Chloe and Shawn purposely ignored the stares directed at them as they made
their way down the hallway of Salem High. Perhaps they had been asking for
the attention when they made the decision to enter the school with their
arms locked together, but neither had fully expected the dark glares that
would be sent their way from the opposite end of the hallway.
After Belle asking if the gang knew about Shawn and Chloe's feelings for one another, even Jason could not remain oblivious to the mounting tension. Not far from him, Belle alternated between completely avoiding Shawn's gaze and tossing him icy glares. After what had happened Saturday, she just wasn't sure how to respond to seeing him again, especially with Chloe.
Mimi carefully tired to gage Belle's reaction to Shawn and Chloe's grand entrance. Just like the diva to force herself into the spotlight, thought Mimi. Even without all the details, Mimi was beginning to get a pretty good idea about what had happened to upset her friend so greatly.
Only after a great struggle did Zach manage to keep the amused grin off his face. He was finding the entire scenario quite entertaining. First, there was the promise of a cat fight. That never failed to pique Zach's interest. Then, he found himself intrigued by the pure drama surrounding Chloe. He'd known her two days, managed to insult her countless times, but knew next to nothing about her. He had a feeling that Chloe's personal life would soon be a topic for public discussion considering all the stares she was getting. For the life of him, Zach just couldn't figure out why so many people would focus on Chloe. After all, she was just another teenager showing up for school with another student, right?
Halfway down the hall, Shawn felt a strong hand clamp on his shoulder. He kept his arm locked with Chloe's as he turned around only to find himself looking at Philip. After the disastrous party involving the love machine, Shawn and Philip had not even spoken. Once all the other teens left, Shawn, Chloe, and Philip had silently worked to clean up the pub. Well, things were silent after Chloe spent a good ten minutes telling both guys how disgusted she was by their behavior and the fight caused by their recklessness.
"So, Shawn, are you having a good morning - with my girlfriend?" Philip hostilely questioned as he forced himself to restrain from pulling Chloe's arm away from Shawn's. He knew the question had come out more bitter and possessive than even he had intended, but he couldn't help it. As if he didn't already have enough things to worry about in his personal life, his girlfriend shows up for the first day of school on the arm of a guy half the school suspected was putting the moves on her. Perfect.
"Don't, Philip," pleaded Chloe. "I can't stand it when you act jealous. And, I have a feeling that you can't either. So, let's not do this. Not here and not now."
Belle, Zach, Mimi, and Jason all watched as Philip stopped Shawn and Chloe. Though the trio was too far away for their words to be heard, it was apparent that whatever was being said was anything but good. Just as Zach was about to ask for a complete explanation, Philip, Shawn, and Chloe decided it was time to join the group.
Chloe avoided making eye contact with Belle, opting to focus her gaze on her purse as she reached for Belle's wallet. Extending the object to Belle, Chloe said, "I ran into Brady outside and he asked me to give this to you. He said it must have dropped out of your purse when he was giving you a ride to school."
Quickly taking the wallet from Chloe's hand, Belle mumbled her thanks. Of all the people that Brady could have run into, it had to be Chloe. Belle just wished that she could find a hole to bury herself in. Then, she wouldn't have to look at Chloe and wonder how she could betray her so easily by being with Shawn.
Turning her attention to Jason, Chloe took a deep breath that she hoped would give her the strength to do something that she knew must be done, but hated nonetheless. Of all the ways to start the first day of school, this had to be the worst.
Chloe forced herself to smile as she said, "Jason, there's something I need to say to you. And, trust me, it won't be easy." Pausing to find just a little more strength, Chloe soon continued, "I'm sorry. You were only trying to make conversation this morning, and I had no right to just snap at you. I really am sorry."
Jason wondered if his eyes looked as big as they felt, because it seemed to him that they were about to pop out of his head with shock. He was only glad that his friends were there so he would have witnesses that saw Chloe give him an apology. It was only the first day of school, and Chloe Lane was apologizing to him. How great was the school year going to be?
Cracking a smile, Jason answered, "It wasn't a big deal. I was just surprised when you showed up with Zach instead of Philip."
Shawn waited for Philip to explode, to demand answers about Chloe and Zach, to simply turn into the jealous creature that had so recently possessed Philip Kiriakis. Shawn was pleasantly surprised when Philip remained calm and said nothing.
Staring at his shoes as though they held the answer to every question ever pondered by man, Philip avoided the gaze of his friends. He knew what they were thinking. They had all expected him to lose his cool and become overprotective of Chloe. Well, he wasn't going to. He'd already acted possessive once that morning, and it was the last time - ever. Commanding his eyes to not fill with tears, Philip took a moment to come to perhaps the greatest conclusion of his life. He no longer liked who he was.
So what if Chloe spoke to Brady? So what if another guy gave her a ride to school? Did it even really matter if she pranced into the school on the arm of one of her best friends? No, because for the first time in a long time, Philip realized that he didn't own Chloe.
However, Philip would very soon distinguish feeling upset because of his possessiveness and feeling upset because he was just plain angry.
Interrupting Philip's thoughts, Shawn said, "Belle, I think we need to talk. You really don't understand what happened at my house."
"Oh, I understand things just fine. But, what about Philip? Does he know? Because, he has a right, Shawn. He has a right to know without finding out like I did!"
The rise in Belle's voice matched the rise in her anger, and Shawn knew it. He also knew that he was the one responsible for all the anger and pain that she was feeling. Looking back, he could only imagine how bad things had appeared from Belle's perspective.
Deciding that Belle most likely wouldn't give him the time to explain things in detail, Shawn simply stated, "I don't care how things looked, Chloe and I didn't sleep together. That's the truth - whether you believe it or not. In fact, not a single thing happened between the two of us because we just don't feel that way about each other."
Before Belle could give her response, Philip coolly asked, "What happened to make Belle think that the two of you were going at it?"
Chloe was stunned by the tone Philip used. Yes, she could sense his anger, but there was none of the possessive jealousy that she had expected. Her voice soft and almost meek, Chloe answered, "Shawn and I were just at his house playing around. Unfortunately, Belle showed up at the exact wrong moment and got the wrong idea about what had happened."
"How exactly could she get the wrong idea?"
When everyone remained silent, Mimi ventured her guess, "Well, they were probably in bed together."
"It wasn't what it looked like!" Shawn exclaimed, his own anger beginning to surface.
"That's right, Shawn," replied Belle with tears in her eyes. "I'm sure it was just an accident that the two of you were half naked while in bed together."
Philip could almost feel his blood boiling. It wasn't possessiveness or even jealousy that was fueling the fire. It was the betrayal he felt. He turned to walk away, but Jason grabbed his arm.
Nodding toward Chloe, Jason said, "You should let her explain before you start overreacting."
Philip wasn't the only one whose anger was suddenly on the rise. Hearing Jason defend Chloe was almost more than Mimi could take. Directing her temper toward Jason, Mimi loudly questioned, "Why are you defending her? Belle caught her in bed with Shawn and from the sound of things neither was exactly fully clothed!"
Thinking back on his numerous loveless experiences with Jan, Jason heatedly responded, "All I'm saying is that a couple of half-dressed people rolling around on a bed doesn't mean anything! It's more likely that it was just a good laugh than something that could ever mean anything."
Unfortunately for Jason, Mimi didn't realize that he was talking about Jan, and assumed that he was referring to what had happened at his house on Saturday. Practically digging his own grave, Jason added, "Why don't we just let Chloe explain what really happened. I'm willing to bet that she's just misunderstood."
Jason's words might have warmed Chloe's heart, but they scorched Mimi's. Tossing back her head in a defiant manner, Mimi exclaimed, "It's official. The last normal guy at Salem High has fallen under Vampira's spell!"
His smile now showing on his face, Zach asked, "Vampira?"
"Yeah," answered Mimi. "Vampira, A.K.A. Chloe Lane. Or, if you prefer you can just call her Ghoul Girl like everyone else." Staring coldly at Jason, Mimi added, "Before Jason became possessed by her, he used to always call her that."
Thinking of not only the way he had treated Chloe in the past, but the petty things he had said to Mimi over the years, Jason responded, "Maybe it's time to move on. Maybe I called people things in the past and now I realize that there just might be more to that person than I gave them credit for."
As the bell rang to signal it was time for the students to gather in the auditorium for the beginning of the year assembly, the teens hurriedly separated from each other. There was definitely too much tension in the air.
Belle and Mimi were the first to quickly depart from the group. Following a safe distance behind were Shawn and Chloe. Left standing in the center of the hallway was Jason, Zach, and Philip.
Turning to Zach with a confused expression, Philip asked, "Who are you anyway?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Following the assembly where schedules were distributed, Shawn and Chloe walked together to their first class of the day. Both were thankful that they would be in Mr. Woods' first period Psychology together. Neither truly felt up to having to face their other friends alone.
Walking into the classroom, Shawn took a quick glance around the room for a place to sit. In the front corner of the room sat Jan with a football player behind her and another one in the seat beside her. That was one area of the classroom immediately ruled out.
Seeing that the first line of seats in the classroom was empty except for one of the basketball players sitting in the very first desk, Shawn dragged Chloe over there so she could sit in the seat behind him. Nearly immediately, Georgia entered the classroom and silently took the seat between Shawn and the ball player. Slowly the classroom began to fill with students.
However, Shawn paid no attention to anyone else until Belle and Philip entered the classroom followed by Mimi. He never took his eyes away from Belle as she took one of the few remaining seats in the classroom, placing her directly across from Shawn, with only Kevin Lambert between them. Philip and Mimi followed Belle's lead and took the two empty seats behind her.
Next to enter the classroom was perhaps Salem's most quiet student, Penelope. She nervously looked around the classroom in hopes of a place to sit where she could avoid most of her classmates. She wanted to sit behind Kevin, but that would leave her sitting right across from the Philip Kiriakis. She certainly wasn't that brave. Instead, she left a seat between herself and Kevin and sat in the very last desk, putting herself across from a sullen looking Mimi Lockhart.
Hurriedly coasting into the room just before the bell could ring, Jason slid into the first available seat he could find. From his own experience, Jason knew exactly how Mr. Woods felt about tardiness. Making it into the classroom just in time, Jason began to sigh with relief until he saw who he was sitting by.
Having the last seat in the first row, Jason was seated across from that shy girl and behind Chloe. Now, that would make for some really interesting conversations - not.
Jason was halfway out of his seat when Mr. Woods said, "Sit back down, Mr. Masters. I have a feeling that you are sitting right where you need to be."
Only after Jason had plopped back down in his chair did he notice who it was that was sitting on the other side of the shy girl - Mimi. Hmm, if he could get rid of Penelope, he just might agree that he was sitting in the right place.
Mr. Woods was preparing to welcome the students back to school when his door opened and one last student entered. Giving the new student a stern glance, Mr. Woods said, "I normally don't tolerate tardiness, but I can see that you're new to Salem High and understand if you had some trouble finding the correct classroom."
Zach only gave a smile and nodded as he walked to the only empty seat left in the room. After all, there was no reason for the teacher to know that the reason he was late was that he was getting some cute blonde's phone number.
The smile began to drop from Zach's face when he realized that his desk placed him in the middle of a battle zone. Ignoring the dull-looking girl behind him and the two geeks in front of him, Zach focused on the people surrounding him that he had already met. Directly to his left was Philip, and directly to his right was Chloe. Summing up the situation, Zach realized he was in the exact center of the two feuding forces. Of all the desks to be left empty, Zach's just had to be in the row that separated Belle, Philip, and Mimi from Shawn, Chloe, and Jason.
Smiling brightly, Mr. Woods stated, "Well, class, welcome to your first day of school . . . and your assigned seats." The statement was returned by a round of groans from the students and Jason Masters dropping his head to his desk with frustration. Continuing, Mr. Woods said, "Now that we've established where you will all be sitting for the next semester or two, it's time to start handing out books. Once that is finished, you will be given your assignment."
Raising his head from his desk, Jason complained, "Mr. Woods, it's the first day of school. You can't give us homework."
"It's not homework. It's classwork. And, as your teacher, I am qualified to give you assignments whenever I choose. Now, as I hand out your textbooks, I would appreciate it if you kept yourselves quiet."
Within thirty seconds of the words leaving Mr. Wood's mouth, Jason leaned forward in his seat and looked past Penelope. In anything but a quiet voice, he asked, "Meems, are you still mad at me? Because, I really don't think you have a reason to be."
Mimi refused to look at Jason as she answered, "Like I care what you think."
"Oh, that's right, I forgot. I'm just a jock, so if I think you're a loser it doesn't mean as much as Kevin the nerd thinking it."
Mr. Woods interrupted the battling teens before Kevin could give an indignant reply. From the front of the classroom where he was receiving his textbook, Zach was watching the daggers Mimi kept sending Jason. One thing was for certain, his new classmates would never fail to amuse him.
After Mr. Woods demanded that the class be silent and Zach returned to his seat, Jason came up with what he thought was a great idea. Hurriedly scribbling some words onto a sheet of notebook paper, he whispered for Zach and leaned forward to hand him the paper, pointing over Penelope's head to Mimi.
Zach waited until Mr. Woods was giving Chloe her book before turning in his seat and tossing the paper back to where Mimi sat diagonally behind him. He had a feeling that he should have read the note before giving it to Mimi, because whatever it said had her seeing red.
Little did Zach know that the note said that Jason knew Mimi thought he had a great body after seeing him in nothing but a towel. Jason also egotistically stated that she wanted his body.
The note got the reaction Jason had hoped for. It sparked Mimi's fiery temper, and he loved to see her come alive.
Thinking that Jason perhaps had the right idea, Philip wrote a quick note to Chloe stating that he was sorry and to expect him outside her window for a midnight rendezvous. Getting Zach's attention, Philip handed him the note and motioned toward Chloe, who had just returned to her seat.
Then, just as Zach was handing Jason and Philip the responses to their notes, Mr. Woods caught sight of the movement and approached the guilty teen, taking both pieces of folded paper out of his hands.
Walking back to the front of the classroom, Mr. Woods leaned against his desk and stated, "Mr. Wesley, I think that I should inform you of my policy of passing notes. If I catch them, I read them to the entire class."
Chloe's blushing cheeks were enough to really make Zach nervous. He wasn't sure what she had wrote to lover boy, but he had a feeling that it wouldn't reflect so well on him.
"First, we'll read the note that you were handing Philip." Opening the note, Mr. Woods raised an eyebrow before reading the note to the class. "Even though passing notes is childish, I'm really glad you did. I feel much better knowing that you're not angry with me. I'll leave my window unlatched so you can let yourself in tonight. I'm not angry with you either, but we really do need to talk."
Glancing at Chloe, Zach muttered, "And, Craig said he didn't trust me having the tree outside my window?"
Watching as Philip's cheeks reddened only slightly, Mr. Woods continued, "Now, for the note Zach was giving to Jason."
Zach turned in his seat just in time to see Mimi nervously biting her lip. He only hoped that whatever she wrote to Jason wouldn't make him look any worse than the note that made it sound like he was going to have Philip climbing in his window.
"Get over yourself. I don't want your body - no matter how good you think you look in a towel. And, I don't really care how muscular your chest is, because you are just another jock with a big ego and a small brain."
Standing up, Zach looked around the classroom and announced, "Okay, those notes were not from me! It's not my fault that I got stuck sitting between these crazy people who can't stop arguing!"
"Mr. Wesley, please sit back down." Surveying the students sitting around Zach, Mr. Woods realized that the young man had a point. There was something just not right about the students' behavior. When he took a moment to really notice where his students were sitting, Mr. Woods found it quite odd that Philip and Chloe, thought to be one of Salem High's most endearing couples, weren't sitting together. Also, Shawn Brady and Belle Black were not only seated apart, but acted as though they were enemies. It must have been one fascinating summer for those kids.
"I think it's time that I gave the assignment. But, before I do, I must say that I firmly believe that it is exactly what all of you need. I can already tell from your behavior that some things haven't changed. We might have had a serious problem with name calling last year, but I won't allow it this year. This is your senior year, and it's time for you to start behaving like adults and seeing that because a person is different, he or she is not necessarily a worse person than you. So, I will give each of you the name of another student in this room and by the end of the class period, I want you to have listed five things that you like about that person."
Leaning forward, Jason whispered to Chloe, "If I get Jan, then I know I'm bombing this assignment. But, is it really my fault that there isn't anything good about her? Then again, I don't have many good things to say about most of the other people in this room."
"I know exactly how you feel," answered Chloe. "I can barely think of five things I like about Philip, and he's my boyfriend."
"Well, no matter who we get stuck with, it should be interesting to see what someone else has to say about us."
"Oh, yes, a few kind words for the dense jock and the resident freak. I can hardly wait."
After Belle asking if the gang knew about Shawn and Chloe's feelings for one another, even Jason could not remain oblivious to the mounting tension. Not far from him, Belle alternated between completely avoiding Shawn's gaze and tossing him icy glares. After what had happened Saturday, she just wasn't sure how to respond to seeing him again, especially with Chloe.
Mimi carefully tired to gage Belle's reaction to Shawn and Chloe's grand entrance. Just like the diva to force herself into the spotlight, thought Mimi. Even without all the details, Mimi was beginning to get a pretty good idea about what had happened to upset her friend so greatly.
Only after a great struggle did Zach manage to keep the amused grin off his face. He was finding the entire scenario quite entertaining. First, there was the promise of a cat fight. That never failed to pique Zach's interest. Then, he found himself intrigued by the pure drama surrounding Chloe. He'd known her two days, managed to insult her countless times, but knew next to nothing about her. He had a feeling that Chloe's personal life would soon be a topic for public discussion considering all the stares she was getting. For the life of him, Zach just couldn't figure out why so many people would focus on Chloe. After all, she was just another teenager showing up for school with another student, right?
Halfway down the hall, Shawn felt a strong hand clamp on his shoulder. He kept his arm locked with Chloe's as he turned around only to find himself looking at Philip. After the disastrous party involving the love machine, Shawn and Philip had not even spoken. Once all the other teens left, Shawn, Chloe, and Philip had silently worked to clean up the pub. Well, things were silent after Chloe spent a good ten minutes telling both guys how disgusted she was by their behavior and the fight caused by their recklessness.
"So, Shawn, are you having a good morning - with my girlfriend?" Philip hostilely questioned as he forced himself to restrain from pulling Chloe's arm away from Shawn's. He knew the question had come out more bitter and possessive than even he had intended, but he couldn't help it. As if he didn't already have enough things to worry about in his personal life, his girlfriend shows up for the first day of school on the arm of a guy half the school suspected was putting the moves on her. Perfect.
"Don't, Philip," pleaded Chloe. "I can't stand it when you act jealous. And, I have a feeling that you can't either. So, let's not do this. Not here and not now."
Belle, Zach, Mimi, and Jason all watched as Philip stopped Shawn and Chloe. Though the trio was too far away for their words to be heard, it was apparent that whatever was being said was anything but good. Just as Zach was about to ask for a complete explanation, Philip, Shawn, and Chloe decided it was time to join the group.
Chloe avoided making eye contact with Belle, opting to focus her gaze on her purse as she reached for Belle's wallet. Extending the object to Belle, Chloe said, "I ran into Brady outside and he asked me to give this to you. He said it must have dropped out of your purse when he was giving you a ride to school."
Quickly taking the wallet from Chloe's hand, Belle mumbled her thanks. Of all the people that Brady could have run into, it had to be Chloe. Belle just wished that she could find a hole to bury herself in. Then, she wouldn't have to look at Chloe and wonder how she could betray her so easily by being with Shawn.
Turning her attention to Jason, Chloe took a deep breath that she hoped would give her the strength to do something that she knew must be done, but hated nonetheless. Of all the ways to start the first day of school, this had to be the worst.
Chloe forced herself to smile as she said, "Jason, there's something I need to say to you. And, trust me, it won't be easy." Pausing to find just a little more strength, Chloe soon continued, "I'm sorry. You were only trying to make conversation this morning, and I had no right to just snap at you. I really am sorry."
Jason wondered if his eyes looked as big as they felt, because it seemed to him that they were about to pop out of his head with shock. He was only glad that his friends were there so he would have witnesses that saw Chloe give him an apology. It was only the first day of school, and Chloe Lane was apologizing to him. How great was the school year going to be?
Cracking a smile, Jason answered, "It wasn't a big deal. I was just surprised when you showed up with Zach instead of Philip."
Shawn waited for Philip to explode, to demand answers about Chloe and Zach, to simply turn into the jealous creature that had so recently possessed Philip Kiriakis. Shawn was pleasantly surprised when Philip remained calm and said nothing.
Staring at his shoes as though they held the answer to every question ever pondered by man, Philip avoided the gaze of his friends. He knew what they were thinking. They had all expected him to lose his cool and become overprotective of Chloe. Well, he wasn't going to. He'd already acted possessive once that morning, and it was the last time - ever. Commanding his eyes to not fill with tears, Philip took a moment to come to perhaps the greatest conclusion of his life. He no longer liked who he was.
So what if Chloe spoke to Brady? So what if another guy gave her a ride to school? Did it even really matter if she pranced into the school on the arm of one of her best friends? No, because for the first time in a long time, Philip realized that he didn't own Chloe.
However, Philip would very soon distinguish feeling upset because of his possessiveness and feeling upset because he was just plain angry.
Interrupting Philip's thoughts, Shawn said, "Belle, I think we need to talk. You really don't understand what happened at my house."
"Oh, I understand things just fine. But, what about Philip? Does he know? Because, he has a right, Shawn. He has a right to know without finding out like I did!"
The rise in Belle's voice matched the rise in her anger, and Shawn knew it. He also knew that he was the one responsible for all the anger and pain that she was feeling. Looking back, he could only imagine how bad things had appeared from Belle's perspective.
Deciding that Belle most likely wouldn't give him the time to explain things in detail, Shawn simply stated, "I don't care how things looked, Chloe and I didn't sleep together. That's the truth - whether you believe it or not. In fact, not a single thing happened between the two of us because we just don't feel that way about each other."
Before Belle could give her response, Philip coolly asked, "What happened to make Belle think that the two of you were going at it?"
Chloe was stunned by the tone Philip used. Yes, she could sense his anger, but there was none of the possessive jealousy that she had expected. Her voice soft and almost meek, Chloe answered, "Shawn and I were just at his house playing around. Unfortunately, Belle showed up at the exact wrong moment and got the wrong idea about what had happened."
"How exactly could she get the wrong idea?"
When everyone remained silent, Mimi ventured her guess, "Well, they were probably in bed together."
"It wasn't what it looked like!" Shawn exclaimed, his own anger beginning to surface.
"That's right, Shawn," replied Belle with tears in her eyes. "I'm sure it was just an accident that the two of you were half naked while in bed together."
Philip could almost feel his blood boiling. It wasn't possessiveness or even jealousy that was fueling the fire. It was the betrayal he felt. He turned to walk away, but Jason grabbed his arm.
Nodding toward Chloe, Jason said, "You should let her explain before you start overreacting."
Philip wasn't the only one whose anger was suddenly on the rise. Hearing Jason defend Chloe was almost more than Mimi could take. Directing her temper toward Jason, Mimi loudly questioned, "Why are you defending her? Belle caught her in bed with Shawn and from the sound of things neither was exactly fully clothed!"
Thinking back on his numerous loveless experiences with Jan, Jason heatedly responded, "All I'm saying is that a couple of half-dressed people rolling around on a bed doesn't mean anything! It's more likely that it was just a good laugh than something that could ever mean anything."
Unfortunately for Jason, Mimi didn't realize that he was talking about Jan, and assumed that he was referring to what had happened at his house on Saturday. Practically digging his own grave, Jason added, "Why don't we just let Chloe explain what really happened. I'm willing to bet that she's just misunderstood."
Jason's words might have warmed Chloe's heart, but they scorched Mimi's. Tossing back her head in a defiant manner, Mimi exclaimed, "It's official. The last normal guy at Salem High has fallen under Vampira's spell!"
His smile now showing on his face, Zach asked, "Vampira?"
"Yeah," answered Mimi. "Vampira, A.K.A. Chloe Lane. Or, if you prefer you can just call her Ghoul Girl like everyone else." Staring coldly at Jason, Mimi added, "Before Jason became possessed by her, he used to always call her that."
Thinking of not only the way he had treated Chloe in the past, but the petty things he had said to Mimi over the years, Jason responded, "Maybe it's time to move on. Maybe I called people things in the past and now I realize that there just might be more to that person than I gave them credit for."
As the bell rang to signal it was time for the students to gather in the auditorium for the beginning of the year assembly, the teens hurriedly separated from each other. There was definitely too much tension in the air.
Belle and Mimi were the first to quickly depart from the group. Following a safe distance behind were Shawn and Chloe. Left standing in the center of the hallway was Jason, Zach, and Philip.
Turning to Zach with a confused expression, Philip asked, "Who are you anyway?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Following the assembly where schedules were distributed, Shawn and Chloe walked together to their first class of the day. Both were thankful that they would be in Mr. Woods' first period Psychology together. Neither truly felt up to having to face their other friends alone.
Walking into the classroom, Shawn took a quick glance around the room for a place to sit. In the front corner of the room sat Jan with a football player behind her and another one in the seat beside her. That was one area of the classroom immediately ruled out.
Seeing that the first line of seats in the classroom was empty except for one of the basketball players sitting in the very first desk, Shawn dragged Chloe over there so she could sit in the seat behind him. Nearly immediately, Georgia entered the classroom and silently took the seat between Shawn and the ball player. Slowly the classroom began to fill with students.
However, Shawn paid no attention to anyone else until Belle and Philip entered the classroom followed by Mimi. He never took his eyes away from Belle as she took one of the few remaining seats in the classroom, placing her directly across from Shawn, with only Kevin Lambert between them. Philip and Mimi followed Belle's lead and took the two empty seats behind her.
Next to enter the classroom was perhaps Salem's most quiet student, Penelope. She nervously looked around the classroom in hopes of a place to sit where she could avoid most of her classmates. She wanted to sit behind Kevin, but that would leave her sitting right across from the Philip Kiriakis. She certainly wasn't that brave. Instead, she left a seat between herself and Kevin and sat in the very last desk, putting herself across from a sullen looking Mimi Lockhart.
Hurriedly coasting into the room just before the bell could ring, Jason slid into the first available seat he could find. From his own experience, Jason knew exactly how Mr. Woods felt about tardiness. Making it into the classroom just in time, Jason began to sigh with relief until he saw who he was sitting by.
Having the last seat in the first row, Jason was seated across from that shy girl and behind Chloe. Now, that would make for some really interesting conversations - not.
Jason was halfway out of his seat when Mr. Woods said, "Sit back down, Mr. Masters. I have a feeling that you are sitting right where you need to be."
Only after Jason had plopped back down in his chair did he notice who it was that was sitting on the other side of the shy girl - Mimi. Hmm, if he could get rid of Penelope, he just might agree that he was sitting in the right place.
Mr. Woods was preparing to welcome the students back to school when his door opened and one last student entered. Giving the new student a stern glance, Mr. Woods said, "I normally don't tolerate tardiness, but I can see that you're new to Salem High and understand if you had some trouble finding the correct classroom."
Zach only gave a smile and nodded as he walked to the only empty seat left in the room. After all, there was no reason for the teacher to know that the reason he was late was that he was getting some cute blonde's phone number.
The smile began to drop from Zach's face when he realized that his desk placed him in the middle of a battle zone. Ignoring the dull-looking girl behind him and the two geeks in front of him, Zach focused on the people surrounding him that he had already met. Directly to his left was Philip, and directly to his right was Chloe. Summing up the situation, Zach realized he was in the exact center of the two feuding forces. Of all the desks to be left empty, Zach's just had to be in the row that separated Belle, Philip, and Mimi from Shawn, Chloe, and Jason.
Smiling brightly, Mr. Woods stated, "Well, class, welcome to your first day of school . . . and your assigned seats." The statement was returned by a round of groans from the students and Jason Masters dropping his head to his desk with frustration. Continuing, Mr. Woods said, "Now that we've established where you will all be sitting for the next semester or two, it's time to start handing out books. Once that is finished, you will be given your assignment."
Raising his head from his desk, Jason complained, "Mr. Woods, it's the first day of school. You can't give us homework."
"It's not homework. It's classwork. And, as your teacher, I am qualified to give you assignments whenever I choose. Now, as I hand out your textbooks, I would appreciate it if you kept yourselves quiet."
Within thirty seconds of the words leaving Mr. Wood's mouth, Jason leaned forward in his seat and looked past Penelope. In anything but a quiet voice, he asked, "Meems, are you still mad at me? Because, I really don't think you have a reason to be."
Mimi refused to look at Jason as she answered, "Like I care what you think."
"Oh, that's right, I forgot. I'm just a jock, so if I think you're a loser it doesn't mean as much as Kevin the nerd thinking it."
Mr. Woods interrupted the battling teens before Kevin could give an indignant reply. From the front of the classroom where he was receiving his textbook, Zach was watching the daggers Mimi kept sending Jason. One thing was for certain, his new classmates would never fail to amuse him.
After Mr. Woods demanded that the class be silent and Zach returned to his seat, Jason came up with what he thought was a great idea. Hurriedly scribbling some words onto a sheet of notebook paper, he whispered for Zach and leaned forward to hand him the paper, pointing over Penelope's head to Mimi.
Zach waited until Mr. Woods was giving Chloe her book before turning in his seat and tossing the paper back to where Mimi sat diagonally behind him. He had a feeling that he should have read the note before giving it to Mimi, because whatever it said had her seeing red.
Little did Zach know that the note said that Jason knew Mimi thought he had a great body after seeing him in nothing but a towel. Jason also egotistically stated that she wanted his body.
The note got the reaction Jason had hoped for. It sparked Mimi's fiery temper, and he loved to see her come alive.
Thinking that Jason perhaps had the right idea, Philip wrote a quick note to Chloe stating that he was sorry and to expect him outside her window for a midnight rendezvous. Getting Zach's attention, Philip handed him the note and motioned toward Chloe, who had just returned to her seat.
Then, just as Zach was handing Jason and Philip the responses to their notes, Mr. Woods caught sight of the movement and approached the guilty teen, taking both pieces of folded paper out of his hands.
Walking back to the front of the classroom, Mr. Woods leaned against his desk and stated, "Mr. Wesley, I think that I should inform you of my policy of passing notes. If I catch them, I read them to the entire class."
Chloe's blushing cheeks were enough to really make Zach nervous. He wasn't sure what she had wrote to lover boy, but he had a feeling that it wouldn't reflect so well on him.
"First, we'll read the note that you were handing Philip." Opening the note, Mr. Woods raised an eyebrow before reading the note to the class. "Even though passing notes is childish, I'm really glad you did. I feel much better knowing that you're not angry with me. I'll leave my window unlatched so you can let yourself in tonight. I'm not angry with you either, but we really do need to talk."
Glancing at Chloe, Zach muttered, "And, Craig said he didn't trust me having the tree outside my window?"
Watching as Philip's cheeks reddened only slightly, Mr. Woods continued, "Now, for the note Zach was giving to Jason."
Zach turned in his seat just in time to see Mimi nervously biting her lip. He only hoped that whatever she wrote to Jason wouldn't make him look any worse than the note that made it sound like he was going to have Philip climbing in his window.
"Get over yourself. I don't want your body - no matter how good you think you look in a towel. And, I don't really care how muscular your chest is, because you are just another jock with a big ego and a small brain."
Standing up, Zach looked around the classroom and announced, "Okay, those notes were not from me! It's not my fault that I got stuck sitting between these crazy people who can't stop arguing!"
"Mr. Wesley, please sit back down." Surveying the students sitting around Zach, Mr. Woods realized that the young man had a point. There was something just not right about the students' behavior. When he took a moment to really notice where his students were sitting, Mr. Woods found it quite odd that Philip and Chloe, thought to be one of Salem High's most endearing couples, weren't sitting together. Also, Shawn Brady and Belle Black were not only seated apart, but acted as though they were enemies. It must have been one fascinating summer for those kids.
"I think it's time that I gave the assignment. But, before I do, I must say that I firmly believe that it is exactly what all of you need. I can already tell from your behavior that some things haven't changed. We might have had a serious problem with name calling last year, but I won't allow it this year. This is your senior year, and it's time for you to start behaving like adults and seeing that because a person is different, he or she is not necessarily a worse person than you. So, I will give each of you the name of another student in this room and by the end of the class period, I want you to have listed five things that you like about that person."
Leaning forward, Jason whispered to Chloe, "If I get Jan, then I know I'm bombing this assignment. But, is it really my fault that there isn't anything good about her? Then again, I don't have many good things to say about most of the other people in this room."
"I know exactly how you feel," answered Chloe. "I can barely think of five things I like about Philip, and he's my boyfriend."
"Well, no matter who we get stuck with, it should be interesting to see what someone else has to say about us."
"Oh, yes, a few kind words for the dense jock and the resident freak. I can hardly wait."