Of Hotshots and High School

Chapter 1 - Meeting Chase

Third period. Grade 11 English class. Eww.

It was a Wednesday, the first of November, and my first day at Jefferson Memorial High School. I strongly doubted that I'd meet anyone worth mentioning. However, I'd bet my mom five bucks before I left home that I'd meet plenty of souls not worth the words I'd have to use to explain them. I'd met plenty of those in my 1st period chemistry class.  Even more in my 2nd period ceramics class. And... another one of those unmentionable souls that I hadn't yet met was sitting on my desk. 

"Ugh!" I muttered under my breath. He was obviously one of those lazy jocks whose toned arms, golden hair, and blue eyes had girls fawning over them all the time. Seriously, there was a gaggle of 5 girls who must have had bucketfuls of sawdust in their eyes for the amount they were batting their eyelashes at him. He was popular, but mostly the fact that he was sitting on my desk like he owned it made me annoyed, so that probably made me hate on jocks more than I should. But only maybe. 

Go big or go home, right? I gave myself a little pep talk before I stomped over to my desk. 

"Move it or lose it." I put my hands on my hips and stared him in those dark blue eyes. 

"Woah, Nellie! No need to get nasty at me." He laughed, standing up and running a hand through his perfectly styled-to-look-messy hair. "You're new here, right? The name's Chase." He said, smiling and showing off perfect teeth as he offered me his hand. I considered for a moment. 

"No thanks." He looked confused, his hand still outstretched and his face so puzzled. It was actually so adorable that I let out a small laugh. "No thanks. I've got no idea what you've got in that hair of yours to make it look like that, but I definitely don't want it on my hands. I think it's poisonous." Chase's confusion faded and he laughed, shaking his head in disbelief and letting his hand drop. 

"Well, little miss sassy pants, I think you're the only person I've ever met who's refused to shake hands with me."

"Well someone's got to keep you humble." I smirked. 

"Aww come on!" Chase joked, "I'll have you know that humility is my greatest quality." 

The bell signaling class to start rang and I sat down in my desk. Fateful for me, Chase sat in the one in front of mine.  Chase turned around and wagged a finger at me.

"You know, just because you think I'm handsome doesn't give you the right to follow me around everywhere," he said with mocking sternness. I wasn't going home yet. All big for me. 

"And if you would spend less time admiring your hair in a mirror and more time noticing the world around you, you would know that I'm being forced, very much against my will, to sit behind you, and you'd also notice that I am NOT enjoying it." I retorted, leaning back in my chair and feeling proud of myself. But part of what I'd said was a lie. I was definitely enjoying it. This was the longest conversation I'd had with anyone at Jefferson besides the principal when I'd first transferred. Of course, I've always enjoyed a good back and forth tease. 

"Oh puh-lease." Chase rolled his eyes dramatically. "The biggest fans always have the best alibis." And with that smug look he turned back over his shoulder just in time for our teacher calling the class to attention. 

I was not Chase's fan, nor would I ever be, and that smug look was just a little too much for me. I couldn't let him have the last word, but class had already started. So I just might have punched Chase in the shoulder. Maybe. But not super hard, I swear! But of course the teacher WAS staring at me right when I did. 

"Aurora Landon!" She yelled.  I blushed and looked down. The punch felt good. I didn't feel bad about it, but the fact that Mrs. Clemshaw couldn't have looked more shocked if she had been electrocuted was probably NOT a good sign. "I'm quite sure such behavior was NOT tolerated at your last school, but I am POSITIVE that it isn't tolerated here at Jefferson!" 

Like I said before, I always manage to break at least one rule in an embarrassing way. Great. Now I'd forever be remembered as 'the girl who punches people.' Just peachy. Great way to start out at a new school. Maybe even my best yet.

Mrs. Clemshaw's pink heels clicked on the floor as she walked towards me. 

"Aurora, you will join me for lunch deten-" 

"If I may, Miss Clemshaw?" Chase interrupted. 

"Of course Chase." Mrs. Clemshaw smiled toward him. Yuck. Teacher's pet. I hated Chase even more. "It really wasn't her fault. I mean, of course she didn't have to punch me, but don't make a big deal of it. It really was more my fault than hers." 

Mrs. Clemshaw looked skeptical. Me though? I was speechless. The self-absorbed jock had just stood up for me. I thought jocks were supposed to be proud of themselves when they got a kid lunch detention! Anyhow, it was a very welcome and pleasant surprise, and just like Mrs. Clemshaw, I didn't really know how to take it. 

"Well alright then. No more interruptions, class!" Mrs. Clemshaw gave me the evil eye before going into her lesson on the merits of Shakespeare. I wasn't really paying attention. Eventually the bell rang and I gathered up my books. I followed Chase out into the hall.

"Hey," I said, falling in to stride beside him. "Thanks. You didn't have to-"

"No biggie, Aurora." He looked at me with a cheeky grin plastered on his face. I clenched my fists. Every ounce of gratitude that I'd felt towards this boy instantly evaporated with his look of unrestrained glee.

"Don't call me that! The name's Rory," He nodded. I really did owe him big time for getting me out of detention. I sighed.  "and seriously, thank you. What you did-"

"Like I said, Rory, no biggie. All I did was tell the truth." I raised an eyebrow at him in response. "It really was more my fault than yours." I'm sure I looked confused, but there was a wicked glint in Chase's eyes. "It's not your fault I'm so irresistible you can't keep your hands off of me." 

...And so I might have punched him again. Maybe. And maybe it was a little harder than the first one. Possibly. But I definitely laughed. And I just might have smiled my first real smile of happiness since transferring to Jefferson.