CHAPTER TWO
Julie really was a nice girl. She helped me unpack, telling me lots of stories about the Ducks. As we shoved my suitcase into the closet, there was a knock on the door and we slammed the closet door shut when the door opened.
"Hey Dean," Julie grinned as I flopped onto my bed, tired.
"We're gonna head down. No one sent us a memo when to get there." It turned my head to see the boy from earlier. The one who didn't turn off the music, the angel that would pretty much haunt my dreams until put to paper. Shut up, I know its cliché.
"We're last?" Julie questioned and the boy, Dean, nodded, "Great, c'mon Krysta."
"No," I groaned, turning on my side, away from them. The boy chuckled but Julie thwacked me with a pillow.
"Get your lazy ass up," she yelled but I turned to see her smiling.
"Bitch," I muttered, sitting up and she shrugged, "Fine, let me change." I threw myself at the closet, pulling out a shirt and exchanged my worn, dirty feeling one, for a clean, green one. I turned back to the door to see a wide-eyed Dean and a laughing Julie. "What?"
"C'mon," she shook her head and I shrugged, following her. Another boy, the one that turned off the music, joined us. "Krysta, these are the Bash Brothers: Dean and Fulton."
"Fulton?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow, "Last name?"
"Nope, it's my first name," he laughed, elbowing Dean, "Last name's Reed."
"Weird," I muttered and he shrugged. Julie looked at Dean but Fulton shook his head.
"So," he breathed out, "You like Eden Hall so far?"
"I've been here three hours, can't really judge yet."
"What, no snappy come back?" Julie laughed and I shrugged. I was tired. The walk to the diner was nice; Fulton seemed pretty cool but Dean, or Portman as Fulton called him, was quiet. Like abnormally quiet. I'm gonna be honest here: it scared me, but somehow, I couldn't get his chest out of my mind. "Hey you okay?"
"Huh, yeah," I smiled weakly before yawning; she laughed. I had been traveling all day incase you didn't notice. She dragged me over to a rowdy group of boys, who quieted as the boy from before stared at me.
"Krysta, this is-."
"Charlie Conway, Captain of the team, nice to have me here, yeah I know," I yawned again and she shook her head, "Krysta Justin, I don't like people."
"You don't like, people?" one of the boys laughed, "What're you, an alien?"
"Yes, from planet, 'shut up or I'll kick your ass'."
"Sounds familiar," he mused and I raised an eyebrow, looking at Julie.
"That's Averman," she told me, her eyes laughing; I felt like hitting something.
"Special," I muttered before she pushed me into a chair. I saw a hand to my left and turned to see the kid I remembered as goalie when I looked over the team. "Can I help you?"
"I'm Goldberg," he offered a friendly smile, his hand still out but after flicking my eyes from his hands to his face a couple times, he withdrew it. Someone slapped my arm and I turned to glare at them.
"Be nice," Julie hissed. Who the hell was she? Jesus, she's like a mother . . .
"Old Hag," I muttered unconsciously but went wide-eyed when I saw the boy beside her laugh.
"I think you're one of the only people who can talk to her like that and not have a bruise when done."
"Yay?" I raised an eyebrow, "Who're you?"
"Ken," he grinned.
"Weren't you a figure skater? Dude, where're your tights?"
"Tights?" another boy repeated, spitting out the drink he had in his mouth.
"Russ!" Goldberg grimaced before looking at his hand and lifting it to his lips but I reached out, pulling the sticky limb down.
"That's disgusting," I stated; he looked down, embarrassed and I smiled, shaking my head. I looked across the table and grinned when I saw another boy, in a polo shirt, sneaking glances at the captain, Charlie. He looked surprised when I kicked him lightly but when I tilted my head, smiling widely, he went bright red. I swear, like a tomato. It was funny.
"You are an evil little girl," a voice chuckled and I turned to the Russ character looking at me.
"Evil?"
"Well you aren't a good girl are you?"
"No, I suppose not," I grinned.
"Leave her alone Russ," Ken said, humor in his tone.
"What? I haven't done anything," Russ defended, "Yet."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, listen Krysta," Ken waved a hand at Russ, "If this guy buys you, just-."
"What? Tell you?" Russ scoffed, "Mr. Tights." Ken stood, as well as Russ, but Charlie did too.
"Calm down guys."
"Sheesh, Capitano, just having fun," I mocked and he rolled his eyes smiling.
"We got off to a bad start," he said as he sat and I shrugged, but noted he didn't stick out his hand.
"One can't start if there's no finish."
"What does that mean," Ken asked.
"Like I know," I scoffed, "My dad says stuff, falls out of my mouth."
"Yeah, like everything else you day," Julie laughed, expecting me to retort but I didn't. I was true.
"So Krysta," Averman started up and I gave him a patient look, "Why're you equipment manager for us Ducks?"
"Why is your team name the Ducks?" I retorted, not really feeling like going into detail about my 'issues'.
"We were the warriors," Polo-Boy piped-up, his face normal colour again.
"No," another girl leaned forward, out of a boy's arms, "Eden hall used to be the Warriors, we've always been the Ducks, Adam."
"Dude, how many people are on the freaking hockey team?" I muttered, flopping back into my chair.
"Thirteen."
"Shit," I breathed out. Well, this was gonna be fun . . .
"Too many people?" Russ grinned and I shrugged. Looking up, I caught Adam's eyes again, smiling. His eyes flashed with suspicion but I shook my head. The rest of dinner was quite eventful. Russ provoked Ken playfully and Julie told me more stories about the Ducks. As I said before, eventful, huh?
"I have to go," I muttered, barely able to keep my eyes open.
"Alright, I'll see you when I'm back."
"Yeah, asleep," I yawned, standing. Adam stood too and I raised an eyebrow.
"Buddy system," Ken shrugged and I rolled my eyes.
"Lame," I said, waiting for Adam to round the table. We walked out the diner and the first few steps were silent but I had to ask. "So you and Charlie, huh?"
"What?" he spluttered, but I gave him an 'it's obvious' look, "How's you know?"
"Well, when you've been ignoring people for as long as I have, you learn to observe when you have nothing else better to do," I shrugged, but when he gave me a bewildered expression, I raised my voice as if he were stupid, "You look at him funny."
"Oh," he blushed.
"I'm observant, I pride that."
"Yeah, well, he's straight."
"I dunno," I dragged out, "He seemed like he was trying not to at you. So unless you've done or said something, there's a deeper meaning."
"I've probably done something," he moped and I rolled my eyes.
"Highly doubt it."
"I live with him."
"Oh," I muttered, "Dude, you guys have weird ass rooming situations."
"Tell me about it," he chuckled, obviously glad I changed the subject, "Connie and Guy are rooming together."
"Guys, the guy she was practically sleeping on top of?" He nodded and my eyebrows raised. "Obviously your school doesn't care about the pregnancy rate, huh?"
"It's your school too," he pointed out as we got to my door.
"It's your school too," he pointed out as we got to my door.
"Not for long," I smiled, "I'll last one, maybe two weeks tops."
"What's you mean?"
"Forget it," I sighed, rolling my eyes, "This was nice. Good luck with Charlie."
"Alright, see you tomorrow."
"Doubt it, aren't you a junior?"
"Yeah," he said slowly.
"Sophomore."
"You can still be in some classes." I shrugged, yawning again and he smiled. "You should go to bed."
"It's why I'm here," I stated.
"Alright, see you."
"Night Adam."
"Night Krysta."