Driiiingggg. Drrinnggg. My alram clock wakes me with a startle. This can't be happening. It can't. I pull the covers over my tanned body and pretend to be asleep. The piercing sound continues and I groan so loudly it hurts my throat. I turn the alarm clock off and fall off my bed with a clunk. Way to go, Penny, I think to myself. I listen to see if i can hear waves outside my window, but not unexpectedly, I can't. it makes me feel empty and shallow to know that the only place I've ever felt at home is gone. Gone for me. I've only lived in the city two months and I'm already hating it.
School starts today and I can already tell that it is going to be my worst experience yet. I have a few rules that i made for myself, just to ensure I stay out of any sort of social trouble.
1. Don't make friends. Be invisible. DO NOT GET NOTICED. Don't let anyone know anything about you besides your first name.
2. Don't talk to boys. That's one thing I learned through my life, that boys are a waste of time and can completely and utterly ruin you. (So I've heard. I've never experienced it myself.)
And finally,
3. Don't be too clever. You don't want to be recognised as a geek, in fact you don't want to be recognised at all.
I pull off my snoopy pajamas and put on some Super awesome music which immediately makes me feel better. I dance around the room with my brush, pretending I am on Xfactor. I know you probably think I'm weird, because maybe that's because I am. I am weird, and I don't need to be told so. I believe in 4 leaf clovers and hopping on one leg for good luck. One of my beliefs is that if you dance before an event, good luck will be with you.
My clothes I set out the night before now look too noticeable. I first wanted to go for the popular, chick, fashionable style, but now I'd rather not be noticed at all. I grab a plain t shirt, a hoodie (seems as it's really cold outside), black leggings, and converse. I race downstairs not bothering to eat breakfast as I don't want to be late, and head to the front door, just before I bump into A boy about 18, the same age as me.
"Uh, You must be Penny? Your dad asked me to drive you to school as he and your mom left early for work. I live next door." He said.
I stared. His blue eyes were mesmerising and his blonde hair was so so so.....Blonde. (really penny?)
"Oh. Um, yeah I'm Penny. Uh.. I.. um.. What's your name?" I manage to stutter out. He raises and eyebrow and looks at me like I'm dirt.
"Never heard of me? I'm literally the most popular guy around. My names Luke, Luke Parker. " He says with a smirk. Wow, how modest.
"Well I've just moved here, so no I didn't know that, but thanks for that useless information," I say and continue to walk out to the black Mercedes that stands before me. I take a few steps back and I hear Luke laugh in the background.
"Scared of a car? Woes. Get in or we'll be late."
I suddenly feel very uncomfortable going into a random strangers car. I message my dad but he doesn't reply.
"Listen dude, I'm not gonna be late on my first day of school because of you," he says to me. An icy wind blows into me and I feel I have no choice. Either freeze to death out here, or trust a hot guy. I'm going with the latter.
I hop in the car and watch Luke run his hands through his hair. "When we get to a corner about half a mile away from school, you get out and walk from there. Sorry girl, but I don't know what you're like and so I can't be seen with you." He said.
"Half a mile? I'm sorry that I'm too embarrassing to be seen with you, but that's no way to treat me. You will drop me off at school and no further." I said to him, surprised by my own confidence. He gives me a smirk that makes him look super sexy. "Fiesty." He replies and then stops on the slide of the road.
"Keep walking for a while and then it's the second right. Follow that rode and you'll see Montview High." He says. I can't believe him. How dare he speak to me like that.
"You know what, why don't you walk and I drive." I say to him, determined not to let him boss me around.
"Nice try, cutie. "He winks at me and then drives off. I can feel my cheeks going red. Cutie? Me? I look around but there's only me. He has to have been talking to me. Penny shut up. No way can you fall for that dicks behaviour. I half smile and continue walking.
+
Lukes POV:
As I drive off, I immediately regret it. What are you doing? I think to myself. I glance back at Penny walking on the road by herself and feel a pang. What's up with you Luke, you've never felt sorry for someone! Especially not a girl. I carry on driving and brush those thoughts away.
Standing by the gate is the beautiful, popular, Amber Dawson, my girlfriend. She sees me driving and immediately sighs.
"Luke! Oh my god you are 10 minutes late! When will you ever be on time." She screams at me, causing a lot of people to look at us. This is bad. I can't look vulnerable. If people see her screaming at me and me not fighting back, I'll lose my popularity.
"Jesus Amber, you're the one early and I'm on time. But you're my girlfriend and so ill forgive you," I said. She huffed and then walked away. What's the point of her waiting for me and then just leaving?
"Wow, great girlfriend you've got there." I heard a voice behind me and I jumped.
"Penny? Oh my God do you want to kill me?" I said, my heart racing.
"Well it would be better than having you around." She shot back. Looks like this girls got some anger problems. I glance around to see if anyone's watching us, but fortunately they aren't. I watch her as she looks around at her new school. She's actually, quite pretty. She's got brown hair with blonde highlights and freckles on her nose. Her smile is genuine and not forced, and all of these features make her look.... pretty. Very pretty. She's not the beautiful that Amber is, but she's beautiful in her own way. I suddenly notice that she's watching me as I'm eyeing her.
"Hey, Mr perv, you've got a girlfriend for that." She said to me, but I could see the corners of her mouth tilting upwards Into a smile. She suddenly looked alarmed.
"Oh I forgot.. sorry, I um.. I'll go." She said, letting out a forced smile. "I forgot I'd ruin your reputation," he whispered and then let out yet another forced laugh. Had I really said that to her? I had. And that's why I was popular. Because I was a dickhead. And everyone was too afraid to tell me.
