The Fine Line
CHAPTER THREE: The New Kid
…
"Alright little birds, find your nests, man," Mr. Folan called.
He was their hippie teacher, and always seemed to have a smile on his face, his voice never raising an octave above a calming, soothing tone. Just about everything he said was accompanied by a 'man' tacked onto the end. He was their English teacher, and despite Ada's initial skepticism about his ability to teach the subject in between the time he spent with his weed, he had actually exceeded her expectations.
He was probably the most competent English teacher she'd ever had.
It was probably the second lesson with him as their teacher that she realized he really knew his stuff, and that she had been unfairly harsh – she had no idea if he had weed or not. She had judged him, and then felt guilty about it. But that was back at the beginning of the year, and a lot of time had passed since then.
"Float down, there we go, and we're in."
There were the odd moments where it was pretty obvious he was a hippie. Like his sayings. And his ridiculously mellow voice. Seriously. It was mellow.
It was also nice that he didn't get angry. He believed the learning experience should not be a stressful one, so he was always willing to negotiate when assessments were due if there were extenuating circumstances. If she was stressed, Ada was more likely to suffer through it then approach someone; she didn't like people thinking she couldn't handle it. But Mr. Folan was extremely approachable.
"Alright, guys, normally we don't have exciting news this late into the term, but, we have a new student joining us today." Mr. Folan's voice called her back to the present, and she shook herself slightly, having been all caught up in her own thoughts. She looked to her left to see Greg, in his usual seat beside the window, and Andre in the one behind him. She pulled a face at them, at how seriously Greg was paying attention, and how Andre was obviously not.
Ada was one of those kids who barely studied and always seemed to breeze through everything and still get great marks. Yeah. Those annoying kids, who didn't have to do much to do well; she was one of them. That's not to say she didn't study. She did. And she could pay a lot of attention, if she wanted to. She always seemed to be the one who remembered stuff their teachers said, when Greg and Andre had no idea.
Greg had to work harder. He was more creatively incline, which meant logic was harder for him to employ. Give him a short story as an assignment, and he'd do amazingly well. Give him an essay, and he had to work much harder. Ada loved essays. It's what made them so good; they were an unstoppable tag-team. Ada liked to think that, together, they could conquer the world.
Okay. Maybe that was going a bit far. But they did work well together, when they weren't clashing and butting heads. That would be where Andre came in handy; to stop them from killing each other. And for a laugh. And really, just because Ada couldn't imagine anything in her life not including him.
Behind Ada was Simon, a skinny kid, with bright orange hair, glasses and a ton of freckles. Needless to say, he was a regular target for bullies, so Ada had encouraged him to sit behind her.
Ada liked to think of herself as a shield for him. She really didn't have a problem with confrontation. At least, not entirely. If sticking up for others involved confrontation, then it didn't bother her. And it bugged her, the way people could be so mean. High school was hard enough.
Paper was flicked at Simon from across the room. Ada looked over to find Ryan, the only jock in this class, doing the flicking. Shocker. At least, when they'd first moved to this town ten months ago, it was a relief to find out that this school operated on the same social stereotypes as her old one. She didn't have to adapt or change her behaviour, because it was exactly the same. The jocks and cheerleaders were the popular ones, and they pretty much picked on anyone who wouldn't or couldn't defend themselves, or who didn't fit with the social norms they created. Ada didn't understand why Ryan couldn't just leave Simon alone. There was no one here to impress, and none of his friends were here for him to make laugh.
Quite frankly, it was a waste of paper.
She raised an eyebrow at Ryan, and he winked at her. He was attractive, in a pretty-boy way. Blonde hair, purposefully mused to create a messy look, blue eyes that could just look into your soul, and a growth of stubble that made him appear more manly. Too bad he was such a dick. She rolled her eyes at his wink, before picking up the piece of scrunched up paper on Simon's desk and making a 'you're pathetic' face. Ryan pointed at the paper, then at Ada, before miming unfolding the paper.
He did it again when Ada just looked at him apprehensively. Reluctantly, she unfolded it.
What's your number?
She raised an eyebrow at Ryan, who winked again. Ada wasn't all that interested in meatheads. Especially ones who liked embarrassing, humiliating, and/or making fun of other people. She didn't find it attractive, at all. And Ada had been at this school long enough to know that Ryan wasn't the kind of guy looking for a commitment relationship. He'd had plenty of hook-ups, and there wasn't exactly a shortage of girls who would love, if only for a couple hours, to date him. To kiss him. To let him do what he wanted. It wouldn't go down too well with his girlfriend, Heather, if Ada gave him her number. It was well known that Ryan wasn't a one-woman kind of guy, but for the purposes of appearances, Ryan and Heather were an item.
Ada shook her head at him.
"Braden Higgins."
The name made her spin her head back around to the front, because it was unfamiliar. She couldn't believe she'd missed the guy standing at the front, obviously new to the school. She could get so focused on her own thoughts that she didn't notice other stuff going on around her. Like, for example, the arrival of the new kid.
Jesus, he was tall. And buffed, his shoulders were broad and his arms were surprisingly well muscled for a sixteen year old. But when she took in his unkempt, longish blonde hair, and the number of tattoos he had running over his arms, she figured he was some kind of thug. Rough and tough. The kind that carried a pocket knife. Maybe in his pants pocket, or maybe in his large boots. His flannel plaid shirt had the sleeves ripped off them, and his pants were tattered, his boots worn.
He just stood there, his face indifferent. Mr. Folan pointed to the other side of the room, "Hey, there's an empty seat over there, man, why don't you go pop a squat?"
Braden didn't even look in the direction Mr. Folan pointed to. Instead, his eyes focused in on Simon, and he slowly walked down the aisle between Ada and Greg, coming to a stop in front of Simon. Ada spun around in her seat, trying to catch his eye to tell him to stay strong. Braden couldn't forcibly remove him from the chair, so if he just continued to sit there, and not give in, there wasn't anything else he could do.
She groaned when Simon pulled out his wallet and held it out to the new kid. She wanted to slap herself on the head. No, she wanted to slap Simon on the head. It wasn't like he was making it difficult for people to pick on him.
If she was a shield, she was one of those flimsy plastic ones kids played with.
"No," Braden shook his head, saying low and slow. "This is where I sit."
Simon scrambled up, and Ada shook her head, "Simon!"
He didn't look at her as he went to the empty seat on the other side of the room. Ada sighed, spinning back around in her seat to face the front. The new kid was a jerk. How was it that they all just sussed out the weakest link, the one easiest to push around, and then picked on them? It was just so frustrating that Simon wouldn't listen to her. In the corner of her eye, she could see Greg lean towards Braden, to speak to him.
"Is your dad Marcus Higgins?"
Ada's jaw dropped, her eyebrows shooting into her hairline. Higgins. Higgins. No way. No way could Marcus have a kid! He was the least paternal guy she knew. But besides that, they looked nothing alike. Braden was massive. Muscled. Attractive. Marcus was kind of small, and a bit of a wimp, though it didn't stop him from being a ladies man. They had no similar…the hair. Oh, my god, the hair was the same.
No way.
"Yeah, I've known him since I was a baby, he's the funniest," Andre added.
Ada winced. How was it guys were so tactless? They'd never heard of Higgins having a kid, which meant he himself couldn't have known. Which meant Braden hadn't seen his dad in the last sixteen years. It was likely a sensitive topic for him. This was why she was the one less likely to be beat up in their group. She didn't put herself in awkward situations with potentially volatile, much bigger opponents where she would then proceed to press all the right buttons to earn her an ass whooping.
But Ada didn't turn around, not even to get them to shut it about Marcus Higgins. She wasn't their keeper, they could handle themselves. For once though, it wasn't her who got them in a mess they had to dig their way clear of. And she was still irritated about the whole Simon thing. People just automatically assumed they could push him around, and Simon just let them. It was ridiculous, and she was beginning to wonder why she even bothered in the first place. But her irritation was slowly wearing off and being replaced by curiosity.
She was curious about Braden Higgins.
"The best. Great, great man," Greg said. Ada snorted back a laugh. 'Great' was an overstatement, and she figured they were just trying to get Braden to like them by praising his dad. This was why they needed to leave the talking up to Ada. How many times had she told them that? Too many to count. And how many times had they listened? Only the times they needed someone to talk them out of trouble they'd got into.
"I wanna smash his face," Braden told them, his voice low and serious.
"Yeah, me too," Andre said quickly, and Ada had to hold back a laugh.
"Yeah, hate that guy," Greg added.
"Screw him," Andre said, turning back to face the front.
Ada laughed this time. What was with all the guys she knew suddenly becoming pansies? "Way to go, guys," she muttered sarcastically, and Greg glared at her to shut up.
"Who's the babe?" Braden asked, and Ada turned around so she could see where he was looking and answer his question. She figured Braden had daddy issues, so she was a little more willing to cut him some slack with the bully-Simon-out-of-his-chair thing. And he was Marcus' kid. She'd be seeing him a fair bit, she assumed, so she may as well try to get along with him. But when she turned around, she realized he was looking right at her.
"Excuse me?" Ada asked.
"What's your name, gorgeous?"
She gaped at him like a fish, fire burning in her eyes. He caught her off guard; he was the first person to brazenly speak to her like that. But he obviously didn't have issues with confidence. Or getting the girls he wanted. She figured that was another thing he had in common with his dad.
Ada could hear Greg mutter an, "Oh no," as she narrowed her eyes at Braden. He just leant back in his chair, not caring that her venomous gaze was directed at him.
She pointed at Braden, "That right there is what's wrong with society. The qualities women are supposed to embody, like beauty and passivity, to meet the cultural ideals of femininity are what contributes to our victimization. By using words that describe a woman's appearance before you know anything else about her is what contributes to the media's portrayal of women; as subservient to men and objects of their sexual desires. It says our appearance is what's important, and our independent endeavours are nonsensical and irrelevant."
Yes. They had just spent a whole four weeks on the media portrayals, so it was all fresh in her mind. And she wanted to knock this overconfident guy down a few notches. It pissed her off, the way he'd smiled like he expected her to turn to putty in his hands. She had more self-respect than that. It was why she didn't give Ryan her number. It was why she didn't have a problem telling a guy off for being lecherous, or rude, or just plain disgusting with innuendo.
She didn't realize she'd gotten louder, the whole class turned towards her, listening to her outburst. Ada's face reddened, and she sank down in her chair, turning away from Braden. Yeah, she didn't have that much of a problem sticking up for herself, but that didn't mean she wanted the whole class to watch her do it.
"Very good," Mr. Folan said, nodding, and completely ignoring the fact that she'd just yelled at another student. She figured it had to do with his whole 'free expression' thing. "What an insightful way to sum up our topic on gender studies in the media. Now, who…"
"Do you always overreact, princess?" His voice was right beside her ear, and she jumped slightly when his warm breath tickled her ear. She spun around in her to glare at him.
"What did you just call me?" Her voice carried an undercurrent of a threat. She'd heard him. She was hoping the clear warning in her tone would make him back down, though.
He shrugged, "A princess."
Obviously not.
"I am not a princess!" She hissed.
"Oh, sure," he nodded, before moving back into his casual, uncaring position where his body was draped over the too-small chair. His tone very clearly said he was patronizing her.
He was a thug. A jerk. He might not be entirely bright or articulate, but he knew how to piss someone off. It was probably a gift, to be able to figure out their weaknesses and irritations, and then use them against that person.
"And what are you supposed to be?" She snapped at him. "A lumberjack?"
He snorted a laugh. "Let me guess. You live in a big house. Have lots of money, lots of clothes and shoes and whatever else girls like. You've probably never had to work a day in your life to buy those things."
"I'm sorry," she exaggerated, making it clear that she was not, in fact, sorry. "Is that a crime? And you're one to talk about jobs; you probably steal everything you want. No, Braden Higgins doesn't need to pay for anything. He doesn't owe anyone anything. You're a criminal."
"You're a spoilt, little, know-it-all rich girl."
"You don't know anything about me," she snarled at him. Her jaw clenched and she spun around in her seat, glaring at the board at the front of the room.
What a dick.
What an absolute dick.
She fumed all the way through the lesson. When the bell rang for their next class, she jumped up, trying to get away from the eyes on the back of her head.
"Miss Feder?" Mr. Folan called her back into the room. He smiled at her. "Braden needs someone to show him around the school, and I told him you're my best student. Seeing as you've already met, I'd hoped you wouldn't have a problem with it?"
Ada glanced over at the boy in question. He leant against the wall next to the door, uncaringly. His blonde hair covered the sides of his face, and Ada thought that if he just cut it, he'd look really different.
But that was beside the point. She didn't want to show the jerk around. If Mr. Folan was under the impression they'd met, how could he also not be aware that she did not like him, in the least, given the circumstances of their meeting? It made no sense. And she didn't want her last day of school to be ruined by the giant lumberjack. She was already feeling less confident about her summer plans now, as well, if Braden was sticking around for that long. She could just see him now, defying her ideas at every turn, pissing her off.
Mr. Folan lowered his voice so Braden wouldn't hear, "I need someone I trust to watch over him. Make sure he stays out of trouble. It's only one day, it shouldn't be too hard."
So he did see Braden as a thug, after all. Ada was beginning to wonder, considering he was always so mellow and open and un-judging. But he played the part of a thug very well. They both looked at Braden. He didn't seem bothered by their mutual gaze at all. In fact, he didn't even acknowledge them, just waiting patiently. Ugh, he probably figured she'd cave. He probably figured she would do what the teacher asked.
Personally, Ada thought Mr. Folan was seriously underestimating Braden Higgins. It may be only one day, but that was about five hours of possibilities. Five hours to get himself suspended, or in detention. She thought he wouldn't even consider it a difficulty.
She knew as soon as she said it, that she'd regret it, "Sure."
She hated that he was right, though. She hated that he expected her to do it. She hated that he had her pegged.
She walked towards Braden slowly. And yep, she was already feeling the regret. Was it too late to take it back?
She sighed when she stopped in front of her.
"Where to, princess?" He asked, smirking.
Today was going to be a long day.
So. Tell me your thoughts. :D
Thanks for reading!
Replies:
Spyro Flavored Skittles: Right? I loved the movie! It was so silly, but so funny at the same time! As soon as I watched the movie, I went searching on here too! Haha, but none were really what I wanted to read specifically (I can be really picky!), so I decided to just write it myself! Thank you so much for taking the time to review this for me! It means so much, and I'm so stoked that you're loving my story so far and seem interested in reading more! Thanks so much!
XxCherryblossomxX33: Hi! Thanks so much for taking the time to review this for me! It seriously means a lot to me! I'm so glad you like it so far, and seem interested in reading more! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Braden finally came into it, so I can go somewhere with their love/hate line thing! And, by the way, I really like your pen name! Cherry blossoms are so beautiful!
Koryandrs: Haha, I haven't, actually! I don't know why I felt the need to say that about the dialogue! But when I get into my own stuff (not the stuff that happens in the movie), then there'll definitely be more description happening! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And thanks for reviewing my other stories as well; my 'The Soldier of War and the Daughter of Peace', 'I Will Write Our Story in the Stars', 'Ask Your Heart What It Doth Know', and 'I'd Do Anything For You' stories! Seriously, I come across reviews from the same person for different stories of mine, and it's a major compliment to me, so thank so much for taking the time to check out my other stories, and review them as well!
Nobody13: Aw, thank you so much! I'm so glad you think my story is awesome (though I don't know if I'd go that far!), and that you seem interested in reading more! Thanks for taking the time to leave a nice review like that! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter too :D
Guest: Haha, TTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAANNNNNNNKKKKKKK YYYYYYOOOOOOUUUUUU! Seriously, thanks so much! I'm so stoked you seem so, crazy enthusiastic to read more, so I really hope you enjoyed this chapter too! Thanks for leaving a review; it made me grin!
Sareeoxox: Gosh, thank you so much! I'm so ecstatic you love my story so much! Haha, 'amazing' work? I dunno about that, but I'm so glad you think so! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review for me! It means so much to me, and I hope you enjoyed this chappie too! :D
CharmedOpal: Thanks so much! I'm so stoked you like it and want me to continue it! If it means you're interested in reading it, I definitely will! Thank you so much for leaving a review for me! Hopefully, you enjoyed this chapter! And by the way, I love your profile picture of Dean :D
Kala-Warrior18: Wow, thank you so much for leaving such an awesome review! It means so much to me, and you made my day when I read it! So thanks for that :D. That's probably the biggest compliment that someone could give me; that they can see my OC as someone who could actually be in the movie/book/TV Show (etc), so I'm just so crazy happy you think Ada could have been in the movie! Yeah, I wanted her to have some of her mother and father; so I went with Roxanne's looks, because it would be fun to see Lenny overprotective of his daughter, especially if she attracts attention from guys, but I also love Lenny's humour, and I figure, in that family, she has to have a funny bone, you know? Haha, I don't anyone really knows what it is; but when you see it, you know, haha! Thank you so much! I'm glad you think the characters interact well, and that you seem interested in reading more! Thanks so much, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter too! Personally, I pronounce it "A-duh", but go with whatever you like :D
Gryffindor4eva: Thank you! :D I'm so glad you think it's 'amazing', haha! I probably wouldn't go that far, but I just love that you seem to think so! I hope you liked this newest chapter! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a nice review! :D
Zstar1: Thank you, I'm glad you seem to want to read more. I know, this wasn't exactly a super speedy update, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! :D Thanks so much!
Candyluver2121: Aw, thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm so stoked you love it that much. Haha! And my OC! I'm really glad you wanted to read the next update! I know, I didn't exactly update really quickly, but I really hope you enjoyed the chapter anyway! Thanks so much for taking the time to review for me! It means a lot!