new kid / h.s

57

last chapter :) an epilogue coming after

K A T

The next Monday, we came back to school.

Shocker, right? I know.

There were to be two weeks of school left until graduation, and just losing everyone and having them as memories seemed like a challenge in itself. But one thing was for certain-- and it was that Harry would stay a thing of the present.

In first period class, the dreadful, Mr. Schmidt, Hanna stared at me from across the room. I stayed unbothered.

Harry's assigned seat had remained stationary next to mine, and for the first few minutes before class started he passed me cute notes even though we were allowed to talk.

Then the bell rang, and Mr. Schmidt took attendance. Everyone was there and accounted for, gossiping about how cute Harry and I had looked together Saturday. It was the talk of the senior class now. Harry had put me in the limelight.

"Okay, so how was everyone's weekend?" Schmidt asked, as he loved to start every Monday class like. Instead of people raising their hands and telling tales of visiting their grandparents, everyone started talking all at once about prom.

"Harry and Kat looked great together!"

"Their dance was so adorable."

"I know! And oh my God, their kiss."

"Hatrina!" everyone began to chant, and Schmidt was stricken with confusion. He looked at every student individual, trying to decipher what they were saying. No doubt he was surprised.

He motioned for everyone to stop talking, "So what I'm guessing is that two of your classmates were at the dance Saturday night as a couple."

Everyone nodded frantically, and I could feel my cheeks heating up. I glanced over at Harry and he had a hand over his mouth, obviously not used to the spotlight being on him like this.

"Well-- congratulations." he said, dumbfounded.

We both nodded, speechless, and looked down in our books. It was obvious that the two of us just wanted the lesson to start already; enough about us.

"Open your textbooks to page 104." his voice was back to that emotionless tone again. We did as we were told, and honesty I was just glad not to be talked about any more.

I was sure that Harry felt the same.

When we were about halfway into the class, there was a rapping on the door. Schmidt gave us a weird look and got up to open it, where Harry and I stared into each other's eyes with worried looks on our faces.

But nothing could prepare me for when he opened the door.

The door swung open, and under the threshold stood Julia.

Julia McDonald. The one who faked her death. The one that Harry had said he fell in love with before. The one who said that she couldn't live here anymore because of the looming threat of the gang.

Well, there was no threat now-- was there?

Harry looked at me with pure amazement.

"Of all the nerve..." he grumbled incoherently and I saw his fists clench underneath his desk. At least I didn't have to worry about him secretly still being in love with her. He did not want her back, and that was not disputable.

Schmidt looked to the class with a timely smile. "It appears we have a new student."

No.

No, no, no.

"Pick a seat in the classroom." Schmidt said, just as he had told Harry on his first day. Now there was only a seat in the front of the class and the back, directly behind me and Harry.

She strolled by and took the seat in the back.

Everyone stared at her like she was an alien, and she basically was. Changing schools at the end of senior year? People had to see that as strange if they didn't know her situation. I surely would have, and I still kind of did.

Soon enough class ended, and everyone piled out of class except for Harry, Julia, and I.

Just as I didn't want her to, she walked over to Harry and gave him a flirtatious smile.

"Hey, Harry." she cooed. "Did you miss me?"

"No." he said through gritted teeth and I felt relieved. "You faked your death to save yourself. You're selfish, and don't you ever try to acquaint yourself with me again."

He started to walked away, and I followed.

Unluckily, Julia stopped us with a firm grab on Harry's shoulder. I turned around to see that her stare was ice cold, showing her feelings deep down were churning like an upset stomach.

"Why'd you choose the seat in the back of the class?" Harry asked.

Her expression fell from a smirk to a dead stare, and then a wicked smile found its way onto her features.

"Oh, Harry-- where else was I going to watch you from?"