"Adopted By" Oneshots!

The New Girl

Book: Adopted by Heathers (this is focused on Red!)
Year: 2014
Catlynn and Red's Age: 13

Red's POV

"Why do all the chairs look weird?" Axel said as we walked into the band room. "It might just be me, but it feels like things...moved around a bit."

"Oh, calm down." I said teasingly. "You're reading too deep into this, maybe our band teacher just wanted a change of scenery or something."

"Guys?" our teacher said, coming into the band room from the instrument closet. "Get your instruments ready and sit down, I have news."

Axel and I looked to each other, bringing our instruments over to our respective sections and sitting down.

"Why so serious?" Francesca Sawyer said jokingly, sitting down in the trumpet section with a smile.

"Apparently there's 'news.'" I said. "I don't know what it entails, but it exists." 

"Oh." Cesca said. "Wait. I think I might know what the news might be, but take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt." 

"Yeah?" I said, and then at that moment a girl with long auburn hair and a saxophone around her neck walked in and sat down next to Axel.

And she was really, really pretty. That's all I could think of as I tried, and failed, to put my clarinet together. Usually I could put it together without much effort, but damn, this pretty girl was taking all the space in my brain right now. 

"Thought so." Cesca said under her breath. "What's up?" she said, jokingly blowing her trumpet in the girl's ear. 

Axel giggled and tapped the girl on the shoulder. "You the other sax?"

"Yeah. My name's Catlynn." the girl said. 

Catlynn. That's a really pretty name. Something about it seemed familiar, like maybe my cousin had brought it up once or twice. I dropped my clarinet on the floor and picked up my phone, trying to not look like a complete idiot. Taking periodic glances at my phone, I studied Catlynn's features. 

She was a little taller than me, with auburn hair with natural blonde highlights reaching down to the middle of her back. There were a sprinkling of freckles on her cheeks and nose, and I could see some freckles on her shoulders and forearms too. And I swear I could see some bruises on her arms and legs. 

And that's when it hit me, that's when I realized I knew who she was. 

I was in a daze for a few seconds until I noticed Violet tap Catlynn on the shoulder from the flute section in front of me. 

"Hey. I'm Violet."

"I'm Catlynn."

"Do you like Heathers?" Violet said with a smirk, looking towards me. 

Oh dear God. I thought to myself. Violet, don't you dare do what I think you're going to do. And don't you think I'm going to be on your twisted side, either. 

"Jessica Keenan Wynn, you know, the girl who played Heather Chandler, got in a car crash a couple of weeks ago. She's in a coma." Violet said, staring daggers into my soul like she expected me to say something.

"She's...she's not in a coma." Catlynn said quietly. 

"How would you know?" Violet snapped.

"Because she's my aunt!" Catlynn yelled, getting in Violet's face. 

 Violet started laughing so hard she could barely breathe. "You're just a crazy fangirl. Get out of your own head, jerk, and start paying respect!" 

"Go. I'll deal." Cesca whispered to Catlynn as she ran out of the room, clutching her phone.

"Okay, pardon my language, but what the fuck was that for?" I said to my cousin. 

"I knew she was faking it the second you mentioned it to me, Elizabeth." Violet said. 

"Firstly, it's Red. Secondly, what? I just brought it up to you because I thought it was cool that we had a new girl in our band class! I wanted to, y'know, get her number and invite her over to the house and stuff! And she's not faking it!"

"Who in their right mind would get adopted by a Broadway star?" Violet said. "Come on, Red, you're smarter than this. It's too far-fetched to ever be true."

I walked over to Violet and took her by the arm, dragging her to the corner of the room. "If you hurt Catlynn, I swear to God-"

"Don't threaten me, Elizabeth, you know it won't do any good. Y'know, I could ruin that girl's life if I wanted to. Make those Broadway people wish they never knew her."

I sighed and sat in my seat, turning towards Axel. "Ignoring my cousin for a second, Catlynn's really pretty. And she seems so sweet."

Axel giggled and threw his arm around my shoulder.

"You have a crush on her, don't you?" 

"No. Maybe?" I said, feeling my cheeks get hot.

Axel smirked at me and jumped over the chairs to sit next to me.

"Shut up!"