Need

Chapter 1

I jump awake to the sound of my alarm clock screaming.  Its 6:30, which means I have about forty-five minutes to get out the door.  This is a new school.  For my last year of high school I would not be attending the school I had attended for 12 years.  I am most definitely nervous about this new school.  Nobody likes the new kid.  But I guess I’ll just try to fit in. 

Things have been weird since my parents got divorced.  The only reason we moved halfway across the country was because of the divorce.  Why else would my mom leave her dream town of Los Angeles, California, to move to the small city of Greenville, Virginia?  But here we are, in a small house, in this small city.  And I hate it. 

All I have done since we got here in June has been sitting in my room, illegally downloading music.  As of right now I am just finishing my hair as I hear my mom calling my name.

“Layla!” I hear her yell.

“Coming!” I yell back.

I turn off my straightener and run down the stairs, into the kitchen.  I walk in to find her standing there with a blonde boy.  He’s wearing a plain white shirt and loose black jeans.  I admire his style and just stand there looking at him for a while.  I don’t realize I am staring until I see my mother scowling at me.  I quickly snap out of it as he reaches his hand out to me.

“Niall. Niall Horan”, he says as we shake hands.  He has an Irish accent.

“Hi.  I’m Layla”, I say, trying to muster as much of a smile as I can.

“Niall is going to take you to school today”, my mother says.  I look at her like she’s crazy.  I don’t even know this boy and she’s going to make me get in a car with him.

“Umm…  Why?” I try to say in the nicest way possible.

“Because he said it’s on his way and I really need to get to work, so I don’t really have time to bring you”, she says while giving me an evil look. 

“Fine”, I finally say. “Let me go get my crap.”  My mother scowls at me one more time before I run back to my room.  I grab my back-pack and phone before running back down only to find my mother gone and Niall standing in my kitchen.

“Are you ready?” he says, breaking the silence.

“Mhm”, I reply, still being too shy to have a conversation. 

He walks out of my door, and I follow behind him, making sure the door is locked.  I am surprised to find that his car is very nice.  I know that he’s young, so I figured he’d have some junk car.  So, when I saw his sleek, black Audi, my jaw must’ve fallen to the floor.  I get into the car quickly, almost excitedly, and he realizes it.  He lets out a small giggle and smirks at me.

“You like it?” he questions.  I nod in agreement.  He starts it with the press of a button and drives it away.  Most of the ride it silent, but then he started trying to make small talk.

I was gazing out of the window when he started asking questions.

“How old are you?” he asked politely.

“Eighteen”, I quickly reply, not wanting to talk anymore.  It’s not that I didn’t like Niall; it’s just that I didn’t know him.  I didn’t really know anybody, aside from my mom. 

“Ahh, you’re a senior”, he said. “Last year of school, huh?”

“Yeah, and I hope it goes by fast”, I say.  If he’s going to keep talking, I might as well respond.

“And why is that, love?” he says.  It makes me uncomfortable, him calling me love.  I know it has no significance, but I still don’t like it.

“New school, new people, not my thing”, I say.  I can see the sign of the school coming.  My nerves start to set in and my heart rate starts to go up.  I guess he can see that I’m nervous because he takes my hand.

“Hey, it’s going to be alright”, he says and places a small kiss on my hand. 

I smile and quickly say thank you for the ride before getting out of the car.  I quickly find my way up the steps and into the school, waiting the horrendous day that I know is ahead.