Chapter 1
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"A smart girl knows how to love. A smarter girl knows who to love."
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The sun shined brightly in the sky as I headed over to my bus stop. The leaves were changing colors, indicating autumn was arriving. From the dark green color to red to orange to yellow to brown. Moving from Israel to America hurt, because my sisters and I were leaving behind everything we knew and loved to come to America.
I was the only one of the four going to high school. I was the youngest and eighteen years old. Meanwhile my sisters were older and wiser, or so they claim. Ziva was in her last year of college, Natalia was in her third year, and Stella was in her second year of college. I, Talia, am in my last year of high school. Then, I am off to college. The community college that is, I cannot leave my family.
As I was saying, the breeze was cool and picked up the fallen leaves. It was a little chilly as I waited for the bus to come. Silently I stood, waiting for the arrival of the ignorant Louis Hall. Right on cue, he stood next to me. He was my best friend, the only friend I knew who would never spread rumors unlike my last group of friends. The only problem with being his best friend was he had the popular girl as his girlfriend.
Aubree Lewis, the daughter of vice principal Lewis and girlfriend of Louis, was a demon. She and her family tormented mine because we came from Israel. They hated us, that part we evident. We steered clear of them in public and I steered clear of them at school. It was really easy considering Aubree was dumb and had cheerleading practice during electives.
"Talia?" Louis was asking me. I blinked and looked over at him.
"Yes, Louis?" I asked patiently, leaning over the road to look for the bus.
"What were you thinking about?" Louis prodded.
"How much I hate school." I replied sending him a small smile. He smiled back, showing me his pearly white teeth. I looked away, watching as the Jefferson Corporation High School bus slowly rolled down the street.
"Agreed." Louis said as the stench of BO hit us as our bus driver, Mr. Morris, opened the doors. Louis and I climbed on, gagging at the stench the football players wafting towards us. Usually, he'd get a ride with Aubree but I guess she forgot or they're in a fight.
"So, how is your elective going?" I asked him. He was a baseball player, best outfielder Jefferson ever had.
"Great. They named me the MVP." Louis answered, smiling brightly. "How about your elective?" I laughed and shook my head.
"Good. I'm supposed to audition for the Grease play, but I don't really want to." I said, shrugging.
"Why not, T?" Louis asked me, nudging me slightly.
"I don't like that I'll be auditioning for the main part along with every other girl in the school." I paused. "It's just not a very fair competition." Louis nodded his head in an understanding way.
"So, are you coming to my game on Tuesday?" I thought for a moment before nodding my head.
"Well, your number one supporter has to be there. Or else who would yell at the refs for their ridiculous calls and almost get thrown out?" I teased, bumping my knee against his. Louis laughed, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.
"You are one amazing friend, you know that, right?" He asked, kissing my temple.
"I've been told." I stated smugly. "So, why didn't Aubree pick you up?" His eyes narrowed, his jaw and fists clenched.
"We broke up." Louis answered, his voice cold.
"I'm sorry, Louis, I should have never brought it up." I said, hugging him tightly. "But, if you don't mind me asking, why?"
"She was cheating on me, Talia. She freaking cheated on me." Louis growled, cracking his knuckles. "I guess high school relationships never last, huh?"
"It's possible they never last, Louis. But there is also a possibility they do last. Maybe you two were not meant for each other or maybe not right now. Not in our teen years. If you are meant to be with her, then fate will always bring you two back to each other."
"When did you grow wise in romance, huh? You say you've sworn off all men until you're ready." Louis teased me. I forced a laugh.
"Well, it helps when you have seen your three older sisters hearts get broken time after time. Each one more devastating than the last. Each one with more tears, more sobs. Each one, they figure nobody will ever love them. They contemplate things, Louis. Things I don't want to see you do, when you go down that road." I told him.
"Trust me, Talia. I will never go down that road with you guiding me." Louis told me, gripping my hand. I felt sparks fly, just like whenever we are alone and together.
"I'm glad to hear that, L." I said, standing as the bus pulled to a stop in front of Jefferson High.
Jefferson High looked like a prison. Solid brick walls, huge iron gates, ugly orange lockers, and the rooms were huge. The only thing this place needed was the jumpsuits and cots. Louis and I made our way through the swarm of students as we headed to our lockers.
I opened up my locker, sighing as I surveyed the mess. I tried to organize it before, but it always ends up messy. I grabbed my AP world history book and chemistry textbook before waiting for Louis so we could walk to homeroom together. This year we ended up getting the same homeroom teacher.
"Did you hear that Kenna and Jenkins hooked up?" Tommy Green, a baseball friend, asked Louis.
"Ew. He's a slut." Louis said, scrunching his nose up. "And why would Kenna go out with him?"
"I don't know, but you would have seen it if you went to the party." Tommy told him, shoving lightly. "Where were you, man?"
"My family had dinner with Talia's." Louis answered, shoving Tommy back. "And that's more important than those two hooking up."
"Well, it was pretty intense. And Aubree ended up drunk as heck, and her and your mortal enemy had it." Tommy stated. Him, Louis, and I were basically the only people in this entire school who did not cuss or say what people do.
Louis grimaced at the mention of Aubree and Tommy shot me a look.
"Him and Aubree broke up." I told Tommy as we stopped in front of our homeroom. He shook his head and we all headed in. Clayton Adams was one of Louis' other friends. I guess they were pretty cool, not that I really hung out with Clayton much. Just Tommy.
"Are you sitting with us, Talia?" Clayton asked as he made room for the three of us.
"If it's okay with them." Louis shot me a look and pulled me down next to him. Tommy sat next to me and all of us smiled, until Aubree came in.
"Good Lord, please help us." I heard Tommy mutter.
"Jesus Christ, it's Aubree Lewis!" Clayton whispered to us. "Louis' evil brat has come to suck our souls!" Tommy and I snickered at his statement while Louis hit Clayton.
"We broke up." He answered. "Thank God." He added under his breath. Aubree sauntered past us, and I caught a whiff of her perfume.
"Thank God, she hates you now. She won't be sitting with us or making your PDA so obvious." Tommy told us, shaking his head. "No offense, Louis, but I've hated her the entire time you two have been dating."
"Why?" Louis asked, confused.
"She was rude, took up your time, bullied Talia, and she called me the N-word." Tommy answered. "Dude, she was the freaking devil in a teen witch's body."
I giggled and shook my head, letting my dark brunette locks get in my face. I liked this new side of Louis hating Aubree and where his best friends could talk bad about her. I liked this simplicity, it was relaxing and refreshing.
