*Samantha*
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEE-!
"Shut up you stupid alarm clock! Just so you know, I curse your creation every morning." I groaned stretching until my back popped then kicked the covers off. After the normal morning routine of doing my business and washing the sleep off my face, I went down stairs for some breakfast. As I made my way down the smell of bacon, eggs and sausage assaulted my senses. Walking into the kitchen I smiled.
"Good morning, grandma." I greeted kissing her on the cheek as I took the plate of delicious food from her waiting hands.
"Good morning, sweet pea. Is Derek driving you to school today?" my grandmother asked as she took a seat at the table with her own plate of breakfast and a cup of coffee. I scoffed as I opened the frigid for some orange juice.
"Of course he is, but I swear the only reason that boy even calls himself my best friend is to have an excuse to come over and eat your cooking." I said taking a seat and started on my own plate. My grandmother laughed at my childish rant while I shoveled some eggs into my mouth. It was maybe 10 minutes later that the obnoxious sound of a car horn was heard from the front door.
"Well you know what they say, 'Speak of the devil and he shall arrive.'" I sighed as the front door opened and Derek Waldin, my best friend, walked in.
Derek's a fairly tall guy standing at 5'10 with dirty blonde hair and pretty baby blues. Although I would never say it to his face, I have to admit that he's good looking with a strong jaw and a handsome face. Now that's not saying I have romantic feelings for the boy. He's more like the twin brother I never wanted but got anyways because karma was being a tool bag. Derek and I have been friends since dippers and throughout our whole friendship Derek has been enamored with Ariel Moore. Which if I was being honest I didn't understand, he could have any girl in school but the only one he's interested in doesn't even know he exists.
Ah well, C'est la vie.
"Good morning ladies, I'm here for a taste of Aggie's famous cooking…and to be Sammy's ride to school." Derek teased while placing a kiss on my grandmother's cheek. Derek wasted no time helping himself to some breakfast.
"Oh ha-ha you are SO funny, Derek. Ever consider dropping out of school to become a comedian?" I drawled, getting up from my seat and walking over to the sink, placing my dishes inside. "I'm gonna go get ready and you better be done stuffing your face by the time I come back down." I threatened as I left the kitchen and headed for the stairs.
"Whatever woman!"
After getting dressed I was gathering up all the things I needed for school when Rick Ross started singing to me from my nightstand.
"Hello?" I answered, holding the phone between my ear and shoulder.
"Tell me, Sammy, tell me why I still put up with her reckless dumb behavior?"
"Rusty, is that you?" I asked pulling the phone away from my ear and checking the caller I.D.
"Of course it's me. You have caller I.D moron." she snapped.
Yup it's Rusty.
"Oh really, you don't say. Well mine must not be working, why don't I hang up and check it out?" I asked, sarcasm oozing out of my mouth.
"No, I'm sorry! I'm just so mad and I'm taking it out on you. You don't deserve that." Rusty sighed.
"Well, since you apologized, I will allow you to rant about what has made you so angry." I said forgetting about my backpack for the moment and taking a seat on my bed.
"It's Ariel, yesterday after church Ariel and I went down to Chuck's daddy's race track. Everything was going fine and we cheered when Chuck won the race. Well after the race Chuck called Ariel down to the track like she was some kind of dog." Rusty fumed.
"And what did Ariel do?" I asked already having a bad feeling.
"She steals the checkered flag, runs down onto the track, and climbs onto the opened car window waving the flag as Chuck speeds around the race track!" Rusty half yells.
"Damn, that girl has officially lost it." I responded after getting over my shock.
"I know," Rusty huffed, "well enough of the drama. Do you need a ride to school?" she asked sounding less catty.
"Nah, I'm good. Derek's here eating my food, so he'll give me a ride." I told her causing her to laugh.
"I swear you treat that boy more like a slave than your best friend." she said, now it was my turn to laugh.
"Of course I do, he's my bitch." we burst into a fit of giggles. "Besides it saves me having to use my gas. See you at school Rusty." I said before hanging up.
Getting up I checked my outfit one last time; a white ACDC Back in Black tank top tucked into my black high-waisted shorts and black ankle boots. I grabbed my backpack and walked down stairs.
"Bye grandma," I said poking my head around the corner into the kitchen then looked at Derek, "Derek, lets go!" I yelled.
The ride to school was like any other day. Derek was in the drivers seat of is black f150, eyes on the road, while road shotgun and bobbed my head in time with the music. Today I was telling Derek about Ariel's latest cry for attention.
"-then Rusty told me that Ariel climbed onto the opened car window and waved the flag as Chuck recklessly sped around the race track." I finished telling him.
Derek didn't say anything right away, he just kind of sat there with a contemplative look his face.
"You're daydreaming of Ariel sitting on your car door, aren't you?"
"Yeah." He said simply. For that answer I pinched his nipple.
"Derek, you need help." I said, giving him my 'What the fuck is wrong with you?' face.
"Owe! What the hell, Sammy? I'm sorry but if you haven't noticed I'm a guy. An all American, red blooded male. And believe it or not these are typically the kind of thoughts that run through a boys mind. Besides I like her so my fantasies are understandable." Derek explained like if everything he just said made sense.
"Your logic is screwed and you're whipped." I concluded as we pulled into the school. After Derek parked I climbed out of the truck and walked around to the front hood and climbed up taking a seat. This is what we did every morning. Derek would park and then he and I would sit on the hood and hang out before the morning bell.
"Don't you just hate Mondays?" I asked and watched all the people loitering the parking lot. People were greeting each other and discussing what they did over the weekend.
"Yeah, I do hate Mondays. Now get off my truck. The warning bell is about to ring." Derek said as he grabbed my arm and pulled me off his truck. Thankfully I caught myself before I face planted into the asphalt.
"Aw, Derek, do we have to? Can't we just get back in your car and leave. Ya'know play hooky?" I asked as we walked towards the school entrance, Derek scoffed.
"No, we can't skip this week. We skipped last week, remember? Besides if we skip anymore we'll lose credit and then we won't have our education. Then we won't graduate and that means we'll be stuck in Bomont even longer." Derek lectured in his best Sunday school voice. I rolled my eyes.
"You are such a kill joy." I point out, earning myself a shove from the boy. "Anyway, what did you write about for Mrs. Thompson's writing prom-" I stopped when I heard Black and Yellow by Wiz Kahlifa blasting through the parking lot. Like everyone else, I turned to find the source of the music. The sound was coming from a beat up yellow bug that zoomed into the parking lot. When the car parked I noticed it was the Mr. New Guy I saw yesterday from church. Stepping out of the yellow bug Mr. New Guy was wearing a leather jacket, green button down with a black tie, dark denim jeans and classic Chuck Taylor's.
"Who do you think that is?" Derek asked as we watched the new guy talk to Rusty and Ariel.
"Don't know, but I can guarantee we'll find out by the end of the day." I said just before the warning bell rang, "Now come let's go to class!" I said then continued on towards the building.
*Ren*
"Where the hell is this class?" I mumbled looking down at my class schedule. I ignored all the people staring at me as I glanced around the hallway. I had just passed computer class when I spotted a display cabinet filled with pictures and other trinkets. Stopping to take a look, I realized that it was a sort of memorial. Inside the cabinet there was a plaque that read "you will not be missing from our lives." There were pictures, trophies, class rings, school accomplishment awards and little toys that the families of the deceased had placed inside. While I was looking at it all I spotted a picture of Ariel. In the picture Ariel was posing with a boy a few years older than her. Taking in their facial features I noted that they must have been related somehow. After a few moments of studying the memorial I turned my attention back to my class schedule. I cruised further down the hallway taking a right. I almost lost my balance when I collided with someone.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, little guy." Some dude decked out in a camouflage shirt barked.
"Sorry, man. I didn't see you." I apologize absently trying to look for my class. But camouflage dude had more to say apparently.
"It's like driving. Stick with the flow of traffic, numbnuts." Says the dumbass wearing a red hat. Forgetting about my schedule for the moment I turned to face guy.
"Maybe if you weren't wearing all that camouflage, I could see you. You should get one of them orange vests so hunters don't shoot you." I snapped back, not bothering to hide the smirk on my face.
"An orange vest? I don't wear orange. I'm not a Tennessee fan. I'm Georgia Bulldog." Was Country Boy's reply. "Where you from? You talk funny."
"I talk funny. I talk funny? You should hear you from my end." I argued. "I'm from Boston." I answer but seeing the blank look on his face I added, "Massachusetts?"
Still the same blank look on his face.
"It's the United States?" I supplied sarcastically.
"Yeah. I read that somewhere." The hick scoffed in reply then smiled. "What's up, man? I'm Willard."
I hesitated for a second, looking between him and his hand, before finally grasping his in a hand shake.
"I'm Ren. MacCormack."
"Nice to meet you. Let me see this." Willard then took my schedule and flipped it over so he could read it.
"Literature and Composition. That's this way. Follow me." Willard said leading the way down the hallway. Walking along side him I adjusted my backpack back on my shoulder. Willard was still looking over my schedule when he looked up to me. He was looking over my clothes.
"People give you shit about that tie yet?"
"Nah, but the day just started." I laughed.
*Samantha*
"-So, Etta, what happened next?"
"Well as soon as Woody and his friends heard what song was playing, they jumped up and started dancing like their pants were on fire!" Etta, Woody's girlfriend, said and we all started laughing.
"Oh man that's funny." Derek laughed.
"No, what's funnier was Officer Herb walking around the corner and busting em' all! The look on their faces was priceless." Etta said.
"Oh man I wish I could've been there to see it." I admitted with a sigh.
"Girl, don't worry, I took a picture!" Etta screeched pulling up the picture on her phone handing it over to me and Derek. The picture sent us into a another round of laughter. In the picture is showed Officer Herb with his arms folded across his chest with Woody and the boys frozen in different dance poses. It was pretty hilarious.
"What're you hyenas laughing about?" someone asked from behind us. Looking over my shoulder I spot my hick of a cousin, Willard.
"We're laughing at this." I said with a smile and handed him Etta's phone so he could see the picture. Willard's reaction was the same as ours. When he calmed down he handed back the cell phone.
"Willard, what are you doing here? You don't have literature and composition this period." Derek asked.
"Yeah, that's right. I was showing the new kid around. Guys meet Ren MacCormack he's from Boston, Massachusetts." Willard introduced.
"Ren this is Derek Waldin, he's the running back on the football team." Willard said pointing at him.
"This is Etta Smith. Her boyfriend's the football captain. You'll meet him later." he said pointing her out.
"And that pest is Samantha, she's my cousin. But I'm pretty sure you could see the family resemblance, good looks run in our family." Willard boasted like he was some GQ model.
"Yeah. Good looks that happen to miss your ugly self." I laughed.
"Rusty thinks I'm hot." Willard shot back in defense.
"And I question her sanity every day." I goad. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you Ren." I chimed.
Looking up at him I smiled as he met my eyes and shot me a smile of his own. My smile grew as I extended my hand, holding it out to Ren. Ren chucled then took hold of my hand with his.
"Nice to meet you too, Sam."
"So Ren, what did you think of the church service yesterday?" I asked as we dropped hands.
"I enjoyed it, I especially liked the music. I mean how many churches play songs by Rick Ross?" Ren asked in a teasing voice.
"Ha-ha." I drawled out just before the literature teacher, Mr. Jones, walked in.
"Alright class let's settle down and find our seats. The front office told me we have a new stude-Willard get out of my class room!" Mr. Jones yelled pointing at Willard then the door. I laughed along with everyone else as Willard shot out the door. "As I was saying we have a new student today. Mr. Ren MacCormack will be joining our class and I expect everyone to be helpful and responsible. Mr. MacCormack, you can take that empty desk next to Ms. Airs." Mr. Jones said then got class started. As Ren took the desk next to mine I leaned forward towards Etta.
"I think the school year just got a little more interesting." I whispered. Etta turned in her seat looking at me then at Ren. meeting my eyes again she quirked a brow with a smirk on her face.
