Penny smiled and waved to me as
She stopped at her locker to get out some books. I waved back and kept walking to my next class.
'Maybe this new school isn't that bad,' I thought.
All of my books flew out of my hands and my binder's papers scattered the floor as two boys walked past me and hit me hard on either side with their shoulders.
"Hey!" I yelled. "Watch it!"
The hall way went silent as the boys turned around. They were identical twins with tousled dark hair and deep brown eyes. A stubble of a beard covered both their chins and their jaw bones were strong and defined. I couldn't help but admit that they were attractive.
The one to my right gave a look to the other and repositioned his weight in his feet. "I think you'd be better off watching yourself," he said quietly.
He didn't sound very threatening but Penny came rushing to my side and grabbed hold of my arm.
"She will," she fumbled out. "She's so sorry. It won't happen again."
"But it wasn't my fault! They bumped into me."
The kids in the halls looked at me as though I'd just given myself a death sentence. The twin to my left approached me and Penny stepped back. Our faces were mere inches apart and his warm breath smelled of mint as it blew on to face while he spoke.
"Look babe," he said quietly, "I think the best thing for you to do right now is pick up your stuff and get to class. You don't know who you're messing with."
I was about to tell him off but Penny spoke over me.
"Sorry Zayn. She's new. She'll learn."
His eyes lingered on Penny as if they were scanning her for lies. "She better," was all he mumbled as he stepped back and rejoined his brother to walk down the hall. After they were gone the hallway filled with chatter again, but this time it was all focused on one topic. Me.
"What the hell Penny," I said as she helped me pick up my papers. "Sorry? She's new? What's that about?!"
"I'm sorry Maggie but you can't mess with them."
I picked back up my binder and took the books she held out to me. We glanced down the hall and saw the pair leaning up against a wall with cigarettes in their hands, talking to some other boys who were covered in tattoos and piercings.
"Who are they."
"Those are the Malik twins, Zayn and Zayde. The other two they're talking to are Louis and Harry. Louis hasn't been the same since his fiancé died in a car crash last summer and Harry's gotten kicked out of his last three schools. Stay away from them Maggie, they're dangerous."
"Louis's fiancé ?"
Penny nodded sadly. "He was devastated. They were young but they were so in love. He asked her to marry him at junior prom. When she died..." She trailed off and shook her head. "He used to be the nicest boy you ever met. Got good grades, wore preppy polos... He's just not the same."
I looked at Louis closely. His wore saggy dark jeans and the sleeves of his dark blue hoodie were pushed up to reveal his forearms with a grey tee shirt. He had two lip piercings and an eyebrow piercing. His exposed arms were covered with tattoos, as well as his chest and parts of his neck.
"What about Harry? What's his deal?"
"His mom's an alcoholic, his dad's Andrew Styles-"
"Hold up. THE Andrew Styles? Andrew 'The Assassin' Styles? The famous MMA fighter?"
Penny nodded and my mouth hung open in shock.
"He takes after his dad on the fighting. But instead of going in the ring, he just hits whoever he sees. Don't make eye contact, they're looking at you now."
Despite what she said, I turned my gaze to be met with four pairs of eyes staring at me with unreadable expressions. Was it lust or hate? Envy or excitement? I wasn't sure, but something in their eyes scared me. Zayde and Zayn mumbled words to the others as I made eye contact with them.
"I think we should get to class," I said, pulling Penny by the arm down the hall. I didn't want to be around them anymore.
