Generation X

ii. 1st Time

🌸 Katherine's POV 🌸

~*~

I was a rule follower. I never skipped, smoked, drank, broke curfew or nothing of that sort.

They did frequent tests at my school for alcohol and drugs if you wanted to be on a sports team. Let's just say, I wouldn't have a full scholarship to whichever college I wanted if I didn't pass those tests. I lived, breathed and would die for volleyball. It was my everything at my old school. At least, until the Incident.

I had two options, leave or be in a class in complete solitude and without my phone. After a very long conversation with my parents, it was decided. I was out of that high school. My parents were not happy. My mom was more understanding, in a way. My dad could barely look at me the first day, things got better though.

My older brother, Elliot, was moving from our town in New Jersey to the same college his girlfriend, Anastasia, went to in North Carolina. And that seemed like the perfect opportunity for me. A new school, where no one knew me or about my past. It was perfect. Except everything about that idea, my parents hated. They already didn't really like the idea of Elliot leaving the state for two complete years, even if they really loved Ana. It's not like they could change his mind, or stop him. He was 20, and his mind was set. Him and Ana had been in a serious relationship since they were 15, it was sweet.

But their daughter, one who basically got kicked out of her last school, was even worse to them. So between me and my brother, we convinced them. I would move in with Ana, who was more than thrilled. Me and her because very close, especially since almost three years ago when she visited for the first time. She stayed in my room all that summer, helped me sneak out in return for helping out with getting her to my brothers room. Well, she stayed in my room every summer. It was amazing, like having an older sister who could help me out with things I didn't feel comfortable asking my mom.

Either way, two weeks later, I was here. I honestly was feeling guilty a little because here I was, skipping the first day at my new school. Elliot wouldn't really mind though, he always encouraged me to skip. I mean.... to stay in school. Yeah. That. Who am I kidding? My brother always told me about the times he skipped and encouraged me to do so with my friends, you know, if I had any. My best friend was a rule follower, like me. But now, I gave off the image that I skipped and did all these bad things.

I had no idea what kind of person James was. But, when I was parking my bike earlier, he was surrounded by many people and I needed friends, no matter the type. I couldn't afford to be picky, especially when I was new.

"So, where are we going," I asked James, looking over at him.

"Can't you just trust that you're gonna love it?" He teased me and I laughed.

"I already took the jump at getting into the car with you. What more do you need?" I teased him.

"First, let's go get food, I'm hungry as hell," James told me and I shrugged.

"I could eat," I say. We begin to turn into the highway, and drive off. This town passes by in a blur of buildings and houses and greenery. This town was already a lot bigger and nicer than mine. It was a nice change, and I was all about change now.

"So, the big question on my mind is, why Southern? There's other schools, like, Jordan, Northern, Riverside, Hillside..." James says and he finally gets off the highway and onto an exit.

"My brothers girl, she went here and it was the closest to where we're staying and I'm not tryna waste money on gas, ya feel?" I tell him. This is no lie, all my money is toward college currently. Until I get a job, and then it's half and half.