AN: So, I haven't posted in a long time because I've been struggling to pull the pieces together into a specific timeline that works. I'm going to start over again, but figured if I got some feedback it might inspire me a little more. This starts a new story, so you might see this chapter pop up again somewhere else soon. All credit to KS.

Reluctantly stepping off the bus, I stared at the faded brick high school. The cool autumn breeze screamed at my bare skin sending an involuntary shiver up my spine. Well, at least I assumed it was the breeze. It could've just been my unease at returning to "regular" school after being an outcast, both literally and figuratively, for so long.

I'd spent the tail end of my eighth grade year in and out of juvie, reserving me a prolonged stint in Charming's alternative school, Steel Alternative. One of my coach's had fought to keep me out of the "bad" school, but all that resulted in was her ultimately getting fired. The school board wanted to make an example out of me and no one could stand in their way. Gotta' love small town politics. After finally getting off of house arrest near the end of summer, I was eventually allowed to return to the well behaved general population with the rest of my peers.

While most people might be excited to return to the land of the living, as we'd called it at Steel, I was anything but excited. Any friends I'd had before weren't allowed to hang out with a "troublemaker" like me anymore and I'd lost touch with nearly everyone. Though I'd kept in touch with my Steel friends, I was pretty much alone in my grand entrance to Charming High.

As I made my way up the stairs to the breeze way, I felt a million beady eyes on me. I'd never enjoyed being the center of attention, but hated even more how easily I'd been misunderstood. Sure I'd gotten in a lot of fights, and sure I'd started hanging with a rougher crowd well beyond my age group, but it seemed like everyone conveniently forgot the path that led me there. It escaped them that my father was a violent drunk and the mother who fiercely defended me had died tragically years prior.

I took a deep breath forcing my mother from my thoughts. She was gone and it did me no good to dwell. I am where I am because of me, not her. I made my choices, and I had to deal with that.

I was relieved to see Kristina waiting near the entrance. She was one of the few people who actually stuck by my side over the years and I loved her endlessly for that. More than anyone, she understood what I'd been through, what I was currently going through, and she didn't give a damn what anyone else thought about me, or of her for being friends with me for that matter.

As I approached, Kris wrapped me in a welcoming hug. "Welcome back, stranger" she laughed.

I laughed back, waving her off. "Yeah, yeah. I'm back, big deal" I said rolling my eyes at her enthusiasm.

"It IS a big deal" she insisted. "You don't know the people I've had to eat lunch with while you were off enjoying yourself in alternative school".

"I don't know that I'd call it 'enjoying' myself" I laughed. "But I guess it's good that at least someone's glad I'm back" I smirked at her.

"Oh, fuck them. You never gave a shit about what anyone else thought anyway, why start now?"

I shrugged, conceding her point. I really didn't give a shit what anyone else thought in the long run. I planned on just burying my head in a book and minding my own business this year. My probation officer had made it pretty clear that if I did anything but that, I risked some serious repercussions.

I could sense the students passing by giving us a wide berth. Though I was only a lowly freshman, it was pretty clear that my criminal dalliances were widely known, even amongst the upper classmen. I registered the hushed tones and stares as we made our way to the two-story building on campus.

"So I guess I'm the talk of the school now, huh?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"You mean talk of the town?" she corrected flippantly. "Well, it's not every day a 13 year old girl from Charming goes to juvie for bashing someone's head into a picnic table" Kris replied nonchalantly, as if it fazed everyone but her. Truth be told, it probably didn't faze her. Her family had its own streak of violence running through their blood.

Again, all I could do is shrug. "I guess you're kinda right" I sighed. It was going to be a long year if everyone was going to insist on making me the focal point of their gossip.

Kris slowed as we neared her first class. "Well, this is my stop, Tara. You think you can make it a whole class period without kicking someone's ass?" I couldn't tell if she was serious or not, but I obliged her anyway.

"I'll be fine, Kris. You worry too much."

"I still can't believe you're in all honors after everything that went down" Kris shook her head in disbelief.

I just laughed. "What can I say? Fighting doesn't make you stupid. I actually did even better in school when I was locked up" I replied proudly, winking at her as I turned to walk toward my first class.

"I'll see you at lunch!" she hollered behind me. I just waved my hand in response.

xoxoxox

"Miss Knowles, so good of you to join us" Mrs. Timberland greeted me as I quietly closed the door behind me.

I looked at her, slightly confused. "Am I late?" I asked, not sure why she'd chosen to address me in that tone. "The second bell hasn't rang yet, has it?" I questioned, looking up at the clock hanging above the ancient looking chalkboard, certain that I wasn't tardy.

I saw her eyes full with unwarranted reproach. "No, no, not yet, just cutting it a little close, aren't we?" she replied with an undercurrent of disdain.

I was starting to feel like there had been a teacher work day specifically regarding my return to the general population. I chose to keep my mouth shut and just shrugged in response, turning my eyes toward the rows of desks in front of me, many still empty. There was no point in getting written up on the first day. I had a whole year for that, I thought sarcastically.

As I stepped further into the classroom, I heard a deep, husky voice come from the back of the class.

"Well if it isn't Rocky herself. The finally let your little bad ass outta lockup, huh?"

I instantly recognized the voice of Harry Winston. I smiled to myself. I'd always got on well with Winston. I'd dated his friend Jax Teller off and on through the years and, though that relationship had crashed and burned many times over, Winston had always stayed neutral and hadn't shunned me like the rest of the school when my legal problems started to rear their ugly head.

I looked up and he gestured toward the empty seat next to him. I wondered silently if he realized associating with me would make him into a grade A social pariah. He must've sensed my hesitance because he quirked his head to the side, eyeballing me.

"I won't bite" he laughed, somewhat confused by my reluctance. I'm sure it was strange that I didn't immediately welcome his friendliness, considering I hadn't received much of that over the last couple of years.

I slowly walked toward the back of my class, dropping my ton of books on the small square desk top. I sank into the ragged metal seat as Winston leaned toward me, elbows bracing him on the desk.

"Long time no see, Knowles. Looks like you're already getting a warm welcome from everyone" he joked, nodding his head in Mrs. Timberland's direction.

"Oh, you know me. I just elicit warm fuzzies from everyone" I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Well, I'm sure Jax will be happy to see you" he retorted, cocking a curious eyebrow at me.

"Ha, I'm not so sure about that, Winston. You were there the last time. In case you forgot, it wasn't very pretty." To be honest, I'd thought about Jax here and there, wondered how he was. The last time we'd seen each other we'd had a blow out of epic proportions and hadn't spoken since. To say things ended on a sour note was an understatement.

"Oh, I don't know Tara…it's been awhile… I'm sure he's ready to be On again" he laughed, winking at me.

I rolled my eyes again, an automatic response to anything me and Teller related. "I wouldn't be so sure, Harry." I laughed, remembering the volatility of that old flame. Though I'd never admit to holding a tiny candle for him, that was one relationship that had burned out in a fiery explosion and was well beyond resurrection. We both had far too many issues of our own to be burdened with the others'.

A Cheshire grin crept across Winston's face as he shrugged, resigned for now. "If you say so." He mouthed mischievously as Mrs. Timberland cleared her throat to start class.