Chapter One: First Day
A.N: This chapter was Co-written with Skillet's Lady Goddess
As the long white limousine pulled up outside of the snow covered Venice Beach High, Gunner, April and Anna's jaws dropped open. The building was big and white, with large wooden Oak doors at the front. 3 paths lead from the parking lot, the teachers parking garage and a small shed near the back of the building. If you looked hard enough, the oval, gymnasium and bleachers could be seen over the shed.
April's eyes widened and a delighted grin spread across her face as she looked out the window at the shed. On a big piece of plywood in big red letters read 'Mechanics shed'. April spun in her seat and looked at her father, who was sitting across from her, beside Gunner.
"Can I Dad? Can I take my bike to the shed to get fixed?" she asked, referring to the 1972 Harley Davidson motorcycle that was currently collecting dust in the garage of their new house, next to her father's 1987 Harley.
Mark shrugged, half expecting April to jump at him and hug him, but he could see the cogs turning in his daughter's mind and knew she was thinking about riding her bike for the first time since she had gotten it.
Anna, unlike her sister, was chewing the inside of her lip in anxiety. She wasn't as bold and beautiful (in her opinion, though April respectfully disagreed more often than not) as April; she had always been the one that blended into the lockers and disappeared off the face of the earth. As the limo stopped, her eyes glued themselves to the front doors, where she was expecting a block hole to open up and suck her into oblivion for the day, or maybe the rest of her existence, if she was lucky.
Gunner was sitting beside his father, his headphones covering his ears so he couldn't hear what his sister's and father were saying. Mark ruffled his hair as Anna and April got out of the car. Gunner looked at his Dad. Mark pointed at the open door as his son rolled his eyes and got out of the car.
Anna sucked in a deep breath. She couldn't believe she was going into this huge school. New friends, new teachers to get to know; all of it was a blur. All she wanted to do was go back to her old school where Maria 'Cool-Cat' Kanellis and Ashley 'Pretty Princess' Massaro, the other half of the Bratz, were. She didn't want to be the only one who was considered as the outcast-nerd. She knew it was going to be hell the first day, considering it being almost forty-eight hours since her family had moved from Arizona to California.
Anna shook her head, slowly glancing over, seeing April chewing the inside of her lip. She rolled her eyes. April was always nervous the first day. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes still glanced around. How could she survive this new High school now if she was just getting used to their new house? It was giving her a headache, and having her sister mutter profanities about their father and the big move didn't help either.
Anna glanced back at her sister. There had to be something wrong. She had never seen April this silent about going to school; usually Anna was the one to want to fall off the face of the earth. Did they manage to trade bodies or something and she didn't know about it? Her eyes rolled slightly, glancing back at their surroundings. Cement tables were scattered across the front yard as kids gathered around in their cluster of groups. Her head shook. There had to be about twenty groups around. She spotted the Jocks throwing the football around; the cheerleaders practicing their routine to no music; the skaters shredding against the ramp and the railings. She smiled slightly seeing the principal come out, chasing after them. She giggled to herself, still taking everything in.
Her eyes ran across the field, still checking out the students. Then she sighed. Under a tall shaded tree, stood a group of hard working, straight-A bookworms; the nerds. Her head slowly lowered as her fingers rubbed her temples. She remembered what it was like for April to be picked on by the outcasts, just because she was a little smarter than them. Anna had been a part of that group and she always got into fights with members of her 'clique' just because she stood up for her sister when the situation called for it. April had been the brave one and sucked it up, much the opposite of Anna who would have fallen apart at the seams.
"Why can't I be like you," she muttered, hoping April didn't catch it.
"You want to be me?" April blinked staring at her sister. "That's a little bit stupid considering you're my IDENTICAL TWIN!"
Her head shot up looking at her sister. "April, come on; you're fearless. You do one tiny thing and people love you. They really don't want a nerdy outcast in this school." She glanced back over at that table, seeing them all reading either their textbooks or novels they brought in.
April rolled those slight neon green eyes. "Seriously? Anna, I'm less fearless then you, I can't even get up the courage to ask a question in class!" Anna glared at her sister. April smiled cutely. Changing the subject, she said, "but look, they scream you all over them."
Anna laughed slightly, "Yeah, says you. I just hate being the total opposite of you. Yeah, it's totally normal for twins to be opposites, but I suck, I have no courage, I pretty much blend into the lockers."
April raised an eyebrow. "I don't know if you've noticed but I do too. I blend so far into the lockers I may as well be back at home.
A loud holler of laughter caught both girls' attention. They turned their heads in unison, looking over as a group of boys, about sixteen, taunted the nerds. Anna growled lowly, hoping her sister didn't hear her. April didn't. The oldest of the Calaway's merely rolled her eyes and looked back at Anna. Anna was still looking at the group. The obvious leader of the group snickered as he held a book above a girl's head.
"Hey! Give me that back!" The brunette girl demanded jumping for it.
The guy grinned at her request. "Ah I'm sorry how 'bout no," he hissed, still holding the book over her head.
Anna looked over to her sister. April shook her head. "I'm not going over there and messing with him. Too risky. There is a 99 percent chance that I'll get punched in the sternum." She walked away from her. Anna sighed, finally making a choice. She was not going to let them win. By going up to the group she swore she would never ever go back to, she could change the odds a little.
"Scott! Give me my book back, please!" The brunette called again, hopping up for her book.
Anna shook her head, finally getting to the group, hearing the guys snicker at what the brunette said.
"Awe, I'm sorry Mickie, I didn't know this meant so much to you," Scott teased as his crew chuckled around them.
Anna studied the brunette for a moment. She had wavy shoulder length hair pulled into a half pony tail, little make-up and her clothes were from the late 80s. Then her eyes glanced at the guy. His eyes were like the bluest of oceans, his hair curly and blond, obviously dyed blond over black. His leather jacket, cut-below-the-knee shorts and wrestling boots made him look scary. The look on his face seemed like nothing happened at all and that he was actually amused by the poor girl's struggle to get back her book.
"Scott give me back my book!" Mickie demanded again.
Scott gave a laugh. "No, Mickie, I like your book. Plus you jumping is pretty amusing too." He grinned, watching the hurt look in her eyes.
Anna had had enough. "Dude just give her back the book," she growled. She glared angrily, seeing both groups (the outcasts and the nerds) stare at her. She gulped silently, blinking her eyes as he stared at her. God, did she have to get so much attention? She swore she could feel her cheeks turning red and heating up.
"Oh." Scott batted his eyes, glaring at her. "And what are you going to do about it?" He taunted lightly, putting his guard down.
Anna sighed, walking up to him. Her eyes glared into his as her hand snatched the book out of his hand. "That's what I'm going to do about it." She handed the book back to the girl who smiled gratefully to her. She brought her attention back to him. "And if you do this again, I swear you really don't want to see what happens when I get mad. I'm like the incredible Hulk- nothing stands in my way." She held back her snicker effectively, lying through her teeth.
"Oh really?" Scott threatened stepping up to her, not shooting down her challenge.
"Really." She went to slap him when he grabbed her wrist, stopping this action. They both had a stare down.
Scott's friends gasped, finally recognising the tall girl.
"Man I wouldn't do it!"
They looked over at them, hearing the shortest of them, Derek, warn, "She's new here along with her twin sister and brother. Trust me you don't want to mess with them; their dad will totally kill you. Let's go Scott."
Anna saw him back away from her, glaring.
"This isn't over newbie."
She rolled her eyes at his comment as he ran off to join her friends. Then she turned around and let out a petrified squeak. She had never done anything like that in her life! Maybe she had just decided to get out of the stupid rut she had put herself in and see the light for once. Or maybe she was just plain tired of people like him, bossing people around all the time.
"Hey, thanks for getting my book back from him."
Anna turned in place, looking down, seeing the short brunette girl with her book in her hand, her other rubbing nervously on her forearm.
"Um, you're welcome..."
"Mickie James." Mickie extended out her hand, seeing the taller girl accept it.
"Anna Calaway," Anna announced, smiling sweetly at Mickie.
"ANNA!"
Anna and Mickie spun around to see April running up to them, Gunner by her side. Both of the Calaway's looked at their sister with awe in their eyes. She had never done anything like that in her life!
"Who are you, and what have you done with my sister?" Gunner asked, wrapping his arms around his sister's shoulders. Anna patted his head as April jumped up and down, obviously hyper from the 3 spoonfuls of sugar she had had with her cornflakes.
"I ate her," Anna replied to Gunner's question, smirking as Mickie looked on. Anna rolled her eyes as Mickie smiled and walked away with her textbook in her arms.
Anna, April and Gunner walked away from the lunch tables and made their way towards the main building, two piercing blue eyes following them, a slight glare on his face.