I Promise You

(10) Ashwood Academy

"I'm not a fan of this uniform!" I said, looking at myself in the mirror, while Poppy and Phoebe laughed at me. "But I'm dying to see Jesse in uniform" I said to cheer myself up. "I bet he is dying to see you in uniform as well" Phoebe said and my smile fainted. "Thanks a lot Phoebe!" I said and turned around to them. "What?" She asked, playing innocent. "Can we just go?" I asked and they laughed. "The bus isn't here yet" Phoebe said and I groaned. "Bus?" I asked, but then I realized we weren't in America "Right, you aren't allowed to drive here yet" I said.

"How did you get to school in America?" Poppy asked. "My best friend has a driver's license. Both of them actually, due them being 17" I said "And they have a car. The twin mobile" I said, laughing at the end. "Your best friends are twins?" Phoebe asked and I nod confused. "Guessing you attract twin friends" Poppy said and walked over to me. "How do you mean that?" I asked confused. "Phoebe and I, we're twins" Poppy said and I laughed. I didn't know why, but it was funny.

"Bus' here!" Paula yelled from downstairs and we all grabbed our bags and hurried downstairs. In the bus, Poppy sat down with a brunette, while Phoebe and I took the seats behind him. "Hey Promise" Jesse said while walking passed us to the back. I looked after him and saw that he was sitting with Jake and Jonah. "He's friends with them?" I asked, looking at Phoebe. "Yeah, good friends actually" She told me and smiled at me "You do care about him, don't you?" She asked and I rolled my eyes.

"I don't. Please just let it go" I begged. "Wait a second" The brunette from the row in front of us said loudly and turned around "You're Clarissa?!" She asked. "How did you-" I started, but she interrupted me "Jesse referred to a special girl all the time and he called her Clarissa" She said. "I thought your name is Promise?" Phoebe asked. "It is. Clarissa is my second name and I went by it for a while until I realized how unique the name is and how much it fit me" I explained. "I'm guessing you're Hanna" I said, looking at her. "Guessed right" She replied. "She had the biggest crush on Jesse and is totally jealous that he is deeply in love with you" Phoebe said. "Well, if it would be up to me, you could have him!" I said and she laughed "I had the biggest crush on him. Emphasis on the had. Totally over him!" Hanna made clear.

In school, Phoebe showed me to the administration office and offered to wait for me, but I told her she didn't have too, since another Freshman was assigned to show the school to me. She was sharing many of my courses. "Miss Harding" The principal said friendly. I faked a smile "Actually it's Copeland" I corrected him, sitting down in the chair next to my tour guide. "I'm sorry Miss Copeland. I assumed that your last name is the same as your parents" He said. "Well, you assumed wrong" I said, looking into two shocked faces. Damn my dad's genes, yet I didn't feel too guilty.

I felt pretty good actually. "Miss Copeland, this is Miss Jones. She will show you around Ashwood Academy" The principal said and looked into his documents "And a Jesse Ashcroft" He said and I laughed. "What's so funny Miss Copeland?" He asked. "Just the fact that Jesse Ashcroft is always late" "Not true my love" Jesse said and I rolled my eyes, then looked at him "Then how come all the teachers were complaining about you being late?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Why do I have to feeling I will get to know you two better than my other students?" The principal asked and I had to fight my laughter, but Jesse of course couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Because she is the daughter of Jefferson High's biggest troublemaker of all time and I. I was just born this way" He said, totally proud of himself. "Not to forget my mom was a goody two shoes and I'm a little bit of both" I added. "Miss Jones, you may start your tour" The principal said and she got up and took us out of the office.

"So what's your name?" I asked her "I don't want to call you Jones, reminds me too much of Jesse" "That hit me hard Copeland" Jesse said, placing his hand on his heart, pretending being hurt. Well, at least he knows where the heart is. "Hollis" She answered. "Promise and that's Jesse" I introduced the two of us. "So, are you brother and sister?" Hollis asked. "Oh god no!" I answered. "No, I love her" Jesse said. "Yeah, but I don't love him!" I said maybe a little too loud. "Which breaks my heart, but I'm not giving up on you babe" He said "If I'm lonely I just remember our kisses on Christmas" He said and I groaned and turned around to him "How many times?! Mistletoe doesn't count as a real kiss!" I tried to make clear to him, but it didn't stay in his brain.

"Please don't hate me, but you sound like an old married couple" Hollis said. "See! Even our new found friend thinks we are a cute couple!" "Tell me, why are you being like this now? I was dating one of your best friends last month. Don't you feel bad or something?" I asked him, hoping he would fall for me playing him. "It's not like you cheated on him with me, like you said it was a kiss under the mistletoe" He said and I wanted to rip his head off. Hollis seemed to have noticed that and got in between us.

She continued showing us the entire school, before bringing us to our first class. It was English. Shakespeare. "Mister Valentine, I got the two new students with me" Hollis said and was sent to get chair. "Promise Clarissa Copeland and Jesse Ashcroft" He read out loud. "Do you want to introduce yourself to the class?" Mr. Valentine asked. "No, you did just fine" I said and looked at Jesse. "I'm with her, well not yet, but soon" He said and I rolled my eyes. "You may take the seats in the back" The teacher said and Jesse immediately sat down in the one of the back row and the only other free one was right in front of him. Get ready for being stared at in every English class.

Mister Valentine continued with his lesson and I took so many notes and I was planning on asking Hollis to borrow her notes, so I could catch up. Maybe we could even become study buddies. My only study buddies ever were Evie and Ronnie. As you might have guessed, not much studying got done.

After class I immediately caught up with Hollis "Hey, I was wondering if we could study together, so I can catch up with the material" "I thought you are a troublemaker?" She asked, hugging her folder. "Only half. I'm two people merged into one" I told her "If that makes any sense. My parents couldn't be more opposite" "You know what they say. They attract each other" Hollis said and I smiled "So, what do you say? Study buddies?" I asked her, putting my sweet look on. "Study buddies" She said and I thanked her a few times.

At lunch I met up with Phoebe, Poppy and Hanna. "How was your first day so far?" Poppy asked. "Jesse wouldn't stop flirting with me and I got a study buddy for English. What about you guys?" I asked them. "Phoebe almost chocked in front of Jonah" Poppy said and Phoebe looked shocked her, then buried her face in her hands "You promised not to talk about it anymore" She said embarrassed. "Yeah, I would tell Promise, that's what I said" Poppy said. "Hey, don't you dare pull my name in the middle of this or I will make you call me Clary!" I said and Poppy groaned.

"Mike?" I asked loud, got up and walked over to the guy I thought was Mike. "Mike?" I asked again and he turned around. "Clary" He said surprised. "It's Promise now" I told him. "Finally accepted your real name?" He asked and I nod "I did" "Congrats I guess" He said. "Thanks buddy" I said. "Are you sitting with anyone?" I asked him, but he shook his head no. "You can sit with us then" I said and grabbed his wrist and pulled him with me. "Guys, this is Mike. He is my cousin, since his mom is like my aunt. Mike, those are Phoebe, Poppy and Hanna" I introduced them and sat down.

Mike didn't sit down yet. "Mike, sit!" I said and he did sit down. "Do you have a girlfriend?" Hanna immediately asked. "No, not yet. It's hard when you live in America and England at the same time" He said. "Too bad, we got a new single in our group" She said, looking at Poppy. "Are you kidding me right now, Han?" She asked. "Do you have a boyfriend?" Mike asked. "I do actually. His name is Holbrook and he's a freshman. In college" She said.

"You're dating an older guy?" I asked. "Yeah, but he's a child at heart" Hanna giggled. "Did I just see Jesse Ashcroft?" Mike asked confused, looking at me. "Sadly yes. It's like he's stalking me!" I said and just a short time later he was standing next to me. "I have been thinking. The date is off, but I will continue flirting" He said and I looked at him surprised "Why?" "Because I know that you need to explore a little longer, I know I will be your last love" He said and walked off.

"Can you believe this guy!?" I asked, looking at the group of people around me.