AN: Second chapter, super fun.

I took the seat where my name indicated. Right dead in the center between Duncan and Courtney. The school's infamous trouble-couples. I was crossing my fingers that either of them would be absent today. I looked up for Zoey but she was too busy fawning over Mike while Anna Marie wasn't at her seat yet. Five minutes until the bell rings. Just five more minutes of peace. Then I'd be subjected to sitting between an annoying couple. Stupid teacher, I silently cursed whoever taught this class. My roster told me his name was... Mr. McLean. That egotistical jerk, I knew exactly who he was. Movie-star wannabe, always being a Nazi in the halls even to the younger people who didn't take his class.

This year would no doubt be trouble-free. My only form of comfort the last few days of dreading this day had been to glance at the little misshapen star on my thigh. I pulled my skirt up a half inch to glance at how perfectly imperfect it was, how it lay just above where my thigh highs come up. It wasn't special to anyone else but it had meaning to me. It hurt a lot, but somehow it was worth it.

I was so lost in thought staring at it that I hadn't even heard the rowdy bunch come through the door until the next thing I knew, I was smelling the oh so familiar aftershave smell of Duncan leaning over my shoulder. "Nice tat! Who messed that up for you?" I glanced up to see the little green Mohawk too close to my face. He was much too close. It made my heart skip just for a second before settling back down. I turned back around, set on ignoring him.

Shrugging, I responded nonchalantly, "some asshole." I pulled my skirt down quickly and readjusted, sitting up straight and folding my arms across my chest.

He didn't seem too interested as he took a seat on my right. I wondered where his girlfriend was, she was usually sucker-fished to his side at all times. It was such a surprise to see him off the leash. But apparently the leash wasn't that long because she stomped into the class and cast her angry beady eyes on him. "Duncan! I thought I told you to wait for me!"

It had been five seconds and I had a migraine.

"Well, you were taking forever. I told you I was leaving but you weren't listening," he told her, not really looking up at her as he rest his chin on his hand.

She rolled her eyes but dropped it. Then she settled her gaze on me. "What are you doing sitting next to him?"

"Take a look at the assigned seating, your highness," I told her mockingly. I wasn't having any of it today.

She glared at the screen in the front. She found her own name and huffed, as if it was such a crime. "Well, at least you're not sitting next to Anna Marie, Duncan." Courtney sighed dramatically and dropped her purse on the table, taking her seat on my left. She made sure to scoot as far away from me as the table would allow. I would have done the same if Duncan wasn't already sitting too close to me.

"Yeah, that'd just be horrible," he agreed absently, more interested in the ant on the table.

Courtney took offense to this, "you know how I feel about her! I've told you a million times, she is not to be trusted!" Not exactly wrong, Anna Marie did happen to scoop up any of Heather's ex-boyfriends an hour after they break up. Purely coincidence, she always said. "Whatever, I'm just glad you're not sitting next to another girl."

"Honey, I think you forgot that Gwen is a girl," he said, squishing that poor ant. I wasn't all that interested in their conversation but still listened slightly. Okay, maybe more than slightly.

Courtney snorted meanly, "okay, you're not sitting next to any attractive girls."

I wasn't sure I heard him correctly, but I heard him mutter something. I must have heard him wrong because I was pretty sure he said, "all a matter of opinion." Yes, I definitely needed to get my ears checked. He wouldn't say anything nice to me.

Courtney didn't hear him either and she took his silence as an agreement, and she laughed. Luckily, Mr. McLean took this wonderful opportunity to start the class just as the bell rang.

"Good morning, students! You lucky 10 are my number two class of the day and hopefully muck more entertaining than the first bunch. I wanna see more energy people!" he said dramatically as he stepped up to the podium in front. "Also, I hope you love your seats, because you'll be here all year, and I don't wanna hear any complaining! I thought long and hard on these seats, so you better be happy."

Sadie and Katie, the two girls who were always together no matter what, were tragically separated by the aisle between the three person tables. They reached their hands across and held hands, tears in their eyes. Mr. McLean rolled his eyes at the display, "Anyway, we also have a teacher's aide this year. Mr. Chef back there will be assisting and learning from me. I know, right? I'm the only teacher with an aide this year, how cool is that?" Mr. Chef in the back was sitting at his own little table, he was a burly dark skinned man who looked more like an ex-convict than a teacher, and he gave us all a little glare that had us all turning back around quickly. "He's not much of a talker, but he'll help me discipline if needed!"

Nobody really said anything to this, so he went on to explain some of the class rules. I was zoning out a little as he droned on. It was all basically the same rules as first hour and every other hour. He got our attention back when he announced a project. It was very rare to have a big assignment announced the first day, but McLean always was weird.

"You all will make a presentation on a big event in history, I'll let your group of three choose any event, but it better dazzle me. I will not be bored to sleep by my own favorite subject," he warned. "Now, the last fifteen minutes of class is yours to plan. The assignment is due in three weeks."

I really wished he hadn't given us that free time, because that meant I'd have to converse with Duncan and Courtney, and that was the last thing I wanted.

"So," Duncan tried to start this conversation.

"Amazonian Women, that's what our presentation should be about," Courtney settled her arms over her chest.

I rolled my eyes, "what amazing team effort," I said sarcastically.

"Listen," she said with a stern, snobby attitude, "I'm the leader. I've had manager training and took summer classes about leadership. We aren't going to function as a team with a goth girl or a convict leading this team."

She was probably right but Duncan didn't like her tone of voice. "Hey, it was juvie and it was only three times. I'm going to be the leader, I ain't going to have no girl leading me into an F for this semester. One more F and I drop out, doll face. So if you have anything else, I suggest you keep it to yourself." He had progressively gotten angrier and by the time he finished, he had shut Courtney up completely, which was an amazing task itself. "Now, Gwen, what do you think we should do this assignment on?"

Apparently, his angry outburst only shut Courtney up for two seconds because as soon as he asked that, she spoke up again. "Why do you care about her opinion but not mine? Are you cheating on me? How long were you guys in here without me?"

I rolled my eyes and stood up ubruptly, "McLean, I'm going to use the restroom." I didn't really wait for a reply as I marched out the door, not even heading towards the restroom. I justed needed to get out of that room. I couldn't deal with them all semester, I'd pull all my hair out by the end of the second week. If I even lasted that long.

I found my destination, the old stairway on the west side of the high school. It was completely left alone, mostly because the classrooms in that wing of the school hadn't been in use much the last few years. The school had a petition to tear it down, but the city refused, stating that it might become needed. So far, it was still useless. I slumped against the wall, sighing and sliding down the wall to sit on the ground with my knees up. This was going to be a long year.

"Hey, are you alright?"