One
Bridgette
Ugh! Why Iris why!
I had been pacing around helplessly for half an hour around Sweet Amoris High, and it was getting me nowhere. The second we spotted a couple of girls giggling loudly and applying make up, Iris bailed on me and said she had to get to class. Some tour guide.
"Hey new girl." One of them called at me. It was a blond one with big wavy hair. And I mean reallywavy, poofy hair. "Come over here."
I felt a bit frozen in my spot, and for a second, I doubted if it was even me that she was talking to. Then again, there wasn't anyone in the halls. "Who does your hair?" The blond girl asked me, absentmindedly twirling her own extremely volumized do. Her two friends, one with piercings around her face and a clipboard, and another rubbing lipstick on her mouth nonstop, gaped at me and their blond friend, as if it was a huge shocker than she'd be talking to someone like me.
"Oh, I do it myself." I replied sheepishly. Without warning, she reached forward and picked a curly brown lock of my hair. She had nice blue eyes and puckered lips. To me, she probably the prettiest one out the three.
"Really? Hmm, I like it. There's a party coming up soon and I need to have your curls." She said coolly, still admiring my hair.
"Oh, these are actually natural." I said, "But I'm a pro at the curler."
"Cool. I'll text you." The blond girl said. "It's Amber by the way. This is Li and Char. And we'll get along just fine if you stay away from Nathaniel."
"Bridgette. Who's Nathaniel?" I asked her.
"Oh you haven't met? Good. I like you already. This other chick, a new girl too but maybe a bit taller and skinner than you, she was all over him a while ago at the students' council office talking about paperwork and whatever. Seriously we don't need anymore sluts in this school anymore."
New girl? The only other new person in this godforsaken town was Skye.
"How—um—how'd this new girl look? She pretty?"
"She's whatever. Dark hair. Stupid sweater. Anyway, you better get to class before my brother catches you."
"Who's your…"
But before I could finish my question, Amber and her posse had already walked away. I had a bunch of questions in my head, but I was pretty sure I was off to a good start. Already, I had a friend, actually three—sort of—and an invitation to a party for the weekend. All I had to do was work on getting to class.
"So, this new girl that you don't like, where is she?" I turned around in my chair to face Amber, who sat right behind me. I couldn't help myself; I needed to find out if it was Skye. We were sisters; twins, though no one could tell. She was older by five minutes, and so it just seemed easier to refer to her as my older sister. We looked nothing alike; her hair almost black and completely straight and short while mine was light and curled. The only thing we had in common was probably our nose, and mouth…I think. Amber was filing her nails, not even looking at me as she spoke.
"Why do you care so much?" she drawled. "She's just a slut I ran into when I was in the Students Council Room before I met you."
Skye didn't seem the type to hang around a Students Council Room, let alone anyone in the student's council. She kind of hated that stuff, swearing that was the start of politics and corruption. A part of me was relieved, so I let myself breathe and settle in my chair.
"Sorry I'm late!" the door burst open. I let out an involuntary squeak as I jumped in my chair. When I looked to see who it was, I had to blink twice. His blond hair looked familiar and so did the tanned skin, but the way his features seemed to soften his face, I was sure I had never seen him before. If I did, I wouldn't have forgotten. He looked tall, with warm eyes and a boyish smile. He was dressed in a long-sleeved polo, two pens stowed in his breast pocket, with a long blue tie around his neck. He looked worn out but still fresh, like he had been running to class. Though I hated admitting it to myself, he was beautiful.
"Oh… still no teacher. Ha." He smiled, looking relieved.
"God, Nathaniel, calm down." Amber said, still filing her nails.
"Shut up, Am." He said, sliding into the seat right beside mine, right in the front. "You don't mind do you?"
"Go ahead. I don't own the place." I told him, smiling just a bit.
"Thanks, I'm Nathaniel by the way. You must be new. I'm over there by the Students Council Room if you need anything." Then he stuck out his hand and shook mine.
Oh. This was the Nathaniel.
"It's her." I heard Amber whisper to Li, Charlotte and I. When I looked up, only then did I notice that someone was right behind Nathaniel in a familiar sweater…and dark tights.
"Bridge?" Skye said, looking right at me. I realized I hadn't seen her since breakfast. Though I hated myself for it, I pretended not to notice she was here. Suddenly the splinters of wood on the floor looked pretty interesting.
"We're in school dumb ass." Amber laughed. "There aren't any bridges here." Li and Charlotte's cackles followed just seconds later. I laughed a bit. Honestly, someone needs to teach this girl how to have a sense of humor.
Knowing Skye, I expected her to say something, but surprisingly, she didn't. She looked her usually puzzled self and trudged to a seat in the back, distancing herself as much as she could from Amber.
The day was over I hadn't seen Skye all day. Honestly, I was getting a little bit paranoid. What if she hated me for not saying anything to Amber at class earlier? But she knew me better than that. I wouldn't have done it here than I would have back in our old school. But I've been looking for her for hours around school, and it was getting dark, so once I told her about my efforts, she couldn't stay mad at me, right?
"Hey!" A familiar voice behind me called. Just hours ago, it was explaining how some of the lab apparatuses worked, not that I didn't know. I got the sense that he liked explaining things, so I let him.
"Nathaniel!"
"I thought you two left."
"Who?"
"You and Skye, of course."
"Oh." I nodded. Nathaniel was so attractive that my heart felt stuck in my throat. There weren't guys like this in our old school. All the student body members, or those in the honors class never looked this good, but here was proof that it was possible, standing right in front of me. I wasn't sure how to act, usually only surrounding myself with the football team or something.
"I saw this morning." I said. "But that's it. Talking to some guy. Can you believe it? Making guys fall for her already?"
"I can actually. She's definitely something." Nathaniel complimented Skye, getting a distant look in his eyes as we looked down the road. It was new to me to hear someone talk about Skye like that, like she wasn't just hot or cute. I knew she was pretty, and people talked, but everyone knew that it was a rule not to tell the twin sister. I've known more than enough people who would have wanted to take advantage of her.
"Do you, think she's, I don't know, pretty?" I asked him.
"I do." Nathaniel nodded, and he looked a little bit dazed. "But anyway, I came over here to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"Er, you haven't been shown around yet have you? I mean there's the possibility you've looked around yourself, but if you haven't, I was just wondering if—"
"Yes, Nathaniel, you can show me around if you like." I giggled at his stammering, batting my eyelashes just a bit. He was cute, and funny, definitely approachable, and we had a lot of classes together. Though I knew I still had Tyler from my old school, I couldn't help but find Nathaniel so…I don't know. I couldn't even find a word! It was like he was drawing me to him. Not that there was anything wrong with that, right? Nathaniel, finally regaining himself, walked me back into school and showed me the library. It was completely empty, and silent, and also freezing cold. The sun was setting by now, casting an orange glow over the whole room. Judging by the look on his face, he really appreciated it.
"This is definitely my favorite place in school." Nathaniel said.
"Why?"
"Because, I don't know, I like to read."
"You sound like my sister." I commented. Skye was the type to hoard books and hole up in her room with her collection.
"Oh, but enough about your sister. Say something about you."
"But…"
"Don't ask. Just say it."
I smiled again, almost laughing. He really was different from guys back home. In California, you didn't have to tell them about yourself. They knew you.
"Um, well, I like to dance."
"Would you show me?" Nathaniel asked, and something about how sweet he looked made me want to dance even though it was embarrassing.
"No way!" I said against my better judgment. "You have to get to know me better first before I show you any of my moves."
"Alright, alright. Get close to Bridgette, got it."
We strolled through the bookshelves. I dragged my fingers across the different spines of the books, not really looking at them, while Nathaniel kept his hands in his pockets and kept the conversation going. I was surprised at how easy it was to get along with him. Occasionally, we'd knock into each other as we squeezed through the shelves, or our hands would graze, every single time sending shivers up and down my arm. We talked and talked until the room turned a bluish black. I told him how Skye and I were twins—he didn't even know until I said it since we looked nothing alike—how I missed my old school, my friends, how rocky the ride was going here to Wesgrove, making friends with Amber—he seemed happy about this—and this guy named Tyler, who I still kept in touch with even though they say long-distance relationships never work out.
"It's getting late. I better lock the place up."
"Yeah, I can tell."
The room was pitch black by now. I didn't realize I left the time slip past me so quickly. Nathaniel offered to take me home, but I said no. I just met the guy! That would be…well, odd and seemingly like I'd be taking advantage of him. Then I did have the car… He insisted though, and this time, I didn't refuse. Who wanted to pick a fight with the Student Body President? Plus, I had a guess in the back of my mind that he was a debate team kind of guy.
I stepped out of his car as he opened the door for me.
"Thank you, for this." I said. "Nathaniel."
"Please," He held his hand up. "Call me Nat. Okay, let's try that again."
I giggled again, a blush creeping up my cheeks.
"Alright, um, thank you for this. Nat."
Nat. It felt nice, like an easy, light name, fitting for someone who was a bit more carefree than him. The mere sound of his name made me wonder how he really was, outside of school, or outside of responsibilities. Nathaniel had a smile that reached up to his eyes.
"That's more like it. I'll see you tomorrow I guess?"
"Yeah." I smiled. "You will."
"Oh, um, if you need any help—"
"I know, I know," I said. "I'll call you."
"You should probably get my number first before you do that." Nathaniel said coyly.
"Are you actually asking me to ask you for your own phone number? Come on, Nate, be a gentleman here."
"Save me the trouble and just give it to me?"
I shook my head and finally, Nathaniel gave in and asked for it confidently, though I was half sure he already knew it since he handled our enrollment forms.
I shut the door. Skye was sitting on the couch, stuffing Cookie Butter into her mouth. Something had to be wrong, since she gave up her bad habit of eating jars of it before.
"Skye, I'm sorry, its just—"
"Amber, I know. Fucking bitch."
"We're sort of friends now."
"There's something wrong with that girl, Bridge. I'm warning you, nothing good's going to come out of being friends with her."
"Who are you to judge?" I asked. "You barely know her."
"Well, you barely know Nathaniel but obviously we can all see you're head over heels for him!" Skye's face twisted into frustration, her eyebrows crinkling and her dark eyes burning.
"Don't tell me you like him?" I barked, rolling my eyes and snatching the Cookie Butter from her grasp.
"Fuck! Hey give it back!"
"I'll give it back when you stop binging to death!" I screamed, putting the jar away in the cupboard. Skye groaned and poured herself a glass of water. Only in the light did I notice she had been crying. "S-Skye…you can have the Cookie B—"
"It's not the Cookie Butter." My sister rolled her dark eyes again, sipping from her water. "It's this guy."
"Guy problems already? On the first day of school?"
Skye shot me a look that made me shut my mouth.
"Not that kind. He's just a dick."
"Don't let it get to you." I said. "There are way better guys in the school, we just haven't met them yet."
"I did meet this other guy…" Skye trailed off.
"Skylar." I groaned. "Haven't you had enough in one day?"
"Fuck off, Bridge." Skye snickered. "He was really nice. Drove me home, actually."
"Oh me—"
"Yeah, I saw Nat out there."
Nat?She calls him Nat too? I felt like I heard a glass shatter. No, Bridge, you're not god damn special, okay. Everyone probably calls him that.
But now I had a new goal. That had to be good right? With the party coming up this weekend, I was determined. Nathaniel was going to fall in love with me whether he wanted to or not.
A/N: REVIEWS REVIEWS! They are so welcome :-) - N. Again, check out Tongue Tied, the parallel story to this! A lot of stuff would just make more sense if you did hahaha
