𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐲

THREE

——— THE HALLWAYS WERE QUIET as Hayden Burke excused herself from her sixth period class, a long sigh escaping her lips upon closing the door. She was fathomed by the fact that it has only been one day since she started high school. One day and she was already prepared to walk out those doors and keep walking until she fell off the face of the earth.

After lunch she had come to the point where she did think that she could last four more periods of the day without screaming. She was under the impression that it wouldn't hurt to finish off the day strong and that everything wasn't completely horrible. And she was completely naive, ultimately letting the thought slip that she hated this place more than she hated anything else in the world; except maybe her last name.

Hayden couldn't help but get out of her biology class as quick as she could the moment Mr Ryke let her. Everything would've been completely fine for the girl, simply taking down notes, perhaps slightly falling sleep, but overall content with how the class was going— and it would've stayed that way if it weren't for the blonde girl who sat behind her, having the guts to lean forward and tap Hayden on the back just to ask about her older brother.

Her senior brother who had, not only been in love with nobody else but himself his entire life, but was also four whole years older than the girl. Denny was utterly disgusted and she needed to get out before she did something she'd regret.

She didn't know where she wanted to go as she allowed her feet to carry her through the hallways, but it most definitely wasn't the bathroom like she said so. She didn't think it would hurt to wander the godforsaken school for just a little until she mustered up enough will to go back into her class. Her light footsteps even found their way lurking near the fronts of Keaton and Mollie's classes, and it was a shame she couldn't do anything to signal at them or else she'd be thrown back into her biology class in a heartbeat.

Perhaps they did show favouritism towards the Burke children, which is why Denny doubted they'd even let detention cross their mind before returning her back into her respective class. The most she could get would be a warning— and it wasn't even that they knew they were showing favouritism, because they most definitely didn't, it was more in the sense that half had been somewhat afraid of the name and legacy they carried while the other half were just kiss ups like everybody else in the school. It made part of her wish someone would just give her detention and call it a day.

Nonetheless, the girl found herself lingering around the near one of the hallways after crossing Mollie's math class, long gone and far off from where her bio class sat with her presence absent. Hayden couldn't help but bite down her own smile as she slowly passed the room casually, peering through the glass of the door to see her best friend scowl at the teacher who had his backed turned away from her, sending him her vile middle finger.

Denny walked off with a light laugh, shaking her head with her gaze planted on her feet as she strolled to the end, just about turning the corner as her mind debated actually returning to her class.

It was a lengthy bathroom break and she'd been thinking to find her way back before anyone thought she had a problem.

Maybe it was because of her fixated gaze at the ground, or maybe it was because Hayden simply didn't think she needed to be watching where she was going in the empty hallways she strolled along. After all, they were empty. But as she turned around the corner, the hallways weren't so empty anymore, and nor were they very quiet as a sudden yelp escaped her lips before the wet feeling of a cold beverage she collided with soaked her entire shirt.

"Oh my—" A voice hissed, frantically stepping away with the empty bottle of water in their hands. Hayden had yet to look up and see who she had bumped into as she stared down at her shirt, a look of alarm painted across her face while a sharp gasp seeped out of her mouth, "crap! I'm so sorry-"