Walking a fine line✔️

3. Shoulder-basher

The four of us spent the bus ride chatting quietly, playing cards and eating far too many M&M's. Before we knew it a large entrance way, guarded by two stone lions, came into sight and the bus began to slow down. I pulled out my earphones as We Will Rock You came to an end, a rather fitting soundtrack for the beginning of this trip.

"Wow." I breathed as the bus turned onto the driveway. Jack had described Hillcrest Boarding School to me before, but his words had not reached the magnitude that the building and grounds deserved.

Before us lay a long winding driveway that went through a large, well kept lawn, surrounded by green fields and ancient oak trees. The school itself was made up of a handful of massive old buildings, their architecture flawless.

"Was it just me that missed the memo that we needed to dress as if we'd stepped out of Downton Abbey?" June whispered.

"My thoughts exactly." The grandeur of the place was overwhelming. It was as if a magic spell was cast over the bus as we went up the driveway. Hillcrest was captivating.

"It even has a courtyard." Ruben croaked as we rounded the corner of the school building.

"Look!" I heard someone exclaim excitedly from up front. "There are other buses here!"

They were right. Like ants spilling out of a mound, students were stepping out of buses all around us. Our school's two buses pulled up next to each other at the end of the bus line and we started piling out, excitement overcoming us in waves.

"Everyone grab your bags then meet us over by that fountain!" Mrs Johnson yelled over the heads of everyone.

I looked over at June and grinned. This was going to be great.

We made our way off the bus and into the wrestling chaos under the bus. To say that teenagers behaved like animals was an understatement. Arms flew in all directions and constant shoving sent many people sprawling. How I managed to grab my bags and stay in one piece, I don't know, but somehow I did.

Ruben grimaced. "Now that was something I wish never to face again."

"Drama queen." June laughed, dodging Ruben's retaliation arm swing.

"All right everyone, listen up," Mrs Johnson announced. "Like we discussed on Friday, you will have an hour to get settled into your dorms before we have a meeting in the great hall." She looked down at her clipboard. "If any of you have forgotten which dorm you're in, come see me." A student who I recognised as someone from the year above put her hand up. "Yes?"

"How do we find our dorms?" the student asked.

"Good question," Mrs Johnson replied. "There will be arrows with directions to each dorm stuck to the walls once you enter the school. Just follow them and you will be fine. Any other questions? No, okay, see you all in an hour."

The crowd around us began to disperse, and I turned to the others. "Which dorms are you guys in again?"

"I'm in the North Tower," Noah answered, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Dang, so close." Ruben sighed as we began walking to the entranceway. "I'm in the North Wing."

"Unlucky," June said. "Rory and I are both in West Tower."

"I wonder what the other people will be like," I said, my eyes looking at the crowd around us. We'd now blended in with the wave of other schools, strangers all around us.

Noah smiled. "We'll soon find out."

We walked through the grand entrance doors into a large hallway brimming with people. I scanned the walls and with relief saw the coloured arrows that pointed to the West Tower. "That's us."

"Alright see you guys in an hour!" June yelled to the boys over the noise of the crowd, before dragging me off down the hallway. "Now for the real fun."

We made our way down corridors and up a staircase with hundreds of pictures hung up on the walls. "Are you telling me," I said through gasping breaths of air. "That we have to walk up this everytime we want to go to our dorm."

"Looks like it—" June stopped mid sentence.

"Looks like what?"

"Looks like hot guys coming down the hallway towards us," June whispered.

Sure enough, three handsome guys were walking down the corridor towards us, absorbed in conversation.

"Watch out, you're gonna catch flies if you keep drooling with your mouth open." I teased.

"Hey! I am not drooling." She rolled her eyes.

I grinned. "Looks like your wish came true."

"These next weeks are going to be great," June replied with an equally wide grin.

I moved closer to June as the guys came nearer, the hallway not nearly wide enough for five people to walk comfortably next to each other.

"Let's hope that– Hey!" I exclaimed, feeling pain shoot through my shoulder which had collided with one of the boys. "Watch it!"

The three guys stopped and turned around. The basher of my shoulder raised his dark eyebrows and said slowly, "What did you say?"

"I said watch it. You just walked into me."

Shoulder-basher looked at his friends and let out a laugh before turning back to me. "I'm sorry love, maybe you shouldn't have been in my way."

I coughed in outrage. "Your way?"

"Yes, my way." His voice dropped. "Nobody gets in my way, you'll learn that soon."

I shook my head and patted his shoulder. "As if I could learn anything from you."

He narrowed his eyes and beside me June laughed.

I waved. "See you around boys." Before they could respond, we walked away, heads high. I smiled. "And that is how we deal with pricks."

"But why do all the hot ones have to have such shit personalities?" June groaned.

I elbowed her. "I wouldn't say Noah is anywhere near bad looking."

A blush rose on her cheeks and she laughed. "Ruben should have introduced him to us sooner."

"Maybe he wanted to keep Noah to himself, because as you know." I winked. "They have history."

A/N:

Best snack to eat on the bus? I'm more of a skittles fan than M&M's.

Voted and comment if you enjoyed :)

SouthernAlps over and out...