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It’sbeenonehellof a morning. After Parker's walkout in English and then our stare-off in Biology, I wonder if he might not remember me. Maybe I’m just the new girl after all, and they’re trying to figure me out. Not that there’s much to me that meets the eye; I purposefully dress like I don’t give a shit to divert the male gaze.
I held my breath as I walked into chemistry. I couldn’t handle another awkward Parker exchange. He’s making it hard to pay attention to anything. I thought for sure they would recognize me. Maybe everything from all those years ago is a faded memory to them. Not tangible like they are for me.
Instead, Ryan walked in behind me and was assigned as my lab partner, along with Caroline.
Thank the Gods when she said, “I know your reputation as a football star and new girl… I don't know you, so I’m going to do the assignment, slap your names on it, and we can call it a day, agreed?” We nodded and let her have at it.
For the remainder of the class, I looked down at my book, pretending I was doing anything other than focusing on the tension in the air. It was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I risked glances out of the corner of my eye. Ryan held a similar stance as me, but his eyes seemed distant.
After a few minutes of trying to remember what hallway it’s down, I find my locker. I let out a deep sigh. The second I open my locker, I’m bombarded by a group of girls.
“So, you’re our resident new girl, Abigail… Addams? It must be Addams; you look like you could be Wednesday's cousin, you know, Uncle Fester's daughter. It is Addams, right?”
I face the school's mean girl, “Oh damn, and here I was thinking I forgot something. Good thing you’re not on the swim team; I left my piranhas at home.” Nailing my best Jenny Ortega impression.
“Listen here, new girl. I don't know who you think you are or what your angle is, but stay away from them,” she snarks back at me as she steps a foot closer, entering my personal space.
“One, breath mint,” I reply. “Two, I don't know who thisthemis you are referring to, but if they have any association with you and your fake tan orange-looking minions, I sure as shit want nothing to do withthem.”
“You look like shit, Addams,” she coldly states as she takes me in, looking from head to toe.
Before I can hit her with a comeback, a warm, rock-solid body is pinned up against me. The guy from English, who was talking to Parker and Ryan, drapes his arm around my shoulders.
“Hey there, new best friend.” He gives me a wink, but I still shrug out from under his arm and shut my locker. I don’t know what's going on here, but I want no part of it. High school drama is not my extracurricular activity.
“Savannah, have you met the infamous Abigail Burns?” he asks the mean girl with a smile plastered on his face, grinning ear to ear.
“You mean Wednesday's fat cousin?” she asks sarcastically.
“Now, now, it’s 2023, Sav. We’re all about body positivity and—weight shaming, really? Are you threatened that much by my new friend here that you are resorting to that level of bitchery?”
On that note, I start my way down the hall, breaking past her minions and leaving this guy in my rearview.
“Abby, baby, wait up!” he calls out from behind. He runs to catch up to me.
“You got lunch next, yeah?” he asks as he pulls my latest reading obsession out from my hands, places it on the opposite side of his body using his other arm, and wrapping it again around my shoulders.
“Look here, Prince Charming. Thank you for your help back there, but it was unnecessary. I had it under control.” We keep walking down the hall toward what I assume to be the lunchroom as he is leading the way.
“Nah, it’s not like that baby girl. I knew you had her. One thing you need to know is Savannah is Parker’s most recent ex, and although she doesn’t know you personally, she has a long-time grudge against you. Lots of girls here at this school do. So here I am, your humble servant, offering you my services of protection against the spray tan masses.”
I stop walking and twist out of his embrace to stand directly in front of him.
“So they do remember me,” I state, but he takes it as a question as he grabs me by the shoulders and turns me back around. We start walking again, this time with his arm behind my back.
“Baby girl, they never forgot you,” he proclaims. We enter the double glass doors leading to a small flight of stairs that open up into the cafeteria.
“I’m Colin, by the way, O’Brian. If you would follow me, my lady, we are right this way.”
My feet follow him even though it is the last thing I want to do. However, my mind is not in the right state to make conscious decisions. It is thousands of miles away.
They know it’s me.I’m not just the new girl to them. So why didn’t they say anything? Why are they acting this way toward me? What did I do wrong? I go over in my head the last time I saw both of them when we were all ten years old, and nothing comes to mind.
Colin pulls out a seat and places my book on the table, “Your throne, my queen.” He gestures for me to sit. “Libations are on their way!”
Before I can say anything, Colin disappears. I know I should just find another spot to eat, but if what he said is true, that there are other mean girls out there like that Savanah bitch. I may as well sit here or read my book in the girls' bathroom.
six
