Searching (Hidden Truths Book 1)

by Quell T Fox

  I make it to my class, sure that I haven’t seen one new student yet. I was low key looking, I’ll admit. Though I could have passed some and not noticed. I also admit my curiosity has peaked. I am interested to see what kind of people are coming over here. I won’t deny having some eye candy would be nice. Everyone knows we don’t have any now. Or even some more girls for Lina and me to hang out with would be nice. We know a lot of people in this school, but none of them click like we do. No one I’d want to hang out with after school. No one I trust.

  Mr. Laurian is sitting behind his desk, reading over a paper with his half-moon glasses perched on the end of his nose. He only looks up to see who I am but quickly looks back at whatever it is he’s reading. “Good morning, Miss Graves,” he mumbles.

  I begged Lenny to change my last name, but he wouldn’t do it. He agreed my last name sucked; he said his was worse. I still say I’d rather be Leona Wibbles than Leona Graves. It sounds so morbid and I have no idea where it comes from. It wasn’t my mother’s last name. Unless it belonged to my dad, but that’s something I’ll probably never know. Having a different last name really makes me feel like an outcast. Even if Wibbles is an awful name, at least I’d feel like I fit in somewhere. But everyone at home has different names. None of them are married or anything like that; it doesn’t work that way with Supernaturals. The only few who share a surname are the kids and Friday.

  But still, the name is just one more thing adding to my endless feeling of not belonging anywhere.

  “Good morning, Mr. Laurian,” I say back with a smile as I walk past his desk. There is a note written on the white board in large blue letters.

  Assigned seating.

  Whatever.

  I check out the names on the desks and realize they’re in alphabetical order. That usually puts me in the front or somewhere in the middle. I’m surprised when I find myself at the back, left table. Must be an odd mix of students if G is all the way back here. I set my bag down and pull out my phone. I sneak a glance at the teacher, making sure he is still busy with his paper. Thankfully, he is. He wouldn’t hesitate to take my phone from me and not give it back. I have a message from Lenny wishing me a good day. I double check the time because he’s never up this early. I don’t bother texting him now, knowing he may have gone back to sleep. Lenny is a sleeper. Something I’m sure he wished he could give to Milo, who never sleeps at all.

  The students begin to file in, and I recognize all of them. No new kids. No fun. As the teacher gets up to close the door, I note the person on the side of me still isn’t here. The name tag is at the end of the long, black table, and I can’t read it from here. I’ve always liked the tables in science class. It’s much better than sitting at a regular desk. The tables are tall and long enough for two people to share comfortably—since students are always assigned a partner in science class here at Roseland Prep. There is plenty of space to spread out your work, read your book, complete your experiment, and not knock elbows with your partner. The tables in the library though, nothing beats them. I know, here I am talking about tables like some kind of freak, but someone like me who enjoys school can really appreciate table space!

  “Good morning, everyone,” the teacher says with a tight smile. Mr. Laurian is a teacher I’ve had every year. I’ve always taken high honors classes and it earns me the best teachers. And by best, I mean he’s strict with high expectations and a no bullshit attitude. “I hope you all had a wonderful summer vacation. I also hope you are ready to learn. As this is your last year at this school, it will be a fun one, yet it will put you to the test. Senior year at Rose—”

  He’s interrupted when the door opens. All heads turn in the direction of the squeaking door and as the tall, blond haired model walks in, I have to pick up my jaw from the ground. Holy cow. I don’t think I have ever seen someone as stunning as the man who has just walked in. Yes, man. I say man because this one is no boy. Nope. He can’t be a student here. He just can’t. He has to be a substitute or the new janitor. Definitely not a student. His head is held high as he walks towards the teacher, his jaw muscles twitching.

  I swear time slows down. No, it stops.

  It just stops.

  A burning in my eyes makes me realize I haven’t blinked in a long time, too busy gawking. I look away, knowing how rude it is to stare, yet everyone else in the class is doing the same thing. The girls are all sharing a similar expression: hunger. While the guys are sharing another: jealousy.

  I can’t even blame them.

  “Class begins at quarter ‘til eight sharp. I’ll excuse you this time since you’re new to this school and I expect you had trouble finding this class, but please be on time in the future.”

  “Of course, sir.” His voice is sweet, yet gravely. But I sense a hint of something else there, something I can’t place. I could picture him singing in a dark room with an acoustic guitar on his lap. I’d be there, front row, drooling all over the place, like the pitiful fool I’ve turned into.

  “Take your seat over there, by Miss Graves.”

  Miss Graves? Wait. That’s me…

  Chapter Four

  Leona

  I suddenly don’t know how to act, something that’s never happened to me before. I’ve never cared about what someone thought of me, yet here I am, running through my routine this morning making sure I brushed my teeth and put deodorant on. Did I put on too much makeup? Enough? Is my hair still straight? Do I smell okay? Not that he is going to be that close to me, but hey, a girl can dream, right?

  As he turns his head towards me, our eyes lock. A deep, intense feeling emanates from him. So powerfully I feel it in my soul.

  Well, that’s how it feels anyway.

  Goosebumps travel my skin as I tear my eyes away, forcing myself to look forward. I’m trying to focus on whatever it is Mr. Laurian is going on about, but I can’t hear a word. The only thing I can focus on is the new kid’s gaze burning into my skin. He walks over to my table, and I dare to look up at him again. He flashes me an angelic smile, one that makes my knees weak (it’s a good thing I’m sitting down), before taking a seat on the stool to my left. Dirty blonde hair falls over his forehead in a teasing way; I want to run my fingers through it. Blue eyes graze over me, so bright they’re practically glimmering. I try to smile, but I have a feeling I look more constipated than friendly. I quickly clear my throat and look away again, focusing my attention back towards the front. I feel eyes on me, but I dare not look this time. I tell myself it’s just the other students staring at him, and in turn me, since I’m beside him. No way it’s him looking at me because why would he be looking at me?

  “…hoping everyone has their learning pants on,” Mr. Laurian continues. “Senior year at Roseland will be a tough one. Us teachers really push students to keep their grades up. Over the years we’ve found it helps, as most students think senior year doesn’t count. They think it’s time to fool around and let grades slip. Well, not here. Not at Roseland.”

  “Does he always talk this much?”

  It takes me a few seconds to realize I’m being spoken to. I heard the whispered words, but they didn’t register. This must be a dream.

  “Huh? W-what?” I stutter. New kid raises an eyebrow, a smirk on his lips. “Me? Are you talking to me?” I ask like a complete fool.

  He leans over the table, looking beyond me and then meets my eyes again. His eyes are beautiful and a shade of blue that reminds me of a robin’s egg. It’s an odd shade, but it’s mesmerizing. I don’t want to look away.

  “I don’t see anyone else over there.” He flashes a smile once again. This time, I’m pretty sure my insides turn to goo.

  “Uhm, yeah. I mean, I guess.” I click my pen nervously and look towards the teacher who is now writing something on the board. This time I know it’s him staring at me because he’s caught in my peripheral. There is no denying it. I pretend I don’t notice even though I can feel the sweat forming on my brow. I shift uncomfortably, feeling like this is my
first day talking to someone of the opposite sex.

  I did put deodorant on today, right?

  I’m pulled from my worries when Julie Haskins stops in front of me and slides over a paper, her eyes widening and darting towards the new kid. I stare back at her, narrowing my eyes, not sure what she’s doing. She does it again, this time more dramatic. I just take the paper quickly and begin to fill it out, hoping he didn’t catch any of that. Julie hesitates before moving down the row, giving a paper to the one on the side of me and then moves to the next table. I quickly fill out the form but then continue to look it over, making myself seem busy. As I do this, more forms are piled in front of me and I keep going, scribbling my responses with shaky fingers. I refuse to look up at anyone who passes by. School policy. Emergency Contacts. Office hours. Tutoring Schedules. A mix of things they need us to sign and return and things they want us to keep. It’s a waste of paper, if you ask me. No one actually holds on to this stuff; it goes right in the trash.

  The first day of school is mostly paperwork and syllabuses. Oh, and the assembly. That’s always a hoot. We spend half of the day listening to speakers; the principal, the mayor, valedictorian of last year, and whoever else they deem suitable. It’s boring as hell. I should have come to school in my pajamas instead. Maybe even brought a pillow.

  My hand is cramping by the time the bell rings. I’m thankful class is over. I need to get out of here and breathe. It may have been just me, but it became really hot in the room once the new kid walked in. My stomach was in knots the entire time, my chest fluttering. He didn’t try talking to me again, which I appreciate because making myself look more like an idiot would not be a good thing on the first day of school. Especially when I’m going to be in class with him for the rest of the semester. My phone vibrated with texts a few times while I was filling out paperwork, but I dared not to pull it out in Mr. Laurian’s class. He would have a fit. As I throw my backpack over my shoulder and scurry out of the room, I check my phone, knowing who it is before I even look.

  Lina: Thorne Chase. Hunter Flynn. Castor Leventis.

  Lina: We are the luckiest bitches in the world!

  I shake my head, knowing she must be talking about a few of the new students. I know there must be more than three, but I can only guess these three are special for some reason. And that only makes me believe the boy in class with me was one of them. With a face like that, how could he not be? If I had to guess, I’d say he is Hunter. None of the other last names would be sitting on the side of me.

  Me: Hm. Let me guess… Brenna?

  Brenna is the one you go to for info. She lives and breathes gossip. You want info, she has it. I’m honestly surprised she didn’t have information on every student before they got here. Unless she did but kept it for herself. It wouldn’t be the first time she’s held onto info for bartering purposes. It’s smart if you ask me, but she’s another I tend to stay away from. You can’t trust her. Anything and everything will be used against you in the Court of Brenna.

  Lina: *thumbs up emoji* She’s in my first period class. Guess who will be getting all the gossip every morning! This girl.

  Me: You have fun with that. See you soon xoxo

  I shove my phone into my back pocket and head down to the first floor where my Math class is. It’s a long walk from where I was and I get there just as the bell is ringing, even though I swear my feet were moving as fast as they could. I forgot how difficult weeding through the crowd of students was. Plus with the added number of kids, it’s only worse.

  The class is full, other than one seat towards the back. I take it happily. As much as I enjoy school, I don’t like sitting in the front. I can focus better when I’m in the back. One of the good things about taking high honors classes is most of the kids want to be in the front, so even if I show up late, there will still be an open seat in the back.

  Unless of course we have assigned seating, which not many people do anymore. Mr. Laurian is only one of four teachers who still force us into it. Unfortunately, Callan is another.

  We go through more paperwork.

  More hand cramping.

  No new students to make me sweat.

  Thankfully.

  When the bell rings, I take my time gathering my stuff, needing a break from the chaotic morning I’ve had. My next class isn’t far, I won’t have to worry about rushing there. My blood pressure didn’t go back to normal until at least halfway through this class. If that’s what it’s going to be like every first period, I may need to learn better meditation techniques. Having a heart attack is not on my list of things to do this year. Everyone else is already out of the room by the time I’m passing the teacher’s desk.

  “How was your summer?” Mrs. Hardt asks with a kind smile. She’s always been a nice teacher.

  “It was good. How was yours?”

  “Went by too fast.” She winks. I huff out a laugh and head out the door. Straight into something tall and hard. I think for a second I walked into the door. It wouldn’t be the first time; I can be a bit clumsy. But when two massive hands wrap around my upper arms, I think I’ve actually died and gone to heaven.

  “Whoa. Are you okay?”

  I look up, up, and up.

  The guy in front of me is easily over six feet tall. Which isn’t weird for me, since the guys at home are tall. But in school? A student? And the backpack on his shoulder tells me he is a student.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” I say, brushing my hair back from my face. I breathe in a thick, woodsy scent belonging to him. It’s refreshing and calms me instantly. I take a step back and take him in. He’s also someone I don’t know. And he’s beautiful. Not in the traditional, clean-cut type of way, but more of a sexy lumberjack kind of way. His hair is chestnut brown, thick, and wavy. It’s pulled back into a perfect, messy bun. Why do guys get the good hair? His facial hair is perfectly trimmed and well above his teenage years, his green eyes are dark like the forest at night. And those perfectly, plump, kissable lips. Oh, my…

  What the hell does Braunford feed their kids?

  I open my mouth to say something but can’t seem to find words. Because for the second time today, I’ve come across someone who has taken my breath away and made me completely stupid.

  “Be more careful, yeah? I’d hate to be the cause of your pain.” He winks and moves me aside like I’m a small child, stepping into the classroom. I stand there gaping, his cheesy joke going right over my head. When I finally shake out of it, I realize Lina is standing in front of me, her jaw sitting on the floor. She quickly reaches my side, hooking her arm in mine and pulling me down the hallway. Her steps are quick, but I keep up easily, weaving through students.

  “Do you know who he is?” she practically shrieks as we round the corner, far enough away from my last class so the guy she’s talking about won’t hear. Everyone else in the hallway though? They all give us a look like we’ve escaped a looney bin or something.

  “Should I?” I finally find words, focusing on Lina.

  “Oh my god, Leona. Do you live under a rock?” She throws her arms up. “That was Thorne Chase! And you, you... touched him.” She whispers the last part like he’s a famous Rockstar or something. Like he’s worthy of never washing up again. Or maybe I should chop my hand off and sell it on eBay?

  “Actually, he touched me,” I correct. She stares at me like I’m crazy. I don’t get the excitement over it. “So what? He’s just a guy.”

  A really hot guy. But still…

  “Just a guy? Just… a… guy? Are you freaking kidding me? Hunter, Thorne, and Castor are the IT guys back at their school. The richest. The hottest! They do what they want, when they want. Their parents practically owned the school.”

  “Yeah? Are they helping to fix it then?” I ask with a bit of an attitude. When people have money, there isn’t any need to make it known. Rich doesn’t mean better. I only want to hear about it if they’re using it for the greater good.

  “Why am I friends with you again?” sh
e asks, looking at me like I’m an alien that’s just invaded her space and asked to probe her.

  We get to our next class and both head to the back to take our seats. I won’t admit to her I find a few of the new guys attractive. I’ve never really found anyone attractive and I won’t start now. I don’t need her blabbing to everyone and making a fool of me. She’s my bestie but she has a big mouth. She knows boundaries when it’s important. Something like this? The entire school would know in a matter of minutes. Especially after knowing she has first period with Brenna. My news will be first on the Gossip Roster.

  And she’ll mean well by it and it’s why I can’t get mad at her. She’ll try hooking me up with them, thinking I need a boyfriend. That maybe a boy would make me better, but it won’t. Even if I wanted a boyfriend—because let’s be serious, no one needs a boyfriend—I wouldn’t go to her for help. Her style is so much different than mine. Opposites attract for sure. It’s why we get along so well, but sometimes Lina scares the crap out of me with her being a gold star extrovert.

  We sit through our teacher lecturing about the school year and how important our grades are. She tells us how our entire lives are going to change after this year. It’s a really heavy conversation to have before lunch. Especially after the morning I’ve had so far. We fill out a few more papers that keep us busy until the end of class and then head to lunch. Finally.

  “You’d think we’d have learned by now how awful the first day of school is,” I groan.

  “Girl, I know. If we were coming back next year, I’d have suggested skipping. I really hope college is different than this.”

  I’m sure it will be, and I’m excited to find out. I don’t plan on going far for school; I want to stay near my family. I know I could get in anywhere I wanted, and the counselors at school keep pushing me to apply at big name colleges. The local college will be fine for me. I still don’t know what I want to do when I’m older, but I know I want to continue learning. Luckily, my family understands my anxieties about being too far from them and they don’t push the subject. They support whatever I choose to do.