I pulled up into the same car park I had for the last year, turning off the engine and pulling my long wavy hair into a ponytail. I was in a bad mood. My alarm clock hadn't gone of this morning and because I didn't want to be late, I had skipped breakfast and a shower. So now, by second period I would be a starving, cranky, grumpy mess. I sighed and grabbed my bag before getting out and locking the car. It was a present from my dad, a bribing gift you could call it. Something, he supposed, that would make up for his near constant absence from the house, and my life. It wasn't surprising really, that he spent so much time away from me. It was required of him. A part of the job description. But it did get lonely, being stuck in a house all by yourself.

I glanced around the parking lot and inwardly groaned when I saw Jared, the school bully. And my ex-boyfriend. It surprises even me when I remember that I dated him two years ago for almost a whole year. He got involved in the 'wrong' crowd and I couldn't keep him away, so I ended it. Now, he hates me, less surprisingly. Dating him for almost a year had given me a courage that let me stand up to him. I wouldn't have had that if I didn't. so, in a way, despite our falling out and despite him becoming a total dickhead, it was good for me. The experience was good for me. Because now, he is the one person I don't take shit from, one of the few people who I don't care if I am rude to.

A car I had never seen before pulled up beside Jared's', who was sitting on the bonnet with a group of his idiot friends. And judging from the stench of smoke I could smell even from my position ten meters away, he was smoking. Oh, God, he was going to end up with lung cancer.

The new car, that is, new in the sense that I had never seen it before, pulled up to a stop. Indeed, the car was definitely not new and looked like it would need the extra TLC.

"What is that?" I heard Jared ask to no one in particular, the scorn evident in his voice. As the owners got out of the car doors squeaked, as if proving it's age. A boy and a girl got out, the girl was definitely younger than me, by about two years, with straight shoulder-length hair. The guy looked to be about my age; he was tall with a mop of shaggy dark brown hair and light blue eyes. He wasn't lanky as you would expect from a guy so tall, he was well-muscled and lean. He was about an inch or two shorter than Jared, but he was filled out in all the right places, whereas Jared was mainly lanky.

"Moooo," he laughed at them snarkily which was promptly followed by hysterical laughter from the try-too-hard girl next to him. Cindy, I think her name is.

And that was the snapping point for me. I was already on a short fuse due to sleep deprivation, hunger and the right to general hygiene, so it wasn't so shocking that it took me all of one minute before I snapped. But it was definitely a new record for me.

The sneer on Jared's face was all I needed to make up my mind. I charged towards him.

He never used to be like this, like such an asshole. He used to actually be nice, he used to say hi to people in the corridors. But ever since he became a part of that group, no, leading that group, he morphed into the dickhead he is now. Now he's just mean and the only interaction he will have with you in the corridors is if he sticks out his leg and trips you. It needs to stop.

I reached them as the new girl retorted, "He must be the funniest guy in the herd."

Honestly, I was proud of her and I instantly liked her. She was the new girl but she was sticking up for herself. Way to go her.

"Your mouth is getting too big for its muzzle, Jared," I snapped at him. He turned to me with a glare, distaste clearly displayed.

"Shut up Grace and mind your own business."

"Are you really going to do this? Again? Doesn't it get tiring being such a dickhead all the time?" I taunted. Later, when I got home I would admit to myself that I secretly liked insulting him. It gave me an excuse to put my wit to good use. Not to mention that his building anger was amusing to watch.

"Why are you such a bitch?" he asked, seemingly happy to be able to call me a name, even one as unoriginal as 'bitch'.

"I'll tell you what, I'll try being nicer if you try being smarter."

He stood up then, hate shining out, and moved closer to me, invading my personal space. I stood my ground and gave off the air of indifference. He didn't scare me.

"I swear, if you weren't-"

"What?" I cut him off, "if I wasn't half your size? Half your height, your weight? Triple your IQ? Because guess what? Whether it is a verbal or physical fight, I'd win. So sit back down, why don'tcha and save yourself the humiliation." He ignored me and continued to glare.

"If I throw a stick, will you leave?" I asked, smiling sweetly. That threw him for a sec, confusion written on his face.

"The wheel is turning but the hamster is definitely dead," I laughed. His moment of confusion passed and his glare returned full-force. I don't know if he understood the implied meaning but he definitely got that I was making fun of him. He took a couple of steps back from me, not surrendering, just trying to move away from me.

"Keep talking, someday you'll say something intelligent," he snapped, clearly glad that he thought of a comeback.

"I am so disappointed in you right now. Is that the best you got? How… uninspired" I sighed and shook my head, "My intelligence is wasted on you."

"You think you are so smart, but really all you are is a try hard." That got my attention. How dare he? Who does he think he is, calling me a try hard? He succeeded in pissing me off.

"As opposed to you?" I barked at him. I looked at his friends as well, incorporating them. "You all lie back and act so cool, like you are just too cool for school. You don't try, you don't even care. You cruise through school with your I-don't-give-a-damn attitude and couldn't-care-less behaviour, but at the end of it all, you're the ones who will end up with the third-rate jobs. You're all going to end up as janitors at school just like this, cleaning up after kids just like you. Maybe then you'll realise."

I took a deep breath and they just rolled their eyes at me. "You are good at what you do, Jared, but all you do is put people down."

"And you're just a school newspaper reporter," the blonde girl, Cindy, finally spoke up.

I just looked at her. "Wow," I said slowly. Jared sat back down next to her and she moved a little closer to him. "The moron and the bimbo. I fear for your children."

She jumped up and came at me, "Bitch," she hissed. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Honestly, I was so sick of their bullshit. A year of anger at their actions and cutting words has obviously just built up and up to this day.

I looked at her threateningly, "Let me tell you something. I didn't come here looking for a fight," okay, that wasn't entirely true, "but if you have a bark boy, you'd better have a bite."

And with that I turned away, walking towards the front doors of the school. The new boy was still standing there, looking at me. I couldn't read the expression on his face. Suddenly, I turned back to Jared.

"And FYI," I said as the turned to look at me. "You shouldn't make fun of people's cars. You know what they say about guys who drive needlessly flashy cars? They're overcompensating for something," I grinned at him and held up my hand, wiggling my pinkie finger at him. He definitely understood that. I placed my hand on the new guy's car and continued on, "But this car, this, is a real man's car. It says that the driver knows how to look after it, and probably do most of the maintenance himself instead of getting daddy to take it to a repairs place. He's not overcompensating for anything."

I couldn't keep the smug grin off my face as I walked to the doors of the school. I nearly laughed I was in such a better mood. I should have a go at them more often. And maybe I would if I wasn't so quiet most of the time. Distantly I heard a car alarm go off and more laughter but I didn't pay much attention to it. I had to get to my locker and get my books for first period. I made it up the stairs and to the door before a hand grabbed my shoulder.

"Hey," said an unfamiliar voice. I spun around and looked at him, the new guy. He was smiling sheepishly and I would never admit it but I think my heart melted. He had the most amazing smile.

"Hey, uh, thanks for that," uncertainty in his voice.

I laughed nervously, "Yeah, that's okay. High school is hard enough without people like them making it worse."

"Well, thank you."

"No problem. I know what it's like to be the new kid at school. Try not to let Jared get to you though." I turned to leave.

"Hey, wait. Could you show me where the reception desk is?" the side of his mouth lifted into a half smile. His smile made me smile.

"Yeah, it's this way," I gestured down the hallway. "I just have to stop at the newspaper room. I printed some stuff off yesterday but I forgot to grab it."

"Sure, no problem."

"I'm Grace, by the way."

"Charlie Baker," he nodded at me.

There was a moment of silence which I really didn't want to turn into an awkward silence, so I started talking.

"How are you liking Evanston?" he didn't say anything. "That bad, huh?"

"No, it's just… I didn't want to move. My life was in Midlan."

"That's understandable, but life is about change, you can either accept it and live your life, or you can dwell on used-to-be's."

"Is that from experience?"

"You have no idea," we stopped outside a room that said NEWSPAPER on it. We went inside and I walked over to the printer.

"Wow, this is a nice office," he said, looking over at the desks with computers on them, each one decorated with personal items. Each member of the editorial team had their own desk.

"This isn't an office. It's Hell with fluorescent lighting. A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door," I stated and he chuckled, which made me laugh too. "I think I'm going to quit."

"Why?" He asked.

"I don't know, it's just not me anymore." I lead him out of the room and back down the corridor we came, turning left. People were rushing about everywhere, stopping in the hallway, slamming locker doors; it was a mad house.

"Too many freaks, not enough circuses," I muttered to myself, but I was fairly positive I saw him grin out of the corner of my eye.

We came to a stop outside a door that said ADMINISTRATION on it.

"Here you are, the admin room. Just tell Fiona that you're new and she'll help you out. See you around Charlie Baker."

"Thanks," he said before walking in the room. He turned back to look at me, "Maybe I'll see you around."

"It's likely," I grinned before walking down to my locker.

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