—OLIVIA—
It's not that I don't eat breakfast, it's just I don't enjoy eating breakfast. So I usually end up skipping breakfast daily. So I never have bread in stock, not butter nor any eggs. Following my usual schedule, I head straight past the kitchen towards my backpack, which I've packed the previous night and my shoes.
Since it's my official first day, I've woken up extra early to get there on time and weave my ways through the halls and learn them before finding my first class. I quickly slip on my mahogany-colored fur boots and black leather jacket that I've always worn.
I only have one car, I could get more with the money my parents left me, but what's the point of just wasting money. My silver Camaro was awaiting my arrival, parked dangerously close to the garage. I don't want to attract attention, especially on my first day but what other choice do I have? It's dead winter and BMH the school I will be attending is at least 5 miles away, way too far to walk in the cold. So I climb into my Camaro and subtly close my door, lock the doors and start the engine. As the roar of the car sounds under my hands, I slowly calm down before backing out. I had to scout out the quickest route on an old-fashioned GPS earlier before heading out and it takes me barely 2 minutes to get there in my car.
As I approach the building, through the windshield I find a large 3 part area. It looks quite modern with different sections branching off towards different buildings made out of small bricks all a rusty orange and muddy red color.
As soon as I drive through the gateway I immediately feel eyes on me and mostly my car. Although the school has a medium tuition -which looks well paid for on the outside- there doesn't seem to be a lot of rich kids. Either everyone's parents didn't trust their kid with an expensive car, or doesn't want to waste money on a good car. I've never had to deal with this but that's not a good thing.
I look around the parking lot and find an empty slot between a BMW, probably the best car around the school and a Volkswagen. As soon as I shut off the engine and step out of my car onto the gravel pavement, I can feel stares. Probably about the 'new girl' and what not people usually say when I arrive in a new town. This is the 3rd time I've moved, my last school wasn't the best and the last place I lived, was where my parents died.
I take a deep breath finally deciding to actually get out of my car instead of having on dangling foot over the edge. So I grab my backpack mostly full off notebooks which aren't filled and pencils. The air is freshly cold if you can describe it that way, the gentle breeze gliding across my face allowing me to inhale a mouthful of coldness. Even though my leather jacket isn't necessary at least for me, I keep it on to remind me of who I am. Haley Olivia Snow.
I close my eyes enjoying the soft breeze for a moment before reopening them and taking a look at my surroundings.
I've parked my car on the relatively side curb, ahead of my car is a field full of tall grass almost to my neck and various wild plants. I can hear the rustle of small animals hidden away in the meadow and the cawing of birds above me circling the field probably scavenging the field for a tasty morning snack. I'm probably near a far away wing because I can't see the main entrance so far. I decide to walk around the side of the building to locate the main entrance to receive my schedule. Sure enough, it looks like I'm in the South Wing which is a tall long building for various classes.
There's quite a lot of people around even though I'm early, I can't imagine how hard it'd be to find a parking spot in normal circumstances. Lucky I got here early. Groups of girls huddle around their cars talking about the latest news while making their ways slowly towards their first classes. Tall and broad boys in groups talking loudly and boasting about things as they decide the next victim of their pranks.
I inhale deeply, letting the air go as I weave my way around groups of people. I spot the main entrance soon enough with the big letters in all caps printed on the front.: BLUE MOUNTAIN HIGH
I find the office as soon as I enter the school, glass walls line the entrance and I quickly open the door to turn to a registrations place along with files. A lot of files. A blonde receptionist sits there in front of a wooden desk, she's turned around talking on the phone and when she realizes someone has entered the office she spins around while still talking and unravels one finger from her clenched telling me to wait. She hangs up the phone in frustration before mustering a smile and turning to me.
"You're Haley Snow right?" She asks.
"Uh yeah- I prefer Olivia by the way, but how did you know?" I ask my voice quiet but calm.
She glances at me confused momentarily before answering.
" Ok Olivia, um well you see we haven't had a new student in years so you've been the talk of the school lately-"
I don't bother asking why there hasn't been a new student for years although the question still haunts me.
She turns around standing up and heading to the mass population of files on nearby desks and starts going through them one by one. I have a feeling I'll be here all day but surprisingly she locates my schedule in no time at all. She hands it to me flashing a smile with perfect white teeth before telling me some basic ground rules, then she tells me to run along to my first class.
I look at the sheet of paper that holds all my classes and I find Geography first at 8: 10. Looking around for a clock, I find one and count that I have 20 minutes to find my locker and settle down.
The school is way to modern for my taste, the hallways and rooms are more like University style than anything else. The campus is way to big for me to remember so I guess I'll have to make quick friends with my map. I pass by several lockers glancing at each one and counting the numbers down until mine. 263, 262, 261, 260 and on until I reach locker 180 inconveniently located at the end of a corridor next to a dead end. Geography was on the other damn side of the school at the North Wing where I would have to walk through several glass tunnels and hallways to reach.
I groan internally at my misfortune before turning to my locker, it was quite large for a high school locker and luckily they came with a lock so I fidget with the lock setting a code before opening my locker. Inside it's cleaner than I had expected, there's barely any dust and seems like a relatively new locker. I quickly shove my backpack in not having any books to bring around I simply grab my binder and some pencils and shoving a few notebooks in my binder before closing the hatch. I have about 15 more minutes to spare so I guess I'll go to class early and stick around my locker for a few more minutes before starting my long walk over to the north wing.
The outside of the school grounds was surrounded by people, but on the inside, there were barely any people probably the only ones here came to get extra work done. Everyone else probably decided to hang out. I glance around once more catching the eye of a few people giving me strange looks before I spot a dark headed girl with thick frames settled on her face. I'm surprised when she starts walking over to me and I assume she's her locker is close to mine. I assume correctly when she stops by the locker next to mine, locker 181 and swings her bag down.
Even though I'm not that social of a person I decide to strike up a conversation possibly make some friends before class.
"Hi-" I say abruptly and the girl turns towards me. She doesn't give me strange looks like the others but instead just forces a small smile.
"Hi-" She replies meekly back opening her locker and shoving her bag in as if she's sick of it.
"What's your name?" I ask hesitantly. You can tell I'm not very great at this already.
"Ally." She says quietly and I get the sense that she's the quite nerd of the school. "Ally Beau," She adds glancing up at me through her tangled hair.
I smile at her.
"I'm Olivia- I'm sorta new here-" I say stretching a hand out towards her.
Instead of taking it she fumbles around with her books and I glance at the tall tower of books she has for each of the classes we have to take and I sharply take in a breath.
"Well, I'm not that psyched about school now that I see this-" I laugh a little before reaching out to help her manage her books.
"Thanks-" She says as I take half of the books of her and she lets the other half drop in her locker.
"I'm kinda sick of school-" Ally sighs finally reaching a handout and shaking mine. As her soft fingers touch mine, I feel a small almost unnoticeable buzz of electricity. I guess just an average shock but there's something about that one I couldn't recognize. Unfamiliar, distant, a strange world type.
"Nice outfit-" I blurt out all of a sudden glancing at her sneakers and her thick coat paired with some denim jeans.
"If you're mocking me- I know my outfit choice is horrible-" Ally says looking at me sideways.
"No, I mean it nice outfit-" I reply truthfully.
"Uh, thanks? you too?" Ally replies although her tone comes out like a question.
I sigh leaning against my locker and setting down my binder on the floor which I've been holding awkwardly pressed against my chest this whole time.
"As you can tell, I'm not exactly the social butterfly-" I tell her and she smiles at me, no grins.
"Me neither-" " I hardly have any friends and all of them are guys that are weirdos-" Ally says blowing hair out of her face which has been entwined with her glasses.
"Yeah- I was never in a clique at my last school," I agree with her.
"You're Olivia Snow- the talk of the town recently-" Ally says and I relieved that she doesn't seem to know my first name. When I applied and paid my tuition online I had entered as 'Olivia Snow' but somehow my records led to the administrator to know my first name. I'm hoping no one else knows.
"So I've heard-" I sigh once more.
"What class do you have first?" Ally asks driving the topic to something more normal.
"Geography-" I reply.
"Oh, I have Chemistry but they're both relatively close in the North Wing, I can show you there if you want-" Ally says.
"Please-" I reply. " I don't think I can navigate a school this big-" I heavily breath in.
Ally laughs briefly before telling me, " You'll get used to it."
There's something about the air in the North Wing- it's quite different from the south. In the south wing it was more dark and dingy, but here in the north wing, everything seemed brighter. The lights, the floor tiles, or was it just me.
Ally showed me all the way to Geography and I thanked her before heading inside. As expected, it looked like a normal classroom except bigger. It's ten times bigger than my old one, ok maybe not ten but at least 3, and the tables were cleaner, the room is cleaner everything was just so neat it almost hurt my eyes.
The tables were separated evenly against the wall with some pressed up against the wall while others in the middle of the class. Each table was attached to another and at the front, there was a large desk made out of a dark red color. The teacher wasn't here yet as I had arrived early, but a few other students had already come. I stood around wondering if there was assigned seats or just free choice but I don't dare ask any of my fellow classmates. They all looked so scary and all so finally I decided to take a seat in the very back left corner with the table pressed against the wall. I had a clear view of outside from the window located next to the wall I was near so I chose to spend my time looking out the window.
I don't look away at the parking lot until the bell sounds and I watch as all of the students down below slowly make their way inside rushing hurriedly towards their first class as they weren't keeping track of the time. They'll be late for sure.
I hastily lift my eyes from the pavement down below searching around the classroom for something. I don't know what, maybe a familiar face, but I find none. The teacher enters the class soon enough, a small woman in her 40s dressed in a white tight dress and a zip sweater. She has earrings that dangle and are way too long and heavy and glasses that seem way to small for her peculiar eyes.
"Hello class-" She barks her voice, gruff and tired.
"Before we get started let's do roll call-" She continues.
She starts listing off names one by one and I hear various accents and calls of 'here!" around the class. I try to match each voice to a face but everything is so strange. The girl who is sitting next to me calls here when the name "Sara" is called. She's a small girl with light blonde hair and pale blue eyes who hasn't made any attempt to speak to me yet.
When the teacher reaches the bottom of the list she must realize there is an additional name because a look of confusion passes her face before one of recognition does.
"And it seems like we have a new student- Olivia Snow-" She announces and I heave a small short sigh of relief again.
"Come up darl'" She says. I cautiously get up from my seat and the girl with the blonde hair next to me raises her eyes and just notices that I'm new. I proceed and take quick-paced steps toward the front of the classroom.
"Olivia- I'm Mrs. Summers and I'm your Geography teacher- this is your class. Would you like to say a few words to them?" She says gesturing to herself and then the class as she speaks.
I nod before turning to the class. The stares from everywhere is nerving enough, I've never been a fan of being the center of attention. One move, one word, and everything can go wrong. But who's to judge? These people don't even know me.
"Um- I'm Olivia Snow, I go by Liv or Olive and I moved here from Maine," I say as quickly as possible and is surprised by how the tone of my voice comes out. Not nervous or even shaky, but confident.
"Thank you Miss Snow-" Mrs. Summers says giving me a light smile before reaching behind her and pulling out a thick book. It's ocean blue and she hands it to me. " This is your textbook and you are expected to keep it in well condition for the students next year-" She finishes.
I nod before pulling the book into my grasp and walking away from her desk. Even with the light chatter in the room, all I can hear as I retreat is my footsteps.
Turns out, as soon as the blonde sitting next to me, Sara, found out I was the new kid, she immediately started talking to me. Funny how you ignore one thing but the next day when it's a trend you suddenly have the need to bring it everywhere. I really minded being people's gossip of the week as it was annoying. I've already had several people come up to me and introduce themselves and whispers of my name are all around. I hope they'll get over it soon.
I know there hasn't been a new student for a while but it's not that dramatic is it? I just happened to move here from Maine, which by the way catches everyone's interests. Several questions had been tumbling at me like, " How was Maine?", "Is Maine really as nice as everyone says?"
Of course, trying hard not to be rude and shutting them out so I had to answer each and every one of their questions about Maine and what not.
I was searching around after History ended, the class after Geography, for Ally the girl by my locker. So on the way to my next class Chemistry, I kept on looking around for a small brown headed girl with glasses but I found none. I frowned as I couldn't find her, I hope she's in at least one of my classes.
I was tuning out on Sara's rant and just focused on following her to Chem, which she had offered to guide me to before she headed off to Gym class in the South Wing which was a whole Wing away. I was relieved to find out by Sara that both the North and South Wing had it's own cafeteria so we wouldn't have to rush around and both of them had Gymnasiums to.
"I mean oh my god, my last class is in the North Wing so why can't I go to Gym in the North Wing right?" She asked nudging me and I nodded along pretending I had heard her whole conversation.
"And Gym is the worst, the only sport I play is Tennis but apparently we don't have a court! That's stupid right?" Sara continues talking speedily and I nod again.
"What sports do you play?" I manage to catch her question.
"Umm uh... a few." I start spluttering. Sara looks at me expectantly and I continue, " Well I uh used to do soccer but I quit, um I did Hockey to but I also quit, and I run-" I say.
"Run? You mean you actually run? How exhausting is that?" Sara asks me.
"Uh no long distances for me sadly I can't handle it, but I mean I can do short distances pretty fast-" I admit trying hard to not sound like I'm bragging.
"Wow, hopefully, you're good our team suckss-" Sara laughs exaggerating.
Sara and I continue walking down the busy hallways, a lot of people shoot us odd looks, what with me pretending to listen to Sara nodding and Sara gossiping to me about the latest news in school. It's not until someone calls Sara's name does she finally shut up.
"Sara!" A loud high pitched squeal sounds and Sara's head snaps sharply towards the sound leaving her words unfinished. I search around the crowded hallways filled with teens unable to locate the person who is responsible for the noise.
Finally, another blond girl approaches Sara not noticing me at first and flings herself onto Sara who is taken aback and inhales sharply.
The girl is blond and short with mystical blue eyes like Sara's but a bit darker. They could be sisters except their noses are completely different. Sara's is sharp and long, the other girls is short and narrow.
"Oh my god! Sara have you heard the new girl has finally arrived I was thinking she could join our group and...-" The blond must've finally noticed me as she trails off analyzing me.
"Yep that's her the new girl!" Sara says taking my hand and waving it frantically at the other girl.
"Oh hi there! I'm Grace, and you're Olivia-" Grace says with no question in her voice.
"I go by Liv or Olive-" I manage to force a weak smile.
It's not that I don't like her or Sara, they seem great and nice, but I get the feeling that they're one of those mean girls that are only nice to the people in their group. The fact that they want me in their group shocks me a bit.
At my old school, I wasn't popular nor considered a nobody. I usually hang out within the circle of my friend group that consisted of a few girls and guys. I was only known as 'The girl who's faster than all the boys,' mainly. People would ask how I was so fast and I usually just shrugged uncomfortably and said that my parents were good runners. Yet the fact that I was the fastest in the school even compared to the seniors and the muscular jocks, didn't exactly stop people from ignoring me. The only thing I was good at there was sports. I was ok in classes, an A-/B+ average.
Something about this school seems more serene than my old school yet I can sense it's also wild. I'm guessing it's the school that is wild but the teachers have no idea because everyone acts well around them.
"Great! You'll sit with us at lunch right?" Grace asks me with a bright smile.
"Uh-" I start but she cuts me off with yet another beam. " Awesome! What class do you have next?" Grace asks me.
"I have Chem-" I reply trying hard not to sound annoyed.
"Oh cool me too! We should compare sched's later let's go!"
Grace without saying goodbye to Sara take's my hand in her small grasp and leads me away. I turn around partially shooting Sara a half smile before following Grace.
Same thing as the last two classes. I introduce myself yet again.
I'm standing in front of 30 pairs of eyes practically drilling holes through my body as I list some facts about me.
"My name is Olivia, I go by Liv or Olive-" I am already tired of the pathetic speech I've given for the third time already and I realize just now I'll have to say it another few times today before I can forget it for good.
" I moved here from Maine-" I continue and I'm about to start listing a few facts when someone barges into the class hurriedly.
The person stumbles quite a bit at the front of the class before turning towards Ms. Greenes our Chem teacher.
"Sorry- I ran into a car on my way here and I almost died-" The boy says. He has short light brown hair styled neatly and a charming smile plastered on his face.
"Luke, this is the third time this week. And may you perhaps explain where Cameron is?" Ms. Greenes sigh giving Luke a frown.
"Oh um, he also ran into a garbage truck and um he broke his... uh foot bone, but like not broke he uh cracked it and uh... oh wait he's here he just recovered from his broken foot which he broke this morning?" Luke lies on the spot stuttering and thinking of ways out of trouble.
Everyone turns to where Luke is looking, there stands a tall broad guy with short dark hair, he has about the sharpest jawline anyone can have and has a scowl plastered on his face.
"You tow this is the third time! I've already given you a week of detention, what more can I do?" Ms. Greenes scowl sternly at the two boys.
"Uh... maybe release us from detention and let us live happily ever after?" Luke suggests with a cheeky grin on his face. Everyone laughs at this and I can tell that this Luke is definitely the prankster of the school.
"Take a seat Mr. Thompson and Mr. Hunter would you mind coming into the classroom" Ms. Greenes scowls at them both obviously not approving of Luke's suggestion.
Luke clumsily makes his way towards the back of the class and plops down right next to the seat I had chosen. Ms. Greenes shoots me a look probably telling me to go back to my seat and I nod heading towards my seat.
"Hello new girl-" Luke chirps.
I scowl at him.
"Ok ok, I get it-" Luke says before turning away from me his eyes finding Cameron's the other guys and I follow Luke's gaze. For a split second Cameron's eyes meet mine before flickering away and he steps in.
I could swear the room turned darker as he stepped in one foot extended and the other foot out of the class.