new kid / h.s

05

K A T

When I met eyes with my dad, it was obvious that I was in a bit of trouble. My hair was soaked, my clothes drenched and I looked a hot mess.

"Where's Noah?" my dad asked. "Who was that boy and why were you hugging him?"

I couldn't help but ball my fists at his need to pry into every aspect of my private life. "He's just a friend, dad. And Noah ditched me. So he was my ride."

"I didn't see a car."

My dad put his hands on his hips and motioned for me to come to him. I did as I was told.

"That's because someone slashed his tires." I said when I got close enough. That didn't seem to make my alibi any better.

"I'm going to be having a chat with Noah's par--"

"No!" I interrupted. "Don't. There's no need. He was just upset today, that's all. He'll drive me home tomorrow."

He opened the door for me to come in. "Well, I'll be working late tomorrow. And I expect you to go straight to your job at the cafe after school and work an extra shift. Evelyn says they need you."

"Right." I internally groaned and came inside with him. I didn't even give him my usual hello before storming upstairs to my room and locking my door.

The first thing I wanted to do was text Noah. If it wasn't for him, I would have been home-- dry by now. But even then, I wouldn't have grabbed frozen yogurt with Harry.

I was still in need of a reason to be upset with Noah, though.

to: Noah
next time ur not gonna give me a ride tell me. i got in a lot of trouble bc of you. ur not the only one mad, u inconsiderate prick

Before I even let my conscious decide, I hit send and locked my screen. Almost immediately my phone chined, but I knew nothing that Noah could say would make me feel any remorse for what I said.

*

The next day at school, everyone was checking out the posters for prom that Harry had spent time to put up. I saw boys talking in groups, secretly meeting about how they were going to ask their girl to the dance.

But Noah was no where to be seen.

There was no way, after yesterday's argument, that Noah was going to ask me to prom. He could just as easily as Valerie, who was considered the hottest senior girl. I hated her for that. I always had.

"Hey!" Caitlyn said when I bumped into her in the halls. It was free period, so I didn't have anywhere to be for a while. Caitlyn had a habit of always talking to me right before class.

I smiled and fiddled with my backpack strings. "What's up, Cait?"

"Well, Noah is going around telling everyone you broke up with him and I just wanted to make sure that was true!" she giggled. "If you dumped him, good for you because it's making you look really good!"

My head spun in circles. "What?"

Immediately Caitlyn caught on. "You didn't break up with him... did you?"

I shook my head.

"So this is all a rumor." she gasped. "Noah is trying to break up with you, Kat!"

Now that was a relief. And it didn't even make me look bad. Could things get any better for me?

Wait, there was my answer. Harry came strolling down the hallway holding more prom posters, and when he noticed me he stopped by.

"Hey." he said in his low voice, smiling to me and Caitlyn. We both smiled back, but my effort was much more valuable to him than hers.

"What's up, Harry?" I asked though I already knew. He must've heard the news about Noah and I.

He toyed at one of the rings in his finger. I had just noticed it, but when I saw I realized how beautiful it was. "I heard the news." he said finally. "About you and Noah." he paused, "And I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry you guys split. It's too bad."

"That's alright, Harry." I smiled, and meant it. It was weird how everyone assumed that this breakup was going to leave me in tears. Because it sure wasn't. "It's fine. I'll find another prom date."

He nodded slowly, giving the papers in his hand a long examination. "I bet you will." He said when he looked up. Caitlyn looked very suspicious of what he was saying. "Pretty girls don't go to prom alone."

"Um, I'll be her date." Caitlyn interjected. "That's what friends are for, right Kat?"

I was hesitant to answer. "Yes." I said curtly. What she was trying to do, I had no idea of.

But what she said definitely bugged Harry. "Okay. See you guys around then." he looked down and kept walking down the hall, and eventually disappeared around a corner.

"What was that?!" I snapped at Caitlyn. She seemed taken aback. "He's the new kid and he might have a thing for me. So what?"

She rolled her eyes. "No need to be self conceited, dear. He was obviously thirsty. Well, according to what I heard from his previous school anyway."

My heart skipped a beat. "What are you talking about?"

I could tell that my curiosity and general worry was something that Caitlyn was feeding off of. That was her thing. It always had been. "I just don't trust him, okay?"

And with that she was sashaying down the hallway, in the same direction that Harry went.