The Unexpected [Completed]

Chapter 4

TWO MONTHS LATER

Over the summer I kept my focus on working at the ranch. If I wasnt working at the ranch, I was in my room just thinking about my mom and listening to music. I don't know what I would do without music. There is a song out there for every person that perfectly describes what's going on in their life at any given moment. Nobody ever knows what it's like to lose a parent until they have lost one themselves and nobody ever thinks that their parents are going to die. Parents are supposed to be superheros, right?

Being here isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Gabriella isn't trying to act like my mom. I would hate it if she did. She keeps her distance from me most of the time. The only time we ever interact is if it's in the kitchen during meals. Dad and I work at the ranch everyday together, but we don't really have any stimulating conversations. Lucas works at the ranch everyday too. I've learned alot about Lucas over this summer, but I still think he is jerk. He thinks that he is right about everything and he is so annnoying. He always has some sarcastic remark to say to me like ALL THE TIME!

Today is my first day of my senior year at Crestview High School. I'm so nervous. Being the new girl is not fun. Plus, I really am going to miss Arabella. I spent alot of time with her at the ranch this summer. I would go sit with her alot and just talk to her. I am going to make sure I still go visit her everyday after school and on the weekends.

I sigh and make myself get up out of bed. I open my pink bedroom curtains, as I do every morning. "Good morning, mom. I love you." I whisper out the window. Time to get dressed for my first day of school. UGH. Do I dress in something nice or do I dress in something casual? Eh, I think I'll just wear my favorite pair of American Eagle jeans and the blue blouse that mom got me for my 16th birthday. After I put on my clothes, I put the boots dad got me to wear while working on the ranch on. I'm so used to wearing them now. Plus, I think they are cute even though they are just plain old brown cow-girl boots. I clean them whenever I get done working at the ranch, so they aren't dirty.

I have my liscense. So, dad is letting me borrow his old green pick-up truck to drive to school. He let me test drive it during the summer. Lucas rode with me over the summer and showed me how to get to Crestview High. Miraculously, it wasn't as far away as I had expected. It was only like 20 minutes away.

I put my hair up in a pony-tail and throw my pink back-pack over my shoulder. I walk out of my room and head into the kitchen to grab me something to bring with me on my way to school. I don't want to eat breakfast in the cafeteria with all those strangers.

"Good morning!" Gabriella smiles at me. "Do you want some pancakes? I just made them."

"No thanks. I'm just going to grab a granola bar and an apple to bring with me on the way."

"Ok! I hope you have a great first day at school!" She goes back to making more pancakes.

I look over at Dad and Lucas at the breakfast table. "I hope that ya'll can make it at the ranch without me today."

They both laugh.

"We'll be fine." Dad says.

"Yeah, we handled it all by ourselves before you were here." Lucas chimes in with his mouth full of pancakes.

EWWW. Didn't his mother ever tell him to not talk while he was chewing his food? That's so disgusting.

I give Lucas a weird look, but he doesn't notice.

"Bye, everybody!" I walk out the front door.

I park near the football stadium and run quickly inside the school. I'm running a little bit late. It takes me forever to figure out where my first class, Calculus, is at. I know that I'm beyond late. Hopefully, the teacher will give me a pass since I'm new and it's the first day of school. I open the door to the classroom.

The whole class looks at me. I turn beet red.

"Um, is this Mrs. Jacob's Calculus class?"

The teacher, a blonde in her early forty's, gives me a welcoming smile.

"Why yes it is and you are?"

"I'm Peyton Grimes."

She looks down at her roster.

"I assign seats by alphabetical order in my class. You will be sitting over there behind Joseph Gates." She points to a blonde headed boy with piercing blue eyes. I blush and go sit behind him, quickly. I don't want to disrupt the class any longer.

"Since it's your first day, Ms. Grimes, I will not give you a tardy. Welcome to Crestview High."

After that, she continues to go over the class syllabus.

Joseph turns around. "I hope that you will like it here." He whispers to me and gives me a wink.

THE BOY WITH PIERCING BLUE EYES JUST WINKED AT ME.

I think I just died inside a little.

"Thanks." I whisper back.

He grins and turns back around.

Is that all that I could think of to say? I'm so lame. UGH.

Once class is over, I gather my things, and head out the door. The rest of my day goes by pretty quickly. All my teachers are nice and everybody seems pretty friendly so far.

At the end of the day, as I'm heading to the pick up, I feel somebody tap on my shoulder. I whirl around to see who it is.

IT'S BOY WITH THE PIERCING BLUE EYES.

"Hey! How was your first day?"

"It was good. Thanks for asking." I smile at him.

He smiles back. "So, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to come to a bonfire that I'm having at my house next weekend? I, usually, only invite a group of my closest friends. I want to invite you, though, so you can socialize." He winks at me once again.

I laugh. I don't know what to say. I just met this guy, but you have to talk to people to get to know them.

"Um, sure, I guess. " I finally say after a while.

"Awesome! I'll give you my address and my number in case you get lost." He laughs.

I don't think anybody can get lost in Crestview. It's like the size of an M&M.

"Thanks for inviting me. Well, I gotta go! I'll see you at school tomorrow!" I say as I continue my way towards the pick-up.

He watches me as I climb in the drivers seat. I can still see him watching after me in the rear view mirror as I drive off.