Angel (Cody Daniels Book 1)

Chapter 10

I got on the school bus, looking around for an empty seat. Luckily, the nearest bus stop was the first stop, meaning that most of the seats were empty. I took a seat near the back, dumping my bag down on the seat next to me. Hayden sat near the front, completely blanking me.

The bus ride took at least half an hour. At each new stop, half a dozen or so kids joined the bus. Eventually, I forced to take my bag off the seat next to me so that someone else could sit there. I did so only begrudgingly.

At the second stop before the school, there were no more seats so a younger-looking boy came and sat next to me, but as far away from me as possible. He leaned across the aisle and started talking to another boy sat across from him.

I shuffled a bit further away from him and returned to gazing out the window. Five minutes later, the bus stopped at its final location, and I got my first look at my new school.

It was the only one within about twenty miles and housed only five hundred and thirty two students (nearly a third of my old school).

I had to admit, the school didn't make a great first impression. The building was boring and unimpressive, with grey walls and grimy windows. It was well-kept, with a grassy courtyard and flowerbeds lining the building.

I climbed out of the bus near and followed the line of students heading towards the building. A lot of them were waiting outside, having a doss around with their friends or chatting excitedly to one another.

Shouldering my rucksack, I shifted my tie, noticing the head-teacher stood just outside the building. I'd met him for an interview a week before, and he seemed like a nice enough guy, but I knew that he would not hesitate to kick me out of the school.

I walked up to him nervously, knowing that Morgan would kill me if I did anything wrong.

He smiled kindly as I approached. "Oliver Daniels, right?" I'd had to change my name because I was still a missing person back in Watbourne. However, I wanted a name that I wouldn't easily forget. So we had just cut out my first name.

"Yeah," I said quickly, shaking his outstretched hand somewhat awkwardly.

"It's nice to have you joining us. Unfortunately, I have a meeting this morning, so I have arranged for someone else to show you around.""I believe that the two of you already know each other...?" he said with a smile.

"Oh, Hayden?" I guessed.

"Yes," he frowned. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah," I said quickly. "It's just that we don't always get along too well."

"Oh," he said, as though the thought hadn't ever occurred to him. "That's fine, I'll arrange for someone else to show you around, if you'd rather."

"Um, if you don't mind." I said cautiously. I didn't really want Morgan and Rachel to find out that I had refused to have Hayden show me around.

The headmaster lead me into the building, and I found myself surprised by the school's modern interior. It was well-kept, with shiny floors and brightly painted walls. It seemed to be the complete opposite of the prison-yard exterior.

He took me up large set of stairs towards the second floor of the school, and into the corridor. He glanced down at his clipboard and then walked down to the classroom furthest from the stairs.

He opened the door and poked his head in. "Could I borrow Mr. Quake for a moment please?"

A moment later, a grumpy and disheveled boy appeared in the doorway. He had a pair of black rimmed glasses hiding his curious eyes and messy sandy-blonde hair. His tie was loose, his shirt untucked and his blazer nowhere in sight.