Story Of Her Life.

Trouble's Always Knockin' On My Door.

Beth pulled her vehicle into its normal parking spot. Sure enough Dana was waiting on the curb, facing the blistering cold to support her best friend in her time of need. Beth knew it would come. She'd arrive to school only to see everyone's eyes staring at her. Not directly into hers of course, but just at her. Judging her for her father's mistake. She joined Dana on the curb and grabbed her hand. She could do this.

The students were worse than what she thought. Not only did they stare, they talked unecessarily loud about her behind her back, in front of her face. How was that even possible? Even though none of them had the guts to walk up to her and tell her what they thought, the fact that they cared enough to start rumors and talk trash made her irritable.

She took her regular seat in front of Michael Miller and silently opened her text book to study. Dana took her seat as well, weary of her surroundings, ready to pounce on anyone who dared to piss her off.

Beth tried to focus on the information given on the 20s, flappers and speakeasies written in the book, but she couldn't help but overhear the jackass sitting behind her.

"Yeah, he tried to shoot up the entire school," he gossiped to some guy named Tim. "Bro, when I hooked up with Beth I didn't think I'd be hooking up with the kid of a psycho."

Beth turned in her seat facing the two idiots, tears streaming down her face. "Seriously? Stop telling people we hooked up. We didn't. And please shut up about the man in the office, okay?" she cried.

Mr. Inman looked on from behind his desk, but was trapped there because of his title. He wanted to come to her rescue, but didn't want students to begin assuming more things than they already did. Then, as if an answer to his problem, Troy Blake strolls up from the classroom door just as Michael Miller was about to fight back.

"Is there a problem here?" He swooped in as if some kind of professional night in shining armor as Eric looked on helplessly. "Beth, what's wrong?"

Beth shook her head and turned forward in her seat. Her eyes, desperate to look at something comforting met Eric's. "Nothing." she mumbled.

"Guys, leave her alone. She's not the same person her father is. Aren't we all fighting the same battle here, to be better people than those who raised us? Seriously, get some depth." he squatted next to Beth, placing his hand on her back. "You sure you're okay?"

"Fine." She managed to shoot him a weak smile. Satisfied, he made his way back to his own desk and waited patiently for the bell.

Did Troy Blake, star quarterback and well-known jock just tell some other boys to get some depth? Did he just stick up for her? Woah, what happened there? She smiled to herself and continued studying her notes.

After the test, Dana apoligized prefusively for not having anything to say for the first time ever, making Beth annoyed with her for a moment. After their small talk lost meaning, and an awkward silence settled in, Troy made his move an found himself sitting in the chair Mr. Inman often propped his leg up on in front of Beth's desk.

"Sup." He greeted, swinging the chair around so he could sit in it backwards.

She smiled and arched her eyebrows as if this was awkward for her.

"So how do you think you did on the Test? I know my average for next semester will be pretty high-" he tried to make small talk, but Beth had a feeling she knew what he was trying to do. Butter her up. HA. Not working this time.

"Did you need something Troy?" Beth stated flatly. Dana looked on with amusement, hiding her giggles behind a seventeen magazine.

"...Excuse me? I was just trying to talk to you..." he cocked his head sideways like a puppy, as if he didn't understand what she was saying.