Stronger than the Rest

Chapter 02 | Pioneer High

"No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear." - C.S. Lewis
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My dreaded alarm sounds notifying me that it is indeed time to get up for school. My new high school is Pioneer High School, home of the Panthers. I've been dreading this moment since I first found out I was leaving Georgia to move here. School has already started here, but I'm determined that I'll fit in. At least, I'm trying to be determined. I sigh and pull the covers off to me to start getting ready for the day.

An hour later, I look at myself in the mirror. My wavy hair falls just below my chest while my eyes stand out against the smokey eye I worked on for ten minutes to distract from the bags under my eyes. My concealer always fails me when I need it the most. I'm wearing my favorite navy blue romper with long flowy sleeves completed with a taupe choker and booties.

Yeah, you could say I'm definitely over-doing it. Though there is nothing wrong with wanting to make a good first impression or maybe I am just trying to cheer myself up. Look how you want to feel, am I right? I look down at my phone and it tells me it's 7:45am and school starts at 8:15am. I grab my backpack and I head downstairs to hug my parents and kiss Jack goodbye. I make my way to my car and sit down when my phone beeps.

Megan: Good luck, don't be nervous! We love you back in Georgia.

I smile and take a deep breath so I don't start crying. Another text pops up before I can reply to the first.

Megan: Also make friends, but not a new best friend ;)

I laugh to myself as I thank her. I feel a lot better now that she texted me, she's the best friend I've ever had. Sometimes I think we are the same person with how well she understands me. I just have to get through senior year and then we can go off to college together. I've known Megan for only about three years when we were both forced to go bowling on a class field trip. We bonded over Doug the Pug videos while throwing our bowling balls into the gutters, every time. Megan accidentally flung the bowling ball behind her and almost hit the teacher. I swear I gained abs that day from how hard I laughed at Megan's horrified expression and the teacher almost had a heart attack. She was forced to sit on the bench for the rest of the game. I chuckle to myself as I throw the car in reverse.

Finding Pioneer High wasn't hard since this town was very small, it was probably only a five minute drive from my new house. I drive into the parking lot which wasn't full yet. My clock said it was 7:53am so school still had 20 minutes until it started. I grabbed my bag and got out of my car. I walked towards the front of the school where it said "Main Office." Obviously, because that's where all new kids have to go get their schedules.

I was halfway to the door when someone yelled, "Hey! Dog girl!" I ignored the outburst at first until I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around to see two familiar boys, they were the ones at the basketball court last night. The one that called out was Nathan, if I remember correctly.

"I assume you mean me?" I asked Nathan and the other boy whose name I still don't know.

"Well, do you see any other girl with a dog around here?" replied Nathan. I looked around me and I let out a laugh that was half amused and half annoyed.

"Does it look like I have a dog with me right now?" The other boy started laughing and it made me grin up at him. These dudes could pass for skyscrapers. "Anyways, dog girl is fine, but my name is Rosalie though."

Nathan winked and said "I'm Nathan, but you probably remember that." The other boy laughed at his friend and held out his hand to me, I shook his hand in return. "Sorry about him, that was his attempt at being flirtatious. My name's Derek." Derek and Nathan were both eye candy. Derek looked as if he had some hispanic in him with dark eyes and thick hair that he pulled into a bun. Usually I can't stand the man-buns, but this boy pulls it off gloriously. Nathan on the other hand had light brown eyes with short dirty blonde hair.