First day of school:
"Class this is Baislyn Rush, I trust that you will help her get caught up. Ms. Rush, there is a free seat next to Rayne Martinez." I nodded and walked down the rows of tables, fully aware every eye was on me. I let my bag hit the floor and sat next to a girl with a tan and black and blond stripped hair. She looked at me; her eyes were outlined in thick black eyeliner.
"Hey, I'm Rayne, but you can call me Ray." I forced a smile.
"Bailey." She nodded; her black painted fingernails matched her hair. She chewed on the eraser to her pencil as she stared blankly into space.
I looked down at my hands, seeing my mother's face in my palm. My scar burned again.
"So where are you from?"
" California ." Her light green eyes sparkled.
"Cool! I love Cali ."
The bell rang. We both rose from our seats.
"So what class do you have next?" I gazed down at my schedule.
"History." She grinned.
"Sweet. Kirk has that class. You're going to love him." I smiled.
Everyone we passed in the hallway turned their head and looked at me. I gripped my bag strap, slung over my shoulder and kept my head down.
"Here we are." We stopped in front of a class, completely empty. I actually felt relief at the thought I would actually be in here alone. Rayne read my concern and misunderstood it.
"Don't worry, it fills up a little closer to the bell." Great.
A tall, fairly pale guy with wavy brown hair stood beside Rayne and smiled at me.
"Hi, you must be Bailey." I nodded, taking the hand he offered.
"News travels fast," He added as an explanation.
"This is Kirk, the other loser I hang out with." Kirk pretended to be offended and smiled at me.
"Nice to meet you," I mutter.
"Nice to meet you too." The warning bell rang.
"Well, I'll see you guys at lunch." Rayne winked and disappeared down the hallway. Kirk pulled me into the classroom, towing me straight to the seat beside him.
"So Cali huh?" I nodded, wondering how much news got around.
The room started filling up. Most of the kids avoided the back row where me and Kirk sat. I looked down, concentrating on my hands in attempt to pretend everyone wasn't starring at me. I don't like attention.
"Morning class." A built, bulk man who was a few inches shorter than Kirk stood at the front of the class, just as the tardy bell rang. There were whispers all around me. "Ah, so happy you three could join us."
My scar burned as I looked up and met the golden yellow eyes of a strangely familiar stranger. There were three of them. The first one was the most striking. His faces was angelic, his eyes a golden yellow, his short midnight black hair made his unique eyes stand out. He was absolutely god-like. The other two shared the same beauty. The girl had shoulder length brown hair and purple eyes. She held hands with a blonde who had the most questioning deep sea blue eyes.
I was so transfixed that I didn't hear Kirk trying to get my attention. I looked at him dumbfounded.
"Uh…What?" He shook his head.
"Their names are Jake, Ailani, and Adam Sparks." I looked back at the trio who took seats in the front row where nobody sat.
"Are there any killer waves in Cali ?" I couldn't take my eyes off Jake. But no matter how hard I stared, he wouldn't turn around.
"A few." My scar was on fire. I winced, glancing down at the mysterious mark.
"What happened?" Kirk caught me looking and was now eyeing the scar on my hand. I slowly pulled my shirt sleeve over it.
"Nothing." He shrugged, letting it go. I felt eyes starring at me and looked at Ailani. She seemed to be studying me. Her gaze burned with an intensity that would not allow me to look away. The corners of her mouth slowly turned up in a smile as she turned her head.
"Don't get too interested in them. They're weird." I looked at Kirk.
"What makes them weird?" He thought about it.
"They always distance themselves. They're so…isolated." But that didn't make them weird.
"Kirk, do you mind being quiet so the rest of us can learn something?" The class giggled. Kirk blushed, and silenced himself, smiling at me.
I watched Kirk and Rayne debate whether Lauren Conrad lived in LA or Hollywood , smiling. I could feel someone starring at me but wouldn't turn around.
I tried to remember what happened the other night. But I came up blank. I could remember my mom smiling at me, kissing my forehead before disappearing into the black. I can't remember where the scar came from. But I remembered something making my entire body cringe in excruciating pain. But it was dark. And I saw nothing.
"Bailey? Bailey?" I looked up. The cafeteria is empty; Kirk and Rayne were standing up, trying to get my attention. I blinked.
"Were you planning on skipping 5th?" Rayne laughed. I stood up, numbly.
"The thought did cross my mind."
Neither Rayne or Kirk were in my 5th period. But Jake was. At the only available table. I sighed, walking towards him and dumping my bag. He scooted to the far edge of the table.
"Welcome to Art, Bailey. We already started a project, but I'll give you until the end of next week to turn it in." I nodded and she continued, addressing the class.
I looked at Jake, getting the full effect of his striking, soul burrowing eyes, since he was looking back at me. My heart completely stopped, and the last breath I took froze in my lungs. He was absolutely gorgeous. He seemed to be studying me. I was too entranced to hear what the teacher was saying to the class. Then I saw his eyes.
Baby blue. My mother's favorite color. I looked away from him, using extreme force, and starred at my hands.
Weren't his eyes yellow before?
"Remember, your fruit bowl projects are due on Friday, with the exception of Bailey. Our next project is a little more challenging, turn and look at your neighbor." The room was filled with students moving their seats so they could face the person sitting next to him. I didn't budge. I was afraid of looking into his eyes again. "Your neighbor is your model. You are to sketch, draw, and paint an art piece of your partner-in that order. I'll give you two weeks, of course Bailey and Jake will have a little more extra time, but the rest of you better get cracking. And Zach-I want to see your project first thing Friday, though I highly doubt you've even started." A couple of kids laughed.
I gulped and glanced at Jake from the corner of my eye. He was still starring, as if he was frozen some how.
So I had to paint a picture of a fruit bowl. I'm sure Rayne would help me find one of those.
The bell rings and Jake is gone before I can catch another glimpse of him.
How did he disappear so fast?
Rayne had saved a seat for me in Journalism.
"Hey, do you know where I can find a fruit bowl for art class?" She nodded.
"Hobby Lobby has everything." I had never heard of that store. I smiled, looking ahead.
In the first five minutes of class, we are assigned an essay topic we are supposed to write three pages on. And unlike Mrs. Wilson, Mr. Beck didn't give me an exception. My first day of school and I was already swamped with 10 pages of Chemistry review, WYONS for chapter eleven on the Korean War, two trigonometry worksheets, six chapters of Pride and Prejudice and my journalism essay.
Kirk escorted me to the parking lot, planning a study session with Rayne thursday night. I saw Rodger pull up and nodded at Kirk.
"I'll see you later." Rodger opened the door to the driver's seat and helped me put my books in the back.
"Bye." I smiled at Kirk, secretly grateful I was finally alone.
"How was your day Miss Bailey?" I sighed.
"Can you please just call me Bailey?"
