Life Is Strange

chapter 1

"Teachers, pardon the interruption, but if any students are in the homecoming pep rally they need to report to wherever they need to be. As quickly as possible. Thank you!" The intercom came on. Hey! That's me. I rose from my desk and gathered my things.
"Have fun at the game you guys, don't forget to do your home work over the weekend." Mrs. Finnel said waving to us.
A few students said 'have a nice weekend' in unison as they walked out. My eyes scanned the halls for at least someone I knew.
"Hey! Jake wait up." I jogged over to him. He was a saxophone player in our band.
"Hey, do you know where your sister is?" He looked down at me biting gently on his lip ring. I rolled my eyes and chuckled.
"No idea, I'm not her tracking device." I shook my head a little. Jake and her have been in the same section since sixth grade. They are seniors now and he has this massive crush on her.
"It was worth a shot." He shrugged and turned into the band room. I followed behind him.
"Come on! No goofing off, get your uniforms on!" Our band director Hix yelled. As much as I love him he couldn't handle a group of students even with an army behind him.
We walked in just at the right time. (Note my sarcasm). Guys walked around half dressed and instruments were scattered on the floor. This was a normal thing though, don't worry.
"Leslie!!" My best friend Max runs up to me and hugs me tightly
"Hey! Are we doing full uniform or just T-shirt and jeans?" I asked him hugging back.
"Just T-shirt and jeans for right now, julia wants to wait for tonight to do the big reveal." He winked before bouncing off. I shook my head and laughed before going to my cubby and getting my bag, then walked to a practice room to change.
I put my school clothes in my uniform bag and tied my hair into a bun. As I walked out, someone walked in. I fell against a shirtless figure, a tall shirtless figure. Nervously, my eyes glanced up into the dark brown ones.
"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry..." I squeaked and moved out of his way.
"You're okay, I didn't think anyone was in here." He laughed walking into the room now. "You were done, correct?" He asked and raised his eyebrows. I nodded quickly and turned around to put my stuff back into my cubby. It was Zane, he was Zane. Super hot percussionist, complete fuckboy, as Jake would say. I've never really talked to him, and he has definitely never talked to me.
I scurried away and went on a search for Julia.
"Oh my god, I just bumped into Zane it was so embarrassing." I covered my eyes.
"I saw that!" She laughed loudly. "Grab a flag bag and line up." She nudged my side a little.
"Line up everyone! We are going to walk over to the gym now. Drum line follow your section leaders instructions when you go through the hall please, Austin I'm looking at you." Hix pointed a finger at a snare standing next to Zane.
After we all file out of the band room we could hear the drums roll off into the halls and start gathering students in a line like a magnet. Everyone quickly walked over to the gym for a homecoming assembly.
The excitement only grew once the gym was packed. The band played our fight song and the cheerleaders tumbled across the basketball court.

~

The day was really a blur. When I went off to sixth hour I basically double timed across campus. I flinched as someone put their hands on my shoulders and shook me excitedly.
"You ready for the game?" I hear a familiar males voice say behind me. It was Zane... I turn and hoped my anxiety would pause for a moment so I could continue the conversation.
"I'm pretty excited, how about you Mr. Drummer boy?" I ask gently nudging his side. I cringe in my head, I suck at trying to be social with a cute boy.
"I'm thrilled!" He chuckled loudly. Finally I made eye contact and just about a million things went through my head. He had cute wrinkles at the corners of his eyes every time he laughed.
The door opened and both of us walked into the zoology room. He said a quick thank you whenever I held the door open. He took his seat and I sat diagonally behind him.
"Hey Zane! Ready for the game?" Destiny asked cheerfully. She was a cheerleader but that didn't stop her, or anyone, when flirting with him, king of the band nerds. I don't know, no one can blame each other though, he is extremely attractive. But there comes a point when flirting doesn't work when the other person has already decided that they don't like you... My eyes went to Zane as he said his response.
"Yeah, you could say that." He said with an almost satisfied face.
"What are you doing before the game?" She asks, my eyes shift to her, then back to him as he spoke.
"I believe I have plans?" He replied questioningly, his gaze turning to me. I was staring.
"My friends and I are going-" she was then cut off by Zane speaking again.
"What are you doing before the game?" He asked, his eyes still locked on me. I was almost confused.
"Me? I'm just going to town with Julia." I say referring to my cousin.
"Do you guys mind if I join?" He asked. Destiny let out a huff of air and turned around in her seat.
"I don't mind at all, its Julia you have to talk to." I laughed a little.
"He said he had plans." Destiny said in front of me.
"My plans were to ask them if I could tag along. Not to hang out with a cheerleader who sleeps with everyone." Zane spoke before I could. Mr. Routh sat at his desk staring now.
"You made plans with her, that's not already having plans." The girl puffed desperately. I was still in confusion why he picked me over a pretty cheerleader that was drooling over him.
"Keep this going, this is more interesting than when my mother-in-law invites my family over for Thanksgiving." Our teacher leaned back into his seat and continued to eat his granola bar.
Zane let out a laugh and ignored Destiny.
"How are you Mr. Routh? Coming to the game?" He asked running one of his hands through his hair.
"I'm doing great thank you, but sadly my little one is sick and I want to give my wife a break." He explained.
"We've never played Northport, everyone has been saying they are good. You're going to miss out." Zane shook his head and chuckled.
"Northports team sucks." Destiny adds in quickly.
"Were we talking to you?" Zane's voiced was cocky and sarcastic.
"Northport is actually pretty good. I used to go there." I said plainly.
"You know, I don't think I've ever heard you say a full sentence." Mr. Routh looks at me.
"She's being extra talkative today." Zane smiled and nudged my foot with his.
"I can talk, I just choose not to." I shrug.
"Well talk more! You're always welcome in class discussions." Our teacher chuckled.
"We will see." I thought aloud. Mr. Routh quickly spun in his chair.
"What movie do you guys want to watch?" He asked and scrolled through something on his computer. Mr. Routh was a master at changing subjects and it was quite funny.
"Options?" Zane raised an eyebrow. You could hear destiny naming off all her favorite movies, and trust me you wouldn't want to see/rewatch any of them.
"Uh, I have Hop, Wallie, Toy Story, Napoleon dynamite, Forest Gump, ooh Food!" He grinned.
"No, no. Not Food." Zane shook his head quickly.
"What's Food?" I asked confused.
"He made us watch this documentary last year and it will make you think so much differently about anything you eat. Trust me you don't want to watch it." Zane explained before Mr. Routh could change my mind on the contents of the movie.
"Fine, we won't watch it. How about Karate Kid?" He asked.
"New one, or old ones?" I asked.
"Old ones. Who do you think I am?" He laughed loudly.
"I've never watched either of them I don't think." Zane shrugged. I just stared at him playfully unamused.
"I just got so judged just then." He laughed and raised his hands up in surrender.
"We are watching the first one." Mr. Routh shook his head and put in the DVD.
The entire movie Zane would ask who was who and how this or that happened. I would have to explain everything quietly. Holding back all of my giggles everytime he stared at me in a cute confusion.
I was disappointed when the bell rang dismissing us from sixth hour, and everyone stood.
"You guys better tell me how the game goes!" Mr. Routh points at us. Zane and I look at each other and laugh.
"Sure thing." Zane grinned and again showed his adorable little eye crinkles.
I spun on my heel and headed for the door, and was barely pushing on the door with a hand moved above me and opened it for me. I glanced up to see Zane smiling down. I could only blush at how close he was, and how he opened the door for me.
"Thanks." I managed to squeak out and walk to seventh hour. Once in the 600 hall I met Max by the water fountain like always.
"The next time I hear another word about 'the game' I'm going to punch someone." He said jokingly as I walked up to him.
"Oh my, God. Me too. Its getting so annoying." I shook my head and ran my fingers through my hair. We begin to walk to math and he started up some stupid conversation on Julie's new hair color, which was bright green by the way.
"Hurry in and get your bell work done. I would hate to give you guys homework over the weekend." Our teacher hurries us into the classroom and we took our seats in the back. This was my favorite class for multiple reasons.
•we have office chairs and white boards
•i sit by my best friend
•she is an amazing teacher
•she gives us food
I swirled around in my office chair and couldn't stop thinking about Zane. I kind of liked how much we have talked today.
"What are you doing after school?" Max whispered to me, pulling me out of my daydreams.
"Hanging out with Julie, I think we are going out to eat. Jake might come, but he's iffy." I explained, co-thinking about the algebra problem I wrote on my whiteboard. "What about you?" I glanced over at him.
"Nothing yet, unless a certain Leslie wants to invite me with a certain Julie and Jake." A growing smile spread across his face. I let out a quiet chuckle.
"You can come if you'd like. I was going to invite you anyway." I nudged his side gently.
"Okay okay, I'll come. Thank you." He grinned.


"Have a nice weekend guys, finish up those reports if you haven't already." She called out as everyone tried to pile out the door. A few kids said goodbye as the others took the quickest exit possible. Max linked himself onto my backpack and the both of us traveled through the hall towards the band room where we would meet Julie and Jake.
"Is Maxy coming with?!" Julie grinned widely once we walked up to them.
"Yeah! I hope that's okay with you guys."
"The more the merrier." Jake said smiling. All of our eyes shifted as Zane came up, a bit exited.
"Mr. Routh gave me The Karate Kid DVD to finish the first movie!" He said to me and I couldn't help but laugh at his excitement.