Walk on the Wild Side

Chapter 4: I Got 99 Problems.

>< Logan ><

Weirdly, I didn't feel guilty for lying to Natasha about why I was late meeting her on the first night. I had told her that I was having a cigarette with my best friend Eli when in fact, I had run into the new girl smoking behind the art block. Sure, Tash had taken my mind off of her while we fooled around and got hammered but strangely she wouldn't leave my mind.

I had avoided running into Mr Everton, the young housemaster of Marshall on my way back to my room and fell into bed fully clothed. Needless to say my hangover was atrocious the next morning and rather than help me, Eli and my other best friend and roommate, Riley had just laughed and screamed in my face all day.

By the time interval rolled around I was so preoccupied in my mission to find the new girl who had left me so mystified and had left such an impression on me, that I hadn't paid any attention in the past lessons. I was determined to find out who she was, regardless of what other people thought. It wasn't a crime to want to get to know people. But if that was true, then why did I lie to Tash last night?

I walked into the dining hall with Eli and Riley, laughing at a joke which Eli had just cracked. We collected our mugs of coffee and I stood at the top of the modern hall, taking in the view of the first day break. It was weird to think that this year would be my last at Kingston. I had attended the school since I started education. I was a legacy, my older brother and sister, father, his father, all the way back to my great-great grandfather had gone to Kingston and I was the last of the line for now.

My gaze scanned the bustling room in search of the new girl. A flurry of blonde and pink hair caught the corner of my eye and I snapped my head to the door. It was her. She was accompanied by a girl who had caramel skin and dark brown hair which had been dip-dyed blonde. The pair of them together looked as thick as thieves; their identical smirk, attitudes and general vibes of badassery. She wore a tight black leather jacket rather than the mandatory blazer over a white shirt which had been tucked into a flowing black asymmetric skirt which hung to her mid-thighs at the front and fell to her ankles the back.

"Rowan!" An unfamiliar boy called above the hubbub of the room and both of their heads turned at the same time in the direction from where the voice came. I too followed the sound and noticed a boy with shaggy dirty blonde hair waving his hand towards the pair. They seemed to exchange a frustrated look before heading over to him.

Eli nudged my side and I trailed behind him to an empty table. I ignored my rapidly cooling coffee as I watched the scene unfold before me from the opposite side of the room. It wasn't until the shorter girl moved aside did I see the person they were laughing at.

"Crap." I choked out, stumbling out of my chair awkwardly to hurry over to the group. From the furious glare on Natasha's face, she needed calming down. I finally fought my way through the crowd and flung my arm around Tasha's shoulder, pulling her into me to hold her back. "What's up, girls? And guy?" My eyes instantly connected with hers and her body tensed up for a brief second as she takes a sharp intake of breath. My breathing halted as a misplaced sense of guilt washed over me. But as quickly as the surprised look had appeared it was gone, replaced by a cold and stony glare.

She rolled her eyes, "Obviously." She muttered under her breath before turning to her friend and whispering something into her ear.

"Praise Jesus, yes!" She cheered and they ran out of the hall laughing.

"I'm sorry about her. She's not really happy to be here. It was very a sudden move." The guy beside me grumbled. I recognised him as Brody Fraser, a new kid who had been given a full sports scholarship for lacrosse because he plays for the Under 18 England team or something.