having a face-off. She appeared to be challenging him about something, as she stood on tiptoe to speak right into his face, her hands gesturing emphatically. Cole stood, unmoving, his face a carefully carved mask, devoid of emotion. It was only his clenched fists at his sides that gave him away.The blank look in his dark eyes - they sent chills down my spine and I turned away, unable to continue looking.
“Who is she?” I asked, my curiosity piqued. A strong, feisty woman was sexy and worth idolizing in my eyes.
Jules replied, “Cole’s on-and-off girlfriend, Monica.”
Everyone in the cafeteria was watching them. Everyone except Hans, who caught my eye and held my gaze for a few seconds before turning to look at his brother warily, perhaps waiting to see if he should step in. I turned to look at Cole again – I couldn’t help it. Monica was now stabbing her index finger repeatedly into his chest, and Cole stood there, his jaw now clenched, and he looked ready to snap. Finally, he grabbed her wrist, although not enough to hurt her it seemed, and flung her hand away as he spoke to her inaudibly. Whatever he said was enough to stop her from continuing to harass him, and she turned around in a huff and left the cafeteria.
“Wow,” Cameron said, his eyes wide. “That girl’s got some guts.”
I waited for him to explain. He shrugged. “Cole’s on the football team and just beat up Hank a few weeks ago.”
Hank. The name sounded familiar. After a while, it clicked and I had to sit down. The guy who had attacked me in the hallway earlier with his sidekicks. The bull. A wave of nausea rose inside me and I fought to keep the contents of my stomach down. Funny, now that I was away from the situation, I was finally feeling queasy. Aftershocks, I guess. The adrenaline rush was now officially gone.
“You alright?” Sarah asked. “You look a bit pale.”
“Uh, is Hank the big guy with dark hair and a scar right here?” I asked, pointing to my upper lip.
“Yeah,” Sarah replied, an uneasy look on her face. “You’ve met him already?”
“In the hallway earlier today,” I whispered. “Cole and his friend saved me.” I wasn’t sure how much I should be telling them, worried it would make the school paper instead. I had no desire for fame, whether good or bad.
Luckily, it didn’t seem they needed any explanation. “Hank’s gonna get it one day, and soon,” Jules said grimly. “He’s gotten away mostly because no one wants to report him, but he’s becoming bolder and bolder every day.”
I looked back at Cole, and found him looking at me, his eyes black and furious, sending me reeling. Why was the guy so angry all the time?
After all the morning’s incidents, I found my appetite gone. Quickly grabbing a small carton of yogurt to tide me over, I excused myself and headed for the library to organize my notes and my thoughts.
***
After the last class ended, I headed for the school gym for cheerleading tryouts. I was eager to have some semblance of normalcy and to meet people who enjoyed the same things I did. There were several girls with me, and from their conversation, I gathered they were a mix of freshmen and sophomores. I was the only senior. They were friendly enough, but kept to themselves more.
After changing into a white t-shirt and black shorts I did some warmups and watched as a handful of girls in the black Gray Lake cheerleading uniform filed into the gym. One of them was Cole’s girlfriend – or was she now his ex? – who now stepped forward.
“Okay, girls. Listen up. I’m Monica, squad captain. We’re here to see if we can find some talents for this year’s team. I’ve got several spots to fill, so how about you show me your best moves?”
Captain. Of course. Her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly when she spotted me but she said nothing. Our names were called alphabetically and I felt the thrill of doing something I loved rush through my veins. Soon, it was my turn. I showed them a few of my favorite cheers and several jumps and moves. I felt a bit rusty as I hadn’t practiced at all in the past three weeks, but my body remembered exactly what to do. I landed in a split with a flourish, and felt the exhilaration of doing what I did best rush through me. It seemed the small audience liked what they saw because I got a couple of cheers and catcalls from some girls and a couple of guys from the football team who had come by to watch. Monica didn't seem pleased, however, merely giving me a tight-lipped nod. I didn’t care. It was the most fun I had had in a while. I missed home, my friends and just being myself. I was a goofball sometimes, and had too much energy that needed an outlet - cheerleading was just that.
"Hey, those were some great moves! I couldn’t do a backflip if my life depended on it!" Jules said as she jogged towards me, a camera in her hand.
I laughed. “Yeah, it took me a few weeks to learn that, so I wouldn’t expect anyone to be able to do that if they hadn’t learned to before.” Eyeing her camera, I asked, “You’re here for the school paper?”
She nodded. “And, of course, for the eye candy.” She glanced towards the group of sweaty guys, and I noticed Hans amongst them. At least, I assumed it was Hans because he gave me a small smile and waved.
“Oh, crap,” I mumbled as I waved back. I had just remembered that I hadn’t asked my mom if she could pick me up from school. I hoped she was okay to leave work today, otherwise I was going to have to catch the bus. Not that I was a stranger to the public transport system or anything. I didn’t have a car back home, often hitching rides with Melissa or Tony or my mom, whenever she was free.
“What’s wrong?” Jules asked me as she glanced up from the viewfinder. Monica and a few of the senior cheerleaders were demonstrating a move for the next girl trying out.
“Just remembered my wonderful brother wants me to find a ride home.” I couldn’t help the bitterness seeping into my voice, but then immediately felt bad for revealing to Jules the less-than-pleasant side of the surly Isaac twin, who I really shouldn’t be judging based on a few encounters.
But it seemed Jules didn’t notice my tone, or maybe she didn’t care. “Oh, I can drop you off! It’s on my way home anyway.”
“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to impose on you.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t be. I’ve always wanted to see the twins’ house up close.”
I glanced at her – her eyes were shining with excitement. I hadn’t pegged Jules for a groupie. “Ok, um, thanks. Let me just grab some stuff from my locker.”
Once we got to her car, a shiny red Prius, she moved the stuff taking up the front seat to the back and ushered me in.
“You take care of your car well. Is it new?”
She nodded. “I just moved here early last year. Managed to save enough for a down payment – I basically owe my dad for the next, oh, decade or so.” She laughed. “But it’s worth it. I don’t have to hitch a ride with my little brother and his beat-up truck every day.”
I gave her a half-smile. No, that’ll be me with mine, every day. I sighed inwardly. I guess there were worse problems in life.
"Last year, huh? How'd you find fitting in?"
She shrugged. "As tough as you'd expect. Tough as in, having no one to sit with at lunch, and not being invited to parties and stuff. But it was okay after a while. Even better now that I'm working for the school paper. Not that I’m invited to too many parties yet, but that’s ok."
The look she had on her face told me it wasn’t ok. She looked at me thoughtfully. "You'll do fine. Having super popular stepbrothers will do you wonders."
What was it about them that made people talk about them so much? Normally I wouldn't mind the association, but now, being the twins’ stepsister was becoming cumbersome and annoying. It made me an even more attractive target for the likes of Hank and his stooges, made Monica dislike me on sight, and looking at Jules, might just make people befriend me not for me but for who my family was.
“We’ll see about that,” I muttered under my breath. So far, I hadn’t found anything wonderful about being the Isaac family’s newest addition.
