The Olive Theory

Chapter 3

AMICA

Walking through the crowded hallway, I finally made it to Natalia's locker, the one with the heart stickers all over the door. Lily leaned against the wall of the lockers, her vibrant orange hair tied up in a messy bun, and her blue eyes glued to her phone screen through her long fake lashes. Vivian and Zac, two of my friends, were engaged in a heated debate, per usual. Zac ran a hand through his unruly hair, and was trying to provoke Vivian, who was already worked up over the smallest things. I overheard Zac's voice say, "Well, personally, I think both Trump and Biden are amazing presidents," which made Vivian's eyes flare up with fury.

"Woah, don't you think it's a bit early in the morning for a political debate?" I interrupted, walking over to the group standing by Natalia's locker. Vivian crossed her arms, her dark curls falling around her face as she turned to face me.

"Yeah, totally, but you have to back me up on this," she said, sounding exasperated. I glanced over at Zac, who smirked as he pushed his thick glasses up the bridge of his nose. I rolled my eyes, trying to hide a smile.

"You two fight like siblings," I said to them, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Yeah, and it doesn't help that you two look like siblings too," Lily quipped, her eyes still glued to her phone.

"Um, racist much?" Vivian replied sarcastically, raising an eyebrow at Lily.

"Wait, what?" Lily said, looking up from her phone in confusion. Zac snorted. Suddenly, I heard a high-pitched squeal. I looked up and saw Natalia approaching, practically skipping down the hallway with Michael following closely behind. Her long bleached blonde hair was flowing behind her as big green eyes filled with excitement.

"Oh my gosh, Amica!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug. She seemed more excited than usual, which meant she had some juicy gossip to share.

"Hey," I grinned as we hugged. As we pulled away, she kept her hands on my shoulders, looking at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I have so much to tell you," she said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Vivian looked at her skeptically.

"Girl, it's eight in the morning. Tone it down a notch," she scoffed, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Sorry, sorry," Natalia apologized, waving her hand at her. "I just have very important gossip."

"Is it that there's a new boy in our grade? 'Cause if so, we all already know," Zac interjected, grinning broadly.

"Huh?" I asked, confused. New kids at our school were rare. In a small town like Willowbrook, with a population of about 13,000 people, everyone knew everyone; and Willowbrook Valley High was the only high school in our town.

"Damn it, Zac! I was creating a buildup for Amica," Natalia groaned, tilting her head back slightly before sending him a withering look."Why do you always ruin everything?"

"Tell me about it," Vivian muttered under her breath. Zac's Adam's apple bobbed slightly before he played it off with his classic grin. I looked at Natalia, still confused.

"Wait, there's a new boy?" I asked, hoping for more information. Natalia turned to face me, her eyes sparkling with excitement all over again.

"There's a new guy in our grade, and he's totally your type," she said with a grin. "You know how you're always telling me that you want the perfect guy, who's super handsome and-"

"Natalia, not now, please," I interrupted, feeling embarrassed as Zac and Lily chuckled.

"Oh right, sorry, I'll keep your little secret," she said, still grinning. "But anyways, he's exactly your type. He's tall, blonde, British, and so handsome. His name is Peter Jones."