Summary: Shane Gray was the schools super hot shot. Girls drooled over him as he walked down the hall with his cool smirk. He had dated most of them but discarded of them once they were of no more use to him. Shane needed a challenge and that was Taylor Noelle.
There's no fame in this story, simply popularity. Shane and Mitchie are step-siblings that don't get along, Shane and Nate are brothers and Jason is Shane's best friend.
Shane walked down the school hall as all the girls admired him. As he walked by his step sister, Mitchie, her best friend Caitlyn put on the same star struck smile she had whenever she saw Shane.
"Hi Shane," she said with puppy eyes.
"Sup?" he gave her a nod and walked by.
"Have I ever told you how lucky you are to live with him?" Caitlyn asked.
"Trust me if you did you'd hate him too," Mitchie said before slamming her locker shut and walking to class.
Shane opened his locker and pulled out his leather jacket while examining Cindy Baker.
"Drop it," he heard somebody say.
He turned around and the hottest girl he had possibly ever seen was looking at him with light brown eyes.
"Hey," he said in a smooth tone.
She took the jacket out of his hands and slipped it on.
"This is my jacket," she pulled out his, "this one is yours." She tossed it to him and grabbed a notebook from the locker.
"Ok I have a quick question, shouldn't be too hard to answer. Who are you and what are you doing in my locker?"
"Taylor and for the rest of the year this is going to be our locker."
"What? No. That can't be. They told me I wouldn't have to share."
"Poor you then." She slammed the locker shut and walked away.
"So hot! And so bitchy." Shane smiled to himself. "My type of girl."
He started to English and got a surprise when he walked in. Sitting in his seat way towards the back was Taylor. He chuckled and started towards her.
"Taylor," he said. She didn't look up. "Taylor!" It was now that he noticed she had her iPod on. He tapped her paper and looked up at him.
"Can I help you?" she asked removing a head phone.
"You're sitting in my seat."
"Mr. Alan told me there weren't any assigned seats."
"Yeah but I always sit there."
"Cry me a river." She put her headphone back on and continued whatever she was doing.
Shane hesitantly took the seat next to her.
"Ok," Mr. Alan started. "So we have a new student in the class, Ms. Noelle will you please stand up and tell us a bit about yourself?"
"I actually don't want to," she said, not looking up from her notebook.
"Come on, everyone had to do it in the beginning of the year and it's only fair that you do too."
She sighed and stood up.
"I'm Taylor Noelle, I'm a supermodel from Milan and Justin Timberlake is my boyfriend." She sat down. The class started laughing, including Shane.
"Taylor, please?" Mr. Alan said.
"All right. I'm a native Californian, with a scary interest in music. I play the guitar, drums, piano, pretty much anything you can squeeze a sound out of. I'm here against my own will and I'd much rather be hearing people talk about surfing and skateboarding than hockey. I'm not here to get in anyone's way or start trouble. I don't like to get involved and I pretty much just want to come and go without so much as a passing glance." She sat back down and everyone stared at her.
"She's deep," somebody said.
"Ok, thank you for that. Now to Michael Moore…"
All class long Shane stared at Taylor. She wasn't paying attention to anything Mr. Alan was saying, she was just scribbling away in her notebook.
As they were walking out of the class he caught up to her.
"Hey Taylor."
"Go away," she said.
"Come on, I think we should get to know each other. I mean we're going to be sharing a locker for six months."
"Don't remind me." She started opening the locker.
"Come on Taylor, it'll be good for both of us and how can you say no to this face?" he pouted.
She got close up to his face, where their lips were inches apart.
"No."
She started towards her next class and Shane followed.
"Ah, new girl and Shane, perfect. You have the development of the mafia," their history teacher, Ms. Jane said handing each of them a sheet of paper.
"What are you talking about?" Taylor asked.
"Take a seat next to each other and I'll explain in a second."
They sat down together.
"Ok class you have all been assigned an important points from history. You're assignment will be to write a three page paper highlighting you're topic. A visual presentation will accompany the paper along with a nice and meaningful presentation. Project will be do the Wednesday after winter break. You have the rest of today's class and tomorrow to discuss and research your topic. If you want a pass to the library let me know."
"This is perfect," Shane said with a smirk.
"Speak for yourself." Taylor raised her hand.
"Ms. Noelle."
"I'd like a different partner."
"I'll be his new partner!" practically every girl yelled.
"Thank you for bringing that up Taylor. Your topics and partners are final, no changes."
Taylor scoffed and stood.
"Well then can I get a pass to the library?"
"Yes you may."
Taylor grabbed a pass and left.
"Yeah I want to go too."
Ms. Jane rolled her eyes at her worst student and gave Shane a pass.
Taylor was sitting in the crime section of the library when she heard somebody walk in talking loudly.
"Hey Alex what's up man?"
"Mr. Gray keep your voice down!" the librarian said.
"Has anybody seen a hot girl in a biker jacket?"
Taylor rolled her eyes.
Shane.
Two seconds later he appeared in front of her.
"Found her!" he yelled.
He sat down next to her.
"Is it possible for you to not be near me?"
"No."
She got up and sat down on the other end of the isle. He moved next to her.
"Ok can you stop acting like a freaking dog?"
"Ha ha ha very funny. So what do you know about the mafia?"
"Everything."
"Oh really? How's that"
"If I told you I'd have to kill you."
"That's sexy. No seriously, how do you know so much about it?"
"No seriously, leave me the fuck alone." She stood up and this time walked out of the library.
"Man she's mean…and so damn hot." He laid back and ended up falling asleep.
Fifth period came around and Taylor was relieved to not see Shane in her math class. It turned out that she had him in her English, history, and music class, 2nd, 3rd and 4th period.
"Hi, I'm Taylor Noelle."
"Noelle, ok go ahead and sit behind Mitchie Torres." Mitchie raised her hand and Taylor sat down behind her.
"Hi, I'm Mitchie," the girl said.
"Taylor, nice to meet you." she shook her hand.
"Just so you know I know what it's like to be the new girl. I was actually the new girl until you came along."
"Did you want to start here?"
"Under no circumstances did I, but I was forced and it sucks."
"Yeah, I know how you feel."
They talked for most of the period and Mitchie seemed normal.
"You know out of everybody that I have met today you seem to be the only normal one."
Mitchie smiled.
"You want to come over to my house after school?"
"Sure."
"What's your sixth period?"
"Study hall."
"Oh, I'm in calculus."
"You're taking two math classes?"
"Yeah, numbers are fun."
"Sure they are."
"So do you have a ride?"
"Yeah, I have a car, you need a ride?"
"Yeah."
"Ok, I'll meet you out front after sixth."
The bell rang.
"All right, bye Taylor."
"Later."
Mitchie smiled. Taylor was super cool and she knew she was going to be a good friend.
Taylor decided to hang on the roof of the school for study hall. She knew if she got caught she'd be screwed but since she had picked the lock and made sure she locked it again she had a feeling nobody was going to stop by.
She made her way downstairs after the bell rang and Mitchie was already waiting for her.
The girl was cute, in a dorky, giddy kind of way.
"Ready?" Taylor asked.
"Yep."
They walked out to her car.
"This is your car?" Mitchie asked about Taylor's spotless G-Wagon.
"One of them."
"Man, this thing is hot."
"Thanks, hop in." Mitchie got in and admired the creamy interior.
"So where's your house?"
"A few miles west. I'll direct you there."
"Ok."
"I'm home!" Mitchie yelled when they walked through the door. "Guess nobody is here. Come on." Taylor followed Mitchie upstairs and into her incredibly pink room.
"Wow, this is…nice."
"I know there's a lot of pink but I love it." Taylor put her bag down and sat on Mitchie's bed. She looked over to her CD collection and saw pop princess after pop princess.
The door slammed downstairs and heavy footsteps came up the stairs.
"Hey Mitchie who's G-Wagon is…" Mitchie's door flung open and Shane walked in. "that," he finished. "What are you doing here?" he asked Taylor.
"What are you doing here?" Taylor shot back.
"Taylor I'm less than pleased to introduce you to Shane, my stepbrother," Mitchie said.
"Oh Mitchie don't you know that Taylor and I are buddies? Not only are we sharing a locker but I have her for most of my classes and we're history partners."
"I feel for you."
"I feel for myself," Taylor said.
"So again, what are you doing here?"
"Mitchie invited me over."
"So you hang out with her and not with me?"
"Yeah, that sounds right. Can I use your bathroom?"
"Yeah, it's to the right."
"Thanks." She pushed passed Shane and walked out of the room.
"So you and Taylor, are you friends?"
"I guess, why?"
He shrugged.
"She hates you."
"No girl hates me."
"I hate you."
"I said no girl."
She threw a pillow at him.
"Oh no I forgot I have a voice lesson! Shane give me your car keys."
"Wait, what about Taylor?"
"It's only for an hour, entertain her while I'm gone." She ran downstairs and left.
The bathroom door opened ad Taylor walked out.
"Mitchie left," Shane informed her.
"Where?"
"She forgot she had a voice lesson."
"I guess I'll wait for her in her room then." She walked into Mitchie's room and sat on her bed, starting to flip through a magazine.
Fifteen minutes passed and she was bored. She walked out into the hall and heard 'Black Sabbath' playing low. She followed the music and pushed open the nearly closed door. Shane was sitting at his computer reading some music article. Taylor did a once over of the room. It was dark and messy, surprise surprise. But in some way it reminded her of hers.
She leaned against the doorway.
"Sweet Leaf, a classic." Shane quickly turned to her and stood up. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"
"Come on in." she walked into the room and looked around. He had three posters on the wall, Led Zeppelin, Lynard Skynard and a half naked skank.
"You're lucky, the Led Zeppelin and Lynard Skynard posters make up for the skank."
"Does that give me bonus points?"
She rolled her eyes and walked over to his CD collection.
"Black Sabbath, Wolfmother, Lamb of God, Aerosmith, Blackalicious, Nirvana…"
"Do I pass?"
"With flying colors."
"Anymore tests?" she jumped up and down on his bed then sat down.
"Nice and comfortable. Aside from that poster girl I'd definitely consider to sleep in this room. "
"You think my bed is comfortable huh?" he laid down next to her. "Might we ever get to exercise on it?"
"Sure."
"What?" she sat back and started doing sit ups.
"Exercise, come on, start." He laughed and she stopped. "You're a pervert you know that?" she jumped off the bed and started out of the room.
"Hey come on, I was just kidding."
"Kids are you home?" a voice called from downstairs.
"Come on." Shane started downstairs and Taylor followed. "I am," he said when they came into eyesight of the woman.
"Shane what did we tell you about having girls over when you're alone?" the brunette woman asked.
"Don't worry, I'm not interested," Taylor said. "I'm Taylor Noelle."
"Nice to meet you Taylor Noelle, I'm Connie."
"Taylor's fine."
"Taylor moved here from California," Shane announced.
"Well welcome to Seattle," Connie said warmly.
"Thanks."
"So is Mitchie around?"
"I am now," Mitchie said, walking in from the foyer.
"Mom this is Taylor."
"Yes, we have already met."
"Ok, we'll be upstairs," Mitchie said before she and Taylor disappeared up the stairs.
"Can I ask you a question?" Taylor asked Mitchie.
"Sure."
"Why don't you and Shane have the same last name?"
"Oh, I should have probably explained this to you before. Ok about a year ago my mom married Shane's uncle, Brown."
"Ok, why is Shane living with you though if Brown is his uncle?"
"His father died when he was a kid. He and his brother Nate have been living with Brown ever since."
"Nate?"
"He goes to a magnet school uptown so he always gets here a little later. He's really sweet, kinda quiet though."
"Oh. So that's why you had to move?"
"To my dismay? Yes. Shane drives me crazy; he pretty much made it his personal goal to drive me to insanity."
"I can't imagine."
They spent most of the afternoon in Mitchie's room until they were called down for dinner.
"Brown this is my friend Taylor," Mitchie introduced.
"Nice to meet you Taylor," Brown said with a British accent.
"You too."
"And Taylor this is my brother Nate," Shane said.
Taylor smiled at the curly haired boy. He really didn't look much like Shane but he was definitely good-looking.
"Hey," Nate said, extending his hand for Taylor to shake.
"Nice to meet you," she said with a beautiful smile.
"So Taylor, Connie says you moved here from California."
"Yeah I did."
"Had you lived there all your life?"
"Yeah."
"Why the big move?"
"Well my step father, he owns a bunch of franchises and according to him things were a lot better over here. I personally didn't agree with the move but they weren't going to listen to me so here I am."
"Well I'm sure you're going to like it here. You always have to get accustomed when you make a move like this."
"I know."
"So do you have a boyfriend Taylor?" Connie asked.
"Mom," Mitchie said, slightly embarrassed.
"It's ok Mitchie. I don't have a boyfriend Connie."
"I would think a pretty girl like you would."
"Well sometimes guys find me difficult to deal with."
"Why's that?"
"Because I don't like and I'll tell you what I think from the very start."
"Well I think that's a good quality."
"Thanks but California guys thought differently."
"Well you're not in California anymore," Nate said, speaking for the first time that night.
Everyone turned to him and he smiled sweetly before going back to his dinner.
There was small talk throughout the rest of the meal and once it was over everyone went their own way.
"So I think I'm going to head home," Taylor said as nine neared.
"Yeah ok." they walked out of Mitchie's room and were halfway down the stairs when she remembered her keys.
"I left my keys upstairs, do you mind if I go get them?" Mitchie shook her head.
Taylor ran back up and and grabbed the keys. She was about to walk back down when she decided to pass by Shane's.
She knocked on the doorway.
"Hey, um I'll see you tomorrow," she said.
"Are you actually saying bye?" he asked.
"Why can't you just say 'see you then'? Why do you have to make some smartass remark after everything?"
"Hey, I'm sorry." He stood up but she backed away.
"Forget it." She tuned around and ran tight into Nate.
"You leaving?" he asked.
"Yeah, it was nice meeting you Nate."
"Can I walk you out to your car?" he asked.
Taylor titled her head before smiling.
"Sure."
They walked downstairs together and Taylor said goodbye to the family before walking outside with Nate.
"Thanks for walking me out," she said.
"No problem."
"Can I ask why you offered?"
"I just thought someone should and I wanted to…" he stopped.
"Wanted to what?"
"Never mind."
"Come on what is it?"
"Do you want to hang out?"
"Now?"
"Yeah."
"Nate it's kind of late and a school night. Do you really think you're parents will let you go somewhere at this time?"
"Let's just go to the park or something."
"Ok, go tell your parents though. I don't want to get in trouble."
He nodded and walked inside, coming back out two minutes later.
"They said as long as I'm back by midnight its ok."
"All right, let's go."
They got into the car and Nate directed her to Graclien Park.
"So Mitchie told me you go to a magnet school, what magnet are you in?" Taylor asked as they took a seat inside the jungle gym.
"Music."
"Singer?"
"And guitar, piano and drums."
"Wow, a real musician."
"It's my life. Shane likes it too but its not a priority for him like it is for me."
"That's too bad, I love musicians. I'm one myself actually."
"Oh yeah?" she nodded. "Maybe one of these days you can come over and we can play together. I have a music room in my house and playing alone gets a little boring after a while."
"I'd love to."
They talked for a while about anything and everything.
Nate was a beautiful person, inside and out.
"Well I'm glad we did that," Taylor said as she pulled up to Nate's house.
"So am I."
"Too bad we don't go to the same school. I'd definitely hang out with you."
"Well I'm sure Mitchie will invite you over again tomorrow and plus it's the last day before Christmas break which means no curfews."
"Well you sure are looking forward to that aren't you?"
"Oh you have no idea."
Taylor chuckled and turned to Nate.
"You're something special Nate."
He smiled and leaned over, his lips lightly grazing hers.
"So are you Taylor. Goodnight."
"Night."
He got out of the car and walked up the front steps of his house, turning around and giving Taylor a quick wave before going inside.
"I think I like him," Taylor said with a smile before leaving.
She drove as slow as she could because she honestly didn't want to get home. Everybody thought Taylor lived a lavish life and on the outside she did but she had a dark secret and she didn't know how much longer she could keep it.
She parked in the enormous driveway and waited in the car for about fifteen minutes. She slowly walked into the house and tried to get up without making any noise. She thought she was safe when she got upstairs but got a shock when she walked into her room.
"Kind of late don't you think?" her stepfather, Scott, asked.
"I was at a friend's house," she said backing up. "Where's my mom?"
"She won't be in until later." He got up and started towards her.
"I'm going to shower." She started quickly to the bathroom but he grabbed her and pushed her against the wall.
"You need to get dirty first."
He smashed his lips onto hers and silent tears fell from her eyes.
When was it going to end?
As of right now who would you like Taylor to be with?
Shane
Nate