Not Your Romeo & Juliet

Chapter 5

Vanessa~

Standing still, I realize I had stopped mid-sentence and my eyes shoot down to the ground, trying to steady myself after being rudely run into. My gaze is stuck on this stranger's sloppily laced combat boots, leading to a very worn pair of ripped jeans with a plain t-shirt. My eyes finally make it up to her leather jacket and notice she's taller than me. Tilting my head up a little, I meet her bright blue eyes and they're staring at me, expecting something. Oh, shit, I've been staring. Finally, the stranger speaks in an annoying tone that breaks my train of thought.

"Wow, people around here must polite as hell if they're just going to stop yelling to apologize for being in the way."

"Apologize?!" I half-laugh in shock. Recovering quickly, I add in a sharper tone, "As if I'd apologize to you." Who does she think she is? I think to myself angirly.

"Well why not? You were in the way." The girl says lightly, not letting that annoying smirk falter. Switching her weight onto the other foot, she looks at me trying to intimidate me, but I don't let it get to me.

"I was in the way?" I counter hotly. "You're the idiot running around in the hall!" I yell, letting the frustration of this entire encounter consume me.

My door opens to reveal the three girls in my room who have come to see what I'm yelling about. Melody leads them out, Arielle and Lindsey following close behind curiously. "That's her, that's the new girl," I hear Little Lindsey poorly whisper behind me. I don't turn to see what the response from Arielle or Melody is, but I bet they're loving it. The girls find a place to lean against on the wall as Arielle calls out for my attention, but I keep my gaze forward. No way am I going to break eye contact, that's like backing down.

The smug stranger doesn't respond right away and instead her eyes move down to my feet back up to my face, which I find disgustingly flattering. I do look good today, after all. "You know, if you weren't scowling, you'd be a lot cuter." She finally says to me, all too sure of herself.

Before I could think of a witty response, I feel heat quickly rush up to my cheeks. I am so not blushing right now. Struggling to find my words, I shift my weight to the other foot slightly. I cannot--will not, allow this newcomer to take my pride like this. I've worked too damn hard to make people afraid of me and I will not let this edgy-looking freak take that away from me. She can be smooth with her words, but it won't change the fact that I've been here since day one and I will always have the upperhand. Besides, I've been on a plane all day, I'm jet-lagged, okay?

"Whoa, you're blushing! Awe, how cute." This kid doesn't miss a thing. If not responding hasn't already caused enough embarrassment, now she makes me sound like a freaking fifth grader. It's just my luck that other students are beginning to crowd around from other places in the hall. Great, now we have an audience.

"Yeah, you wish." I finally spit out, with less confidence than usual. Really? That's all I could come up with? Why does this idiot get me so flustered??

She doesn't seem convinced in the slightest, not that I really would be either at this point. I'm making a complete fool out of myself, and for what? "Right, right sooo if I asked anyone else in this hall they'd agree with you?" She asks crossing her arms with a raised eyebrow.

"Obviously." I say with full confidence, finally. This is one thing I know for sure. No one is dumb enough to agree with this fool with no status and risk offending me. So I tell this new kid exactly that. "No one disagrees with me anyway." I flick my eyebrow as to counter the challenge. Shifting my weight again, I cross my arms across my chest and stare the the girl, finally feeling like myself again.