The Ugly Duckling

Chapter 2: New Faces, New Feelings

Eliza spent the rest of her first day trying to stay out of the spotlight. Between dodging overenthusiastic upperclassmen and figuring out where her classes were, she felt like she was on an obstacle course she hadn’t trained for. By the time the final bell rang, she was ready to disappear into the sanctuary of home, where she could kick off her shoes, strum her guitar, and forget about the social minefield that was high school.

She was heading to her locker, eager to grab her stuff and leave, when she heard her name being called. She turned to see Jamie jogging down the hallway toward her, a big grin on his face.

“Hey, Eliza! Wait up!”

Eliza smiled as he caught up to her. Jamie was always a welcome sight—laid-back, easy to talk to, and one of the few people who never made her feel like she had to pretend to be something she wasn’t.

“What’s up, Jamie?” she asked, closing her locker and slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

“Not much, just wanted to see if you’re coming to the cafeteria. Kat’s holding down our usual table, and I heard there’s already been some drama with the cheer squad. You know, the usual start-of-the-year chaos.”

Eliza smirked. “Sounds like Chloe’s world. I’m good, though. I think I’m just going to head home.”

Jamie raised an eyebrow. “You sure? You’ve been in hiding all day. Come on, stick around for a bit.”

Eliza hesitated, glancing down the hallway toward the exit. She was about to decline when a loud voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Yo, Jamie! Hold up!”

A tall guy with a messy mop of dark hair and a skateboard tucked under his arm came strolling toward them. Eliza didn’t recognize him, but the easy grin on his face and the way he high-fived Jamie suggested they were already friends.

“Hey, Nate! What’s up?” Jamie greeted him, bumping fists with the newcomer.

“Just saw you and figured I’d catch up. This your friend Eliza?” Nate asked, turning his attention to her with a friendly smile.

“Yeah, this is Eliza,” Jamie said, introducing them. “Eliza, this is Nate. He’s new here, but we met at orientation last week.”

“Nice to meet you,” Eliza said, returning Nate’s smile.

“Likewise,” Nate replied, his gaze lingering on her a moment longer than she expected. “Jamie’s been showing me the ropes around here. This place is massive compared to my old school.”

Eliza nodded, feeling slightly self-conscious under Nate’s gaze. “It definitely takes some getting used to.”

Nate laughed, a warm, easy sound that put her at ease. “Tell me about it. Anyway, Jamie was just telling me about this spot he and Kat hang out at during lunch. You guys cool if I tag along?”

“Of course,” Jamie said quickly, glancing at Eliza as if to encourage her to stay. “Eliza was just about to join us, right?”

Eliza hesitated again, but something about Nate’s relaxed demeanor made her reconsider. Maybe sticking around for a bit wouldn’t be so bad.

“Sure, why not,” she said, surprising even herself.

“Awesome,” Nate said, his smile widening. “Lead the way, then.”

They made their way to the cafeteria, where Kat was already sitting at their usual table, surrounded by a pile of notebooks and a half-eaten bag of chips. She looked up as they approached, her eyes narrowing playfully when she saw Nate.

“Who’s this?” Kat asked, her tone teasing as she eyed the newcomer.

“This is Nate,” Jamie explained as they all sat down. “He’s new here. I met him at orientation.”

“Ah, a fresh face,” Kat said, grinning at Nate. “Well, welcome to the madhouse. I’m Kat, and if Jamie hasn’t already told you, we’re the coolest people you’re gonna meet here.”

Nate chuckled. “Good to know. Thanks for letting me crash your lunch.”

“No problem,” Kat said, tossing a chip into her mouth. “We always have room for one more.”

As they all settled in, the conversation flowed easily. Nate quickly fit in with the group, joking around with Jamie and matching Kat’s sharp wit without missing a beat. Eliza found herself laughing more than she had all day, and for a while, she forgot about her earlier anxieties.

It wasn’t until the conversation shifted to classes that Eliza noticed something curious.

“So, what classes are you guys taking?” Nate asked, leaning back in his chair.

Eliza listed off her schedule, noting that she and Jamie shared a few classes, while Kat had opted for a different set of electives.

“Nice,” Nate said. “I’m in a couple of honors classes, but I’ve got some electives too. Just trying to keep it balanced.”

“What kind of electives?” Eliza asked, genuinely curious.

Nate shrugged. “Music theory, mostly. I’ve been playing guitar for years, so I figured I’d stick with what I know.”

Eliza’s ears perked up at that. “You play guitar?”

“Yeah,” Nate said, looking slightly more interested. “You play too?”

“Yeah, I do,” Eliza said, feeling a strange mix of excitement and nervousness. “Mostly just for fun, though.”

“Same here,” Nate replied, his gaze meeting hers in a way that made her heart skip a beat. “Maybe we could jam sometime.”

Eliza felt her cheeks heat up at the suggestion, and she quickly looked down at her hands, pretending to be fascinated by the crumbs on the table. “Yeah, maybe,” she said, trying to sound casual.

Kat, ever the perceptive one, noticed the exchange and smirked. “Looks like we’ve got ourselves a mini band forming here,” she teased, nudging Eliza with her elbow.

Eliza shot her a look, but Kat just grinned wider.

Nate chuckled, seemingly unfazed by the teasing. “I’m down if you are,” he said, looking back at Eliza with that same easy smile.

“Sure,” Eliza finally said, unable to help the small smile that tugged at her lips. “Sounds like fun.”

They spent the rest of lunch talking about music, exchanging favorite bands, and debating the merits of different guitar brands. By the time the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, Eliza realized that she actually felt excited about the idea of playing with Nate.

As they all stood up to head to their next classes, Nate lingered for a moment, turning to Eliza. “So, what do you say? Wanna meet up sometime after school and play?”

Eliza nodded, feeling a strange flutter in her stomach. “Yeah, let’s do it. How about tomorrow?”

“Perfect,” Nate said, his smile widening. “Catch you later, then.”

As she watched him walk away, Eliza couldn’t shake the feeling that something new and unexpected had just entered her life. And for the first time that day, she didn’t mind the idea of high school quite so much.