How Swell Of You!

Chapter One - Orientation

Kimmi's POV

August 8, 2023

6:56 am

"This doesn't feel right." Kimmi said to her friend Jacob as the bus dropped off the middle schoolers and proceeded to one of the many local highschools. 

"Yeah, feels weird. Doesn't it?" Jacob murmured back. 

ping!

Kimmi reached into her back pocket to feel her phone going off for the third time this morning.

"Ugh, guys respectfully, shut the fuck up." She said to her phone and slide it back into her pocket. 

Time skip ('cause i'm lazy af)

"Ugh why do I even have to go to this dumb assembly" She thought as she looked for the others, Sarah, another girl in the friend group, by her side.

"KIMMI! OVER HERE!" Millie screamed, waving frantically. Kimmi waved back, taking Sarah with her to where the group sat on the bleachers. Kimmi started to lean back to talk to Millie, Irene and Monica when she noticed the person she had sat next to. Yes, she knew this person from the summer production of Newsies she'd done. The girl sitting next to her was a pretty blonde with striking blue eyes and a tad too much eyeliner. She was also dating Joey, who had played Jack Kelley. Kimmi was sitting next to Isla Fredrickson. 

"Holy shit! Isla? I didn't know you were gonna come to Bayvalley!" Kimmi said, upon realizing this. Isla and Toby gave her an odd look and continued talking.

"And omgodddd! He kept calling me and Marz and talking about the date that he was on with you! Like boy, shut the fuck up and get back to your girl." Toby began. 

"I know! He was on his phone the whole timeee! It was SO ANNOYING!" Isla ranted. "Were they talking about Joey? "

"Wait- hold up. Did you and Joey break up?" Kimmi asked, confused. 

"No." Isla scoffed with a dirty look. Monica gave Kimmi a look of sympathy. She knew. Over the summer, Kimmi had, well a bit of a thing for Joey. She had confided in Monica about it but made sure that she knew it wasn't serious and Joey of course didn't know but that didn't stop people from finding out. Isla was no exception, or so she thought. "Shit! Shit! Shit! She thinks I like Joey and now she probably hates me!" Kimmi thought, trying not to look over at Isla or Toby who had continued their conversation. 

After the boring as shit assembly and lunch (that was really all the significance of it lol)

After lunch they had yet another assembly. But in the theater this time. As they went up the stairs, Kimmi thought of the theatre, dubbed the Charlotte Barlowe theater. It was a very nice theater, Kimmi herself had been in there when she went to see last year's musical. 

"Ugh this is sooooo boring." A voice beside her said, stirring her from her thoughts. A girl, who she presumed to be one of Isla's friends. She was black and had dark frizzy-looking hair.

"Yeah, its so stupid. Oh! Uhm, also what's your name?" Kimmi said, she hated when people got her name wrong, which they often did. So she always made a point to learn other people's names. (this was actually so weird to experience and write ngl)

"Nicole." She said, walking away. Weird, didn't people usually stick around so the other person could introduce themselves too? Kimmi shrugged it off and took a seat on the floor of the theater. As the assembly went on, she saw something weird with Monica. Well for starters, the two hadn't talked as nearly as much as they typically did.  And something was bothering her. It was as clear as the nose on her face. 

"Hey you okay?" Kimmi mouthed to Monica. Monica just nodded her head and looked away. As always, Kimmi left school feeling drained. On the bus ride home she received a text from Monica.

Monica: hey i know that we didnt talk as much as we usually do and im sorry for that ive been focusing on being tobys friend because it feels like im losing that

Kimmi: yeah i get that today was just weird and besides he'll never leave you, youre his favorite.

Monica: well i guess, also idk if you still like joey but today was rough with isla 

Kimmi: yeah ik i don't like him anymore but she's made it quite clear that her nor her friend like me very much hopefully itll be better tommorrow

Monica: mhm

And just like that. Kimmi's days left with them were numbered. She didn't know this quite yet but she'd figure out how "swell" this gal called Isla actually was.