Riley Ewing got out of her parent's car.
"We'll see you once school's out so you don't have to take the bus home, okay honey?" said her mother.
Riley slung her bag onto her shoulder and mumbled a response along the lines of "sure." She stared up at the forbidding building that was Herrington High School.
"Bye, have a good time," her mother called after her.
Making her way up the steps, Riley felt like each of her feet weighed fifty pounds. At least her mother had insisted she go a little early to take care of paperwork. It also served as a way for her to avoid the stares all pathetic new kids got. She'd get them anyway later in the day but at the moment, it was a comfort to be able to postpone them as long as possible.
After what seemed like half an eternity, Riley reached the front doors and passed through them. The inside of the building was dreary and sterile, no difference there from other high schools. Staff and some students milled about the hallways, many giving her no notice whatsoever. She could deal with that. After asking directions, she found the office and began to fill out the stack of forms she was given.
*
Once she had satisfied the starchy secretary at the un-welcome desk, Riley headed out into the now student-filled halls, fully armed with a class schedule. As soon as she stepped out of the office, however, a boy came bounding up to her.
"Hey!" he said "Are you Riley Ewing?"
"Who wants to know?" she asked, looking him over. He had a sculpted face with a small nose, prominent cheek bones and thin lips. His face was framed by light brown hair. He wore sneakers, jeans, white shirt and a green flannel one over it. Around his neck hung a camera.
"I'm Casey," he replied "Casey Connors."
"Well, I'm the girl you're looking for," said Riley.
"Okay," Casey said "I got asked to show you around, answer questions, you know."
"Yeah," Riley responded "I don't have any yet but."
Before she could finish her sentence, a blur came from the other side of the hall and snatched Casey away. The blur turned into a person when they slowed down a little, a very beautiful person.
"I've been looking all over for you!" said the girl "Come on, I need pictures. Oh my gosh, this is going to be the front page story!"
"I wish I could, Delilah," replied Casey "but I'm showing this new kid around."
Riley looked at Delilah while all this was going on. She was really pretty, with shapely features that made her look model-worthy, especially her dark hair. She wore tight jeans, a mulberry shirt and duster that was a few shades darker, with a band of deep blue on the sleeves. Delilah looked Casey in the eye.
"Case," she started but then paused and made up her mind "fine."
"We have to be careful," Casey said in a whisper "She's the first new girl since Mary-Beth."
"But what about those two boys who've come since her?" responded Delilah in a low voice.
"Well, last time it was a girl..."
Riley strained to hear what the two were talking about but had caught nothing. After a while, they stopped whispering and Delilah made quite an audible comment.
"So, who's she?"
"I'm Riley Ewing."
Delilah sized her up. Riley didn't look like she was fit for the popular crowd but she was pretty enough. She had sun-streaked dirty blond hair that hung down to mid-chest, big blue eyes, full lips and shapely features. Riley wore tight black jeans with a brown leather belt, dark blue shirt and black denim jacket lined with white fleece.
"I'll see you at study hall," said Delilah. She kissed Casey on the cheek and sauntered off.
*
"Who was that?" asked Riley.
"Oh, Delilah?" responded Casey, looking after her as she walked away. "She's the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper."
"I take it you're a photographer."
"Yeah," he replied as he glanced at his camera.
"Anyway, let me show you around. We've got enough time before first period." Casey started off down the hall. Riley followed him automatically. For a minute, she debated ditching the guy but decided against it because he was actually pretty nice and she really needed to get some bearings.
The two of them wound around clumps of typical high school groups; punks, goths, preps, jocks and dramatics. Each had their own imaginary bubble that separated them from the rest of the world. Eventually they came to a commons area. Casey was just talking to Riley about it when he spotted someone.
"Hey, Stan! Stokes! Over here!" he called then to Riley he said "If you know Delilah and me, you should know these two."
Riley nodded deftly as she watched a couple walk towards them. The boy was well-built. He seem like a varsity athlete and had an all-American look about his features as well. He had light brown hair and wore loose jeans, baggy gray shirt and letter jacket over it all. Yep, definite jock. The girl at his side was pretty. She had nice eyes, lips and a small chin. Her face was framed by dark strawberry blond hair that went down to her earlobes. She was dressed simply in a denim skirt and white button-down shirt under a dark blue jacket to protect her from the nippy early spring air.
"Hey, Case!" said the boy "Thanks for helping me, I aced that last science test."
"No problem," said Casey "I want you to meet someone. This is Riley. Riley, this is Stan and Stokely."
They all said something like "hey" or "hi" and took the others in.
*
Across the room, Zeke leaned against the wall and slipped some tens into his pocket as his latest customer walked away. He glanced around for Ms. Burke. If she wasn't here, he might be lucky enough to lure her to his car for a short conversation. He was so intoxicated around her, he didn't need any of his own drug. He loved how she was always so hard-to-get. Zeke's most treasured moments were when he had gotten a wave or, even more rare, a smile from her. He was a bad boy who liked good girls. Who knew. As his eyes swept the commons, they landed on Casey and company, then the girl. Zeke couldn't tell that much from this distance except that she was fairly pretty. He suspected that Casey had finally dumped that annoying Delilah- chick and found a more reasonable girlfriend for himself. Zeke pulled himself out of the shadows and started towards the group. It had been a while since he'd talked with the Scooby Gang, not that he minded.
*
"So, you're new here, huh?" asked Stokely.
"Yeah."
"Where'd you come from?" this time it was Stan.
"Madison, Wisconsin."
"How are you liking Ohio?"
"Well, I'm used to a bigger..."
"Hey," said a deep voice behind her. Riley jumped away and almost ran into Casey, who grabbed her upper arms to stabilize her.
"Riley, here's someone else you should meet," then to the other, he said "Zeke, meet Riley. She just moved here."
Zeke's eyebrows lifted a little at the last comment. Riley turned around and looked up at his face. He was tall, at least six feet. Zeke had dark brown hair that was fairly unkempt, deep eyes and determined jaw. He wore baggy jeans and dark blue long-sleeved shirt over a white shirt only visible below the hem of the blue.
"Do you do that to everyone?" demanded an undignified Riley.
Zeke pretended to think a moment before responding; "Yep."
Conversation resumed and Zeke took the time to regard the newcomer. He liked the outfit. It was a perfect balance of style and a don't-mess-with- me attitude that the dark colors provided. She was put-together but not in a overbearing fashion maniac way. Still, a definite good girl. From what he could see, he liked. Just then, the warning bell rang. Casey gave some verbal directions to Riley. Then, the Scooby Gang split to go to their respective classes.
"We'll see you once school's out so you don't have to take the bus home, okay honey?" said her mother.
Riley slung her bag onto her shoulder and mumbled a response along the lines of "sure." She stared up at the forbidding building that was Herrington High School.
"Bye, have a good time," her mother called after her.
Making her way up the steps, Riley felt like each of her feet weighed fifty pounds. At least her mother had insisted she go a little early to take care of paperwork. It also served as a way for her to avoid the stares all pathetic new kids got. She'd get them anyway later in the day but at the moment, it was a comfort to be able to postpone them as long as possible.
After what seemed like half an eternity, Riley reached the front doors and passed through them. The inside of the building was dreary and sterile, no difference there from other high schools. Staff and some students milled about the hallways, many giving her no notice whatsoever. She could deal with that. After asking directions, she found the office and began to fill out the stack of forms she was given.
*
Once she had satisfied the starchy secretary at the un-welcome desk, Riley headed out into the now student-filled halls, fully armed with a class schedule. As soon as she stepped out of the office, however, a boy came bounding up to her.
"Hey!" he said "Are you Riley Ewing?"
"Who wants to know?" she asked, looking him over. He had a sculpted face with a small nose, prominent cheek bones and thin lips. His face was framed by light brown hair. He wore sneakers, jeans, white shirt and a green flannel one over it. Around his neck hung a camera.
"I'm Casey," he replied "Casey Connors."
"Well, I'm the girl you're looking for," said Riley.
"Okay," Casey said "I got asked to show you around, answer questions, you know."
"Yeah," Riley responded "I don't have any yet but."
Before she could finish her sentence, a blur came from the other side of the hall and snatched Casey away. The blur turned into a person when they slowed down a little, a very beautiful person.
"I've been looking all over for you!" said the girl "Come on, I need pictures. Oh my gosh, this is going to be the front page story!"
"I wish I could, Delilah," replied Casey "but I'm showing this new kid around."
Riley looked at Delilah while all this was going on. She was really pretty, with shapely features that made her look model-worthy, especially her dark hair. She wore tight jeans, a mulberry shirt and duster that was a few shades darker, with a band of deep blue on the sleeves. Delilah looked Casey in the eye.
"Case," she started but then paused and made up her mind "fine."
"We have to be careful," Casey said in a whisper "She's the first new girl since Mary-Beth."
"But what about those two boys who've come since her?" responded Delilah in a low voice.
"Well, last time it was a girl..."
Riley strained to hear what the two were talking about but had caught nothing. After a while, they stopped whispering and Delilah made quite an audible comment.
"So, who's she?"
"I'm Riley Ewing."
Delilah sized her up. Riley didn't look like she was fit for the popular crowd but she was pretty enough. She had sun-streaked dirty blond hair that hung down to mid-chest, big blue eyes, full lips and shapely features. Riley wore tight black jeans with a brown leather belt, dark blue shirt and black denim jacket lined with white fleece.
"I'll see you at study hall," said Delilah. She kissed Casey on the cheek and sauntered off.
*
"Who was that?" asked Riley.
"Oh, Delilah?" responded Casey, looking after her as she walked away. "She's the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper."
"I take it you're a photographer."
"Yeah," he replied as he glanced at his camera.
"Anyway, let me show you around. We've got enough time before first period." Casey started off down the hall. Riley followed him automatically. For a minute, she debated ditching the guy but decided against it because he was actually pretty nice and she really needed to get some bearings.
The two of them wound around clumps of typical high school groups; punks, goths, preps, jocks and dramatics. Each had their own imaginary bubble that separated them from the rest of the world. Eventually they came to a commons area. Casey was just talking to Riley about it when he spotted someone.
"Hey, Stan! Stokes! Over here!" he called then to Riley he said "If you know Delilah and me, you should know these two."
Riley nodded deftly as she watched a couple walk towards them. The boy was well-built. He seem like a varsity athlete and had an all-American look about his features as well. He had light brown hair and wore loose jeans, baggy gray shirt and letter jacket over it all. Yep, definite jock. The girl at his side was pretty. She had nice eyes, lips and a small chin. Her face was framed by dark strawberry blond hair that went down to her earlobes. She was dressed simply in a denim skirt and white button-down shirt under a dark blue jacket to protect her from the nippy early spring air.
"Hey, Case!" said the boy "Thanks for helping me, I aced that last science test."
"No problem," said Casey "I want you to meet someone. This is Riley. Riley, this is Stan and Stokely."
They all said something like "hey" or "hi" and took the others in.
*
Across the room, Zeke leaned against the wall and slipped some tens into his pocket as his latest customer walked away. He glanced around for Ms. Burke. If she wasn't here, he might be lucky enough to lure her to his car for a short conversation. He was so intoxicated around her, he didn't need any of his own drug. He loved how she was always so hard-to-get. Zeke's most treasured moments were when he had gotten a wave or, even more rare, a smile from her. He was a bad boy who liked good girls. Who knew. As his eyes swept the commons, they landed on Casey and company, then the girl. Zeke couldn't tell that much from this distance except that she was fairly pretty. He suspected that Casey had finally dumped that annoying Delilah- chick and found a more reasonable girlfriend for himself. Zeke pulled himself out of the shadows and started towards the group. It had been a while since he'd talked with the Scooby Gang, not that he minded.
*
"So, you're new here, huh?" asked Stokely.
"Yeah."
"Where'd you come from?" this time it was Stan.
"Madison, Wisconsin."
"How are you liking Ohio?"
"Well, I'm used to a bigger..."
"Hey," said a deep voice behind her. Riley jumped away and almost ran into Casey, who grabbed her upper arms to stabilize her.
"Riley, here's someone else you should meet," then to the other, he said "Zeke, meet Riley. She just moved here."
Zeke's eyebrows lifted a little at the last comment. Riley turned around and looked up at his face. He was tall, at least six feet. Zeke had dark brown hair that was fairly unkempt, deep eyes and determined jaw. He wore baggy jeans and dark blue long-sleeved shirt over a white shirt only visible below the hem of the blue.
"Do you do that to everyone?" demanded an undignified Riley.
Zeke pretended to think a moment before responding; "Yep."
Conversation resumed and Zeke took the time to regard the newcomer. He liked the outfit. It was a perfect balance of style and a don't-mess-with- me attitude that the dark colors provided. She was put-together but not in a overbearing fashion maniac way. Still, a definite good girl. From what he could see, he liked. Just then, the warning bell rang. Casey gave some verbal directions to Riley. Then, the Scooby Gang split to go to their respective classes.