Chapter I
ARIZONA
Here we are. First day in a new High School. Not that it's very unusual for me – I can thank my military father for that. After going to at least 8 different schools since I was 6, Franklin High will probably be the last one.
You could think it's easy to be the new girl when you've been used to travel so often all your life, but it's not. Each time, I can feel the same anxiety, the same fear, mixed up with a certain excitement. As I walk down the large corridors of my new high school, books in hands, I can feel my heart pounding heavily in my chest. All around me, boys are shaking hands, girls are "squeeing" and hugging, friends are getting back together, talking about their holidays in the Hamptons or God knows where. Just a crowd of strangers, of hostile yet friendly faces. My future friends, perhaps ?
I finally find my locker and starts putting my books in there. I'm about to close it and go when I hear people shouting just behind my back.
"3 weeks Mark ! You've been gone 3 fucking weeks and not once you've called, texted or even sent a fucking e-mail !"
"Addie… I've been pretty busy, and you know… I had no signal…"
" That's bullshit Mark ! You had signal ! You were in Italy, not in Botswana !"
She fiercely opens the locker next to mine, shoving her stuffs with rage, while the presumed Mark rests his elbow against the wall, besides her. I wait a little before closing mine, pricking up my ear.
"Babe, come on… you're not gonna be mad at me forever because of that, are you…"
"Maybe Mark. Maybe I'm gonna stay mad at you, maybe I could even dump you so you can start shagging around with everybody again and hang out with your fucking 'bros' all day long !"
Wow. That girl's definitely angry. I discretely turn my head to look at them a bit better. The girl is facing him and I can only see her dark red hair falling straight in her back. The boy is facing me, but he didn't notice me, obviously. He's very handsome, the perfect stereotype of the guy who's got all the girls at his feet. Tall, charming, quite hefty as well. I'm not surprised he's wearing a football jacket. He's quite the cliché, actually. I know I should leave, but I can't help myself. I want to hear what's coming next.
"Addie… stop it…" he says, grabbing her arm.
" Don't touch me."
"Addie, please !"
"Mark ! fuck off !" she answers, her voice rising. He tries to pull her towards him once again, while she struggles to push him back.
"Mark, get off m-"
"I think she really wants you to go." I blurt out, in a neutral tone. It just came out. Maybe not a good idea to get nosy on your first day, Arizona…
They both turn over to look at me, their eyes wide open. He stands there dumbfounded, his mouth agape, while she frowns a little, clearly surprised. It's only now that I discover that "Addie" is physically as beautiful as her boyfriend, if not more. Her features are so even, her eyes… of a deep gray shade, accentuated by the vibrant colour of her hair. I look down briefly to find looong, slender legs… and well, a great body. She's certainly the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and God knows I've met quite my share of girls throughout the years.
She stares at me, right in the eyes, and I know I'm blushing. I couldn't say if it's because of the situation I provoked, or because someone as beautiful and – probably - popular as her has briefly acknowledged my existence…
A few seconds pass -during which I wish I was six feet under- and she eventually smiles at me and turns towards Mark, looking satisfied.
"You heard her Mark, I think that's pretty clear for everyone…"
Without saying a word and without breaking eye contact, he leaves us, astonished, before turning round the corridor.
"Sorry 'bout that…" I mumble quickly, "sometimes I just speak before thinking, I didn't want to be rude, it's none of my business I mean-"
"It's okay, you helped me actually." She answers with a smile. I feel relieved. She scans my face briefly, and adds :
"You're new here, right ? I mean, I don't remember seeing you before…"
"Yeah… It's my first day at Franklin High. I have to follow my dad wherever he goes, with his work and all…"
"Oh, that sucks…" she says, before shaking my hand.
"I'm Addison, by the way, and you are ?"
"Arizona, Arizona Robbins."
"Well nice to meet you Arizona. You're in Senior as well ?" I nod, smiling shyly, clearly intimidated by this beautiful and friendly girl.
"Okay, nice, maybe I'll se you around then ! Take care !"
With a last smile in my direction, she goes on her way along the corridor. I gaze after her, intrigued and disturbed. Well, apparently I'm not the only one staring at her since half of the students seem to turn around when she walks past them. This girl has got an aura or something, a casual elegance, a natural beauty which make her a total alien.
"Addison…" I whisper in a low voice, closing my locker with a smirk, before heading to the next class.
ADDISON
I come to sit next to Naomi and Charlotte, putting my tray down on our usual table – cheerleaders and football team's table, that is. "Athletes" stay together, as it's the case in many high schools, and like everywhere else, relationships sometimes couldn't be more superficial. But well, that's how it's supposed to be, I guess. That is why I'm sitting a few feet away from my very stupid boyfriend, right now, even though I'm obviously not talking to him – and still pretty mad at him, of course. I'm eating in silence as I'm really not in the mood to talk about the end of my disastrous holidays -when I was desperately waiting for some news from Mark- and so I let Naomi and Charlotte do the small talk. I look up, from time to time, and that's when I catch a glimpse of Arizona, carrying her tray all alone in the huge cafeteria. Immediately, I raise my hand and wave in her direction, getting suspicious stares from my two friends. Let's just say it's not usually in my habits to invite new people at "our" table, but I could really use some fresh air right now. She smiles at me and come to sit next to us at the table.
"Guys, this is Arizona, it's her first day here. Arizona, Charlotte, Naomi."
« Hi… » they answer, their tone polite but distant. That's one the things that can get irritating around here, the capacity to stay in autarky, completely shut out from the rest of the world. That's when Mark chooses to make himself noticed… in his own typical way…
"Hey Blondie ! You here again ?" he says with a smirk, leaning closer. "We met twice today, that's quite a lot for somebody I had never seen before…"
"Drop it Mark." I reply sternly without looking at him.
"So… How come you came to Franklin ?" he goes on, in a seductive tone.
"Maybe I was already here, maybe you were too busy playing football to notice I was there…"
Saying that I'm surprised by Arizona's cold answer would be the understatement of the year. In general, when Mark is wooing a girl, the girl in question always ends up batting her eyelashes and falling for him. And unfortunately, I am the living proof of that theory…
"Not possible. I always notice pretty girls." He finally adds, satisfied, making his stupid buddies whistle and laugh. I can't help but roll my eyes at that sentence. Arizona doesn't say anything, and instead turns to look at me, arching an eyebrow condescendingly. I'm glad Mark's little game is not affecting her. She really isn't like every other girl.
"Where do you come from ?" I ask her, taking the floor again.
"Houston, Texas."
"Wow, the weather's gonna be different, trust me !" I laugh, taking a sip of my milk.
"I've spent a year in Alaska, so believe me, I'm not scared…"
The rest of the lunch brings a smile back to my face, as we go on discovering each other. We talk about everything and anything, but there seem to be a kind of chemistry between us. I mean, I'm a person who easily talks to everyone, but Arizona, she's something else. There's something unique and interesting about her. Naomi and Charlotte, on the other hand, spend the entire time talking about guys they met this summer. Needless to say I really don't want to hear about it right now…
As the time has almost come for us to go back to classes, Mark stands up and says :
"Ladies, we're having a party at my house on Friday night, so I'm counting on you !" he leaves the tables with the others, before turning to face Arizona and me :
"Blondie, you can come too, ask Addison for the address." He winks at me, before sauntering out, as he always does. Sometimes, I wonder why I'm actually dating him. I wish I had never fallen for him in the first place, but now it's too late…
I shake my head, getting rid of those thoughts, when I realise Arizona is literally staring at me, looking ill-at-ease.
"What ?" I ask, frowning.
"You, you don't mind if I go ? 'cause I don't want you to think that I'd go because I'm interested in Mark or anything, because that's really not the case, and-"
"Arizona, it's okay. Don't worry about that. He is pissed because I'm ignoring him, so he's probably going to flirt with everything that has boobs right now. I mean, even more that he usually does… So yeah, come with us, you'll meet new people. And I want you to come."
"You do ?" she asks, her eyes full of something I don't quite comprehend, like she's intimidated. I smile to reassure her.
"Yeah, of course."
She smiles back at me and we stay there looking at each other for a brief instant. Her eyes are honest and kind, and for the first time in a while, I feel like somebody's really interested in me for who I am, and not for what I represent within the school.
"Come on," I finally say, "I'll show you round for your next class before the bell rings."
"That's sweet, but you don't have to, I can ask my way around…"
"No, no that's fine. I'm happy to do it." I insist, pulling on her arm, glad to help this girl who - I have the feeling - could become a great friend.
ARIZONA
The rest of the day went pretty smoothly. I even saw Addison again during the English class. I couldn't help paying more attention to her than to the instructions given by Mr. Lincoln, that old, fat and bitter four-eyes standing for our teacher. Even when I tried to focus on the black board in front of me, my eyes always went back to my beautiful neighbour on the right.
When the class ends, we head out towards the parking lot, and just as I'm about to wave her goodbye, she hugs me just like she does with the others before I go back to the car where my brother's Daniel is waiting for me.
"See you tomorrow!" she shouts at me from afar before I get in the SUV.
"So… how did it go ?" he asks on our way home.
"Awesomely well!" I answer with a grin plastered on my face, the memory of a certain red-head imprinted in my mind.
ADDISON
When I finally head to my car after saying goodbye to everybody, I see Mark leaning against it, waiting for me. I heave a sigh before stopping right there, hands on my hips, scowling at him.
"What do you want…"
"I want to apologize." He answers, stepping closer. "I know I can be a jerk, and trust me I'm trying to make an effort, but sometimes I can't help myself…"
I avert my eyes, not knowing what to say, while he comes even closer to me.
"I don't wanna lose you, Addie. I'm sorry. You know you're the only one I care about." He adds before putting a lock back behind my ear. I've heard those words a hundred times before. I should know that his good resolutions will last for a few days only, and that sooner rather than later, he will go back to his old self again. But I love him. And when I see him so tender and nice, I still have the secret hope that maybe he'll be able to change for me. I finally give up and wrap my arms around him, nestling against his chest, hoping that this new year will bring me a "new" boyfriend and a new girl friend.