Not What it Seems

Chapter One

~Jane~

Junior year was always the worst. You weren't an underclassmen anymore, but it wasn't as if you were up there with the seniors, ruling the school. You were at an uncomfortable phase, the middle child, almost like the sophomores, but with a tad bit more respect.

I really wanted nothing more than to get through my junior year as a wallflower. Honestly, there wasn't anything that excited me this year considering that my best friend, Jake, had up and moved to sunny California, leaving me here in boring, nothing-ever-happens, Maryland.

I missed him every day. We had been friends since we were born, and having him suddenly ripped out of my life was... jarring. Of course, I still had Jason, who was the third musketeer in our group. But here's the thing. Jake was the glue between Jason and I. On our own, we weren't as close; we were barely even friends! Jake was the only thing we had in common. And he was gone.

I clambered off the school bus and stopped at the bottom. Churchill High School, I thought to myself, please don't ruin my lif-

"Move your ass, loser!" the guy behind me grumbled, shoving my backpack. I rolled my eyes and stepped out of his way.

"Asshole!" I called out behind him, and he flipped me off.

I headed to my locker, the same locker I'd had for the last two years, right smack dab in the middle between Jason and Cash Anderson.

Like I said - junior year was always the worst.

»»»»

In a school like ours, whether or not you're rich makes or breaks your social status. People like Cash Anderson are at the top of the food chain, while people like Jason and I are at the very bottom. My parents aren't rich at all, and I live with my drunk-all-the-time mother in a beat up , shack of a house. Needless to say, the popular kids don't interact with me.

Which is great, really, because I had no intention or desire to interact with them.

»»»»

I flung my locker door open and shoved my lunch onto the top shelf. I stared at all the things Jake left behind, the collection of chewed gum crammed into the bottom left corner, the line of Burrito Run stickers creeping down the side of the door, the photo of the two of us, smiling, heads leaning together, taped onto the back wall.

I leaned my head against the locker beside me, Cash's locker, and squeezed my eyes shut. I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not-

"Uh, excuse me," said a deep voice beside me, and I jerked my head up.

~Cash~

I watched her getting off the school bus that morning, creepy, I know, and I watched as she called that guy an asshole when he shoved past her. I walked off my bus and was instantly bombarded by people saying hi to me. I didn't even know half their names!

I entered through the front doors, and saw Jane heading to her locker, her auburn hair hanging loose down her back. I sighed.

"Yo! Cash, 'sup man!?" yelled Chris, as he sidled up to me. Brandy Richards, Churchill's Senior Alpha Female, winked at me and waved as she passed by. I groaned inwardly.

"Nothing much, how about you, how was your summer?"

"Lame, I mean, London, really? My parents couldn't have picked a more boring vacation spot!"

It was almost comical how stupid these people were. London, I scoffed.

I said my goodbyes and headed to my locker, hoping Jane was still there. She was. She was leaning her head against my locker, her eyes shut. She looked like... like she was about to cry.

I suddenly got nervous. I'd never actually spoken to Jane before. I mean, of course I had, but only in passing. Little things: thank you, please, excuse me.

Never anything meaningful. That was forbidden by the rules of social class at this school.

"Uh, excuse me," I said, and she looked up, startled.

"Sorry," she sighed, and turned her head back to her own locker. I watched her discretely as I opened my own locker. I saw the stickers on her door, and caught a glimpse of that photo she'd had forever. The one of her and that guy... Jack?

This is it, I thought to myself, this year is going to be my year. Junior is the best.

"How's he doing?" I asked, nodding towards the picture. She stared at me, stunned.

"Who? Jake?"

Oh, so that was his name. "Yeah, he's your boyfriend right? How is he?"

Her face went sour. "He's not my boyfriend. He was my best friend." Her hair fell across her face.

"Was?"

"He moved to California over the summer," she said, chucking her math text book to the bottom of the locker.

"Oh. I'm sorry-"

"Why are you talking to me, Cash?" she snapped, and the bitterness in her voice was unavoidable.

I shrugged. "Do you not want me to?"

"I don't care what you do, rich boy. I just wouldn't want to upset your social standings."

And with that she walked off down the hall, her hips swaying.

What the hell was I getting myself into, trying to befriend Jane? She hated me! I had never done anything to defend her, or anyone else for that matter, so why should she think I was different from the rest of the kids on the rich side of the spectrum?

I knew she didn't trust me, and while I still didn't know what my goal was in trying to be her friend, I knew that I had to convince her, somehow, that I was more than I was made out to be.