Chloe (The One He Left Behind)

By BasketballGirl124

Chapter One: The Meeting

"Wow me."

The year was 2010 and Keaton Stromberg was starting high school.
He already had the year planned, academically and musically at least.
With the eight periods out of the school day, he was taking a lunch, two music classes, and the rest of the day consisted of five advanced placement courses.
He intended on having no distractions except his brother Wesley and best friend Drew.
Wes was going to be a senior this year where as Drew was supposed to finish last year; he never did.
Even though Drew had flunked out of high school, it didn't make him any less of a person, or friend.
Drew was slowly but surely finding his way, between working minimum wage jobs and playing music.
Keaton stood out of his brother's car and smiled, his life was starting here.
"Let's go bro!" Wesley called wanting to lock the car.
Keaton nodded and ran ahead to catch up with his older brother.
"You look like such a freshman," Wes commented, shaking his SnapBack covered head.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Keaton asked.
"You have the huge backpack and you look all prepared and you're actually smiling," he explained.
"Are you saying I shouldn't be excited to start high school?" Keaton questioned.
"Yes! That's exactly what I'm saying bro," Wes laughed.
"But Wes, you know I like school," Keaton reasoned.
"You really are the mutant child Keaton."
"It's not my fault I got the good looks, the brains, and not to mention the talent as well," Keaton retorted.
"Keep telling yourself that baby brother," Wes smirked.
"I will dammit," he said laughing.
"Maybe you could give Drew some of your brains," Wes wondered aloud.
"Hey! Drew's smart...just not academically," Keaton replied.
The brothers broke out into a fit out laughter as they neared the school building.
"See you at lunch bro, try to make some friends, be nice!" Wesley instructed.
Keaton shook his head as he turned down a hallway to his locker.
He found it and looked at his combination on his schedule entering it into the lock.
Keaton wondered who his locker neighbors were going to be for the next four years.
Hopefully nobody who didn't like him.
Preferably a foreign exchange student that didn't speak any English.
You see, Keaton was never popular; he never had a lot of friends and all the ones he had eventually left him for someone cooler, more interesting than him.
The only ones who never left were Wesley and Drew.
Wes was the opposite of Keaton though.
Wes was fit, strong and not to mention popular and just an overall likable guy.
Keaton was a lot like his brother except for the part that he wasn't nearly as strong and Keaton was just plain awkward.
However he embraced his awkwardness; it made him different.
"Excuse me, you're blocking my locker," said a small voice to the right of Keaton.
He turned his head to look at the small voice.
"Sorry," he said smiling down at her.
She had on a white shirt that said 'Reach for the Stars,' on it that flowed just to the waist line of her navy blue skinny jeans. She wore crème colored Chuck Taylor Converse and had her brown hair pulled back into a braid that came down onto her left shoulder.
Her stunning blue eyes were warm.
As Keaton closed his locker he turned towards her, "I'm Keaton by the way. I'm just assuming you went to Bridget Middle since I've never met you."
"No actually, I just moved here. My mom got a job transfer," she replied also closing her locker.
"Well then, welcome to Sequim," he replied flashing her a smile.
"I'm Chloe by the way," she said sticking out a hand.
He took it and shook it.
"Well seeming as we are indeed walking in the same direction what class would you happen to have first period?" Keaton asked.
"I have AP English," Chloe replied smiling.
"What a stroke of luck you're stuck with me first period!" He exclaimed sarcastically.
"I have a feeling we're going to be really good friends Keaton," Chloe replied smiling up at him again.
"No, it's probably just the butterflies in your stomach from the first day of high school in a new town," he joked.
"You know I think you're right," she laughed, swiftly walking ahead of him and into their classroom.
He jogged into the classroom finding her sitting at the back of the room in the corner.
"You can't escape me that easily Chloe," he remarked sitting in front of her.
"Apparently I can Keaton," she retorted smugly.
They talked all the way up until the morning announcements.
After the announcements the teacher introduced herself as Ms. Clark and then took attendance.
"Keaton Stromberg?"
"Here!" He called raising his hand.
"Chloe Tate?" Ms. Clark called.
"Here!" Chloe called from behind Keaton.
Chloe Tate. What a perfect name.
After attendance was taken the teacher handed back a piece of paper to everyone.
"Class! This is our agenda for the entire year! This year we will read two books; also we have a short story unit, during which you will all write a story, minimum of three pages, maximum of eight. Also during the month of November we will all be writing a story with a minimum of 7,500 words, you may exceed that and I expect all of you to exceed that amount."
"Easy," Chloe commented in Keaton's ear.
"Also we will have a poetry unit. At the end if this unit you will have to present an original poem. For this you can write a song for a song is a form of poem," Ms. Clark explained.
Keaton's head straightened right up and he smiled.
"Someone's a little happy about poems," Chloe whispered in his year.
"No, the songs. I'm a musician," he whispered.
"I've heard that one before," she scoffed.
"Maybe I'll have to prove you wrong...say during lunch?" He asked.
"I'm looking forward to it," she said.
Behind Keaton's back Chloe silently squealed and had a smile on her face.
"Okay pack up and wait for the bell," Ms. Clark instructed, dismissing the students, letting them talk amongst themselves.
Keaton immediately turned around to his new friend.
"What do you have next?" He asked.
"AP Biology...you?" Chloe replied.
"Ha! Same. Let me see your schedule," he instructed.
He read it over and smiled.
"You better get used to me Ms. Tate," Keaton said smirking.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She replied nervous.
"We have exactly seven periods together," Keaton replied.
"Shit."
"You don't like me, I knew it," Keaton said.
Chloe laughed, "Understatement. I said shit because I feel bad for all of those people who won't get to know you because you're always going to be with me."
"Don't do that to me!" He exclaimed a smile breaking out onto his lips.
"Ha the freak found a freak friend," Josh said walking passed the two.
Josh was a tormentor of Keaton's. He just didn't like Keaton, he thought he was weird because he liked cats, and liked to play music.
Keaton never said anything mean about anybody, what was the point of it?
Spread love, not war.
"Did you know that studies show that people who call others names such as 'freak' tend to be socially deprived and don't have real, trustworthy friends?" Chloe asked.
"You little pest!" Josh said turning around to face Chloe.
Just then the bell rang, allowing the students to leave the classroom.
Keaton pulled Chloe out of the room before Josh could come any closer to any of them.
"I'd say saved by the bell," Chloe commented as they walked down the hall towards the science labs.
"Why did you do that?" Keaton questioned.
"What? Stand up for us? I did it because its the right thing to do for yourself!" Chloe said.
"But by standing up for us you insulted someone," Keaton explained.
"So? He insulted us!" Chloe said.
"So that's stooping down to his level and that's not cool Chloe. Spread love not war and hate," Keaton said.
"So you want me to be that jerks best friend?"
"No but the best thing to do is stand up for yourself without bullying the person who's bullying you," Keaton said.
"That's amazing that you think that way Keaton, it truly is extraordinary," Chloe complemented.
"Thanks," he replied.
"So what is that one class we don't have together?" Chloe asked, changing the subject.
"I have orchestra and you have a study hall," Keaton said.
"What do you play?" She asked curiously.
"Trumpet and upright bass. When you get into high school they combine the band and orchestras and call it orchestra. It's supposed to make sound more professional or something," Keaton said.
"So which do you think you'll play?" Chloe questioned.
"Probably trumpet. I'm playing the bass guitar in GM," Keaton said.
"Cool I'm going to do piano and probably guitar in general music," she said as they neared the lab.
Lunch hour finally came around and Keaton asked Chloe if she wanted to sot with him, his brother and his friends.
She accepted the invite and they both stalked over to the table at which Wesley and his friends sat.
"Hey Keats! Who's your lovely friend?" Wes asked as they neared the table.
"Wes this is Chloe Tate. Chloe this is my older brother Wesley," Keaton introduced.
"Chloe!" Someone unfamiliar to Keaton yelled from the table.
"You know her?" Keaton whispered.
She nodded, "My sister Ally."
"Keaton Stromberg this is probably Chloe's sister but yeah, this is Allison Tate," Wes introduced.
"Hi, you can just call me Ally, and yeah I'm Chloe's sister," Ally said putting a hand out.
Keaton smiled and took her hand shaking it.
She was pretty, nobody could deny that. But all of those guys were practically throwing themselves at her, meanwhile Chloe was just as beautiful and no one was throwing themselves at her.
Maybe it was just him but even if Chloe wasn't as pretty as her older sister, she had the best personality and that made her beautiful.
The lunch period was halfway through when Chloe elbowed Keaton.
He looked over at her giving her one of his half smiles.
"What about that part of lunch when you were going to show me how great of a musician you are?" She questioned smirking.
Keaton smirked as well and bid a farewell to his brother and friends.
"Be safe! And use protection!" Wes called after Keaton and Chloe.
Her mouth fell open in shock.
"That's my brother jumping to conclusions, sorry about that," Keaton said rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
They neared the empty General Music room.
Keaton held open the door for Chloe saying, "Let's get to it."
"Wow me," Chloe said setting her bag down.

Disclaimer: I do not own Emblem3, only the idea of the story.

Hope you guys are enjoying. Please drop a review! :)

Peace!

~BasketballGirl124