Chapter 1
Naomi sighed in frustration.
"I swear, Naomi, one more huffing noise and I will throw you out the car. You can walk the rest of the way".
"Right, mum. Just don't see why we had to up and leave our home to come live here, it's so... dull, and boring looking". Naomi frowned at her bleak surroundings.
"You know why, Naomi. This was my home growing up. And now your Grandfather has passed away, your Gran needs someone to look after her. It won't be forever, in two years you'll be off to college, you can always go back to California to study if you like".
Naomi rolled her eyes, "Great, two years; not long at all, bet time will just fly by with all the fun I'll be having in this lively town". Naomi lit up a cigarette and rolled the window down.
Gina sighed; she gave up.
They had had this conversation countless times in the last month, but Naomi knew it wasn't going to change her mum's decision; they would still be moving to North Carolina to help her Gran in her old age. Naomi loved her Gran, she really did, though she couldn't let go of the niggling feeling that she was somehow ruining her life. A little over dramatic, especially for Naomi, but she was going to miss out in spending her senior years with her friends.
Naomi shook her head; "How selfish Naomi", she thought to herself, "Get a grip, she's your Gran, and you love her, stop being so self-centred!"
Gina turned the car onto a narrow dust road which had woodland either sides, and eventually slowed the car to a stop. "We're here", she smiled, "It's been so long since we've been; do you remember the last time?"
"Yeah, I was eight. And, it's still looks exactly the same almost 10 years later. Clearly nothing changes in this town" Naomi sighed once again earning a glare from her mother.
"Right, less of the negative talk Naomi. I'm sure you'll make friends and things won't be as boring as you think; life is what you make it after all. Now, let's go tell your Gran we're here shall we, then we'll start to unpack?"
It had just turned Spring; the sun was shining through the slow moving white clouds and reflecting off the calm water in the small creek that was situated about 100 meters from the large wooden white house. The structure stood in the middle of a field which had trees surrounding it at three sides and the water front at the other. There wasn't another house for at least a mile, Naomi reckoned. It was a rather lovely area, it was peaceful. "Perhaps", Naomi thought, "this won't be as bad as first anticipated".
After Gina and Naomi had greeted the elderly woman, they unpacked their belongs and made themselves at home. Once dinner was finished, Naomi excused herself and said her goodnights as she was tired from all the travelling, and as her mother kept reminding her; Naomi was starting Red Springs High School tomorrow.
The blond stood gazing at the view from her bedroom window. Her room was at the back of the house, giving her an amazing view of the creek as the sun began to set for the evening. There was an orange glow over the now sparkling water and a small breeze in the Spring air. Naomi then sighed as she turned back to look at the interior of her room. It was a reasonable size, big enough for a double bed, a desk, a chest of drawers and a wardrobe. It was a little bland as the walls were an off-white colour, but Naomi would soon fix that with the several posters and pictures she planned to hang up. She hadn't bothered to unpack the majority of her belongings yet, just her laptop and a few photographs of her friends from back home. She looked in one of the boxes and produced a book, then proceeded to lie on her bed and began to read until she eventually nodded off to sleep.
It was a beautiful morning as Gina drove Naomi to her first day at her new school.
"Nervous?" She asked.
Naomi shrugged "Not really, what's there to be nervous about?"
Gina was about to reply, but bit her tongue as she thought it best not to put idea's in her daughters head of how dreadful her first day could go. So instead just shrugged and continued to drive down the long, straight, and desolate road in silence.
As they drove into the centre of town where the High School was situated, Naomi became very aware at just how small the population of the town was. Although the area contained within Red Springs was large, Naomi reckoned that there couldn't be more than a few thousand people resident in the town. There were a few cafes, two small markets for groceries, a Barbour's, and a couple of diners amongst other small businesses, obviously owned by people who lived in the town. There was only one High School and one Grade School.
It suddenly dawned on Naomi, that with such a small population and only one school, everyone most likely at least recognised their fellow residents, if not knew them. Now she was nervous. She didn't want to be known as the new kid or Linda's grand-daughter.
"Great", Naomi mumbled to herself.
"What is it hunni", Gina replied.
"Nothing, just wish I had thought more carefully of what I was going to wear today that's all". She sighed.
"Why, you look lovely?" Gina replied genially.
"Never mind, it's too late now anyway".
Gina frowned in confusion before pulling up outside the school.
They said their goodbyes before Naomi exited the car. She wore black skinny jeans, a pair of converse and a, perhaps slightly inappropriate, t-shirt which read "If I had BALLS, they would be BIGGER THAN YOURS". She took a mental note to look at what t-shirt she had picked before she put it on in the future. She zipped up her gray cardigan in an attempt to hide the garment before she continued on into the school.
The halls were long and empty. Naomi had arrived at 10 o'clock as instructed by the head of school. She had attended the office briefly and spoke to her guidance teacher who had then given Naomi her timetable and pointed the way to her first class; maths.
The blond wondered the corridors, now completely lost in the maze of a school. She came across two students in the hall she had walked into; one with vibrant red hair and the other with long brown locks. Both dressed in red cheerleader outfits with white writing which read "Red Springs Eagles", both looking a tad skimpily dressed in cheerleader outfits to be more precise, but, Naomi thought, perhaps that's just the style around this town. The new comer walked up to the students in hope of finding her way to the maths class which she was currently missing.
"Hey, um, I'm looking for class 255"; the blond was met with a short glance from the brunette before she turn to look towards the red haired girl. "You know where it is?"
"Yeah" the red head replied with a smirk.
"Mind pointing the way?" Naomi asked in hopes that girls would finally get the hint that that's where she needed to be.
"Um..." the red head shook her head. 'Why was this girl being so arrogant' Naomi thought and then raised an eyebrow as if to prompt the red head to continue.
The slowly moving conversation was then interrupted by a loud shout from a guy wearing a jocks jacket, 'clearly on the football team' Naomi thought.
"Katie! Effy!" He swung his hands in the air, "You ready to go, Freds is waiting outside?"
The guy walked towards them, and extended his hand to Naomi; "don't believe we've met, you must be new". It was a statement, not a question.
Naomi didn't take his hand but instead asked, "you know where class 255 is?"
"Nah, don't care either." The boy shrugged; "I'm Cook". He answered looking Naomi up and down. "You been making new friends Katiekins?" He smiled a toothy grin.
"With that, I don't think so, ha". The red head, Naomi now knew now to be Katie, walked away in what Naomi assumed was towards the exit of the school. "Effy, Cook, you coming?"
The threesome began to walk away. Naomi just stood frowning as they did so. Just before they turned the corner, Effy spun around to face Naomi and pointed to the right and looked up, Naomi assumed that this was a signal as to where her class might be.
Naomi sighed as she began to follow the strangers' instructions, and low and behold, they were correct; she found her class, albeit, 40 minutes late, but at least she found it.
The bell rang releasing them for lunch.
Naomi made her way to the girls toilets across from her class. 'Double maths!' Naomi thought 'Why did I pick maths!' Truth be told, Naomi liked maths, just the thought of double maths on a Monday morning was a little too much to handle, especially on her first day. She sighed heavily to herself as she looked into the mirror. "Could really ditch the rest of the day" the blond said aloud, obviously thinking that nobody was in any of the stalls.
She heard a flushing noise and the sound of the cubical unlocking; the blonds face turned red – how embarrassing; talking to yourself.
"I wouldn't do that; they'll know if you're not in class, you're new after all." The cubical door opened and revealed a red headed, slender built girl. Naomi narrowed her eyes. It looked to be the same girls from the corridor this morning... but in different clothes.
"Why do people keep saying that" Naomi huffed.
"Keep saying what?" the red head answered, clearly confused.
"That I'm new"
"Well", the red head pushed passed Naomi, smiling at her, and began to wash her hands, "Cause you are, aren't you?" She smiled towards the blonds' reflection in the mirror.
Naomi squinted; "What's with the attitude changed?"
"Sorry?" The red head answered, once again confused by Naomi's words.
"You were a bit of a bitch to me this morning when I asked you for the directions to my class".
The red head laughed, clearly amused at what Naomi had just said, but she couldn't work out why. Naomi raised an eyebrow.
"You must have met my delightful sister then? My twin, Katie?"
"Oh, that would explain the change in clothes then." Naomi smiled, amused at her slowness.
"Hmmm, yeah." The red head extended her hand; "Emily, I'm the nice one".
"Right. Naomi, I'm the new one... apparently", she shook Emily's hand.
Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think. And any ideas for the story and/or how to improve my writing. Thanks
Hi! Hope you enjoy my fic. xx