J
Six Years Ago
I hear her before I see her. She's walking up the hallway with her band of asshole friends. I close my locker and turn just as they walk by. They don't stop. Thank God. I merge into the flow of traffic, my best and only friend, Nayeon, joining me. We're almost to class when she stops in the middle of the hallway, does a one-eighty, and faces me. Shit. I don't want to deal with her today. I was foolish to think I escaped her.
Everyone in the hall stops to watch. Their backs are pressed against their lockers, each getting a view of today's entertainment. They always stop and observe anything she does. Hotshot, super wealthy, Lisa Manoban. All the guys want to be her, and all the girls want to do her.
"Nini," She says, her eyes fixated on me. She's the only one who calls me that. "I missed you yesterday. Will you be coming by tonight?"
"Not in your dreams, asshole," I growl.
"How will your mom get home then? You have your family's only car, don't you? You drove it to school. I mean, no one can miss that red beast in the parking lot." Her friends laugh, as do the others. Great. Just what I need—the whole school is making fun of me again. It's bad enough my family doesn't fit in since we aren't made of money, but my car—my mom's car—it draws attention on its own with its faded and chipped red paint, and the dent on the back hatch, thanks to my mom backing up one night and not seeing the tree behind her.
I give Lisa the finger and try to brush past her, but she grips my elbow, not letting me by. I freeze. I hate it when she does this. It's almost a daily occurrence. She finds me at some point every day and makes a dick remark in front of everyone. Not even Nayeon backs me up. Some friend she is. She secretly pines for Lisa's attention. She's never said as much, but I know. Your best friend always knows.
"Not so fast, Nini," she says.
"My name is Jennie, you asshole," I seethe.
Her eyes bore into mine with a matching fire. It's equal hatred. I just can't understand why she chooses to pick on me. There are plenty of other kids in this school, yet I'm the object of her harassment. Not once has she singled out anyone else like she does me.
She leans forward and for a second I think she's going to kiss me, which makes zero sense. Like the dumbass I am, I lick my lips and focus on hers. Sure, she's hot. Okay, she's fucking beautiful, with her black hair and eyes so blue they resemble a clear ocean. She knows it, too, and that's one of her problems. Cocky, rich girl. However, I'm no different than any girl in the school. Once you see her, there's a part of you that wants her. I try to bury that part down deep, but every once in a while, it shows. Like right now.
My body tilts ever so slightly toward her. I want her to kiss me. My teenage hormones are going wild being this close to her. I can't help it. The only kiss I ever had was with an exchange student, freshman year. Once Lisa saw my interest in her, she quickly recruited him to her group.
Lisa has this ability to make me block out the rest of the world when her eyes are on mine. I don't know what it is about her, but I hate it. I loathe it—because she's fully aware of the effect she has on me and uses it to her advantage. Like she's going to in three, two, one.
Lisa bursts out laughing. All her friends quickly follow, as does most of the hallway. My eyes dart around as a blush quickly heats my cheeks.
"Did you think I was going to kiss you?" She asks through her fit of laughter. Then she sobers so fast I'm surprised I don't get whiplash. "I wouldn't kiss the help." The help. That's what I am to her: the daughter of the woman who assists her mother with her business. Maybe if my mom didn't work for her, I wouldn't be on her radar. I didn't have the pleasure of knowing her in grade school, since we only moved to Arrow Falls, Pennsylvania the summer before freshman year.
I close my eyes tight and wish the entire encounter away. When I open my eyes, everyone will be staring and laughing, just as they always are. One thing is certain, though. Lisa will be gone. Once she gets a good dig at me, she's off with her friends again as if we never exchanged words.
The laughter dies down. All I hear now is the shuffling of feet on the school floor. A hand lightly touches my arm, making me jump. My eyes open and I come face-to-face with Nayeon. She's trying hard not to smile. I'd call her a bitch, but I don't have any other friends. As much as she wants to join Lisa's little clan, she stays by my side. I'm grateful for that. At least I have someone.
"I'm sorry," she says, trying to stifle her smile. "I don't mean to laugh."
"Go to hell." I walk away from her. Nayeon will brush off my words like she always does. I need to get to class. It's only second period and my day is already ruined. Lisa rarely shows up at the same time every day. There are days I'm lucky and don't see her until the end of the day.
Nayeon runs after me, but I ignore her. I can't get the image of her laughing, along with the other jerks, out of my head. We enter history together and take our seats at the far end of the room, next to the windows. Everyone's eyes are on me as they whisper to one another.
Nayeon leans forward on the desk behind me when we sit down. "I really am sorry, Jennie. Honest."
I let out a long sigh. "Whatever." I don't feel like arguing with her. Her apology is genuine; it always is. However, it doesn't change what she did and will continue to do where Lisa is concerned.
She doesn't get a chance to say anything else. The bell rings. Our teacher starts talking in his monotone voice, effectively putting half the class to sleep. I take the time to stare out the window and daydream.
What would it be like if I were rich? Would Lisa still make fun of me, or would I finally measure up to the invisible bar she has set for those around her? Only the super-rich can be her friends. I swear she has a list of requirements her cronies must meet before she lets them join her group.
Must have:
2009 or newer BMW
Zero morals
Clothes to make you look like you stepped out of a magazine ad for preppy dicks
Willingness to follow the leader—no questions asked
Ability to laugh when the leader laughs, regardless if it's funny or not
No independent thoughts
Those are only her requirements. Thinking about the idiot girls who hover around her is a whole other story. Yes, she's attractive, but then she opens her mouth and her personality drives away anyone with half a brain. Except me. I have a brain. I'm smart as hell but somehow keep getting sucked into her traps. Stupid, foolish Jennie.
I spend the rest of class trying to focus on what our teacher is droning on about; however, history isn't interesting to me. Luckily, the bell rings, saving me from any further torture.
Out in the hall, I walk as fast as I can without drawing attention to myself. I want to get to my locker, grab my books, and get to the safety of my next classroom. With Lisa gunning for me so early in the morning, I dread what the rest of the day will be like.
Somehow, and I'm not sure how, I make it through the day without seeing her again. That is, until I leave the building and start walking to my car. There she is, leaning up against the passenger side of my mom's old Subaru station wagon, with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face. She's alone, though. No clan of morons along with her to ridicule me.
I stop when I'm a foot away from where she's standing. "Get off my car."
"Sorry," she says, and turns around to rub her hand over faded red paint her ass was just touching. "Didn't mean to damage the beast." If it were possible to roll your eyes clean out of your head, I would have done it by now.
"Just move. I need to leave." I quickly hit the unlock button on the remote. I need to get out of here. Nothing good will come from me talking to her, especially when I have no clue what she's up to. That thought scares me. She could have anything up her sleeve.
"Your mom doesn't finish working for three hours. We should go do something."
My eyes narrow. What game is she playing? "I'm good, thanks."
"Let me at least walk you to your door."
"Get the hell away from me." I try to step around her, but she stays by my side as we walk around the rear of the car. She then pushes herself ahead, quickly opening the door for me. I ignore her and throw my bag inside. "Leave."
She smiles innocently, with her white, straight teeth, and closes my door once I'm inside. She backs away with a stupid smile on her face. Prick.
Lisa quickly runs away when I start the engine and put my car in reverse. I back out of the spot and shift it to drive. It's then I notice everyone around me laughing and pointing. Pointing right at my driver's side door. A few have also taken out their phones and snapped pictures and videos of me. I throw the car in park and jump out to figure out what's got them going.
Then I see it: a blown-up picture of me leaning in toward Lisa like I'm about to kiss her and the revolted look on her face at the thought. Perfect. Just fucking perfect. Plastered on my door for all of Arrow Falls High to see.
I rip the picture from my door as fast as possible and crumple it into a ball, throwing it on the front seat. The parking lot is suddenly too small, and I'm starting to hyperventilate. I need to get out of here.
Slowly, not wanting to go too fast in the parking lot and feel the wrath of the principal for driving over the speed limit, I make my way to the far end where the road to freedom is. It's there, where the parking lot meets Front Street, where I see Lisa holding a bright yellow sign with the words, "Not in your wildest dreams" written on it in bold, black, block letters. Standing beside her is Bae Irene, one of the most popular girls in the school.
Once Lisa knows she has my attention, she clutches Irene side with her free hand and kisses her hard on the mouth, just because she can. A big fuck you to me, saying she will never kiss me like that. I hate high school.