As the morning classes drew to a close, Emily's stomach began to rumble with hunger. She had been following Ashley around the school all morning, grateful for her guidance and company. But just before lunchtime, Ashley excused herself to use the restroom, leaving Emily to wait for her by the lockers.
"Don't worry, our lockers are close to each other," Ashley had said, before hurrying off. "I'll meet you back here in a few minutes."
Emily nodded, watching Ashley disappear into the crowd. She turned her attention to her locker, trying to remember the combination. But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't seem to get it right. Frustration mounting, she hit the locker in exasperation.
Just then, she heard a low, attractive male voice laugh behind her. "You need help, darling?"
Emily spun around, her face flushing with embarrassment. But before she could respond, Ashley appeared at her side, a stern look on her face.
"Jake, please don't flirt with the new girl," Ashley said, her voice firm but friendly. "The last thing she needs is to be bullied by your groupies."
The boy, Jake, smirked at Ashley, but his eyes never left Emily's face. "I'll see you around, darling," he said, before sauntering off.
Ashley rolled her eyes. "Sorry about that, Emily. Let me try and help you open the locker."
Ashley took the combination lock and tried to open it, but it still wouldn't budge. She examined the lock, then looked at the paper with Emily's schedule on it.
"Ah-ha!" Ashley exclaimed, laughing. "I found the problem."
Emily leaned over Ashley's shoulder, curious. "What's the problem?"
Ashley turned around, still chuckling. "Wrong locker!"
Emily's face flushed with embarrassment. She couldn't believe she had tried to open the wrong locker. Ashley, however, just patted her on the back.
"Don't worry, it happens to the best of us," Ashley said, smiling. "Let's just go eat, I'm starving."
Emily nodded, still feeling a bit flustered. She followed Ashley to the cafeteria, where they joined the line for food. As they waited, Emily couldn't help but sneak glances around the room, trying to take it all in.
Once they had their food, Ashley led Emily to a table in the corner of the cafeteria. Two other students were already seated there, a nerdy but cute guy with thick glasses and a messy mop of hair, and an extremely attractive girl with a crop top, mini skirt.
"Hey, guys, this is Emily," Ashley said, introducing her to her friends. "Emily, this is Matt and Sofia."
Emily smiled, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. Maybe this lunchtime wouldn't be so bad after all, surrounded by Ashley and her friends.
YOU ARE READING
Broken Glass
Romance" When tragedy strikes, 17-year-old Emily's world is turned upside down. Losing her mother to lung cancer, she's forced to start anew in a small town. " *Expect unexpected plot twists*
