teardrops || nathan prescott

junior year, pt. 1

monday, september 17th, 2012

you had been in arcadia bay, oregon, for a total of six months, and you were starting to get used to it. it was a quaint seaside town with a little diner, a now-private high school, and a lighthouse atop a cliff that overlooked the ocean. it really was beautiful.

you'd heard of blackwell academy through a family friend, but you hadn't been sure what to expect. it felt a little odd that it was a private school that focused more on the arts, but who were you to complain? they had classes that covered all sorts of arts, and that's why you were there. they even had the famed photographer mark jefferson, who had been working there for a couple of years. you were two years too late to experience the theatre program, though, and you were a tiny bit bummed about that.

you weren't quite sure why you didn't finish off the year at your old school before moving, but your parents had insisted. you ended up taking a little break from school for a few extra months as you weren't able to transfer immediately to blackwell.

it was now the second week of your junior year, and you'd already met a cast of characters. you were already friends with dana ward, and you'd met a girl named rachel amber, though you didn't see her around as often. you'd had a few conversations with a kid called warren graham, who told you he'd skipped a few grades, making him the only fifteen-year-old in his junior year. you'd also met victoria chase, and within minutes of talking to her, you knew she was going to get on your nerves.

your first encounter with nathan prescott was particularly memorable. his last name being plastered all over the school had piqued your interest, and through a quick online search, you learned about his family's presence in the town. you'd soon discovered who he was when you found him tucked into a corner of the courtyard with another student, taking turns smoking a blunt. it was a peculiar sight.

"what are you looking at?"

you raised an eyebrow at him. "not much, apparently."

"what the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

you motioned towards him. "all i'm saying is that your name is everywhere, but here you are, smoking weed on the front lawn."

"i'll have you know that my family practically owns this town. i won't get in trouble for this."

"i don't care about that," you said. "do what you want. you're just not what i was expecting."

you met up with dana on your way to your first class of the day. you'd met dana on your first day, and you quickly became friends. she'd introduced you to her best friend, juliet watson, and told you about her mild distaste for victoria.

"i know the year just started, but i'm already kind of tired of it," she told you, readjusting her bag. "i think it's because i know how the people here are, and they're exhausting. too much drama."

you fully agreed with her. you'd been placed in the girl's dormitory since that's where there was room, and so far, you'd heard a lot of screaming and doors slamming. whenever that happened, you would lock your door and put your headphones on. better to pretend it wasn't happening.

your still life drawing teacher was a thin man with a heinous moustache. you didn't like looking at him, but you otherwise liked him well enough. he gave useful feedback and didn't bore you to sleep. dana, on the other hand, was always too busy texting to pay attention, so you would give her a rundown of the class and tell her about any assignments or projects.