We arrived at school at 8:00 a.m on the nose, so we had fifteen minutes to see our friends and talk to them, also to figure out who had classes with who. I pulled into a parking slot near the main building and turned the ignition off, opening my door and stepping out, breathing in the air outside of the school. I grabbed my keys from the ignition and shut my door, walking around to the back.
"Feel any different this year? Since this will be your first actual full year here" Pocahontas asked as I opened the back and grabbed my backpack, sliding it onto my back.
"Not really, it's just another year in another school, except I know I'm staying in this one till I graduate, even my mom said so" I sighed softly, thinking about the many times we had moved since my mother and father divorced.
"I'm glad you're staying, if you left this group would be one less spirit" Pocahontas said, smiling down at me happily before hugging me close to her.
"Same here, our group just wouldn't be the same if you left" Tigerlily said, Nakoma nodding her head in agreement before all three of them enclosing me in a group hug, squeezing me tightly.
"Awwww that's so cute" I heard someone say behind me, knowing the voice I broke the hug and turned around to find Megara, another friend of mine.
"Hey Meg" I greeted, smiling at her before hugging her.
"Hey Khrys, you're in a hugging mood, huh?" Meg asked jokingly, looking down at me as she hugged me back.
"Yeah...so?" I joked back, sticking my tongue out at her before looking at Esmeralda, Megara's best friend.
"You're letting someone hug you, that's surprising", Esmeralda joked, hugging me close after I let go of Megara, "missed you mon petit loup " Esmeralda smiled down at me, calling me by my nickname she calls me.
"Missed you too, Esme" I smiled up at Esmeralda and let go, taking Esmeralda's and Pocahontas' hands in mine as we walked towards the school, all of us holding hands like best friends. We walked into the school and let go of hands, walking in our circular group formation as we usually did whenever all of us were out together. We walked over to a table with staff members sitting in chairs, a banner that said SCHEDULES on it, each of us getting our schedules by last name. I saw a girl with red hair standing next to a taller girl with brunette hair and slinked off to sneak up on her.
"Hey Ariel!" I greeted, standing in between her and Belle.
"Khrystal! Hey you!" Ariel exclaimed, hugging me tightly and laughing.
"Miss. New girl returns" Belle joked, smiling down at me as she hugged me too.
"As I told Pocahontas earlier, I am staying here till I graduate, I like it here at North Disney, it's better than the other schools I went to" I said, standing in between Ariel and Belle again.
"Speaking of graduating, what classes do you have?" Belle asked, holding her schedule out to me:
01 French 3, Mrs. Potts
02 English 11, Miss. Ursula
03 International Cuisine, Mr. Louis
04 Choir, Ms. Merryweather
05 Marine Biology, Mr. Hook
06 Algebra 3, Mrs. Maleficent
07 Front Office Assistant
"We have English, Choir, and Marine bio together!" I said excitedly.
"Really? Let me see!" Belle said, my schedule already lined up next to hers.
01 Integrated Math 3, Mr. Jafar
02 English 11, Miss. Ursula
03 Ceramics 2, Madame Gothel
04 Choir, Ms. Merryweather
05 Marine Biology, Mr. Hook
06 French 2, Mrs. Potts
07 Teacher's Assistant, Mr. Ratcliff
"We do have three classes together! Ariel come look at Khrystal's schedule and see if you have any classes together". Ariel stood next to me and held out her schedule next to mine.
01 Integrated Math 3, Mrs. Maleficent
02 English 11, Miss. Ursula
03 Ceramics 2, Madame Gothel
04 Choir, Ms. Merryweather
05 Chemistry, Mr. Tigger
06 French 2, Mrs. Potts
07 Teacher's Assistant, Mr. Sebastian
"We have six classes together", Ariel said, smiling.
"Khrystal! What's your schedule?" Pocahontas asked, I walked over to her and showed her my schedule.
"We have all seven classes together, at least we can work together when we're t.a's for Mr. Ratcliff" Pocahontas shivered at his name, Ratcliff was a fat, ugly, cruel teacher who looks at Pocahontas, me, Nakoma, and Tigerlily like we're chocolate he can't touch, wanting and desire.
The bell rang for class and some of our friends parted in small groups to their first period. As me, Pocahontas, Ariel, Nakoma, and Esmeralda walked to our first period Gaston gaped at us but when his eyes met mine, he heightened his courage by winking at me, a bit of fear in his stance. Gaston knew not to mess with me but was still his perverted, frat boy self when I was with my girls, knowing never to try and throw a pick up line on me, knowing it'd cost him something precious if he didn't watch himself.
Pocahontas and the others giggled as Gaston's courage lowered and he ran down the hallway to his class like a scared dog with his tail between his legs when he saw that I had stopped, took a step toward him, crossed my arms and gave him a death glare that most likely sent a bone chilling shiver up his spine.
"I don't know how you do it but when you get into that stance it sends Gaston running and keeps him away from us" Esmeralda said from behind me, sending me out of my protective state at the warmth of her hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently to calm my nerves.
"I protect my pack, especially from perverted men like Gaston" I blushed slightly and smiled up at Esmeralda, meeting her soft turquoise eyes.
I heard whispering off to my left and turned my head to see who the whisperers were. The Babette trio were Gaston's little followers, cheerleaders and the most stuck up girls in the school.
"Aren't you suppose to be following your master?" I snapped, ready to peel the twenty pounds of makeup they caked on their faces to call themselves beautiful.
"Aren't you supposed to be going to class with your...pack?" One of the Babettes peeped, glaring at Pocahontas, Esmeralda, Ariel, and Nakoma.
"I don't think you want me to send you to the hospital with your mascara smeared with purple and black bruises under your eyes and on your cheeks, do you?" I asked tauntingly, taking a menacing step toward the three girls who were showing more fear than they could hide, starting to quiver in their high heels and cardigans.
"I thought so" I growled and walked off, shaking off my growing anger, breathing deeply before I turned back and bruised the Babette girls. I looked up and saw that every passerby in the hall had stopped to watch the growing tension, leaving room for me to walk as I passed by them, their eyes watching me as I made my way to class.
I walked into first period silently and picked myself a seat in the back corner, sliding my backpack off as I sat in my seat. A minute or two later Pocahontas, Esmeralda, Ariel, and Nakoma walked into the classroom, Pocahontas sitting to my right and Esmeralda to my left.
"You should have seen the Babette girls after you left, mon petit loup, they were quivering before they shook their fear off and scurried to class" Esmeralda said, scooting her desk closer to mine, her I'm-so-proud-of-you smile gleaming at me. I smiled and blushed shyly, not knowing if Esmeralda had already figured out I liked her more than a friend. When I met Esmeralda at the beginning of summer we hung out a lot, together, and we grew a sisterly yet girlfriend like bond that hasn't been broken, though we weren't at all a couple we understood each other.
"Like I said, I protect my pack. That's what I did at my past school, that's what I'm doing now, protecting the ones I hold close against perverts and snot nosed bitches like the Babettes" I leaned back in my seat and held out my hand to Esmeralda, smiling softly.
Esmeralda met my eyes and smiled before placing her hand into mine and squeezing gently, her energy calming me down. The bell had rung while we were talking and the teacher, Mr. Jafar, sat behind his desk taking attendance, his eyes sweeping over everyone in the class. Jafar's eyes stopped on my small group, his thin lips turning up in a smile as he saw Esmeralda, one of a few girls he had a creepy crush on, I growled silently as his eyes traveled from Esmeralda over to me glaring eyes. Jafar knew Esmeralda was mine, secretly, so he left her alone when I was around her, when I wasn't, Jafar tried to take hold of the advantage but Esmeralda always stopped him.
Jafar stood up from his desk and walked over to the board, his eyes leaving mine and looking at the other students, "goodmorning class, welcome to your junior year".
Everyone mumbled a goodmorning, while Pocahontas, Nakoma, and Ariel turned to talk to each other, I squeezed Esmeralda's hand and held out my thumb, looking out of the corner of my eye at her, Esmeralda squeezed my hand back and poised her thumb ready to wrestle.
"One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war!" Esmeralda and I said in unison, looking at our thumbs as we moved them to tackle the other's thumb.
"If I win you owe me a kiss" I said, smiling playfully at Esmeralda, darting each of Esmeralda's strikes.
"Why a kiss?" Esmeralda asked curiously, her thumb slowing down but still striking, every strike missing.
"Because a kiss, my dear Esme, is the sweetest thing you can give me" I admitted, smiling as Esmeralda's thumb stopped it's strikes. I pinned her thumb down in one quick strike and looked up to see Esmeralda's cheeks scarlet pink, my comment and her obvious defeat shocking her..
Esmeralda's lips slowly curved into a smile, the look in her eyes as they looked in mine made my heart speed up in slight fear, and excitement. Esmeralda's hand slipped out of mine, her index finger and thumb cupping my jaw and chin as her face inched closer to mine until our lips were barely touching. Esmeralda smiled once more before her lips finally touched mine, making my heart beat faster at this surprise, I kissed her lips softly, my other hand going to her free hand and twining my fingers with hers. Nothing could match the sweet taste of a kiss from Esmeralda, and besides all the whistles and howls we were getting from the immature guys in the class or the possibility of Mr. Jafar watching us, I didn't care nonetheless. We broke the kiss off before our lungs ran out of air, breathing heavily, Esmeralda smiled at me before pulling her notebook out and scribbling something down on a piece of paper while I took a moment to look around the classroom.
Pocahontas, Nakoma, and Ariel had been in a discussion before the guys in the class started howling and whistling at me and Esmeralda, now their faces were filled with a few emotions; surprise, happy, curiosity, and stun. I grinned as I looked from their faces to the other girls; curiosity, disgust, envy, and surprised. I looked from the girls to the male population of the class: envy, curiosity, joy, and desire, I glared at the guys for being so perverted and not knowing just the joy of a kiss. I looked from the guys faces to Mr. Jafar, who had a scowl on his face to disguise his emotions, I smiled at him, baring all teeth, my nose scrunched up. His emotions were so easy to read; envy, jealousy, and sexual desire, I growled lowly in my throat.
I felt the touch of a folded piece of paper in my folded palm and turned my attention to see Esmeralda smiling at me, a slight blush on her cheeks. She looked down quickly before I could ask so I took the folded piece of paper out of my hand and unfolded it, revealing a sentence or two of Esmeralda's handwriting;
Dear Khrys,
I love you too :) I know you've liked me since a few weeks after we started hanging out together, I had figured it out but I thought it was just a short term feeling, now I know it's not. I know your feelings are serious...so are mine...I've been keeping my feelings from you when I shouldn't have, but you're the first girl that has ever liked me in that way and I am sorry I didn't tell you sooner that I like you too
Love,
Esme 3
I smiled softly as I folded the letter back up, I turned my attention back to Esmeralda and kissed her cheek softly, "I'm glad you told me now" I whispered softly into her ear.
Esmeralda turned her head to look at me and smiled before giving me a quick kiss on the lips as the bell rang for passing time. Esmeralda scooted her desk away from mine and stood up, sliding her messenger bag onto her shoulder as I slid my backpack over my shoulder. I walked up to the front of the class, growled at Mr. Jafar and waited at the door for Esmeralda as the rest of the class pushed out the door. Esmeralda walked up to my side with Pocahontas, Nakoma, and Ariel behind her, I held out my hand to Esmeralda before we walked into the hallway, intertwining fingers as we walked to our next class.