Down the Winding Road

Chapter One

  Goal: 2 votes, 1 comment
A/N: I will still update if I don't reach the goal, but I'd appreciate the feedback!
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Chapter One

    "Hey Emma!"
     I whipped my head around towards the voice, taking in the surroundings. I let my eyes rake over the students in front of me, trying to find the person I was searching for, finally finding her over by the corner of this overcrowded, smelly, terrifying,cafeteria. Quickly, I darted across the room, bagel in hand, hoping to not be noticed as I passed by table after table.
     Hearing murmurs behind me, I could tell my efforts were in vain. Who's the new girl? She's hot.. Where's she going? I dare you... I ignored all of the attempts of the students to talk to me, their comments spinning endlessly in the crevices of my mind. I tried blocking them out, but to no avail.
    Finally reaching the back table after what seemed like an eternity, I plopped down into the seat across from the girl.
    "Hey Liz! So uh... Can you tell me more about this school and all? Cuz I'm still not sure 'bout the hierarchy of the school yet."
    Lizzie Ferrell. Short for Elizabeth, but no one actually calls her that. Well, the people who talk to her that is. Seventeen, like me, a senior, like me, but that's where the similarities end. Unlike me, she is a blondie with green eyes and could be a model with her good looks if she actually cared about her image, which she does not, really. While she prefers academics over than relationships with friends and family, I prefer popularity and friends over my studies. Lizzie is a complete overachiever, with good grades and overall is no fun at all. When I moved to Winter Heights, I thought she would be the solution to  my problems. She's my next door neighbor to my right, and can I say one thing about her that I wish wasn't true? She likes homework. I know. Cue the shivers and shunning all you want, her parents are very strict when it comes to her academics. Oh, and did I mention she's weird? She doesn't realize it herself, but I got to talking to one of the juniors in Starbucks over the summer about her, and the things they say. God. I'm getting off track here aren't I?
   "Well.." I followed her eyes as she gazed over towards one of the center tables. She gestured over towards there with her head. "Those are the populars, I guess. I wouldn't talk to them if I were you. I mean they would welcome you because you're, well you." She gestured at all of me and I looked at her weirdly because she's prettier than I am.
     "You do realize you're beautiful, right?" She just shruged and stared down at her book. "You know how I am. I've always preferred being smart over being popular. You're pretty much my only friend." I nodded, but stared longingly over at the table with the populars. The bell rung for first period, and I slung my bag over my shoulder and started to head to my English class. Then I realized I didn't actually know where it was.
     Swearing under my breath, I looked around the hallway for someone to ask. My eyes landed on the only other person in the hallway, a very hot guy with dark brown hair and what can only be considered the "fuck boy" haircut. Well, damn. I sigh in resignation and walk over towards him. He had turned away slightly and was pulling stuff out of his bag and putting them in his locker when I finally walked up to him. He didn't notice me, so I took the opportunity to tap him on the shoulder and waited for him to turn towards me.
      He reacted a lot faster than I expected him to and he ended up knocking me to the ground by either accident or on purpose, I'm honestly not sure which. Regret filled his gorgeous hazel eyes and he reached out his hand to pull me up.
     Frowning, I decided to take a small hit at his ego. "I'm not a damsel in distress, thank you very much, I can get up by myself." Picking myself off the ground and not accepting his hand, I brushed myself off and continued forward with my horrid attempt at asking him directions. Why must this be so difficult, God dang it!
     "So um, do you happen to know where J112 is? I'm kind of new here, so I don't exactly know where to go..." I trailed off as he stares shamelessly at me, which was incredibly annoying. I snapped my fingers.
     "My eyes are up here, thank you very much." He just smirked, not even having the respect to look semi-embarrassed. I scoffed as he slammed his locker shut with more force than needed and carelessly put his bag on his shoulders.
      "Since you kind of didn't answer my question I'll take that as a no." I went to turn and walk away in search of my classroom by myself, but he caught my left wrist, making me panickedly tear my hand out of his grasp. He looked slightly confused as I turned fully away and hastily power walked away from him.
     He said the next thing so quietly that I almost didn't hear him, "I'll take you." I stopped in my tracks and turned around to look at him. I sighed and decide to let him show me.
     "Hey mystery guy, can I at least know your name?"
     "It's Julian. Julian Monroy. And yours?"
     "Emma Rodriguez, at your service, mi'lord!"
     Rolling his eyes he started walking in the opposite direction that I was trying to go. I trailed after him like the lost, pathetic girl that I apparently was.
     About three minutes later he stopped at one of the rooms I had passed a while ago on my way to the cafeteria. How did I miss that???
     Taking out my phone, I checked the time, and as it turns out, we were already 6 minutes late for class. Great. Without warning, Julian stole my phone out of my hand.
     "Hey! What's up with you?" I tried keeping my voice quiet, but it turned out more of a whisper scream. He held up his hand in a "one-minute" gesture, and I started to feverishly tap my foot.
     Handing it back to me, he said bye and walked away, just like that. Rolling my eyes, I checked my phone, and nothing was really different. I checked my contacts, however, and as it turns out, he put his number in it. Of course. Very classy, Julian.
     Walking into class, I apparently wasn't sneaky enough, as the moment I walked in, the teacher asked where I was.
     "Well, uh sir, I'm new and I didn't know where class was so I had to find it myself." Oops, left out the part where I was talking to Julian for a couple minutes before coming here. Oh well.
     "Ah so you must be Miss Rodriguez. Why don't you introduce yourself to the class?" I'm sure this is his own cruel punishment. I am not exactly good with talking in front of complete strangers.
     "Um, I'd rather not sir."
     "I'm sure you're classmates would love to get to know you better." Over my dead body, jesus.
      "Okay then. Well my name is Emma Rodriguez and I just moved here over the summer." Glancing over at Mr. I-love-torturing-my-students and silently asked him if that's good enough. To my annoyance and probably his amusement, he gestured for me to continue. 
     "I'm an only child, and I now live here after my parents got transferred here. Also, I would rather sit down now, as not everyone needs to know my life story." Mr. Teacher-man nodded and gestures towards the only empty desk. Taking my stuff, I happily went over and took my seat, taking out some paper and a pencil. It hit me then and there, though, that I don't need to be "prodigy girl" here. I can just, you know, be normal. I decided in that moment to become popular. It's my senior year, and I don't want to be bullied for my intelligence any longer. I'll just keep about an 85 average, and that'll be good. Hesitantly, I start to doodle on my paper instead of taking notes like I used to.
     Classes that day flew by, as I didn't pay attention. Class after class I texted Julian, and I had... Fun? However, after the first six periods, it's time for lunch! Hurray! A bunch of random strangers who don't know who I am! You sense the sarcasm? As I walked in, I'm a piece of meat in a lion's den, just the next meal. I kept my head down as I treaded carefully over towards the lunch line. Getting my "food", I guess it's qualified as, I moved to go sit with Lizzie again, but notice Julian frantically waving me over to the popular table. Torn, I look between the two. Even from here I can see Lizzie roll her eyes and shake her head, gesturing towards Julian. I shrug apologetically and head over and take the empty seat next to Julian. I look over the other people at the table, which is actually relatively small. There's four guys, including Julian and one other girl, me taking up the sixth and last seat.
     "Finally, another girl at this perverted table. Lily Sorto, nice to meet you, you're Emma Rodriguez right?" I agree and she continues. "This guy," She nods her head at Julian, "has been talking nonstop about you."
     He just shrugs. Seriously? This guy is going to be the bane of my existence.
     "Hm. Not sure if that's good or bad. So uh..." I trail off then, then try to pick back up again,looking between the other three guys. "What's your guys' names?" People in the posse of that one popular kid have names in Wattpad stories, right? You're overreacting... Calm down woman! Shaking my head slightly I turn to look at guy one, two, and three.
     The the guy with brown eyes and shaggy blonde hair grins and stands up. What is he.. Glancing around at the other people at the table, they don't seem surprised. I prepare myself for the worst.
    Obviously I didn't prepare enough, because the guy literally stalks over to me and started to screami- I mean "singing loudly"  into my ear.
     "My name is Alexander Hamilton and there's a million things I haven't done! But just you wait, just you wait!" He pauses and I look over at him in complete confusion.
     "Wasn't he that guy who shot Aaron Burr in a duel?"
      He sighs and sits back down, mumbling something about no one knowing Hamilton at this school. "Just... Ignore that. Lucas Burke. Not the reincarnation of Alexander Hamilton as some believe, though." I turn to look at Julian, baffled.
     "He's obsessed with the musical Hamilton. Has been for what," Julian looks over at 'Hamilton'. "Five months right?" Lucas-Hamilton nods and goes back to animatedly talking to Lily about someone's snapchat story.
     Looking over towards the other two guys, asking them with my eyes to introduce themselves. They apparently didn't get it, though, because "bad-ass", who's wearing a leather jacket and probably has a tattoo of a skull or something or rides a motorcycle to school, immediately tells me to "stop giving me that look". Quote unquote.
     "I was just trying to ask you your name... Geez..."
     "Do you really need to know?" I study him as he turns back the other way, practically undressing this one poor girl with his eyes. He's honestly hot. Pardon my obviously superior teenage choice of wording, but there is no other word for it. Not even Julian is that good-looking. What the hell is wrong with this school and very attractive guys? Like seriously? He has incredibly short light brown hair, almost a dirty blonde, but not quite that light. He has this tan that lets me know that he definitely spends his time outside, and I can tell he's fairly tall, even with him slouching down in his seat. He's probably an athlete, as, well, don't expect me to not notice his arms. They are gorgeous and I just wanna-
     "Uhhh Emma? Earth to Emma is anyone there?? Hellooooo..." Julian jerks me out of my daze and I see him smirking at me. Glaring at him, I see everyone getting up.  "Bell just rung for last period. Get up or I'll make you, Emmy!" I groan and pull up my bag from the floor, pulling it onto my shoulders. I am apparently "too slow" for Julian though, because he grabs my arm, my right one this time, thank the gods, and attempts to drag me to class. Which happens to be... Uh... Either gym, study hall, or lab.
     "Julian, what day is it?"
     "Monday, are you still in denial that school started? It's an A day. Which because it's the first do of school is quite obvious, genius." Not the only thing I'm in denial about. The pain is starting to take hold and is going to wash over my body again any second now. It's inevitable, the only way I can avoid causing more pain to those around me is if I hide myself away. I can't do this. I can't... Wrenching my hand from Julian's grip I start to run in the opposite direction. I start walking and call out behind me to say I need to use the bathroom quick, leaving him stranded in the hallway looking almost... Worried? No, he wouldn't be, he's just pretending. He can't care for me this fast. No one cares...
      Darting into the nearest janitor's closet, I start to shake with sobs, drowning out the opening of the door. My head jerks up, my cries cut off as I see who it is.
     "Uh, hey sorry, this your hook-up spot or something? Seems plausible, you being Mr. 'Badass' over there."
     "It's actually Raphael. But 'Mr. Badass' does have a certain ring to it." I scoff.
     "What, no last name? Or you just tryin' to rock the one name celebrity thing? Cuz that ain't working, Raphael." Nice job distracting him, Em. Keep going. His eyes soften just a tiny bit, but his guard quickly comes back up. Shutting the door behind him, Raphael comes and sits next to me.
     "Hey, what's wrong?"
     I attempt to stammer out a response, grasping for a good excuse, but finding none. "It's just... Nothing. It's nothing."
     "Do I look like an idiot to you, Cookie?" Okay hold up, what did just call me?
     "Excuse me?"
     "Cookie. You have freckles like chocolate chips and you look delicious." And at that I could feel the heat in my cheeks, and without even touching them I knew I was blushing. Great. For the first time, I look up meet his eyes, and I'm astonished by their color. They're a beautiful piercing blue, and even in the dim light I can tell they are rimmed with a darker grey. He coughs, and I look away, still blushing from the dirty joke.
     "Can't you just call me Emma, like everyone else? I'd appreciate it."
     "Nope," He pops the p on the 'nope' and starts getting up.  "If everyone calls you that, I need to be original. Can't have everyone be the same, you know."
     I get the feeling that Raphael doesn't always act like this, even though he should. He looks even better (if that's truly possible) when he has a goofy grin on his face rather than a scowl. Apparently he notices me studying him, because he coughs again to get my attention, smirking.
     "I know I'm good looking, but I don't think I am that good-looking. Or maybe I am. Could explain all of the girls taking that kind of interest in me if you know what I mean." Damn him and his annoying smirk. I know I can't trust him, but God he is making me want to tell him everything. Which is bad. I can already tell the question he's going to ask before he does it, but this stubborn, idiotic, hot-headed, arrogant boy decides to bring up the one topic I tried to steer him away from.
     He lowers his voice and sits down next to me, in the famous 'criss-cross-applesauce' position.
     "Cookie, why were you crying when I walked in here? I mean, I'm not that ugly." Even just thinking about it, I start tearing up. Shaking my head I get up.
     "Not today, Mr. I-like-to-pry into other people's business."
     I walk towards the door, with one glance backwards at the boy who I'm seriously questioning the outwards appearance of. He is just staring straight ahead, in deep concentration about something.
      Wiping the tears from my eyes, I walk it of the door frowning slightly. As I turn to head towards my gym class, the final school bell rings. I sigh inwardly as I prepare to face the crowds of unknown faces. I start heading towards the bathroom, but realize that if I go to the bathroom that I'll miss the bus. I decide to just walk home because I'm only staying about a mile away, so it isn't that bad of a walk. Quickly going to the bathroom and fixing my makeup, I stroll out the front door with fake confidence, not letting my mask drop for a second. Doing that meaning breaking down, and that's not going to happen... Again.

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A/N:

So I will be updating this as soon as I can, whenever I finish these chapters. As I'm working on this for NaNoWriMo, this should theoretically be more often than I normally would update. And yes, I do realize I switched between past and present tense a lot in this chapter, but after I'm finished I'll go and rewrite it in present. Hope you enjoy! 2947 Words