The Country Mile

3. Brother

"Um, jeans and black ballerina flats... Why?"

"Bitch, you best wear the blue sweatshirt. I wanna match with my new bestie and make those thots jealous!" I laughed as I suddenly turned the speaker phone off, not wanting my very religious and quiet grandparents -who have actually been really cool- to hear Clara's shrieking.

Tugging on my jeans and looping the black belt though the loops, I found the scent of bacon and eggs kissing my nose. Ever since we've come here, my mother has taken up her love of cooking full time and even planned on getting a job at the Green Light Diner where we enjoyed a banana split just a few days ago.

"I will, also I sent the pic of my schedule to you last night. Do we have any classes together?"

"Hell yeah, girly. We have icky math, fabulous gym, and fuck-tastic animal science together. Oh and lunch," I knew Clara had a deep love of farming and animals, so it didn't surprise me when she forced me to sign up for the class. And with the math class, she informed me both seniors and juniors take it - you could have one free year of math so most waited till their last year to take it.

"You like gym?" My head just hurt thinking about exercise as I curled my blonde locks in my own bathroom, my jasmine perfume already overtaking the bathroom and room even though I haven't even lived here for a week yet.

"You will too once you see the boys we go to school with, they're nothing like them flat tastin' city boys you know," After a few more moments of Clara and I talking, we quickly said our goodbyes and I grabbed my backpack, heading to the dinner table with a breakfast plate already at my new spot.

"Thanks mom," I kissed her cheek before sitting down and digging in. My grandpa, George, walked in; his thinning white hair covered by some green ball cap that had the words 'John Deere' printed over the front.

"Morning kid," He took his seat after saying good morning to me and my mother, opening the newspaper and sipping on his coffee. 

Even though they owned a small farm, my grandpa was up everyday at four and went to bed by eight, especially if he was helping out one of our neighbours which I learned consisted of the Thorns - three miles west, Williamsons - elven miles south, and the Hagmens - ten miles north. I never knew neighbours could be miles away...

"Ready for your first day at school?" My mom asked as she grabbed the keys to my grandpa's old chevy truck, its color of a candy blue and marble white, and slinging her purse over her shoulder as I put my empty dish into the farm sink.

"Not at all,"

*

Clara gave me a quick tour of the small high school, school spirit printed everywhere it seemed along the royal blue and gold painted boards, the walls white with the school colors dragging on in a forever horizontal line; lockers were blue and I mentally thanked god mine was near the end of a hallway -easier to remember where it is that way- and she led me into our math class, sitting in the back waiting for the school day to begin. My peers looked at me with question as a few walked past me.

"Mr.Robinson," She pointed towards the fat, short man with thinning black hair and a thick black mustache. "Is the biggest douche GHS has to offer, well besides Mrs.Jen. This man is the apittimy of hellhole,"

"Oh God," I murmured as the bell rang loudly, its deathly sound echoing through the halls. "I'm already terrible at math,"

"Me too, Ella," I smiled at the new nickname before she pointed to some boy, his skin dark and black tight curled hair in a small afro. "That guy right there is named Xavier, and he's mine."

"Random, but okay... You have a boyfriend?"

"No," She laughed as Mr.Robinson started to stand and write something upon the whiteboard, his black marker squeaking loudly. "But he's my brothers best friend; they play football together, and I've been crushing on him for literally three years,"

"Why don't you say-"

"Mr.Thorn!" Mr.Robinson's loud voice stopped Clara's and I's conversation quicker as lighting as our heads whipped up, my peers suddenly awake with wide eyes.

"Oh thank you baby Jesus," Clara laughed quietly as she realized Mr.Rob said 'mr' and not 'miss'. But my attention was stuck on the tall boy who walked into class late without a care in the world, his chocolate hair tousled perfectly and honey eyes bright as his hands were shoved in the pockets of his wrangler jeans.

"Sorry Mr.Rob," Even a country twang... In the words of my bestie 'Oh thank you baby Jesus'. "Truck issues,"

"Liar," Clara muttered, picking at her newly gold painted nails.

The boy had to be at least six foot tall, his boots dirty and beat up added to his overall aesthetic of a small town boy as he wore a black hoodie and a camo cap hung freely from his camo backpack; his eyes suddenly met mine.

With a blush, I looked away and to Clara who was still busy checking out her nails.

"That's your brother?" I whispered as he made his way to the open desk by Xavier. Clara rolled her eyes and nodded with a scowl.

"Yes, fugly uggly is my brother... Why?"

"N-no reason,"

"Class," Mr.Rob called out. "I hear we have a new student, Miss.Adella Banks! Lets give her a warm welcome as she tells us a few things about her," My fellow students looked at me without questioning if I was new or not, Clara had already told me that our graduating class was about thirty kids; back home, mine was 430. Huge difference.

With a shaky sigh, I stood and waved meakily towards my peers which earned a few snickers, eyerolls, or just bored stares.

"Hey, I'm Adella as you already heard," God, way to embarrass yourself even more Adella! "Um, I like the color black I guess, love Chinese food, and yeah... I'm not very interesting,"

"Clearly," A girl coughed; only her small group of friends laughed as embarrassment flooded my cheeks once more and sat down.

"Oh shut up Grace," Clara smirked towards the girl; her hair not at all natural as it was dyed a candy red, her lips smacking gum, and her cheerleading outfit looked cheap and too short. "The only interesting thing about you is your three STD's. Shut the hell up,"

With a bitten back smile, I glanced up only to see Clara's brother checking me out.