"We're going to be late!" I complain, pounding on Daniel's door for at least the tenth time in the past three minutes.
"I'm ready," he says, pulling the door open, letting me smell the scent of his cologne. "It's not my fault you didn't tell me about the dress code until this morning!"
"The past is in the past, lets go," I say in a sing-song voice, turning and running down the stairs.
"Hey, how come the high school is named after your family?" He asks when we get to school, looking up to see the big letters spelling 'Greene and Grimes' High School' on the front of the building.
"I don't know. Greene is my mom's maiden name. I guess my parents weren't very creative when it was time to name everything," I shrug while his eyes widen.
"Wait, your parents are the leaders of Integrated?" He asks and I nod.
"How did you spend three entire dinners with them and not realize that?" I furrow my eyebrows.
"Well I figured they were important but I didn't realize they were the leaders," he explains.
"Oh. Well it's not really that big of a deal," I say while his jaw clenches and he looks at me, that same distant confused look in his eyes that he had on Friday night in the woods.
"What?" I demand impatiently.
"Nothing," he shakes his head and I roll my eyes.
"Anyway, the principle's office is down that hall and to the left. You'll get your schedule from her, address her as Principle Danforth or she'll throw a fit,"
I instruct him, walking off to homeroom and giving him a little wave.
///
I sit on the top of my school desk with my legs crossed, a piece of notebook paper on top of my binder, when Daniel enters the room, taking a seat in the back of the room. Most of the kids in homeroom are gathered around, watching while I draw a comic strip and laughing loudly at what it says.
Henry stands behind me, rubbing my shoulders, although I've repeatedly told him not to, and being annoying as usual. He stops when Andrew Ford, one of his best friends, enters the room and strolls over to me.
A couple of the girls step back a little so he can stand in front of me. I barely look up from my comic to see him. He snatches the paper from me without asking if it's okay first and looks at it for a minute before chuckling.
"Cute, Lottie," he says, leaning towards me to give me a kiss on my cheek.
Most of the girls around us sigh dreamily and I have to restrain myself from rolling my eyes. Sure, Andrew is attractive, but I didn't choose to be in a relationship with him. Our parents chose for us. In the third grade.
"Where were you this weekend?" He demands while I go back to the comic.
"Around," I shrug, kicking my feet back and forth and adding some shading to my drawing.
"How come I never see you on the weekends anymore? Are you cheating on me?" He says, pushing himself closer to me.
"Yes, actually, I have another man in my life. His name is Ronny," I say with little to none enthusiasm in my tone.
He knows that Ronny is my cousin of course.
"That's not funny, Lottie," he snaps. "Is there someone else?"
