by Ellis Marie
Focus, Elle.
“Well, maybe it had to do with your friends making me uncomfortable,” I counter, and he raises his eyebrow at me as if impressed.
“I apologise for them,” he states with charm dripping off his voice. “We’re not a pack of animals. We do have manners.” The group behind him chuckle, and he joins in as if they’ve all just shared a joke.
“Well, they’re not making a very good first impression.” I cross my arms over my chest with a sigh, and his eyes flick down, making me blush. I quickly drop my arms.
“You’re right,” he begins, extending his hand to me. “Let’s start fresh. My name is Trent.”
I glance at his hand hesitantly before taking it, not wanting to seem rude but also afraid that Matt could see me.
“I’m Elle,” I reply, shocking myself at the name that comes out of my mouth. I should have said Anna. “I mean, Anna,” I correct, trying to hide the shake in my voice that comes as I feel the tingles up my hand again where his skin touches mine.
This is so weird.
“So, is it Elle or Anna?” He chuckles, not letting go.
I blush even more and cringe. “It’s both. Well, I mean, my name is Annabelle, but I get called either.”
Why did I even tell him that?
“And do you also go by Annabelle?” He grins, leaning forward slightly.
“No.” My blunt reply seems to shock him a little. He frowns at me, pulling back. Perhaps, he noticed the way my voice hitched slightly and the change in my demeanour.
I quickly slap a smile onto my cheeks, flicking my hair over my shoulder. “You can call me Anna,” I offer in an attempt to push past the awkward moment. He smiles warmly, his teeth glinting in the sun.
For a second, I have to remind myself how to breathe.
Jesus, is this guy a model?
He goes to say something but my eyes glance behind him. Matt and the three musketeers are heading up the path, but they haven’t noticed us yet.
I will be in so much trouble if he sees me.
“It was lovely to meet you, but I really have to go,” I rush out, already beginning to walk away. Something stops me, gripping onto my wrist. When I turn to see Trent’s hand and questioning eyes, I begin to panic.
“Wait, what class are you in? I could walk with you? We’re all a bit lost.” He chuckles, and I frantically try to think of something to say.
My eyes dart to Matt. My stomach drops as I see him about five metres away, his eyes glaring daggers at Trent.
“I think there’s an orientation thing for you guys in the gym hall,” I offer with a smile as I try to tug myself away, but he doesn’t let go. I feel like screaming at him.
Matt is going to kill me.
“We don’t know where that is.” Trent furrows his eyebrows further, and I think my smile cracks because his eyes dart around briefly. “Is everything okay? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
He seems so genuine that my chest hurts—a part of me wants to stand and explain everything to him, but I can’t.
“Look, I’d love to help you, but I just really need to go, so please just—”
“Maybe I can help. Is something—”
“No, nothing’s wrong. Please just—”
“Anna.” The voice makes me freeze and my stomach feels like it just dive-bombed off the side of a cliff. The hairs on my arms stand up, and it’s as though Trent can feel my fear. His face turns dark as he turns to look at Matt, releasing me in the process.
I feel relief for a moment, but it quickly disappears as Matt smiles at me and wraps an arm around my waist.
“Matt, this is Trent. He was asking if I knew the way to the gymnasium,” I explain, hoping it puts him at ease. “Trent, this is Matt, my boyfriend.”
Whether he thought that I’m single, or I have given the impression of something else, my answer seems to confuse him.
“Boyfriend?” he double checks with his brows furrowed. I nod in response, kissing Matt on the cheek in the hopes of making it more obvious and stopping the conversation.
What is wrong with him?
Clearly not okay with being ignored, Matt clears his throat, bringing Trent’s attention back to him, but I don’t miss the looks that pass between his friends.
“If you want someone to help you to the gymnasium, my boys and I would be more than happy to escort you.” Matt smirks as Luke, Andy, and Carter take their places beside him. “After all, I don’t know if I’d be comfortable leaving my girlfriend with . . . your kind.”
I gasp at his words and Trent’s expression turns murderous. The boys behind him suddenly stand and surround him, the mass of them completely intimidating.
“What the fuck was that, pretty boy?” Trent snarls and Matt laughs, letting go of my shoulders to take a step forward, coming almost chest to chest with Trent.
“You heard me. I don’t want her around scum like you, bay dweller,” he spits out. I watch Trent’s fists clench, his friend’s eyes darting to each other as if they were getting ready to pounce.
Although Matt’s tall, he’s nothing compared to Trent, not to mention there are at least ten guys from East Bay and Matt only has three. Those don’t look like good odds.
A certain part of me wants to see him get hit because no one from this school would ever do it, and even I can admit that I may or may not find some satisfaction in it, but a larger part of me cares about him, plus if he came home in a bad mood, I would be the one to take the brunt of it anyway.
“Matt,” I say softly, taking his hand, which only makes him look at me with contempt. I flinch back at his hard glare.
“People are watching,” I whisper hesitantly, knowing that it might be the only thing that will stop him from making a scene. “You don’t want people to see you being unwelcoming, do you?”
He doesn’t look convinced, and I grit my teeth, pushing down the disgust I feel as I take a breath. “Plus they’re not exactly worth your reputation.”
He holds my gaze for a second and then turns, assessing the crowd of people around him, most of whom are listening in.
He looks back at me with a smile. “You’re right.”
Before I can even breathe a sigh of relief, I’m yanked into him and his lips land on mine. Relief settles over me, and I ignore the niggling feeling in the pit of my stomach and the glares I can feel even though I feel bad for saying something mean, but if it stops a fight with Matt, then it’s worth it.
I have to believe that.
After a few seconds, Matt pulls back. “Just a bit of fun, boys.” He grins, winking at Trent. “Welcome to Northern Valley Woods.”
Without waiting for them to reply, Matt leads me away and I don’t dare look back.
So much for treating people with kindness, Elle.
“F*cking losers,” Carter growls as we walk through the halls, and I almost laugh.
Takes one to know one, Carter.
I catch his eyes running over my body and, quickly, the nausea that started to ease comes back at full throttle. “Can’t blame them for wanting a piece of ass like Anna to show them around though.”
“Watch it!” Matt laughs, pushing his friend. I want to scream at him.
Just how could he kick off at someone talking to me when Carter made comments like that? The irony.
I stay quiet for the rest of the walk to my locker, listening to the boys make horrible comments about the new kids and what they really think of them. I try to block it out. Trent doesn’t seem like a bad guy. Why is there such a bad reputation about East Bay? Surely, people only a few miles away can’t be that different to us, can they?
“You guys go ahead. I need to talk to Anna.” Matt’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts, and I realise we’re standing beside my locker.
The boys all nod in response and walk away, continuing to talk about how their school has become ‘infested’. They certainly held a lot of resentment.
“So do you want to explain what happened outside?” Matt
grits his teeth as I put in my locker combination, feeling his fingers curl and uncurl beside me.
Breathe.
I shrug casually, placing my books in my locker. “He stopped me on the steps to ask where the gymnasium was, that’s all,” I tell him, not wanting to add in that I almost fell—that would only cause Matt embarrassment.
“And?” he hisses, moving closer.
“And nothing, he just stopped me and—”
He slams his hand on the metal. “Don’t lie to me.”
Around us, a few people glance over but continue with their business, their whispers blending in with the surrounding sounds of high school. Matt throws a relaxed grin at the ones closest to us. When they move away, he leans towards me and stares straight into my eyes, all signs of ease gone.
“Truth.”
I take a deep breath before smiling at him sweetly. “Baby, nothing happened. He stopped me to ask where to go, and when I tried to walk away, he took my wrist, which is what you saw, honestly.”
A pause.
“Why didn’t you push him off?” Matt growls, but I hold my ground, doing my best to give him the most believable puppy dog eyes I can muster.
“I tried to, but he wouldn’t let go.”
For a moment, I fear that I haven’t done enough and will have to continue to defend my actions, but then he seems to realize that I’m telling the truth and grabs the arm Trent had, looking over it.
“Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he?” he asks with actual concern on his face.
I want to laugh at the irony of the situation, but I manage to keep it in.
“No, he didn’t. I’m okay.” I give him my trademark smile, and he seems pleased with my answer, kissing the back of my hand.
“Can all East Bay High School students please make their way to the gymnasium?” The voice over the speaker echoes around the hall, and most of the sound dies with it, leaving room for murmurs as people wait in anticipation. There’s the sound of doors opening behind me and my instincts, along with everyone else’s in the hall, seem to make me look to it.
Tanned skin and a bellowing voice tell me all I need to know.
Matt moves to stand beside me and glares at the approaching figures, his eyes not leaving them as he intertwines his hand with mine, locking me in place next to him. I quickly try to make it seem as though my attention isn’t on the one place that it shouldn’t be, but I can’t help but steal another look.
The huge group of students fill the hall and stroll down the corridor as if they own the place, their voices bouncing between them arrogantly. If I didn’t know better, I would think they were part of a massive family, not a single person unwelcomed or out of place. It’s almost intimidating, like a group that you aren’t a part of even if you want to be. Even the smaller kids that look like freshmen seem to have the same air of confidence, although it’s not hard to see why. Even they look as though they’ve been bulking from birth.
The men all look like fighters and the women look just as tough. Their heels click in a steady rhythm, not missing a beat. How good it must feel to be confident enough to strut like that, especially in a new school.
Leading them is a rugged figure whose piercing eyes seem to sweep over every person they pass, either assessing or looking for someone in particular. When they connect with my own, I know the answer.
My heart hammers as he glides past us, not for a second trying to hide the steady stare that remains trained on me. I can almost swear that he winks at me, but it’s too quick to really believe.
“Why is he staring at you?” Matt hisses. I shake my head, my lungs expanding again as I watch his back disappear around the corner with everyone else.
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly, gulping down the shake in my voice.
Matt huffs, starting to complain about stalkers and ill-mannered communities and how they needed to be put in their place, but I’m barely listening. There’s only one thing sticking out in my mind.
What does he want with me?
***
The question is still on my mind an hour later.
I sit drawing something that resembles a forest on the top of my notebook, my thoughts drifting between maths and literally anything else I could think of. It’s far too easy for me to get side-tracked in this subject.
“Would Miss Annabelle Williams please make her way to the gymnasium.”
I glance up in shock as the announcement rings out through the school, my mind whirling with thoughts on what could be going on.
Is it my father? Am I in trouble? Did I do something?
My fingers grip the arm next to me, the material of their shirt creasing between my fingers as I try not to panic, looking to them for even the smallest bit of reassurance.
Matt looks at me briefly before shrugging his shoulders. “Stop stressing. It’ll probably be something good knowing you,” he mumbles, brushing my hands off him before continuing to chat with the boys. I frown at his reaction.
Thanks for caring, boyfriend.
I stand up, collect my things, and head for the door, pulling my denim jacket on as I go while shooting the teacher a timid smile.
The corridors are empty and quiet; everyone is currently in class working, so why had I been called? It’s only a few days back into the school year. Surely something hadn’t happened already. If the principal needed someone, he would usually phone a teacher or something. This is clearly more urgent.
I stop outside the entrance, my thoughts beginning to go fuzzy, and I can’t seem to shake the feeling of anticipation in my stomach.
What’s wrong with me? Am I excited? Am I scared?
It’s as though my body doesn’t know which to pick, but through the onslaught of images and worries, one face seems to keep reappearing—a pair of eyes that don’t look away.
A thought springs to my head, and I have to thank Matt for being a bit dim and not realising it himself. Are the East Bay students still in there?
My thoughts are confirmed as I slowly open the heavy doors to the gym, and I’m met with the sound of chatter and the sight of the benches almost completely full.
Why am I here?
I see Principal Knowles standing talking to the PE teacher. I quickly walk over, trying to ignore how much my heels echo in this hall. As I cross, a wave goes through the crowd as people go quiet. I want to punch my teacher for being on the other side of the room and making me walk past everyone. I don’t dare turn and look. I don’t need to fall over again, and I couldn’t risk looking at Trent.
The principal sees me and smiles warmly, walking over and shaking my hand while I return the gesture. I love Principal Knowles; he was a pretty good teacher and an even better principal—fair but fun. I think he also has a small soft spot for me, considering how much money certain people’s families donated and the cover-ups that took place. It sometimes seems like the principal and I are on the same boat, like we understood the pressure the other one was feeling.
Appearances matter.
“Miss Williams, lovely to see you. How was your summer?”
Of course, the conversation would start with this. How could I say never-ending and awful without sounding like a brat?
“The usual really, not much happens around here. How about your holiday, sir?”
He sighs. “Well, my wife gave birth to our son right at the beginning of the holidays, so the past couple months have mostly been changing diapers and crying.” His mouth quirks up as he winks. “The latter was me.”
I laugh lightly, trying to ignore how uneasy I feel with the stares of people that are watching us converse. I clear my throat and take a breath, wanting to get out of here as soon as possible. “What did you need me for, sir?”
It’s obvious that he’s forgotten that he summoned me there, and at my reminder, he begins glancing around himself as if looking for something, muttering something under his breath.
I carefully peer at the sea of people, trying to not get caught looking, but i
t’s only a second before I curse myself when my eyes immediately find him.
Damn his godlike face sticking out from the crowd.
It’s as though he feels me looking at him. His head swivels to face me, his yellow eyes finding mine from metres away. I feel my breath catch in my throat as his lips curve up into a smirk.
“Ah, here they are!”
My attention is brought back to Principal Knowles with papers rustling in his hands. I’m relieved that he’s managed to break my eye contact with Trent.
“Hold these,” he asks, passing me the pile without warning. I quickly grab them, trying not to drop the stack. “And where’s my . . . ah!”
I watch as he grabs the microphone sitting on the table beside him, bringing it to his mouth. “Right, here we go.” He clears his throat harshly, and the gymnasium echoes with the sound of feedback. The crowd groans in front of us, their shouts of annoyance so loud that it feels as though they’re vibrating the walls.
I wonder if new speakers had been put in beside them?
“Alright, alright. Settle down,” Knowles shouts. Everyone quiets down pretty quick, but their scowls aren’t missed.
“Now, as I said previously, I know that it’s hard adjusting to a new school, so we’re going to try and make it easier for everyone to integrate.” He smiles before turning and waving me over, his eyes focusing on the stack of papers in my hand. “Like I said before, we’ve decided to change classes and mix both schools together, so you really feel like a whole unit.”
There are more groans from the students, and I have to stifle my own too. How am I meant to stay away from them when I’m sitting next to them in classes? Not to mention how on edge the decision is going to make Matt. God forbid I got paired with one of them for a class or something.
My mind starts reeling, thinking of all the possible ways I can get out of this. The issue is more if I can’t, then what am I going to have to do to make him comfortable with the arrangement that the principal is suggesting?
A hand lands on my shoulder, and I jump, the papers in my palms tumbling to the floor in a waterfall of sheets. My mind was so focused on my thoughts that I didn’t realise the principal had been trying to get my attention, and now . . . Well, now, I had the attention of the whole hall.
