Freshman Firsts (Connerton Academy Book 1)

by Cassie Hargrove

  “I actually got here yesterday so my room is already done. Want some help?”

  I think about it for a minute as I finish packing up before I answer him. On one hand, I would love to spend more time with him, but really, I just need some alone time to relax and sort my room and my mind.

  “Um, I think I want to be alone tonight. No offence, I just need to organize everything, and I do that better when I’m alone you know?” I hope I’m not coming off as rude. I’m not trying to be, but I know I have a habit of seeming that way to people who don’t know me well.

  “Yeah, totally get it. It’s your space, but you need to make it your own before you start sharing it.” He smiles at me and, Lord help me, the man is gorgeous, but when he smiled, he was on a whole other level. I return his smile as we head towards the dormitory.

  Unfortunately, we don’t even make it out of the building before we hit trouble.

  “Well well, if it isn’t the girl who thinks she’s too good to talk to me.” Oh goody, this again. At least he’s alone and I don’t have to deal with all of them.

  “I don’t think I’m too good to talk to you, I just prefer to stay away from drama at all costs.” Drama just causes problems for everyone involved and I like to be off people’s radar, but apparently this idiot has other plans.

  “Drama?” He cackles. A sound so dark an ominous I feel it in my bones and involuntarily shiver.

  “Babe, that wasn’t drama. That was me being friendly. You wouldn’t want to see me bring drama.” Not only does he sound threatening, but the intense look on his face says he isn’t messing around.

  He really believes he’s that in control of what happens here. Brian growls beside me. I kid you not, he actually growls at the asshole. It takes all my energy to not roll my eyes at him. Guys like him were a dime a dozen at my old school.

  Maybe not quite the same. I don’t think I have ever met anyone with the dark vibes I feel coming from him.

  I take a couple steps towards him to prove I don’t fear him. “The name is Harleigh, not baby or babe.” I square my shoulders and keep eye contact to get my point across. I’m hoping my face is giving off the same ‘don’t fuck with me vibe’ his is.

  “I don’t want trouble. I already told you this. I will stay out of your way. I’m just here for an education. Now, kindly move.”

  His eyes get more intense and it feels like they are trying to light me on fire from the inside out, but I don’t move.

  For a moment, I forget where we are and who is around us until I feel Brian move beside me. I don’t have to wonder for long how he’s feeling about this encounter if this afternoon was any indication.

  “Dude let us by. We didn’t do anything to you, and we won’t. Just leave us be and we will leave you and your friends alone too. I’m sure you guys have other people to bother.” You can hear the annoyance and frustration in Brian’s voice, but Colten doesn’t flinch. His eyes don’t move from mine nor mine from his. He doesn’t even acknowledge that he’s been spoken to.

  Shaking my head, I pull my eyes from his before I drown in those pools of grey.

  “I’m going now, but I’m sure I will see you around.” I grab Brian’s hand and pull him along with me and Colten doesn’t so much as make a move to stop us. He just turns to stare at our retreating backs. I can literally feel the heat on my back from his gaze as we walk away.

  We are stopped outside my dorm when Brian talks again. “That guy has a serious problem. Be careful around him Harleigh.” He truly looks concerned as he levels his eyes with mine. “I don’t trust him.”

  “Bry, it’s fine. He’s a self-entitled rich kid who thinks he owns the school because his name is on it. Bullies are all the same. I’m just going to ignore him like I did all the idiots at my last school. I’ve got this.” I give him a small smile to try and reassure him.

  I want to have this, but Colten is more intense than anyone I’ve ever dealt with before.

  “Bry huh? I like it. See you in the morning?”

  “Definitely. Have a good night.”

  He leans down to kiss my cheek. “You too beautiful.” My eyes follow him until he turns the corner and out of sight.

  Can this day get any stranger?

  Unlocking the door and stepping inside, I stare at the boxes in front of me and letting out a sigh. Packing and unpacking isn’t something I enjoy doing and I get to do it for the next four years.

  I get to work on the boxes so I can try and make the best out of being here, but I miss home. I’ve never been away from my parents for long.

  Brian

  Walking away from Harleigh feels like I am walking away from a piece of my soul.

  I don’t understand the intense feelings I have around her, but I make a mental note to ask my father if it continues. It could be just teenage infatuation, but something deep inside tells me it’s more than that.

  I have been trying to figure her out all day and get a read on what she is, but to me she just seems human and I know that’s not possible. Humans aren’t allowed at Connerton Academy. It’s too dangerous for them while we all discover and learn how to control our powers.

  Harleigh though? She even talks like someone who doesn’t know our world exists in reality. When I said Colten was demon earlier, she played it off as a joke.

  A feeling of unease settles over me as I realize she may not even know what she is…and that poses a serious danger to her life.

  You have to protect her, teach her.

  I hear the voice clear as day.

  My first angel command. I’ve never had one before, but I feel it deep within my soul.

  Dad taught me well; trained me to understand anything that may come from being part angel. I definitely need to call him, but for now, I need to find that asshole and have a little chat.

  It doesn’t take long to find him.

  Every demon has a slightly different feel that’s similar to a unique fingerprint. I’m not very good at noticing the subtle changes between demons yet, but I can feel Colten.

  My anger towards him seems to amplify his aura making it easier to track. The closer I get, the more every nerve ending in my body is on edge and hyper aware of his presence. When I reach his door it’s so strong, I can sense his every move behind the door.

  Knocking, I take deep breathes to work through the anger and annoyance I feel towards him.

  When he opens the door, the smug smile on his face disappears and is replaced with a look of disgust. “What the hell do you want? You didn’t get enough earlier?”

  “We need to talk.” I say, trying to keep the bite from my voice. Being so close to him sets every fibre of my being on edge. I’m not used to being this close to demons, so I haven’t had the chance to hone my skills so that being near them doesn’t set me on edge. That can only happen with time.

  “Why the hell would I want to talk to you? You are nothing.” Yeah, he’s a douche, but I can’t leave things like this. He needs to back off of Harleigh. The way he was staring at her earlier, no good can come out of that sort of attention.

  “Be that as it may, we need to talk about Harleigh.” His eyes actually light up at the mention of her and not in a good way. No, it’s more like he recognizes a challenge and he is determined to be the winner.

  “Come in then. Let’s discuss your little girlfriend.” I hide the shock from my face from his invite as I walk into the room and he closes the door.

  “What do you want to talk about then, angel.” He says this last word with disgust as he sits down and motions towards a chair near him.

  “You know what I am. Good, we can skip the pleasantries. You need to back off and leave her be.”

  “Why would I want to do that?” He asks, smirking like he knows I can’t tolerate his presence. He can sense I haven’t gotten control of my power yet and he’s going to make my life a living hell until I do. I need to make it a priority to find control and balance.

  I take a deep breath before I talk. If I’m rig
ht, and she doesn’t know what she really is, then he needs to stay away from her long enough for me to find a way to help her. I just need to figure out how to get him to back off.

  “What do you think she is?” I ask him because I’m curious, and he may know something I don’t. He’s a legacy here, which means he probably knows everything.

  He laughs. “You mean, you don’t know? I thought angels were supposed to be all knowing. Why don’t you just ask her?” Even as he says this, I can tell he’s holding something back. Something he doesn’t want to tell me.

  “I intend to.” He doesn’t need to know how vulnerable she may very well be by not knowing the truth about our world. “But the way you were focusing on her earlier, nothing good can come from that. You were trying to possess her.”

  The look of anger on his face tells me I’m right. It also tells me he was unsuccessful. “Why weren’t you successful? Is it hard for you?”

  He scoffs at that. “Hard for me to possess people?” He laughs.

  “Never. I’ve been possessing people since I was four years old.” He gives me a look of pure hatred. “Your little girlfriend is just a freak, but don’t worry, I will figure out how to destroy her. All in good time.” He sneers.

  I can tell this conversation isn’t going to get us anywhere. He’s too pissed off that he can’t possess her so he’s not going to just let it go. It’s not in his blood to back away from a challenge and it’s clear that’s how he sees her now.

  “This was a mistake. I should have known you wouldn’t listen. See you around Colten.” Every step I take away from his room helps me breathe just a little bit easier.

  It’s definitely time to get control of this power because he isn’t going anywhere and he’s not the only demon at this school. I refuse to be on edge and put Harleigh in danger because I’m not focused.

  Harleigh

  Once the room is unpacked, I finally take the time to look at my phone and see a couple texts from mom. She wants to know how my first day went and if I’m settling in ok. I shoot her off a quick reply and make a mental note to call her and Dad tomorrow. I get comfortable on my bed before dialing Adeline.

  “Harleigh! You’re alive! I miss your face!” Did I mention she has a flare for the dramatic?

  “Obviously Adds.” I chuckle. “I miss you too, but you know the rules here. I can only use my phone outside of school hours.” I swear we went over this no less than a million times before I left.

  “Seriously? I figured you were just fucking with me and would ignore the rules. I mean, what teenager actually follows a stupid rule like that?” She whines through the phone. I miss everything about her, even her whiny pouts. Hell, I miss everything about my old life. This new normal is going to take some getting used to.

  “The kind that doesn’t want to have it taken away for a week?” She lets out this gasp like that would be the end of the world. “Or, you know, me. I prefer to stay within the lines remember?”

  “Yeah, yeah, we all know you’re boring.” She mocks me with love. It’s been a running joke in my family, that I am too old and boring to possibly be a teenager. Apparently, I take life too seriously.

  “Anyways, how was your first day?! Oh my God, the stories I have to tell you…” the conversation goes on like this for a while before I finally get the nerve to tell her about Brian and I’m a nervous wreck. It’s not that I’m trying to hide him from her, but for all intents and purposes, he’s the first guy I’m actually interested in possibly being more than friends with.

  For me, that’s a big deal.

  “Addy, I met a guy. One I actually like.” I hold my breath as I wait for her reaction.

  “WHAT?!?! Holy shit! Tell me EVERYTHING! Is he cute? What’s his name? What does he look like? You have to send me a picture!!”

  “Whoa slow down turbo! Can you even breathe?” I laugh at her eagerness to know every single detail. “I ran into him this morning, like I physically ran right into his back. I was lost in my thoughts and wasn’t really paying attention.”

  “And?”

  “And…he’s sweet. His name is Brian. We have almost every class together too.”

  “That’s all you’re going to giving me? Is he hot?! What does he look like? I mean you never pay attention to guys. This is a big deal! Don’t hold out on me Harls.” I can just picture her standing there glaring at the space in front of her while she talks into the phone.

  “I’m not trying to be evasive. He’s definitely hot. He has this emo black hair, he’s covered in tattoos and has piercings. He also wears glasses like no one’s business. He’s gorgeous Addy.” I sigh and flop onto my back.

  “Ho…ly…shit!” she squeals the last word out from excitement. “Bitch, I need to see what he looks like! Get me a picture.” Yeah, like that’s going to happen. I’ll just walk up to him and be like ‘Hey, my friend wants to see how hot you are. Selfie?’ Nope, not going to happen.

  “Stalker much?” I laugh at her. “Maybe eventually.” She seems more excited about the idea of me liking a guy than I am. She’s totally boy crazy.

  “Ugh, fine! We will table that for now, but seriously, I am so happy for you! I was beginning to think you were going to die alone with, like, 100 cats or something. What else happened today?”

  I spend the next hour telling her about my day from meeting Brian, to the classes I’m in. I even mention Colten and his group of assholes. She has some choice words for him, not that I expected anything less. Adeline Montgomery is beyond loyal to the people she loves.

  Eventually we hang up after I promise to text her tomorrow and I lay in bed just staring at the ceiling while I run through the days’ events in my head. As far as first days go, it wasn’t as bad as I imagined. I actually managed to make a friend so that makes me happy.

  Maybe being the real me wouldn’t be as hard as I thought it would be.

  2

  Harleigh

  After a couple weeks, I’m finally getting settled into the new routine that has become my life. I go to classes, have lunch with Brian, and generally try to avoid Colten and his group. His friends have backed off and allow him to continue the bullying, but with each passing attempt, he seems to become more and more agitated when I don’t react. I get the feeling he wants to break me. I just don’t know why.

  The more time Brian and I spend together, the more comfortable I am with being myself around anyone and everyone. He makes me feel safe and reminds me I don’t need to give a shit what others think. They either like me or they don’t, and I am okay with that.

  Neither of us are all that social, so even though we talk to others around us, we generally keep to ourselves. I’m sure at some point we will make more friends, but until then, I am content with the way things are.

  “Hey beautiful, you have any plans this weekend?” He smirks at me knowingly. We’re heading back to our rooms to get changed before grabbing dinner in the cafeteria and my mind is focused on everything I have to do for school. Maybe I can finish a couple of assignments beforehand.

  “Oh, you know, just homework and sleep. I might make some time for this guy I know.” We’re walking along the path between the school and the dorms when I see something orange in my peripheral vision. “Hey Bry, what’s that?” I point towards the orange spot near the trees.

  “What’s what? I don’t see anything.”

  “You don’t see that patch of orange by the trees?” I don’t move my eyes away from it, afraid it will disappear. I don’t think I’m seeing things, am I?

  “Oh, yeah I see it now.” He’s squinting to get a better look. “Wonder what it is?” He sneaks a look over to me before tilting his head in that direction and walking backwards.

  I watch him walking backwards and can’t help but notice how sexy he is in his tight jeans and converse shoes. He brings the look together with a blood red t-shirt, and my mouth waters with appreciation.

  “Good question.” I push away those thoughts and follow him, but what we find isn’
t what I was expecting. Reaching the edge of the trees an orange cat saunters out and rubs up against my legs completely bypassing Brian as if he wasn’t even there.

  “Hi there, what’s your name?” I speak softly to it as I lower myself onto the ground and let it climb into my lap. When it gets comfy, I check for a tag and find one easily.

  “Hi Orion. What are you doing here huh? I bet your family misses you.”

  Meow, meow, meow. He’s now rubbing his head against my hand and cuddling into my chest purring as Brian just stands there and watches the exchange. I love cats. They are just so cute and furry and warm. I always wanted one growing up, but Dad is highly allergic to them so it wasn’t an option.

  “Think we should take him to the principal?” he asks.

  I know that’s what we should do, but I get this feeling that we should just leave him be to do his own thing.

  “Nah, I’m sure he will make his way home. He’s clearly not starving or being neglected.” Brian nods in agreement.

  I sit there on the ground for a few minutes, just soaking up the snuggles before my stomach starts to growl, making the cat move off my lap.

  “Sorry little guy, I have to go. It was nice meeting you Orion.” I say, taking the hand Brian offers and standing up. “Maybe I will see you around sometime.”

  Meeeoooww.

  Brian and I take off back to the trail and head to our dorms. It’s not until we get there that I realize Orion is following us.

  Meow, meow.

  “You have to go home. I can’t let you in here. No pets allowed.” But he doesn’t move. He just stares at me with these deep chocolate brown eyes. “Go home. Shoo.” I wave my hand at him before Brian grabs it and unlocks the door, pulling me into the building with him.

  “Bry, that was weird wasn’t it? He just stared at me.” I look at him before swinging my gaze back out the door to the cat still standing there watching us.

  He laughs.

  “You are aware that cats are predatory creatures, right? They are creepy as fuck. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure we won’t see him again.” I tell him he’s right as we head to our rooms to get ready for dinner, but I can still feel him watching us through the door as we round the corner.