The Bad Boy and the Brainiac

Chapter 1: Meeting Cole

I was stuck in the plane as the water rose to my neck. I struggled to keep my head above the water to breathe as I tried to find a way out. The water rose higher until I was completely submerged. I quickly ran out of oxygen, and my body relaxed as I breathed in a mouthful of water. Then everything went black.

*****

I woke up sweating. This isn't the first time I've had nightmares of that day, and it won't be the last time. I hoped that it wouldn't happen today because it's the first day of school. I begrudgingly get out of my bed and get dressed. I brush my teeth and make my way downstairs to the kitchen. I sit at the table but honestly there's no way I can eat anything.

I wait in the kitchen for my best friend Kylie to come pick me up for school. She finally pulls up in front of my house and I run out of the house yelling goodbye to my parents and Blake.

In the car, Kylie tells me about this new guy at our school this year. I zone out though thinking about what my teachers might be like.

Suddenly a hand is waved in front of my face. "Earth to Alex. Have you even been listening?"

I swat her hand away. "Something about a new student at our school."

"He's not just new though, I heard he's hot. Do you think he'll like me?"

I groaned at her question. She was easily the prettiest girl in our school so I don't know why she even asked. "I would be surprised if he didn't."

We were finally in the parking lot. Together we made our way inside, and then parted ways to go to our lockers. I heard girls whispering nearby about the new person.

I was getting the last of my books when I heard the whispering stop. I looked away from my locker to see a guy wearing jeans, an AC/DC shirt, and a leather jacket with curly brown hair. He walked down the halfway winking at certain girls. I saw Kylie walk up to him and ask him something, and then they started walking together. I shut my locker and was turning around to walk towards my first class when I saw them both standing there.

Awkward. I was about to walk away but Beth stopped me and said, "No so fast Alex! I want you to meet Cole."

"Hi," I say with a hint of annoyance. "Now if you'll excuse me," I say as I glare at Kylie, "I have to go to class. Bye."

I turn around and walk to my first class which is math. Call me a nerd but it's my favorite subject.

My classes are pretty uneventful. I had my last class before lunch with Jason which was ceramics. The teacher let us talk for the rest of class after she was done explaining our first project. We were arguing over who was better; Superman or the Flash.

"The Flash is faster because he's the fastest man alive!"

"Yeah but if you've forgotten Alex, Superman is an alien so he could be faster. You lose! Plus I mean he's way cooler with the whole X-ray vision and laser eye thing."

The bell rang so we left the class, but continued our argument as we made our way to our lunch table.

"Sure but Superman can't phase through objects can he. Plus the Flash can run up the side of buildings. That's way cooler than flying up a building. And he can run on water!"

"Superman doesn't have to worry about that since he can just fly over it."

We sit down at our table. I continue, "True but the Flash can throw electricity at people like Zeus. You can't sit there and tell me that you don't think Zeus is cool, therefor the Flash is better! Take that Superman!"

"Fine, fine, you win. Flash is better," he grumbles.

"Ha," I say and stick my tongue out at him. I know, I'm so mature.

The rest of the day goes by rather uneventfully until my last class; Chemistry. I sit down next to my friend Ian. He's probably the smartest student in our school. He was telling me about his summer when suddenly the room went silent. I turned around and saw that everyone was staring at the person who just walked in; Cole. I looked at Ian and rolled me eyes.

Ian laughs. "It seems like every girl in this class is about to start drooling over him."

I laugh too. "It's like they're transfixed by his every movement."

Soon after, class started and our teacher, Mr. Lee, began class by explaining what we would be studying. He then told us that he would be assigning us lab partners for the rest of the year.

I silently hoped that I would be paired with Ian but it seems as though Mr. Lee had something else in mind. "I went through your previous grades and paired you each with the person I thought would be best able to help you succeed."

Early on, Ian's name was called, but he was paired with Courtney, the head cheerleader who was the most popular girl at our school.

Mr. Leery continued calling out names. "Amy and Josh, Britney and Kevin, Cole and Alexis..."

I groaned. Why him, I would have been happy with literally anyone but him. From across the room, Ian gives me a sympathetic look as I make my way to our designated table, while the other girls in my class glare at me in jealously for being paired with him. Little did they know I would gladly switch with them.

I sit down next to him and look straight ahead. Cole pokes me in the arm. I ignore him, but he seems intent on annoying me. He continues to poke me for the rest of the class. When the bell finally rings, I make my way to my locker. Finally the day is over. After getting rid of the books I don't need I made my way to Kylie's car.

But when I get there I saw Kylie talking to Cole. Ugh! Why do I keep having to see him! I give myself ten seconds of mental preparation before I make my way to her car. Deep breaths Alexis, deep breaths.

Cole sees me coming first. "Well if it isn't the little nerd."

I glare at him but don't say anything because behind him, Kylie was mouthing "be nice," to me.

I walk around the car to the passenger side and sit inside. After waiting a couple minutes, Kylie finally gets in the car and starts driving.

"Be nice to him for me Alexis, please."

"I didn't say anything to him. Anyways, he's the one that poked me during class and he called me a little nerd! I'm not even short!"

"You sit next to him in class! Which class?" She questions excitedly.

"I think you're missing the whole point," I say, slightly annoyed. "I'm stuck with sitting next to that annoying guy the whole school is fawning over for the whole year!"

After that neither us said anything for the duration of the car ride. We were both deep in thought.

I played video games with Blake when I got home since neither of us had homework to do and football practice didn't start till tomorrow.

My brother Blake and I are both seniors. He is considered one of the popular people at our school since he's the quarterback, and captain of the football team. Despite his popularity and my complete lack of it, we're actually pretty close despite living in completely different worlds. After the plane crash, we grew even closer because we share something that few people have experienced, something so traumatic that it's impossible to forget. Something that I relive every day and every night.

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm sorry it's short, but don't worry they'll get longer. Let me know what you thought!

-ShmonyClause