The Bad Boy's Black Eye

Chapter 6

I stood to the side of the sleek black bike and shook my head. Caleb offered to show me around school, and I accepted, I just didn't know that meant riding a piece of my past.

"Can't we just walk?" I rubbed my arm while the cold of my memories seeped from my brain to my skin.

"We could, but what's the fun in that? And anyways, you'll look cooler on a motorcycle." I continued rubbing my arm and looked back at my house, hoping someone in there could come out and save me.

"I know that it'll look cooler, but I don't want to. I can't. It's not happening." Caleb scrunched his eyebrows, causing him to wince.

"What do you mean you can't? All you have to do is sit on the back and hold on." I rolled my eyes, frustrated with his stubbornness and my inability to give him good reasons.

"I know how to ride a motorcycle! I know how to drive a motorcycle. I just don't want to." Caleb took a step back at my tone. He put his hands up in surrender when he figured out that there is no way to get me on that motorcycle.

"Okay, we'll walk. But don't expect me to carry you if your feet start hurting." I rolled my eyes and gave out a chuckle.
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Teenagers stood in small clumps around the courtyard of the school. One by one the group's noticed us, and stared.

"They aren't used to new kids," Caleb whispered in my ear. I looked around at the pristine looking students, dressed in high-end clothes, holding the newest phones, looking with judgement at me and my clothes.

"Oh really? Never would've guessed." The group's looked away as a scowling girl in a cheerleading outfit stormed up to us followed by two cheerleaders, one on each side.

"Where's your bike?" She asked rudely, not looking at me at all.

"My friend here likes walking better." Caleb set a hand on my back. Without being too obvious I pushed it away.

"That's good for her. So, Caleb, I was wondering about our plans for later-" she was interrupted when a jock-looking guy laid his arm over her shoulder.

"Hey how is the queen of hell doing today?" The girl squirmed away from him, storming off with her followers trailing behind her.

"Thanks man." Caleb and the boy did a handshake as two other guys came running up, laughing together. The three of them noticed me simultaneously, one dropping their jaw.

"So is this the little lady we've heard so much about?" I noticed Caleb blushed as they studied me. One of the boys that had just come up reached forward and grabbed a lock of my hair.

"You weren't kidding, were you?" I snatched back the strand and suddenly felt self-conscious about my hair's color. "You know who she reminds me of, Mr. Abernathy. They have the same color scheme." One of the boys shrugged while the other two shook their heads.

"So, are we gonna start this tour or not?" The boy who hadn't said anything yet gestured to the school with his question.

"So, are you going to tell me your names, or not?" I replied sassily. Caleb smacked his forehead with realization.

"Right. Of course, Bells this is Adam," he gestured to the jock, "Nick," he gestured to a blond boy wearing clothes similar to Caleb, "and Dylan." Dylan dipped in a bow while I laughed.

"Bells," Adam started. "That's a weird name." I glared at Caleb before turning to the boys.

"My name is Annabella. But you can call me Anna, or Bella, or any variation of my name." The boys nodded in understanding before huddling together, whispering to each other. Caleb gave me a helpless shrug when I looked to him. The group of three turned back to me, all with mischievous smiles on their faces.

"It's nice to meet you, Annie-bells." I rolled my eyes realizing they were figuring out a variation of my name. Caleb laughed and started towards the school, me following at his side. The three boys followed behind us, Dylan talking about a history of the school that was obviously memorized.
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After almost an hour we were approaching the main lobby, where we started. Nick rushed to the side of the hall and peered into the window of a door.

"Yes! Mr. Abernathy is here! We should introduce them." Adam and Dylan nodded but Caleb just shrugged. Nick knocked on the door.

Seconds later, it opened, revealing a tall man with glasses and several papers in his hands. His most striking feature was his gray-blue hair that perfectly matched mine.

"Hello Nick, Dylan, Adam, Caleb." The man stopped when he saw me. His jaw fell open and his eyes didn't move from me. Several moments passed before he closed his mouth. He cleared his throat and looked at the other boys. "And who is this?"

I heard the strain in his voice, but the boys obviously didn't.

"That's Annabella. She's a new student." Mr. Abernathy nodded and gave a tight smile.

"It's nice to meet you Annabella. I'm Mr. Abernathy." He shuffled his papers to hold a hand out towards me.

"It's nice to meet you too." I shook his hand. Awkward silence fell over the hallway. "Have a nice day."

"You too." Mr. Abernathy shut his door. I looked over at the smiling boys.

"Mr. Abernathy is great. Don't you think?" I nodded and walked towards the lobby.

The boys talked to each other the entire walk home. I tuned out and thought about Mr. Abernathy. I thought about the look I his eyes, how he recognized me. Why would he recognize me? It made no sense.
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I stared at the wall and stabbed my food with a fork as I continued to think about what happened today. Conversation continued around me.

"Do you recognize the surname Abernathy?" Toby shook his head and took another bite of his dinner.

"Why do you ask?" I sighed and looked back to the wall.

"I met a man today. His hair is the same color as mine. He acted really weird when he met me. The look in his eyes, it was like he knew who I was."

"Didn't your dad leave ten years ago?" Toby nodded at Noel's question.

"Yeah, but his hair wasn't the same color as Bellsie's." Everyone nodded. "I guess it's just a coincidence. I'll have to meet him."

Everyone made noises of agreement before getting back to their meals. I took a bite and entered the conversation, done with thinking about Mr. Abernathy.