Innocent Bystander

Chapter Two: Gabe Gets Yelled At For Two Minutes Straight

I got up from my hiding spot and dried my tears. The last thing I wanted was for people to see me upset on my first day. The boy with who I would now share a class spoke up as I sat down.

"You new here?" He asked me.

"Yeah," I replied, "This is Ms. Finch's Science class, isn't it?"

"Sure is. You showed up just in time, too. We have a quiz this period."

"A quiz?" I asked, slightly panicked. I'd just gotten there and witnessed an assault a few minutes prior. I couldn't write a quiz in the state I was in!

"Yeah, but I don't think you'll have to write it since you're new here and all," The boy paused before adding, "Um- I'm Brian Franklin, by the way."

"Oh, hi," I replied, relief taking over, "I'm Alice Simmons."

"Alice Simmons... Do- do you know a certain Gabe Valet?"

"Yeah, I do actually! He's my cousin."

"Ohh, so you're the cousin Gabe was telling the guys not to flirt with earlier!"

"Wait what-"

"Yeah - actually come to think of it the moment Gabe mentioned you were in freshman year, my friend, Nick, asked if you were single-"

Nick. So that's why Gabe said to be wary of him. It all made sense now.

"I think Gabe mentioned something about him," I explained, "Apparently he's a bit of a flirt."

"Honestly, I think 'a bit' might be a slight understatement-" Brian started before shouting voices in the hallway cut him off.

"That's my friend, Aaron," Brian explained, "I think he just got into a spat with Katie Davis again."

"Aaron, give it back!" A girl, who I assumed was Katie Davis, shouted from outside the door.

"Make me!" A boy, Aaron presumably, retorted tauntingly. I'd read enough enemies-to-lovers fanfiction by that time to know where that was headed.

"I- I should probably go break that up," Brian continued, "Nice meeting you!"

"Nice meeting you too," I replied as he got up and raced out to the doorway. From where I was sitting, I could hear conversation unfold.

"Guys, what's going on now?" Brian groaned.

"He took my flyers!" Katie explained.

"Oh please," Aaron laughed, "Like anyone's gonna help those supernatural freaks anyway!"

"They're not freaks! Some are perfectly harmless, and if you would just give them a chance-!"

"Yeah, sure they are-"

Before Aaron could finish his sentence, I heard something that sounded like papers being snatched out of someone's hand.

"Yo, what the heck-" Aaron started. With that, a girl walked through the door. The girl was my height, maybe a bit taller, with curly dark brown hair, chocolate brown eyes, medium-brown skin, a slim figure, and trendy attire. I assumed this girl was Katie.

A few seconds later, Brian walked in with a boy who I automatically knew was Aaron. He had a dark-haired buzzcut, medium-brown skin, dark brown eyes, and was kind of younger-looking. The dude looked like one of those mischievous younger brothers from a Disney Channel sitcom.

"How did you-?!" Aaron asked, flabbergasted.

"Honestly, you're not that slick," Katie paused and grinned before adding "Butterfingers."