I was up and out the door before the bell even rang. I all but sprinted down the hall, resisting the urge to see if she was following me.
I took the next right, climbed down a flight of stairs, and went straight to my locker. After a quick look around, I noticed no white haired girl and sighed in relief.
Just when I entered the combination for the lock and it popped loose, I heard someone call out my name.
"Hawking!"
Looking around, I spotted the blonde heading straight towards me, and I inwardly groaned, wishing that it was my white haired stalker instead.
The blonde, Alyson Piercy, stopped before me. Alyson's expression was already twisted in disdain. "So, the ever unflappable Hawking finally graces me with her presence?" She spread her arms and bent forward at the waist. "I'm honored, truly."
"Aly, a pleasure as always," I said, my monotone voice hinting at it being anything but. Alyson must have noticed, because she stood up straight, barked out a laugh, and slapped me hard on the arm.
Alyson and I aren't exactly friends, but we are more than acquaintances. We've known each other for years, and have been neighbors for even longer. We were close when we were young—damn near inseparable. But, with age, we grew up, and now there was just something about our attitude that rubbed the other the wrong way.
Alyson is a nuisance, and she would readily agree that I was one, too. But we endured each other, whether that was helping the matter or not.
Our relationship is... complicated.
Alyson stood by my side as I moved various items in my locker to and fro. She was leaning against the locker beside mine, fiddling with her smart phone. She clearly didn't like what she was doing, because she would occasionally grunt and tapped furiously on the screen.
After a long frustrated pause, Alyson sighed and tossed the phone into her bag. "This is bullshit."
I was going to ask what was wrong, but I heard Alyson take a sharp intake of breath, and then I was roughly shoved into my open locker. Books and the like struck me in the head as I flailed around in surprise.
When I managed to remove myself from the clutter, I saw that Alyson had Hunter pressed against the lockers, and she was running a slow finger down the girl's torso.
"What a fine specimen you are," Alyson said breathlessly. Biting her lower lip seductively, she twisted a strand of her hair. "I'm Alyson, but names aren't important for what I want to do to you."
"What do you want to do?" Hunter asked. She then looked at me like I held the answer to her question.
I couldn't tell if she was serious or not, but I stepped between them, forcing Alyson to back away.
"Back off, Aly. This is Hunter, and she is new here."
That only piqued her interest further. "New girl, eh? You'll come around; they always do." Turning back to me, Alyson placed her hands on my shoulders and shook me. "Before I go, I need your help with something dire, Hawking."
"What is it now?" I asked exaggeratedly, only mildly annoyed.
I was used to Alyson's constant flirting, and constant need of my assistance, so it wasn't a surprise when she leaned in close, her lips nearly brushing mine.
But what was new was the way my body flushed as I suddenly recalled all of those late nights Alyson and I spent in either her room or mine, the chaste kisses that were shared between us. We didn't know much of what we were doing, or any of the other things we've tried, but it was nice - it was sweet.
