A/N: Hey peeps! Thanks for the sweet responses to my last chapter. I really appreciate the input. It motivates me to keep running with this. I've had this story in my head for quite a while so it's really exciting to be writing after all this time. Also, sorry ladies, but this will not be Massington. I understand it's a well loved pairing but again, I have to do honor with the way this has been in my head. For those who stick with this story, I hope that my writing and my plot do the pairings justice and that you enjoy them, regardless. Alright, I'm done.
Disclaimed.
The first few hours of the day passed in a haze for many of the students at Westchester High. The service in the auditorium was touching, and they were decent enough to not giggle and gossip during the slideshow of Landon Crane. They didn't start talking amongst themselves until the very end during a lecture about motorcycles and driving safety. He had, after all, be run off the road by a lady in an SUV who was texting. It would be irresponsible for them not to at least talk about that.
As Kristen sat in her third period class, she was thankful that today was the first day. She was way, way too high to be actually learning anything. She wondered idly how the other girls were managing.
She liked to have her fun, sure, just as much as her friends. Drinking, smoking, nothing too crazy. But it was today that she remembered why that stuff was recreational. Because sitting in class unable to focus on the people around her was not an easy task.
She made eye contact with Dylan, who sat a few rows over from her. Dylan offered a slow, hazy smile and then the two cracked up. This Xanax was really getting the job done.
She had to remind herself to stay quiet and sneaky when her phone vibrated with a text.
On the field after regular practice, Cam will be there too
The first thing Kristen did was smile brightly at seeing it was from Derrick. Then she replied.
Perfect
She ignored the twinge of annoyance at the fact that they wouldn't be alone. No use looking into that further.
Her soccer lessons had started that summer, when she had told the guys how she was nervous about her scholarship opportunities. She knew she would probably get something for academics, but she wanted to really show off for the talent scouts that came around every season. She loved soccer more than anything, but didn't feel like practices with the girls could really prepare her. Not that the girls on the team weren't good, but they weren't quite as committed as she was.
That when the boys stepped in. They played all summer anyway, and invited her to join. So for two and half months, she was outside almost every day with the boys, playing.
It was a whole new experience. They were more aggressive and faster than most of the girls she played with. Unfortunately she had to lie to her mother, telling her that she was taking a summer course to prepare for her AP classes this year. Honestly, as long as she told her mom it was school-related, she didn't question it too much.
Until halfway through August when she drove past he soccer fields by mere coincidence and saw her teenage daughter, in nothing but a sports bra and booty shorts, in the middle of five teenage boys, laughing her ass off while they played soccer.
Kristen still had not forgiven her mother for the way she'd screeched to a stop and gotten out of her car, screaming at the top of her lungs. Or for the way she grabbed Kristen's arm and yanked her straight into the longest two weeks of her life.
They had finally ended her punishment around the end of August and let her attend her annual sleepover, of course unaware that she would also be at the end of summer party for Westchester's Elite.
In the two weeks she had been grounded, she had been talking with the guys, trying to plan a way to continue her time with them when school started. Derrick, who had been her main communication to the guys, told her that at the very least, he was dedicated to helping her improve, even after regular season began.
So even if everyone wasn't going to be involved, she at least had the captain helping her out.
"You are so lucky that I'm here to help you fix this schedule," Josh said to Danny Robbins, outside the main office, during the study hall they both had third period. Josh had run straight into the school after his awkward arrival that morning and had seen Danny sitting on the bench outside the office, examining his schedule.
The guidance counselor, who did schedule alterations, was not in at the time, so they couldn't fix it immediately, but Josh had taken one look at Danny's lineup of classes and gasped.
"Oh, no, you're in the intermediate weight lifting, that won't do. We'll fix that so you don't have to lift with the sophomores." He shook his head as he read further. "Ugh, basic painting? You want an easy art credit, hit up ceramics. Basic painting is not very basic at all, Tristan took it last year and bitched every fucking day."
He continued down the list, then simply sighed. "Let's hit the office. I know the main receptionist so she'll let us fix this."
Danny was grateful. He knew that he wouldn't be able to handle a shitty schedule on top of having to be here his senior year. Not that Westchester was all that bad, but he had really laid down roots in Philly. Plus, picking up where you left off in seventh grade wasn't all that easy.
There was one reason he was okay with this, though.
"Do they all dress this way, all the time, or are they showing off for the first day?" He was referring the droves of girls clad in tiny camisoles, mid thigh skirts and heels. Josh laughed.
"This is pretty regular until the weather turns cold. Welcome back, man."
Danny smiled. "You know I appreciate the help, but from what I've heard, being near you isn't all that great for my street cred."
Josh laughed, but it didn't sound very genuine. "You know, I don't think anybody could hate me more than I hate myself."
Before Danny could find a response, he was saved by the guidance counselor calling them in.
Mrs. Hanes, despite her hilarious name, was the least funny woman on the planet. Not that most chemistry teachers are comedians, but the woman seriously lacked personality.
She taught every level of chemistry at Westchester High, so everyone in her AP class was familiar with the way that she didn't laugh, or smile at anything. Ever. They were also familiar with her preferred method of partnering up the kids. Same partner, all year, every girl paired with a boy, if possible.
Freshman year they had been excited about that. Now though they just wanted to work with a friend. Claire and Kristen crossed eyes at each other from across the room while Mrs. Hanes announced the partners. She drew names from the two fishbowls in front of her. Again, this was the same every year.
Kristen ended up with an incredibly smart junior, the only one in the AP class. She seemed happy about it, knowing that he was probably going to one of the few people in the class she could partner up with and not end up doing all the work.
Claire was paired with Chris. She jumped happily when it was announced. Chris was organized, smart, sweet, and she'd known him since forever.
Once everyone had a partner, they picked their tables. It was nice to at least pick where they sat, so even if Claire and Kristen couldn't be partners, they could sit by each other.
"Well, this could have been much worse," Chris said when he and Claire met up and picked a table
"Wow, I know you're saying you're glad we're partners, but you could have been a bit more flattering about it," Claire joked. Chris's self-conscious laugh and the slight reddening of his cheeks made Claire smile without trying.
"Sorry," he apologized, and she smacked him.
"Don't say sorry, I'm teasing," she said. He grinned in relief.
Together they doodled on the syllabus while Mrs. Hanes droned on about lab safety. Claire, in an attempt to get Chris to blush again, doodled a giant penis on one of the pages of the lab manual with her pink sparkly pen.
"I have to hold on to this all year!" he whisper-yelled, making her have to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Chris was cool and very funny, but was known to be a tad anal-retentive.
"This is going to be a fun year," Claire said, making him groan.
"Alicia." That's all she heard from behind her left shoulder. He could have said anything else. He could have tried explaining, or making excuses, or begging, he could have started with some lame hey, I totally understand if you haven't read a single one of my messages but I'd like to maybe sit down and talk sometime. But instead he just said her name, in a way he never has before. Because he didn't just say Alicia. He said I'm sorry and I love you and please and she doesn't know how he can still be one of her favorite things after what he's done.
Anything else Josh may have wanted to say was cut off by the loud slam of a locker door and the clicking of stiletto heels. He paused for a moment, unsure of what to do next, but then decided to follow Alicia. So he'd be late for fourth period, that wasn't a big deal.
Alicia kept her head held high and her eyes straight ahead. She was walking fast. He was struck suddenly with the memory of chasing her down in a hallway in seventh grade, desperate to ask her out. He remembers her heels sounding the same, delicately tapping the floor with each step. He remembers and he fucking hates remembering all this now that he's ruined everything, for good.
Alicia, to her credit, never turned her head. Never acknowledged him. Anyone who knew her knew that she as a fan of the silent treatment when she was hurting. He wondered if he would ever manage to forgive himself.
"I have arrived!" Massie sang as she set her tray down at a spot at the lunch table. It was crowded, overly so, since all the girls and guys ate together. A few of them mock bowed as she sat, and Derrick threw a chip in her direction.
"How is first day going, my lovelies?" Her Xanax haze was finally wearing off and she was feeling a bit more clear-headed.
"Fantastic, now that you've arrived." Massie's amber eyes flashed and her head whipped to the left, as she suddenly realized there was a new kid at the table.
She still, to this day, isn't sure what she noticed first. Maybe the wavy auburn hair? No, it was the blue eyes. Or maybe those forearms.
"Robbins?" she asked, figuring that the only new kid who would ever get a spot at this table had to be someone they already knew. She was right.
"Danny," he said.
"Welcome, Danny," she said, and then forced herself to focus on something else. Anything but how fucking tan he was.
"You're Massie Block?" Apparently, he wasn't done with this conversation. She didn't mind so much, and was mainly relieved that between all the activity at the lunch table, nobody was paying any attention to the interaction.
"In the flesh," she said.
He whistled low, irritating her immediately. "So you're Miss Unattainable?"
She rolled her eyes. "Keep telling yourself that." It wasn't uncommon for the guys here to view her as more of a conquest than anything. Massie was one of the few remaining alleged virgins at Westchester High and something of a myth to the guys. Like a unicorn. A few had insisted that they'd get her in bed but never got more than a dinner date. She claimed boredom every time.
Danny had smiled at her response. "I'll give it some time."
She shook her head, completely unamused at his cocky attitude. Who the fuck did this kid think he was? It made it easier for her to ignore his looks, though. Forearms mean nothing when you're a prick.
She didn't have to respond though, as once again, she had noticed Kristen and Derrick looking at each other.
"The hell is this about?" she asked, making them both jump.
"Nothing," Kristen said, and when Massie turned to see how Derrick was reacting, she was surprised to see her unflappable friend not meeting her eyes.
"Okay," she said. She'd give them a few weeks and then find out what they were up to.
"Order in the fucking court! Everyone stay where you are!" Claire's yell caused the table to fall silent.
"Nobody's moving, Claire," Alicia said. Everyone laughed.
"Well good, because someone took my goddamn twinkie."
There were some boos and Claire dodged a napkin that was aimed at her face. "This is serious, you guys. She pounded her fist on the table once. "We're settling this in food court."
The rest of the group began to chant. "Food Court! Food Court! Food Court!"
Only Alicia knew that Claire had put the twinkie in her purse about two minutes before that. But Josh had just sat down at the opposite end of the table and her friend was providing the perfect distraction, most likely on purpose to help Alicia out, so she didn't say anything.
In fact, it was a good enough distraction that nobody noticed that Dylan didn't eat a thing.
A/N: Okay, how do ya'll feel about the direction of this plot so far? Like it? Hate it? Pairings should be taking shape, give me your thoughts!
