Chapter 2-The New Headmaster's Son
"Good morning fellow students. We are all gathered here in the auditorium on our second day of the new school year. As most of you know, we have a new headmaster this year at Chilton. This morning our new headmaster would like to speak to you all. As president of the student body, I will like to introduce Mr. Huntly, our new headmaster." Announced the senior president.
It was the second day of the school year. Everyone was relieved to get out of first and second period to attend the school assembly.
Lori was seating next to her friend Mae Dennis.
"Hey, Maggie already spread a rumor that the head master's son is hot. Now we'll have a chance to see if the rumor is true." Mae said.
Maggie Brown is Chilton's residence ultimate gossip queen. If you need to know anything about anyone, you go to Maggie. If you want a rumor to be spread throughout the school within one day, you go to Maggie. The girl has the connections to get the rumor mill to go on overdrive.
Just then, the headmaster spoke. Everyone was quiet
"Hello students, I am your new headmaster, Mr. Huntly. I will try to make your experience at Chilton better then it was last year. Since I would like to keep this assembly short, so you all can go to your classes, I would like to welcome you all to a great year at Chilton. A year like no other. There are endless possibilities here at Chilton. So anything can happen.
Let's get down to the point. If you think you can out smart me, well you're wrong. Wrong because I was once a student here at Chilton many years ago. I know every prank, stunt and secret passage ways in this school.
Before I end this assembly I would like to introduce my son, who just transferred here at Chilton this year and will be joining our sophomore class. Everyone meet my son Will Huntly."
The headmaster's son walked on stage. He looked athletic and cute. He had dark brown hair and was somewhat tall. The students were now loudly talking to one another.
"I hear he played soccer and baseball in his old school." Said a girl.
"Well I hear he works out at the gym every other day." Another girl said.
"I hear he's single." Mae said to Lori.
"Ok, everyone settle down. This is the end of the assembly. Please everyone when going back to class, go to your 3rd period class." The headmaster said, before going offstage.
Lori had free during 3rd period today. So she spent her time in the library.
She loved the quietness of the library. Lori was looking through the books on a bookshelf near the back of the library.
"So do you always spend your free time looking at books on a book shelf." Said a voice next to her.
Lori jumped a little when she heard the voice.
"Sorry if I scared you." Said the voice.
"Oh, it's ok. I didn't hear any footsteps so when you talked I was a little jumpy." Lori explained.
"I'm Will Huntly." The voice said.
"I'm Lori Mariano." Lori said.
"Are you related to Jess Mariano?" Will asked.
"He's my father." Lori answered.
"He writes great novels. He can write in any genre and still come up with a best selling novel." Will said.
"So, you're a fan of my father's works." Lori smiled.
"Yeah, you can say that." Will said.
Lori got a full look at Will. She was impressed. He looked smart and athletic. Lori smelled cologne on him, but it wasn't too strong, not like you can smell him from a mile away. Lori instantaneously felt an attraction to Will. He was the kind of guy that Lori would read about in a romance novel.
"So, you like to read?" Will asked her, while they walked to a table.
"Yeah, definitely." Lori said automatically.
"Favorite classic author?" Will asked with an interest shown in his eyes.
"Um... Jane Austen." Lori replied.
"Mine's are Charles Dickinson and Ernest Hemingway." Will replied.
"F. Scott Fitzgerald is also great." Lori said.
"Yeah, but not as great as your dad. I bet you read all this novels." Will said.
"Kind of yeah. My dad let's me write at least one chapter in all his books." Lori smiled.
"Whoa, seriously?" Will was surprised.
"Yeah, I'm serious. Give me the name of one of his books and I'll tell you which chapter I wrote." Lori said.
"My favorite book that he wrote was "A Parallel Life" Will said.
"I wrote the chapter that had Jack, the main character deciding between running away or suicide." Lori told Will.
Will was amazed.
"No way! You wrote that chapter? That's like one of the best chapters in the book. It's like the climax of the whole story." Will said.
Lori just smiled. No one besides her family and friends had ever known that Lori always helped her dad write his novels, whenever he had writer's block. It was one of the best kept secrets that Lori had.
"So, what class do you have next?" Will asked.
"I have History with Mr.Leebag." Lori said.
"Well have fun." Will said.
The bell rang. Will and Lori left the library together.
It was now 5th period. Lori had lunch with Orlando Gellar, Mae Dennis and Shawn Hart, Orlando's friend.
"This is like the best lunch period ever." Mae said, while sitting down at the lunch table.
"Why is it the best lunch period ever." Lori asked.
"Because I have lunch with my 3 greatest friends everyday now." Mae said.
Just then a boy was walking by.
"Hey Lori, I didn't know you were into headmasters sons. If you would have told me, I would have asked my dad to get the position to be headmaster so you could go out with me." The boy said while walking by.
Lori's eyes opened wide.
"How did he know?" Lori said.
"One of Maggie's friends saw you and Will Huntly walk out of the library together after 3rd period." Mae said.
"Shit." Lori said.
"Wow Mariano has a foul mouth. Don't make that a habit." Shawn said.
Lori gave him a look.
"Whatever Shawn." Lori threw French fries at Shawn.
"Ok, settle down kiddies." Orlando said with a smile.
"So I hear there's no school Friday, some teacher's workshop. What do you guys what to do?" Shawn asked.
"My parents are out. You guys can come over for the day." Mae suggested.
"Sounds good to me." Lori said.
"A plan me likes." Shawn said.
"Count me in." Orlando said.
"Don't bring your sister." Mar warned Orlando.
"I won't Mae. I remembered that you're not a fond of her." Orlando said.
"Well finally you remembered something." Mae said half joking.
"Oh ha ha, very funny Mae." Orlando said.
"Your such a dumb jock." Mae said flirtatiously.
"Well that's better then being a smart nerd like Angela." Orlando said.
"Or a book worm like Lori." Shawn added.
"Hey, why are you adding me into this argument." Lori said.
"Sorry Lori. I almost forgot you only like guys like Will Huntly." Shawn said.
Lori gave him a dirty look.
"Oh great. Here comes Maggie." Mae said.
Maggie Brown came to their table.
"Why Orlando dear. Why sit at lunch with these people. You're like the best runner on our track team. You should be sitting next to the jocks." Maggie said.
"Nah that's ok Maggie. I'm fine here." Orlando said.
"What about you Shawn. After Orlando, you're like the best on the track team." Maggie said.
"It's ok Mags I'm comfortable here." Shawn said.
"Fine boys. But if you decide to sit with us at the jock table, you still can." Maggie said while walking away.
"Besides Angela, Maggie also gets on my nerves." Mae said.
"She's ok." Orlando shrugged.
"Why is she in the jock's table?" Mae said angrily
"She's a cheerleader." Shawn said.
"No, that was last year. She was cut off during try outs this year." Mae said.
"Maybe she's dating one of the jocks." Lori suggested.
"Maybe." Orlando said.
"So Lori there have been rumors about your journalism class." Mae said.
Orlando and Lori looked at each other. Both wondering what rumors Maggie let out.
"So spill out the rumors Mae." Lori said.
"That for a project you're paired up with Julian." Mae said.
"That's true" Orlando said.
"So, tell me the other pairings." Mae said.
"I'm paired up with Kerri Washington." Orlando said.
"Kerri is a nice girl." Mae said.
"I got Maggie for the stupid project." Shawn said.
"Serves you right. This is karma for what you did to my history project last year." Mae said.
"Angela got Connor." Orlando stated.
"Connor Fox?" Mae asked.
"Yeah."
"Ha, she got a member of the bad boy trio." Mae said.
"The bad boy trio?" Lori asked.
"Yeah, that's what Julian DuGrey, Connor Fox and Patrick Huntzberger calls their group." Mae explained.
"Wasn't last year they called themselves the "3 Pirates.". Lori said with a laugh.
"They changed their group name this year I guess." Mae said.
"Hopefully next year they become smart and decide on the name "the 3 retards." Lori said.
Orlando, Shawn and Mae laughed at Lori's statement.
"So who did Patrick get for a partner?" Mae asked.
"Um.. I think Beth Andrews." Lori said.
"Lucky girl." Mae said in an obviously jealous way.
"You have a thing for Patrick, don't you?" Shawn said.
"Yeah, I do. Gosh that Huntzberger is hot." Mae said.
Mae started to day dream about Patrick.
"It's official, we lost Mae in dreamland." Orlando said, looking at Mae.
"Should we bring her back to reality?" Shawn asked.
"No, I think we should play it safe and leave her in dreamland for a while." Lori suggested.
"Besides the bell won't ring for awhile." Orlando said.
Mae snapped out of dreamland after 5 minutes.
Julian was walking to their table now.
"Here comes one of the pirates." Mae said and couldn't keep a straight face.
"Hey Mariano." Julian said.
"What do you want Julian." Lori said with a bored look on her face.
"I hear we start working on the journalism projects during class tomorrow." Julian said.
"Ok." Lori said.
"Mariano stop giving me that bored look on your face. I apologize I'm not as interesting as Will Huntly. But we are partners on this project and like you, I want to pass this course." Julian said with a smirk.
Lori was turning red from embarrassment.
Julian started grinning when he saw Lori turning red.
"I'll see you later partner." Julian said while walking away.
"He knows." Lori said disgusted.
"Of course he knows." Mae said.
"Watch Julian ask you about your relationship with Will, during your interview." Shawn said.
Lori groaned.
"Cheer up. Julian isn't that bad, compared to Maggie." Mae said.
"What's so bad about Maggie as a partner." Shawn asked.
"Everything you tell her will be on the fast tracks of the rumor mill." Mae said.
"Crap." Shawn just realized Maggie's rumor powers.
"Serves you right." Mae said again.
"I know, I know karma." Shawn said.
A friend of Maggie's came up to the table.
"Would you four like a Chilton gossip update." The girl said.
"Yes." Mae said before the boys could object.
"Well there's a 50 chance that Will Huntly will ask Lori Gilmore on a date." The girl announced.
"What's your proof?" Mae asked.
"Will asked Maggie about the things Lori was into. Like food, places and hobbies." The girl said.
Lori's jaw was dropped.
"What else you got." Mae asked.
"The pairings for Ms. Adams's honors journalism classes' projects. Periods 1, 2, 3, 6&7."
"Next gossip." Mae said.
"That Patrick Huntzberger broke up with his summer fling."
"Who was the girl?" Mae asked with interest.
"Bridget Novak."
"No way. Novak was Patrick's girlfriend for the whole summer. That lucky girl." Mae said.
"He broke up with her. Because school started and it's rumored that he only sees his secret crush only at school." The girl said.
"Who's Patrick's secret crush?" Mae asked fast. The boys were trying not to laugh, because of Mae's interest in Patrick's personal life.
"He won't say." The girl said with a sad face.
"I hear it's one of the best kept secrets." Mae said.
"It is. Even Maggie doesn't know." The girl said.
"Any other good gossip?" Mae asked.
"Only one more. Juniors Gina Bright's mom and Harvey Mallard's dad were caught making out during a business meeting."
"Oh my gosh." Mae said.
"What's so bad. So what their single parents finally found partners to date." Shawn said.
"Not if Gina and Harvey have been girlfriend and boyfriend for about 4 months now." Mae said.
"Ok, that's disgusting to picture. That your mom might be dating your boyfriend's single dad." Lori said.
The girl left to go spread the gossip to another table.
"I can't believe Will is interested in me." Lori said happily.
"I'm so glad Patrick is single again." Mae said happily.
Orlando rolled his eyes.
"I can't believe it's only two days into the school year and the gossip mill is on overdrive." Orlando said to Shawn.
"Sad, that most of the female population only cares about this week's gossips." Shawn said to Orlando.
"My life is officially on the fast track." Lori said.
"Why's that." Mae said.
Orlando and Shawn were also paying attention to what Lori had to say.
"Yesterday I was paired up with a guy I utterly dislike. Today I have a 50 chance on being asked on a date with Will Huntly." Lori said.
Orlando laughed.
Shawn rolled his eyes.
Mae was now dreaming about Patrick.
Then the bell rang.
"Guess it's time for our next class." Orlando said.
"I can't be late. Patrick's in my next class." Mae said.
Lori, Shawn and Orlando pretended not to hear Mae's last statement when heading towards their next classes.