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2. The New Girl

Senior Prank Night was a major success. Everyone had fun, the pranks were well thought out, no one went overboard and screwed everything up. It was a good night. But it did not compare to the morning after, when the teachers got hit with the pranks. For the better part of the next day you could hear the laughter coming from the high school all around Bluebell.

"I guess it's save to say that Prank Night was a success" Dr. Wilkes said to his colleague, Dr. Brick Breeland, as they sat in the medical practice sipping on their morning coffee.

"Yes, it looks that way. Lemon looked pleased enough when she came home last night"

"Zoe too, looks like they had some fun"

They finished their coffee and headed off to their separate offices. A moment later a young girl walked through the front door.

"Excuse me, is anyone here" she called out from the reception desk. Both the doctors stepped out.

"Hello there. I'm Dr. Harley Wilkes, what can I do for you?"

"I read in the paper that you were looking for a receptionist"

"Aren't you a little young for that, have you even finished high school?" Brick asked in a concerned voice.

"Yeah, I graduated in the spring, I just turned 18 years old" the girl said confidently

"Did you just move to Bluebell?" Harley asked, also concerned.

"Well, not really, I might if I got this job" she said, her confidence suddenly dropping.

"Well, what about your parents?" Harley asked again.

"What about them? As I said, I'm 18. I don't need parents" she replied with a great deal of defensive attitude.

"Alright, do you have any work experience?" Brick asked, trying to move the subject in a better direction.

"Not really. I mean, I have babysat a couple of times and once worked in a supermarket for a week"

"Alright, lets say that we give you a chance, a trial-week. We'd help you out in the mornings and in the afternoons you'd be accompanied by my daughter, she can show you the ropes, she was working here in the summer" Harley said.

"I don't need to be supervised by some little girl" the girl said, her attitude back.

"It's your choice. This is the offer we are giving you, take it or leave it"

The girl was quiet for a moment, clearly contemplating the offer.

"Fine – I'll take it" she said hesitantly.

"Great, now I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Dr. Brick Breeland, what is your name?"

"Uhm... it's Hannah. Hannah Lewis"

"Well, nice to meet you Hannah. I'll show you the ropes" Brick said and showed her behind the desk.

Harley looked at her sceptically before turning and heading into his office. He found her pause before she introduced herself both worrying and concerning. There clearly was some deep and dark story behind that girl. He just hoped that it wouldn't follow her to Bluebell.

Zoe sat alone eating lunch. It wasn't that unusual. Her friends didn't want to eat outside and Jonah was sitting with his mates. She was enjoying herself, reading one of the medical journals she'd snagged from her dad's office when her phone rang. Speaking of her dad.

"Hey dad, what's up?"

"Hey honey. Listen, we have hired a new receptionist on a trial basis and I would really appreciate it if you'd come by after school and help her"

"Yeah, sure. I didn't have anything special planned and your practice isn't exactly like the ER in some fancy city hospital. I can just as well do my homework over there"

"Hey. We get plenty of action"

"Sure, dad, what ever you need to tell yourself" she said laughing. It was not exactly a new topic. She'd teased him about the practice a thousand times, but they both new that she loved it.

"OK, I won't bother you anymore, enjoy the rest of your day and I'll see you at 4"

"Yeah, see you later" she replied and hung up the phone.

They'd hired a new receptionist already. The ad had only been running for a couple of days, she had half expected that they wouldn't find anyone for months. After all, this was Bluebell. Maybe it was someone from here, but she just couldn't figure out who.

"Ya know, it hurts your brain to think so hard"

"Hey, Annabeth, what's up?"

"Oh, not much. Just wanted to ask if you wanted to go shopping tomorrow after school. I desperately need a new dress for the dance that's coming up"

"Has anyone asked you yet?" Zoe said ecclesiastically.

"Well, no" Annabeth said a little sad.

"Hey, I'm sure someone will, I mean, it's still two weeks until the dance" Zoe said, trying to cheer her up. "But I don't think I can go tomorrow. My dad just hired a new receptionist and he needs me to show her the ropes, and I'll guess she won't get it all down today, it'll probably take most of the week"

"Oh, I understand, this weekend maybe?"

"Yeah, sure, I'd really like that" Zoe smiled at her and Annabeth returned the smile before walking away. They did not notice Lemon watching them from across the courtyard, looking anything but happy.

Zoe walked into the medical practice just as the clock stroke four. She walked to the reception desk but no one was there. She walked over to her dad's office and found him buried in patient charts.

"Hey dad"

Harley looked up and smiled at his daughter.

"Hey honey. How was your day?"

"Good thanks"

"Good. Well have you met Hannah yet?"

"Hannah?"

"Yeah, the new girl"

"Uhm, no. There's nobody at the reception"

"Huh, that's weird, let's go see if Brick knows something"

They walked over to Dr. Breeland's office. He was busy treating a patient.

"Excuse me, Brick, I'm sorry for interrupting, but do you know where Hannah went"

"No, she isn't at the reception. She was there when you came in, wasn't she Mrs. Long?"

"No, there was no one there, so I just knocked on your door, 'cause I knew young Zoe here was at school" the middle aged woman said.

"Hmm, that's weird. We'll go look for her, you just continue in here" Harley said and he and Zoe walked back out of Brick's office.

"She's new in town, where would she have gone. And why didn't I notice it?"

"Common, dad, you were so buried in your patient charts that you didn't notice me coming in"

"Well, I guess your right"

"Look, we'll just go outside, split up and go look for her. Bluebell isn't exactly a big town, we'll find her" Zoe said reassuringly, seeing how worried her dad was. He was such a kind person. He had even told her once that he hadn't had a paternity test done when he found out about her. He said he'd just known the first time he'd laid eyes on her that she was his, but even if she wasn't, she'd been all alone and he'd have gladly taken her on. He was probably the nicest person she knew. She really wanted to be able to be like him when she grew up.

Wade was in a really bad mood. He'd been hearing about how great Prank Night had been all day, followed by questions asking why he hadn't been there. He got home, heard noises from upstairs – Jesse playing a video game. That didn't better his mood. He just walked to the fridge and grabbed a six pack of beer and headed out. That was one good thing about having a drunk for a dad – easy access to booze. He got in his car and drove off to the woods at the northern edge of town. He parked in his usual spot and walked off until he reached the pond. It was his secret hideout, he'd been coming her ever since his mother died. But there was someone there. A girl that looked to be somewhere around his age, maybe a year or two older. She was sitting on a rock, her feet almost touching the water. She was wearing torn jeans and a tank top, her hair falling free, covering her face so she couldn't see him. He just stood there for a moment before turning to go back.

"Sorry if I crashed your pity party" he heard a voice saying from behind him.

He turned around. Damn, she was hot!

"Who said I was having a pity party?"

"The six pack of beer" she said, pointing at the beer in his hand.

"Maybe I was expecting someone" he said, turning his charm on.

"Yeah, well, I should go then, don't wanna interrupt your date or whatever"

"How said you were interrupting?"

The girl looked as if she was waging a war in her head. Just go for it , he thought. She was clearly not from around here, then he'd know her, and the odds of her moving here were slim to nothing, and he couldn't think of a better fix for his bad mood. She seemed to have reached a decision, and he liked her conclusion.

Zoe walked back into the medical practice two hours later. She'd walked all over town but no one had seen or heard anything about this mystery girl. Harley and Brick were sitting in the waiting room, looking rather worried.

"Are you sure you didn't just imagine this girl?" Zoe asked trying to lighten the mood. She didn't succeed. Neither of the men said anything.

An hour later they were still sitting in the same positions when the front door opened and a girl walked in. She was wearing torn jeans and a tank top, her hair all rumbled and her lipstick a little worn off. She had a nice body, filled out her top quite nicely and Zoe guessed that she was a couple years her senior. Definitely not what she had expected.

"Hannah, thank god. We've been worried sick" Harley said as the men rushed up to greet her.

"Why? It's not like your my dads or something"

"Well, we are your employers and you were expected to be at the office. We got worried when you didn't. But if that is your usual way, I do not see this arrangement working out" Brick said sternly, realizing that, at least for now, there was no use in being overly caring or protective.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize" she said, sounding sincere.

"Well, it's late and we better all head home. Have you got a place to stay?"

When she didn't respond right away Harley took matters into his own hands.

"No worries, you'll be staying with us. That way you don't have to walk to work and you could get to know Zoe better, you are close in age and I'd say you need at least one good friend to make it in Bluebell"

Neither Zoe nor Hannah seemed too pleased with this arrangement, but neither said anything.

"Well, that's settled then" Brick said and they all headed off.

Wade was standing over the open hood of his car, trying to fix it up a bit when he saw Dr. Wilkes car driving up the driveway. It wasn't often that the doctor came home so late, but he didn't really care. But then he saw that he wasn't alone in the car. Zoe was with him, no real surprise there, she was such a goody-two-shoes and a daddy's girl, but there was a third person. It was the girl from the woods. And she had a bag. And she was walking in with the others. Was she staying with the doctor?