Two years ago Tori moved in. Now everyone is moving out.
Things that have just seemed to settle are stirring again and in senior year - it matters.
Conflict, frustration and confusion is being brought up in a mess that started two years ago in...
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Tori
"Psst," Someone nudges my right shoulder as I try to take notes from the English lecture going on at the front of the classroom. I ignore them. "Psst!"
Did Psst become the international sign for danger? I don't think so.
A knock at the door forces Mr Day to pause his speech, looking a little miffed. I think the entire class exhales in relief. I glance over to my left as the teacher gets the door, to Katherine. "What?" I whisper-yell.
With the click of the doorknob, her hazel eyes go wide and she holds a finger to her lips. "Psst." She nods to the front of the classroom, where an unimpressed Mr Day listens to a new student's explanation for being late to class.
And I've never seen him before.
Mousy brown hair, grey eyes; he looks like he should be on the football team. So, why have I never seen him before?
"Class," Mr Day drawls in his familiar nasally voice, "We have a new student. This is Liam Thomson, I'm sure you will all be welcoming upon his late," He shoots the nervous boy a look, "Arrival."
Oh, so this is what 'Psst' means. My mistake, it's the Katherine-acclaimed signal for there's-a-cute-boy-approaching-the-classroom. Oh, by the way, Katherine and Stanley broke up after about eight months, due to reasons that we don't speak of.
Ever.
"Kasey, move." Katherine suddenly urges, hitting the girl on the other side of her desk.
"What?" She stares at the blonde, bewildered.
The gears start churning in my brain as I comprehend the seating arrangement. "Move." I agree with Kat, though for obviously different reasons.
It was clear that the only seat left in the class was beside me, because Katherine insisted in being in the middle as a note exchanger. Though to be honest, she's usually the one passing the notes anyway. When Kasey is still looking confused, and the new boy is eyeing the surrounding crowd for his clear seat beside me, I reach over and tug her out of her chair.
"Hey!" She yelps, drawing an unwanted amount of attention to the three of us. I give her a glare and motion toward the empty seat beside me. I don't dare to look up at the class reaction to our rudeness. I don't care. I don't want to be pestered for new pencils and notes for the rest of the year.
And clearly, Katherine is up for that completely.
After a long silence and no sign of movement, the teacher sighs and seems to return to his desk. "Take a seat Mr Thomson."
"Hi," Kat leans over as soon as his books hit the desk beside her. "I'm Katherine Anderson."
"Hey." He returns politely. There's no hint of flirtation in his voice, just pure manners. I don't think Katherine will like that. "Pleasure to meet you Katherine." I glance up to find his navy blue eyes peering over at me, probably offended at my successful attempt to change his seating arrangement.
He sends me a smile, all dimples and crinkled eyes and I have to refrain from rolling my eyes. Katherine is such a sucker for cute boys. Not hot, never hot, just cute. Adorable. Like the kind that have puppy eyes and you might want to put in a funny hat. I think she wants to be able to pinch her husband's cheeks and giggle.
Liam nods at me and I pretend not to see it. I don't need another friend, I've already got two. Senior year is going to be hard enough with Mason in Atlanta, let alone gathering an entire posse when I should be studying. And I need to study this year. I am going to graduate. And Liam Thomson isn't going to help me do that.
Mr Day's voice snaps me out of my daze and I try to get down every word he says. I wish I had a tape recorder.
After a few minutes, my eyes begin to glaze over, and my pen stops moving without my permission. Stupid pen, let me pass.
Next thing I know, there's a smack and a raging headache rips through my skull. I rub it absentmindedly, wide awake before realising that the teacher is staring at me, rather unimpressed.
I glance to Kasey who's looking at me like I've stolen her favourite shoes. "Are you okay?" She mumbles, eyes flickering to Mr Day, "You hit your head on the desk."
"I what?" I try my hardest to keep my eyes wide, but they're so heavy. Skyscrapers have fallen on top of my eyelashes and trying to make up for the cities never sleeping.
"Did you fall asleep in my class, Victoria?" The nasally voice cuts through the classroom. Oh God.
"No." I lie. I honestly think I did.
He smiles cruelly, "I don't believe you. Detention this afternoon at the final bell. Bring your notes."
I groan inwardly and throw my face into my palms. Mason would be laughing at me right now if he were here. Or getting detention himself trying to cover me. He used to get called to the office so frequently that the principal stopped asking if he actually did the thing he claimed to and started asking why he was pretending to. Once, I was leaning against the door (waiting for my turn to be scolded) and when asked why he was covering for me, Mason deadpanned, and I imagined him shrugging nonchalantly, "Because I'm in love."
I suppose I shouldn't stay up until four o'clock in the morning pretending that my boyfriend will be coming home soon, when he's probably sleeping.
