The Start Of Something New.

02.

"Would anyone like to throw in an idea for this weeks project?" Mrs.Lee asked the class, her arms crossed as I sat in the back with Claire, who was paying attention to everything else that wasn't our teacher.
"Do you think Jordan's into Tatum?" Claire asked me.
I looked to her from my notes.
"I don't know Claire, does it seem like it?" I questioned confused.
Claire ran a hand through her strawberry red hair with a sigh.
I swear.
Between her and Monty?
I had no idea who was more dramatic when it came to sighing.

Claire frowned.
"I mean, I see the two in the hall all of the time, flirting but anytime you confront either of them. They deny it." She said.
I looked to her.
"Maybe they don't want us to know? I mean, that is their business Claire." I pointed out now.
Claire looked to the front of the class.
"I just think, if they were dating or into each other. They should tell us, I mean. What if I liked Jordan, and Tatum was just pulling him around on a leash, because I haven't said anything yet?" She questioned.

I blinked, my attention definitely on her now.
"Do you like Jordan, Claire?" I asked.
She went quiet.

"Alright class, find yourself a partner and in three weeks we will go over each other's subjects, you and your partner have decided on." Mrs.Lee declared.
I stared at our teacher for the longest time.
Project?
I completely spaced to listen to Claire's crisis she seemed to be having.

"Um, Mrs.Lee.. what project are we doing?" I questioned.
The classes attention fell on me, and pitied smirks appeared on each of their faces.
Mrs.Lee seemed annoyed I hadn't been listening.
"Because this is biology, Ms.Grimes, our project will be focusing on plants and you and your partner will be using these next three weeks to grow that said plant and take notes on how it forms. If you had been paying attention, you'd already know this." She scolded now.

I lowered my head with a nod as students began to grab each other, to be their partners.
I turned to ask Claire to be mine, but she was already talking to Quinn Cooke to be hers.

"Great." I scanned the room with a sigh, until my blue eyes fell on him.
The silent bad boy from earlier.
He seemed to be writing down notes, ignoring the very idea of looking for a partner.
But that didn't stop girls from walking over and asking him to be, theirs.
I could just take the day today, to figure out who to ask.
We did have three weeks to do this project, and growing a plant wasn't exactly rocket science.
Good soil, sunlight and water is what the plant usually needs.
So even if I don't find a partner.
I could always convince Mrs.Lee to let me do it alone.
I work better alone anyway.

When the second bell rang for third period, I got up from my desk to only bump into Ambree Gibbs who seemed irritated I even touched her.

"Watch it, freak." She hissed.
I frowned at her.
"Is name calling really necessary?" I questioned her.
Ambree narrowed her eyes at me.
"Excuse me? Are you like seriously questioning me?" She demanded.
I shrugged.
"I was trying to, but it seems you can't comprehend what a question is." I told her walking out of the classroom.

"Lexi!" I turned to that voice.
Monty jogged up as his arm hooked around my shoulders grinning at me.
"How was class?" He asked.
I made a face of disgust.
"You care why?" I asked removing the others arm.
Monty smirked.
"Because I knew your favorite person would be in there." He said.

My mind fell on Ambree.
Ever since seventh grade, she's hated me for whatever reason.
I mean, bumping into her with my food tray could of been the main cause.
She was wearing light clothing, and I did have tomato soup and a grilled cheese.
..
I don't think I ever apologized for that.
I think I just stared while she screamed high pitch, and the entire cafeteria laughed at her misfortune.
I mean.
Ambree Gibbs was a royal bitch.
But I never tried to get on her bad side.

Until the soup decided it would be a wonderful time, to ruin those plans.

"I swear, I don't think she'll ever move on from that." I told him as we headed to third period.
Monty shrugged.
"She's that red head who gets mistaken as Satan, so I doubt she'll ever let you off the hook from that accident." He told me.
I smirked.
"She'll be alright, I really wish you had bio with me though." I told him now.

Monty made a face.
"Why's that?" He asked.
I sighed.
"We have some plant project I wasn't paying attention to, because Claire was moping about her love life." I told him.
Monty scrunched his face up in distaste.
"Claire was moping? Thank god Chloe wasn't in there with you guys, you know she would of made it worse and then Mrs.Lee would of became medusa." He grinned.

I sighed but smiled.
"I'm just ready to get this day over with, it feels like its going to be a long one unfortunately." I told him.
Monty pulled out his phone.
"Yeah, I mean after third period we have Mr.Phillips then lunch, afterwards it's a breeze." He said.
I whined.
"It really is going to be a long day, I already feel regret crawling out of bed this morning." I murmured.

"Where are you guys going for lunch?" Sage asked walking into English with us.
I looked to her.
"I was thinking about outside, we just have to grab Chloe and Oakley." I told her.
Sage looked to me.
"Chloe is having lunch with Abby and Tatum today, and Oakley said she was staying in history with Mr.Phillips to work on extra credit, to get her grades up." She said now.
My brows furrowed.
"Is Oakley already failing history?" I asked.
Sage shrugged.
"I think its more or less her just wanting to be a show off with her grades, you know she likes to compete with me about that." She said.

"Yeah, because you're just so smart." Monty said.
Sage glared at him.
"At least I care about my grades, Monty." She argued.
"Sage, babe. It's September, you're going to get wrinkles from stressing yourself out from this." He said now.

Sage rolled her eyes as we walked into class.
Mrs.Rice smiled warming at us.
"Good morning, Ms.Grimes, Mr.Reese and Ms.Ellison." She greeted us.
Next to Mr.Warren.
Mrs.Rice was the second youngest teacher, she had just turned thirty the other day, and still looked not a day over twenty six.
Perhaps it was the surgery she was hooked on.

"Good morning, Mrs.Rice." We said in unison, heading to our desks.
English was possibly one of my favorite subjects in school.
Not a lot of kids agreed with it, possibly because when it came to texting. They had the grammar of middle school kids.
My eyes fell on Monty.
And he was the absolute worst when it came to grammar.

He went through a stage, where he literally acted like a keyboard.
He would say "l o l smiley face, send".
Then would hug that person.
Or another time where he got confronted by Liam Horne about stealing his sandwich.
And Monty responded out loud with.
"Oh no frowny face, I promise I didn't do that slanted face. Heart emoji." 
Of course, that landed a fist to the face.
Which was Monty's fist, in Liam's face for even trying to punch him.
And in the end?
Monty did steal the sandwich.
It was Pb&j.
Which is something he can make at home.
But stolen sandwiches, taste a whole lot better to him.

Which was fucking weird.

"Heard you guys have to grow plants, in Mrs.Lee's class." Sage said next to me now.
"You make it sound like we're growing weed." I told her.
"That's how it sounds, if you ask me." Monty said.
"No one asked you, Monty." Sage told him.
Monty sighed.
"Man, this blows. Why do I get stuck in the classes with the sass and the sassier? Is it that time of the month?" He questioned out loud which earned nearly every girl in the class, to snap their necks to look at him with murderous glares.

Monty sat there with a poker face.
I'm glad I wasn't the easily pissed type.
Sage on the other hand?
Oh she was.

"Are you really making period remarks, Monty?" She demanded.
Monty frowned at her.
"It's a simple question, you've been on my case all morning. I know you can't handle my good looks, but I think its gone on long enough." He said.
Sage glared at him.
"So you think its okay to automatically call me out on being on my period? It's none of your business!" She hissed.
Monty looked to me now.
"You see it, right Lex?" He questioned.

I shook my head.
"Its going to be an early grave for you Monty, you know period jokes is the females thing. When a guy does it? Its a big no no." I told him.

I looked to Sage.
"Sage, sweetie. Monty can't help he's an idiot when it comes to females, that is why he is single. You know he doesn't mean what he says." I told her.
"But I do mean what I say--"
"Shut up, Monty." I told him with a bitter smile now.

"Lunch happens in fifteen minutes." Monty was practically drooling at the clock in history.
I smirked softly.
"What are you going to be having today, Mr.Reese?" I asked him.
"Pizza, like is that even a question? All hot and ready to enter my mouth hole." He rubbed his hands together.

"Will Mr.Reese keep his mouth hole closed? Your classmates are studying for tomorrows quiz, something you should be doing." Mr.Phillips stated now with a frown.
Monty frowned.
"Right sir, sorry sir." He opened his book with a sigh now.
I shook my head with a smile.

As soon as the bell rang, I never seen a white boy run faster out of a classroom for pizza, than Monty did.
His doodle papers went flying, and students were cussing at him for shoving them.

I walked down the hall, feeling my stomach growling.
I honestly didn't know what our options were today, Monty obviously knew but failed to clue me in.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT PIZZA DAY?!" Monty was yelling inside of the cafeteria.
Looking betrayed and angry.
I stood in front of the doors debating on walking back out, and pretend I didn't know him.
But that beautiful dramatic person.
Was my person, so I knew I had to stay put.

The lunch lady frowned at him.
"Monty, you know pizza day is on Friday's. You looked at the menu wrong, again." She sighed.
Monty squinted his eyes at her.
"You're a wrong menu." He told her.
She looked at him.
"That doesn't make sense, Monty." She pointed out.

I walked over to the drama corner.
"What's on the menu today, Mrs.Chef?" I questioned.
I kid you not, her last name really was Chef.
Debra Chef.
She looked more relieved to see me, than she was to see Monty.

"Hello, Lexi. Today's menu is taco soup, grilled cheese or meat loaf." She told me.
I smiled softly.
"I'll take taco soup, and whiny over here will have the meat loaf. I apologize about him." I told her.
Mrs.Chef smiled softly.
"It's no problem, I know how serious Monty is about his pizza." She said handing me my bowl, as she placed the meatloaf on Monty's tray.
He mumbled a low thank you, then followed me out of the line.

"You need to stop being dramatic about stuff like that, you're going to end up being in the wrong time and place, and someone's going to end up kicking your ass." I told him as we took a seat next to Bryce, Sage, Maggie and Jordan.

Jordan looked amused.
"Monty picking fights again?" He asked.
"With the lunch ladies." I told him.
Bryce made a face.
"Don't pick fights with them, they have to cook all day for us. Be more appreciative, Monty." He said now.
Monty looked to him.
"It was supposed to be pizza day today." He argued.
Maggie took out her phone.
"No Monty, its taco soup day with the other two. Pizza day has always been on Friday's." She told him.

Monty frowned at her.
"That's not possible, Quinn Cooke said Wednesday was pizza day."
"Quinn Cooke is also a dick, Monty." Bryce told him.
"Of course he'd tell you that, because you'd believe me if I said tomorrow was hamburger day." He said.
Monty's eyes widened.
"Tomorrow's hamburger day?" He asked.
"See?" Bryce looked done with the other.

I smiled softly.
"Like Mrs.Chef said, you looked at the menu wrong and Quinn telling you otherwise, didn't help. You'll have pizza on Friday, okay?" I told him.
Monty sighed.
"Sure." He said with a sulk.

Bryce looked to Jordan who nodded in agreement, before the two began throwing carrots at the other now.
"Stop that." Monty told them.
"Then stop sulking, how can I enjoy my meatloaf if you're looking like a pitiful puppy?" Bryce asked him.
Monty blinked.
"With your eyes closed." He said.

"The three of you will be staying after school today to clean this mess up." Mrs.Chef said behind us now.
I actually felt my heart stop, because I didn't see her coming.
She had a paper in her hand before placing it in front of Monty.
"But I didn't throw the carrots." Monty told her.
She shrugged.
"You were a reason on why Monty, so you'll be staying back." She told him.
Monty glared.
"I'm Lexi's ride home." He argued now.

I sighed softly.
"It's fine, I'll walk home today." I told him.
Monty groaned slamming his forehead on the table, to only rip back with a pained howl.

The entire table face palmed, even Mrs.Chef.

"They're sending me home." Monty said outside of the nurses office, a bandage on his forehead as I frowned at him with crossed arms.
"What did you think was going to happen when you did that? You literally could of hurt yourself Monty."
"Why do you think I'm going home?" He asked.
I frowned.
"Just-- be careful going home, okay? And make sure your mom knows about that giant knot on your forehead, so she doesn't panic." I told him.

Monty nodded hugging me quick.
"Yeah, yeah. See you tomorrow Lexi." He said.
I sighed with a nod.

"Remember to study, we have a quiz on Friday." Mr.Monroe said inside of Arts class.
I get to walk home alone for the first time in forever.
Because some idiot decided bashing his head on the table in the cafeteria, was smart.
And it looked like it was going to pour outside which didn't help.

I looked around as my attention fell on the school bus.
Sage and the others were already on it, and without a parents note.
I couldn't hitch a ride.
Sighing I adjusted my jacket, stepping forward to only feel myself being violently ripped backwards.

I blinked several times as a car sped by, and students were gasping and running to my side.
I looked up.
And there stood silent bad boy.

He looked pissed at both the car and probably my fail attempt to pay attention.

"If you're going to be suicidal, do that at home. Not on school ground." He told me.
I stood up as I glared at him.
"I wasn't being suicidal." I defended.
The guy arched a brow.
"Oh so, walking in front of a speeding car wasn't the least bit suicidal? If you're not suicidal, are you just stupid and don't know how to look both ways?" He asked me now.

"Excuse me? I didn't see them."
"Because you weren't paying attention." He argued now.
"Why does it matter to you?" I asked him.
He went to speak but stopped himself.

"Lexi, lets go." I heard Bryce's voice.
I looked over my shoulder to see him in his jeep, looking pissed at the guy in front of me.
I studied the other for a moment, before scoffing as I walked over then got in the jeep with the other.

"I know you want to be popular, but that was far from it." Bryce said behind the wheel.
I rolled my eyes.
"You know the last thing on my mind, is popularity Bryce." I told him now.
He smirked.
"Then why try to nearly kill yourself?" He asked.
"I didn't mean to!" I groaned.
"Ever since Monty decided to scramble his brains for lunch, I've been worried. That knot looked pretty bad." I told him.

Bryce sighed as we pulled up to the red light.
"He'll be fine, it takes a lot more than a head slam to knock that poor idiot down." He told me.
I smiled softly.
"Also, I want you to try and steer clear of Carter." He told me now.
I blinked at that.
"Alright Paul, but why?" I asked him.
Bryce rolled his eyes at that.
"I'm serious, Lexi." He looked to me quick.

I brought my knees to my chest.
"So am I, why steer clear of him?" I asked.
Bryce's knuckles turned white grasping the steering wheel.
"He's the aggressive type, he got into a fight with Parker and Mason today out on the field, coach had to break them up." He told me.

I bit my lip.
"Do you know why they got in a fight?" I asked him.
Bryce pulled into my driveway.
"Dunno, Mason refused to talk about it but Parker said it was between mainly those two. He was just trying to break the two up, before Carter went swinging." He told me.
I frowned softly.
"Jesus, so we have a silent bad boy with a temper, at least the name fits." I told him.
He smirked.
"Get out, Lexi." He said.
I grinned hoping out.
"Thanks for the lift, Bryce. See you later." I told him.

Bryce went to drive off, but hit his brakes.
"Hey Lexi?" He called after me as I stopped midway to the door.
I looked to him.
"What's up?" I asked.
He looked at his watch.

"We're all meeting up at Grind House later for coffee, you should come." He said now.
I blinked but smiled.
"Sure, yeah I'll see you tonight. What time?" I asked.
Bryce smiled.
"Eight thirty." He said before driving off.

I hated Grind House.
But they had amazing sweets and tea, so that was a plus.
I guess my usual stay at home after school, routine would be interrupted this one time.

What I didn't know.
Was that Grind House.
Was about to become our local hang out spot.