Jordan Taylor stared into the emptiness of her locker on the first day of sophomore year at Charming High School. The hall was deserted and Jordan was grateful. She had had a crappy summer, but she was able to avoid the reasons it was crappy during break. Now that she would be stuck in school for eight hours a day, there was no way she was going to be able to avoid it now. Footsteps echoed through the empty hall and a moment later, two boot clad feet appeared at her side.
"Glad to be back?" Andi Angel asked her best friend sweetly. Jordan made a face and shook her as she closed the locker, leaning against it with her arms crossed.
"God no." Jordan responded. "But, it's a new year, which means it's a whole new ball game." She added thoughtfully. Andi gave her a rueful grin.
"Does that new ball game include Jackson Teller?" She asked. Jordan gave her a sharp look and cringed. Jackson Teller was the one person that wasn't involved in the new year.
"No ma'am. It was nice, but it's over." Jordan said firmly. Andi quirked an eyebrow and smirked, her gaze drifting down the hall. Jordan frowned and followed her gaze, a scowl instantly on her face as she saw Jax Teller making his way toward them, swaggering like he owned the place.
"Hey girls." He said smoothly, stopping a foot away from them. He flashed Jordan a smile, to which she responded with an eye roll.
"Jax." Andi said, nodding in his direction. He acknowledged her with a nod of his own, his attention focused on Jordan.
"What are you doin here, Teller? You usually ain't rollin in until the bell's ringin." Jordan said snidely, her tone harsh but if Jax noticed, it didn't bother him.
"You look good." He said as he looked her over, completely ignoring the sarcasm in her voice when she spoke and the coldness in her eyes when she looked at him. She didn't have a problem with Jax, not really. It was just easier be cold with him, kept him at a distance.
"Yeah, yeah." She replied, waving it off. Jax stared at her, slightly unsure of how to react. As far as Jordan knew, she was the only girl that crossed paths with Jax Teller that was able to resist his charm. It wouldn't have been so bad, but he was a smug son of a bitch and she just couldn't deal with that. She watched his gaze travel to the hall behind them and rolled her eyes. he looked back at her and bit his lip.
"Ope's here. Unfortunately, this I where I leave you ladies." He said regretfully, tipping an invisible top hat and giving them a very exaggerated bow. Jordan rolled her eyes, but giggled despite herself.
"Go on you dork." She said, swatting him on the arm when he straightened back up. He grinned and swaggered away. Jordan glanced at Andi and noticed she had watched Jax make his way over to Opie Winston, her eyes a little glassy. Jordan smirked and cleared her throat. Andi jerked back to reality and looked at Jordan, a guilty look in her eyes.
"Sorry." She mumbled, her eyes down. Jordan laughed and threw a hand around her friend's shoulder.
"As long as you ain't checkin out Teller, it ain't nothin but a thing jelly bean." She said lazily. Andi grinned but it instantly vanished when another voice sounded.
"Ms. Taylor. Ms. Angel." Jordan bit back a groan and her arm slipped from Jordan's shoulder. Their fifty something principal, Mrs. Rosemary, who everyone fondly referred to as 'Bird Beak', took Jax's place in front of them. "Ms. Taylor. Could I have a moment?" Jordan rolled her eyes and leaned against the locker again.
"You have my full attention, Mrs. R." She said, her voice a monotone. Andi ducked her head and giggled.
"Ms. Taylor, I wondered if you would mind showing our new student around for a few days." Mrs. R said in her squawky, nasally voice. Jordan bit her lip but couldn't help the sarcasm in her voice when she spoke her next words.
"Do I really have a choice?" She asked. Mrs. R fixed her with a stony look and Jordan sighed. Andi squeaked and started bouncing up and down like a puppy waiting for a walk.
"Ohh the new kid! I forgot to tell you about that!" She exclaimed. Mrs. R gave her sideways glance, her brows crinkled.
"How do you know about that?" She asked suspiciously. Andi hitched a shoulder and lifted her hands, palms up, innocently. Jordan rolled her eyes.
"Oh Mrs. R don't you know? Andi's the queen gossip here at Charming High. You need to know anything, you go to Andi and she can tell you." Jordan said, gesturing the redhead, who looked pleased with herself. Mrs. Rosemary narrowed her eyes, but didn't respond.
"Come along then." She said and started down the hall, waving for Jordan to follow her. Jordan sighed and Andi gave her a sympathetic pat on the back. Jordan stuck her tongue out and followed Mrs. R.
"Damn Jordie. It's only the first day. What'd you do now?" Jax asked as she passed him. she bristled at the nickname he had given her over the summer and paused, turning to look at him.
"I don't know. Probably something you did that I'm getting blamed for. How am I supposed to know what you do when I'm not around?" She asked as she placed a hand on her hip.
"You don't." Jax said, fixing her with a grin. She rolled her eyes, unphased by the grin that would make any girl in Charming go weak in the knees.
"Ms. Taylor, any day now." Came the squawky call from the end of the hall. Jordan heaved a heavy sighed and Jax's grin widened.
"This ain't over Teller." She said, making a gun out of her fingers and pointing it at him. His grin turned into a smirk and he leaned closer to her.
"I didn't think it was." He breathed. Her breath momentarily caught in her throat, then Mrs Rosemary was calling her again and she turned, retreating down the hall, suddenly thinking that maybe she wasn't as ready for this as she thought she was going to be.