We stop abruptly in front of locker forty-nine and the unnamed guy begins turning the lock. It seems he grabbed my combination off my schedule. He pops the door open then presses his back to my neighboring locker. “Drop your shit and I’ll walk you to your first class.”
Cocking a brow, I smirk. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
“First impressions are everything, Nadia. Remember me like this, because my second impression might not be so amiable.”
“How do you know my name?” Swinging my bag off my shoulder, I drop it to the ground and stoop down to pull my notebook and pencil out then tuck the folded paper back in the side pocket of my bag.
“I know a lot about you Nadia Rivers. Locker: forty-nine. Combo: 10-21-36. Advisory with Mr. P.”
Nodding my head with a grin, I chuckle. “My schedule. Of course.” Once my bag is hung on the hook in the locker, I close it up and we walk back the way we came. “And your name is?”
“Zack. Zack Wells.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Zack. And, thank you for helping me out. I…..” Before I can finish, he’s dipping into a classroom, leaving me standing in the hall. I finish talking under my breath, “appreciate it.”
So much for him showing me where my first class is. Keeping on my path down the emptied hall, I look at the classroom doors in search of Mr. Pecker’s room. Giggling out loud, I make a mental note to act more mature. Poor guy is probably in dire need of an ego stroke for having a name like that. Stop it, Nadia.
A whistle from behind me has me spinning around. Zack throws his hands in the air. “Where you going?”
I holler down the hall, “Looking for my class. What are you doing?”
Zack hurries to my side, grabbing me by the wrist, and it’s awkward to say the least. “I’m in your class. Hurry up. You’re already late. Mr. P’s an asshole and he wouldn’t hesitate to give you lunch detention on your first day. We can’t have that.”
“We can’t?” I spit out as we walk briskly back to the classroom.
“No. Because you’re eating with me,” he deadpans before we walk in the classroom door.
“I am?” The door slams shut behind me, startling me.
“Please take your seats,” Mr. P says before Zack has a chance to answer me. I follow behind him and he gestures for me to sit down at the chair to his right. There are about eight long tables with four chairs at each one.
It takes me a moment to remember where I saw the familiar face sitting on the other side of him, then it hits me. The girl in the parking lot. The barbie doll looking one who copped an attitude with me.
“We have a new student joining us today,” Mr. P says, cutting into my thoughts and leaving me hunched in my seat. “Nadia, would you like to stand and introduce yourself?”
No. No, I would not.
“Umm, yeah. Sure.” I push my chair back and get to my feet. “I’m Nadia. I’ve lived in Cutler Creek since I was in elementary school.” My shoulders rise. “I guess that’s it.” Before the words even leave my mouth, I’m back in my seat. I can feel my cheeks blush pink. I despise attention and it seems I’ve grabbed a room full of it.
“Elementary school, huh? Where’d you transfer from?” This time, it’s not Mr. P asking the question, it’s Zack’s neighbor.
Really don’t want to answer this question, but being on the spot, I have little choice in the matter. Looking at the Barbie doll, I glare with a smirk. “East Pointe Academy.”
Mr. P goes to speak and I breathe a sigh of relief thinking my mini interrogation is over, until she chimes in once again. “Why would you ever leave East Pointe to come to CCH? Isn’t it like...for rich people?”
“That’s enough, Lacey.” Mr. P shifts his focus to me. “Thank you, Ms. Rivers.”
Filling my lungs, I press my lips into a thin line and turn back to Mr. P, leaving Lacey’s question hanging. I’m not answering that.
East Pointe is, in fact, for more privileged students, but it’s also hard as hell to get into. It requires at least a 3.8 GPA—which I’ve held all four years there—you’re also required to pass a substantial admissions test. So yeah, tuition is expensive, but you need brains to attend. Brains that I’m certain this girl doesn’t have.
Apparently advisory is just a morning class to finish up on homework or get help on any classes you are struggling in. Since it’s my first day, I don’t have anything to catch up, so I’m just doodling in my notebook until my next class starts in fifteen minutes.
“Enjoying your first day so far?” Zack leans over and whispers in my ear. My back steels and I drop my hand that was pressed to my cheek.
I grin in response. “Oh, yeah. It’s been a wonderful..thirty minutes.”
He chuckles then returns to tapping into his phone under the table, “Well, you have Mrs. Hargrove next period, so enjoy the next few minutes. She’s tough and doesn’t play nice.”
“How did you…?” I shake my head. “Right. My schedule.” Shifting my body to face him, I lay my arm across the table. “Did you memorize my entire day?”
“Maybe.” He winks, sending an unwanted giddiness rippling through me. “Nah, I only made it up to lunch. The second half of the day will be a surprise for both of us.”
Turning back to face the front, I can feel myself blushing again. After everything that happened with Jordan, the last thing I need is to start getting all giddy over another guy.
2
Nadia
When the bell rings, I’m the first person out of my seat. I’m also the only person who did nothing but draw a picture of absolutely nothing—all because I have nothing to do. Just a bunch of lines intersecting with no beginning or end. I’m halfway out the door when Zack grabs my attention. “This is where we go our separate ways, but you’ll sit with me at lunch, right?”
“Yeah. Sure.” I shrug my shoulders. Beats sitting alone. I’m not sure why this guy is being so nice to me, but I’ll take it. So far, I’ve made it through an entire period with no harsh comments thrown my way. It’s obvious that Lacey isn’t fond of me, but I know girls like her. She feels threatened.
Zack and I part ways as I walk down the senior hallway, past the junior lockers that run into the sophomore ones, and then I turn down the freshman hall. This really is a bunch of bullshit. It takes me at least three minutes to get to my locker and we only have seven minutes between classes.
I find locker forty-nine right away, but throw my head back and inwardly growl when I realize that my combo is inside my locker. “Fuck!” I mutter under my breath.
Spinning on my heels, I head back down all the halls I’ve already been down, and I’m en route to the office when I spot Zack standing with his back pressed against a locker and his foot kicked up. There’s a crowd of about six people around him and they’re all laughing about something. Three of the six are the girls from the parking lot.
I could avoid the office and just ask Zack for my combination.
Hugging my notebook to my chest, I draw in a deep breath before approaching them. Zack catches me immediately, but he keeps talking to his friends while watching me walk toward him.