Okay. Yes. It has been almost a year since I have updated. But I was going through my google docs and I kinda re-fell in love with this story.

Warning. Updates will be short. review anyways?

Chapter Four

i got hate in my heart

love on my mind

--

The stone pillars of the newly remodeled Briarwood-Octavian Country High School cast a majestic shadow over the circular driveway of the school, where the steps somewhat reminded me of the Metropolitan Museum in the city. I felt a lump start to form in my throat as the Range Rover slowly inched towards the dropoff zone of BOCHS.

I took a deep breath and turned to Kristen and Dylan. "Who's ready?"

Kristen wrinkled her nose. "You're not gunna give us some prep speech or something?"

Dylan snorted. "Yeah, 'PC support, day or night!'"

"Look, if you want a prep speech, I can guarantee that right now it'll be about how I'm gunna kick your ass if you don't shut up, Dyl."

Dylan rolled her eyes and raised her hands in mock-surrender.

I smiled. "Good. Now, we all know that Claire Lyons and Olivia Ryan--"

"I hate that bitch," Kristen muttered.

"--are no doubt going to try and ruin us and our reputation. And, as part of our new image, we're defninitely not letting that happen. But we aren't giong to turn all psycho-bitch on them, either. Remember, we're calm, collected, and ridiculously good-looking, but we're gonna focus on being friendly and nice. Am I clear?"

They smile-nodded.

As we got out of the car, in my head I was picturing one of those scenes from a movie, where the main characters step out of a car and start Heidi Klum-ing down an imaginary runway in slow motion, turning heads left and right. Which is definitely what we were going for, except, not as exaggerated and, well, snotty.

However, it was a good way to assess the cliques gathered on the front steps. To the left, there was some preppy freshmen in wedges and plaid skirts. On my right, some skater guys wearing Vans. Of course, there were various groupings of people scattered about besides the typical stereotypes I saw.

But dead center, there was the ultimate alpha of BOCHS. Her Tiffany&Co clad fingers grasped a Starbucks cup, and her True Religion cutoff shorts showed off her sharp calves and tanned skin. She was wearing a turquoise and white flowy top, with her straight blonde hair cascading down her back.

A girl I remembered as Alicia Rivera narrowed her chocolate eyes at me and said something to the blonde, who promptly turned around to face me. Her piercing blue eyes glimmered in the direct sunlight as she emerged from her circle of friends.

"Massie," she said cooly, her eyes searching over my outfit, clearly looking for a flaw.

"Skye," I replied as I held her gaze.

She frowned. "I don't see your brother."

"He didn't pick you up today?" I pouted to show my non-existent sympathy.

Skye scowled, her blond brows narrowing. "No." She took a deep breath, then glared at me once more. "You'd better watch yourself, Massie. Starting at eight o'clock, you're no longer my boyfriend's annoying little sister. You're officially the scum of the earth."

I snorted. "Right, so what does that make you?"

Skye studied me again before curtly smiling and looking slightly amused. "I'll see you around, Massie." Then she turned and continued to walk back over to Alicia and Tanner's friends.

"Gawd, what was that about?" Kristen asked once Skye walked away.

I shrugged. "I guess she felt the need to 'put me in my place.'"

"Someone needs to put her in hers," Dylan noted. "She probably thinks you're a threat."

--

Fate stepped into my life at approximately 11:02 that morning.

It was fourth period Geometry, and as far as I could tell, there wasn't anyone I knew who had that class with me. My eyes scanned the room's four corners for a familiar mane of red hair, or a glossy side braid; anyone who looked remotely decent to talk to or sit by.

"All right, you guys can sit wherever." The small old man seated at the front of the room spoke in a surprisingly gruff tone, his arms crossed. "My name is Mr. Gianni, you guys can call me Mr. G, and I really don't feel like teaching today, so you guys can just talk amongst yourselves."

I couldn't decide what was worse: looking like a stuck up bitch who wouldn't talk to anyone, or looking like the loser who didn't have anyone to talk to.

And that was when fate happened.

"Hey cutie."

I turned around, just to be ambushed by the six feet and one inch that was Joshua Hotz. "Ah... hi Josh."

He smiled, his dimpled cheeks revealing his perfect teeth. "So how's being a freshman?" He winked.

My stomach went for a loop while I collected myself. "It's been the best three hours of my life so far." I rolled my eyes.

Josh grinned. "Well I'm glad to hear that. You have Lunch A?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm in Photography 1 so I have Lunch B," I sighed. "All my friends have first lunch though."

"Not all of them do." He smiled, raising his eyebrows at me. "I have Lunch B."

Inside, my stomach flipped. I was praying that my face didn't show the slightest trace of excitement, or any other embarrassing emotion I could possibly express. "You do...?"

Josh flashed his toothpaste-ad smile. "Yep. Can we call it a date?"

I almost died.