The New Kids
Cherry's POV
My alarm goes off at six thirty. Great. Another boring day of school filled with work and learning. Not to mention my best friend Cali just moved away to California, and all my other friends are in different classes, so I'll be alone.
No one really likes me. They find me annoying, aggravating and forgetful. Those are exact words people have called me. It's not my fault I have a bad memory.
At quarter past seven I'm showered, dressed and ready to go. I walk to school and it only takes me like five minutes to get from my house to there, but I still like to leave early so I can have time to try and figure out what my locker combination is. Again. Without Cali arriving at half seven, it looks like I'm screwed.
Someone has moved in across the street in Cali's old house. I feel anger burn through me. There better not be kids living there. It annoys me to think of children putting all their stuff where Cali and her brother once would have put theirs. I don't have the same issue with older people, but it still bugs me.
I stand outside my house staring at it for a while. There is a large moving van parked in the driveway, and a few boxes around. Then I see them. Two kids, I'd say about ten start wandering around and digging through boxes. They're yelling at each other for something but I'm too far away to hear. What do I care anyway? I never want to associate with them.
When I finally arrive at school, it's a lot busier than usual, which means I'm late and have less time to work out my locker code. I step over to it, trying to remember what Cali always said. I decide to text her. It's painful, and a small tear falls from my eye as I press send. It occurs to me that I probably won't find another friend like Cali, so I'll just have to rely on my other friends. But it won't be the same.
After about five minutes I get a reply.
'It's your birthday, remember? Miss you loads. Everyone is so scary at this school. Xoxox.'
Why did her dad have to get a stupid job that was an opportunity that 'couldn't be missed,' (his exact words.) I sigh, glad that I now know. Why do I always forget? It's so simple, just a six digit number ugh!
I slide some of my books I took home into my locker and pick three out for Biology. We're having some stupid test, which I will most likely flunk without my best friend there to guide me in the right direction. The tears are coming again.
Keeping my head down, I walk towards the stairs, my hair hanging over my eyes. How am I going to survive until graduation? Cali was my only hope. Now we can't go to college together, make life plans, or go to the ice cr…
"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" I just bumped into someone halfway up the stairs. My books have scattered out everywhere and some of the revision notes I made have slipped around. The person picks up one of my books and a few sheets of paper.
"Haha that's okay. It's my fault." Some boy who's voice I don't recognise replies with. He holds out his hand and I take it. Once hoisted to my feet I take in his features.
He's new. His hair is in this lovely natural quiff with this perfectly suiting leather jacket and his eyes…oh his eyes I could just get lost in forever…
With these thoughts in my head, I stutter to reply.
"N…No it wasn't. My head was down. I couldn't…I wasn't looking where I was going. Thanks for helping me with my books." I mumble, my face going bright red. He grins and hands me the things he picked up.
"'S fine. I'm Max by the way. I have no idea where I'm going. Could you show me where Mr Pullen's class is?" Asks Max. Max. I like that name. It suits him. But Mr Pullen?! That's my teacher. Oh my god, maybe I won't be so alone.
"That's my teacher too. When the bell goes I'll take you there. And I'm Cherry." I beam, holding out my hand. Max shakes it, grinning back. His eyes practically sparkle in the sunlight reflecting through the window.
"Like the fruit." He laughs. I sigh comically.
"Haven't heard that one before." I reply sarcastically. I start to ask him about where he lived before, but he doesn't reveal much. Some small city outside of New York, not much happened there. I tell him it won't be much different from here then.
As the bell goes some girl who is definitely new runs up to Max and I. Her hair is in long curtains ad slightly curled at the end. Just like mine. This is when I realise she has a striking resemblance to Max, perhaps brother and sister. They have the same eyes after all.
"Max where have you been! I told you to meet me in the courtyard so we could find our classes together. But I see you had other ideas." The girls' eyes flicker in my direction as she says the last sentence, a tint of jealousy in them. Max just grins.
"Calm down Pheebs. This is Cherry, she's in our class." I hold out my hand for Pheebs to shake, and she does but eyes me up suspiciously. And what sort of name is Pheebs anyway?
"Hi Cherry. I'm Phoebe." Oh. It's a nickname. They must be brother and sister, there's no doubt about it.
"Max, we really should be getting off to class. I found it earlier. We can't be late on our first day!" Exclaims Phoebe, rushing off. Max sighs loudly. I get the impression he doesn't care. I'm usually late for classes anyway.
"That your sister then?" I ask curiously, beginning to walk with Max to Mr Pullen's room.
"Phoebe is not my sister. She's my…mom's friend's daughter. Yeah. She's just staying with us while her mom's in a mental hospital. And we had to move so she came with us. I know, I know, we look the same but pretty much everyone did back in Metroburg." So they're not related. Weird. And I have never heard of Metroburg, but Max did say it was a small town so why would I?
"Oh. So is she like, your girlfriend?" I ask cautiously, remembering the glint of jealousy in her eye when I talked to Max earlier.
"No way. Way too much of a goody toe shoes and no it all for Max Thunderman." That's his surname? It rings a bell, but I can't think of anywhere I could have heard it before.
"Aw ok then." I sigh, not really sure what to say next.
"Hey Cherry, in Biology do you mind if I sit with you? Like, just until I begin to fit in, you know?" Asks Max, looking down. He's trying to hide it but his face has gone slightly red. I laugh as we finally arrive at the door where everyone is already in a straight line waiting outside for the teacher.
Phoebe has already drawn a crowd, some people who are sort of my friends and some the geeks. I begin to walk over towards Phoebe, but I notice that Max is no longer behind me. Turning around, I find him glued to the spot staring right at Tara Campbell.
Anger and jealousy bubbles through me. Right now she is chewing on a piece of gum and stealing a sandwich from some kids backpack. I should have known I just should have known. 'Way too much of a goody toe shoes and no it all for Max Thunderman.' Max is a bad boy. Often, bad boys like good girls but in this case, Max Thunderman liked bad girls.
I sigh heavily and walk away from him over to Phoebe.
"Word of advice, don't fall for Max. He'll just break your heart like he did to quite a lot of girls back home." Phoebe mumbles, patting my back. I grin faintly back at her.
"Hey, wanna be friends?" I grin, sort of jokingly. Phoebe beams back at me though. Maybe we could actually be friends. Cali leaves, a new girl comes in.
"Sure. As long as you don't mind seeing Max every time you come round." Sighs Phoebe, a little knowingly. I smile slightly and raise my eyebrows.
"I'll be fine. But you also have to help me remember my locker combination. It's my birthday dates." I laugh nudging her playfully.
"Cool. We can learn everything about each other in Biology." Replies Phoebe. Tabatha, another girl in my class, starts welcoming Phoebe. I take this chance to glance wistfully at Max.
I thought he's be looking a Tara, but he wasn't. I see it out the corner of my eye first, but he was staring at me. All his focus was just on me, and when I turn around to clarify it he still is but quickly walks to the back of the line when he notices I saw him. I grin widely and lean against the wall dreamily. Maybe everything isn't over with Max at all. Maybe it's just the beginning.