new kid / h.s

12

K A T

The following Monday, it seemed like everyone had their prom dates sorted out-- except for me. Couples were making plans on transportation and dinner afterwards and getting ready, then there was me: sulking over people I thought I knew.

"Hey, sunshine." Caitlyn beamed when she saw me in the hallway and handed me a drink that looked like a milkshake.

"What's this?" I asked.

She giggled. "It's a strawberry creme frappe, silly! Drink up."

It was like she didn't even stir up the usual conversation, and then she was gone.

I eyed the unfamiliar drink suspiciously and decided to carry it with me to the locker room. This time I made sure it was the right gender, and I was surprised to see that no one had beat me to it this time.

I set my drink down and changed into my eye gym gear, then took a sip when I was done. It looked like it was a few inches off from where I left it, but I was sure I was just seeing things weird.

"Hey." Harry greeted me when I walked out with the drink in my hand. "What's that? Where'd you get that from?"

"Caitlyn." I said quickly and looked down at it again. I still wasn't trusting it. "It's weird tasting. Like a milkshake almost. Weird."

Harry nodded. "Frappes are just glorified milkshakes." he observed. "Weird that Caitlyn, as top notch and over the top as she usually is, to give you that."

"Yeah..." I took that into account. "You're right, Harry. And I swear it was in a different place where I set it down."

"You have to be more careful, love." Harry said. I could tell he was worried just like he yesterday. "Just look out for yourself more, please." he said and gave me an unexpected hug. I embraced him tightly.

"See you in gym." I said slowly, my words slowing down. Harry must've been able to tell, because he looked at me funny before walking away.

I was walking back towards the locker room when I bumped into Hanna. She was wearing her dorky glasses, as usual, but this time she looked different. Her skirt was shortened. Her hair wasn't in a messy ponytail, it was down and wavy-- my style.

"What are you trying to do?" I challenged her, making her stop in her tracks. She seemed unsuspecting.

Out of all people would I never have suspected Hanna to be in a gang. She'd be at the bottom of the list, but I sure was wrong.

"What are you talking about?" she batted her eyelashes and drew up her nose. More people were piling into the locker room now.

"You're taking over my look." I scolded. "Short skirts for dodgeball are my thing. And I always wear my hair like that."

She glanced around warily before sticking her chin up. Her change in attitude surprised me, but it wasn't hard to say that I was anticipating it.

"Listen, Kat." she spat in my face, sending some of her unruly saliva landing right on my lip. I quickly tried to brush it away before I caught something terrible. "If you want to keep your new friend Harry safe, you'll know what's best for me and you'll keep that mouth of yours shut."

I was taken aback by her words, but one thing was for sure. I had to trust Harry. I had no idea what she was capable of.

But I could test the waters.

"Hanna, don't think you can take everything I've worked so hard for and earned." I growled.

She just laughed. "You earned making a name for yourself by dating the most popular guy in school? Some plan. You totally earned that, but I really wonder what would happen if that got out... imagine what Noah would do if he realizes you used him as a pawn in your popularity game?"

I stood frozen in place. There was nothing I could say that would defend me and not backfire. Hanna had me pinned. And Harry was right.

"Right." I gulped. "I love your new hairstyle."

She smirked. "That's-a girl."

Words couldn't describe how much I wanted to slap her so hard that she fell off the face of the earth in the moment. I wanted her to disappear. To leave.

"Hey, Kat?"

"Yeah?" I frowned.

"What's it like to be friends with the most hated kid in school?" she asked. "Again, I mean."

The question hit me deep in the gut, but there was only one logical answer to it.

I chuckled.

"You should know, Hanna." I clenched my teeth in her face and started to walk away. I saw Harry a distance away, his hands on his hips and a concerned look on his face. I needed to get to him.

"Oh, wait." she called to me and I turned around. I knew I shouldn't have.

"What?"

"Did you enjoy your drink?" she asked with a sly smirk, and as she walked away everything began to go dark.

I turned to Harry and him running towards me with his arms extended was the last thing I saw before everything went black.