Picture Perfect ✔️ [Slowly Editing]

1:"You sure did screw up" (edited)

EDITED 8/14/18

CHAPTER ONE

THE FIRST DAY of Junior year at a new school with no one but myself. Staring straight ahead, I relax my hands on the steering wheel. calm down, grace. it's the first day for everyone. Pulling into St. Jefferson High School, my anxiety travels to new heights. There are people everywhere in their groups, smiling and laughing with each other. i should just lock myself in my car.

A knock on my window startles me. My left-hand flies to my chest. A dark-haired boy with identical eyes glares at me through the window. there is a guy standing outside my window, looking like he wants to kill me. i haven't even gotten out of my car yet and somebody already hates me. "Hey! You're in my parking spot," he yells through my window. My eyebrows knit together. everyone has assigned parking spots?

I roll down my window, about to apologize when someone yells, "Alex!" piercingly. Together our heads turn in the direction the voice came from. I watch as his angry expression softens when he looks at a redhead with untamed curls that surround her face. Even from twenty feet away, I can see her striking green eyes. She's wearing a bandana on her neck that portrays a necklace, sitting in the back seat of a black convertible.

In passenger rests a striking pale-blonde with icy-blue eyes and a blinding smile. Her face sits in a smirk, "come on, I think you scared the girl enough," and, "it's fine, it's not like this parking spot has your name on it." She climbs out and walks up to my car, drawing the attention of others around us. 'Alex' scoffs in protest. "It might as well," he mumbles as the blond playfully nudges past him and squats down, eye-level with me. My heart speeds up as I glance past her to see twenty people staring at me. don'tfreakout-don'tfreakout-don'tfreakout. "Don't mind him, he's just on his man-period," she says, "I'm Anden," extending her hand to meet mine through the window. I take a deep breath and release my death-grip on the steering wheel.

"Kill your car and we can walk in together. You look scared for your life." Realizing I'm still gripping her hand through my window, I yank it back quickly. omfg, she must have noticed how uneasy I was. Anden laughs, opening my door after I took the key out of the ignition, and walks off to get her bag from Alex's car. act cool-act cool. I follow her a couple feet before stopping in my tracks. "I forgot my bag!" I cry, upset that I had almost forgotten the one thing I need throughout the whole day. ugh. what a nerd.

I hear Anden giggle as I turn around and scurry back to my car. I grab my bag and shut the door of my car to find Anden, Alex, and the redhead all waiting for me. Alex scowls, tugs at his bag, and walks off. Anden rolls her eyes and waves me along. I awkwardly walk to the two girls as the redhead yells, "Thanks for the ride!" At the back of Alex's head. He walks ahead, ignoring her call.

"He's just pissy, Willa," Anden mutters. "I'm really sorry I took his spot. I wish I could apologize to him." I say, a knot forming in the pit of my stomach. Guilt. That's what it is. "Ugh. Don't. He'll get over it." Anden argues. As we reach the steps, the redhead breaks out into squeals. "Cora!!!" she exclaims, dropping her bag and running into some girl's arms. She is darker skinned and has box-braids. She has breathtaking green eyes. The smile that overtakes her entire face as she sees the redhead girl barreling towards her warms my heart. A smile spreads across my own face.

"Willa! My girllll!" Cora screams as their bodies collide and they dissolve into giggles. Anden chuckles, "We've all been friends since the fourth grade." "You, Cora, Willa, and Alex?" I question, as someone opens the door for Anden and me. wow who is this girl? We say, 'thank you' and walk through. The air conditioning greets us, causing a sigh of bliss to leave my lips. "And Remi and Brody," Anden says, walking down a long hallway with me. The floors are made of red and white tile, and the lockers: also red. cute. Above me, there are skylights in the ceiling, letting in natural light, as well as the artificial lighting fixtures. "Who are they?" I ask, almost tripping over someone's bag on the floor. who just leaves their things unattended?

"Tell you what," she replies, stopping at the office, "I'll help you with your locker and I'll introduce you to my friends at lunch. You're look like you need to be taken under someone's wing." um what? did she just invite me to lunch? why me? "See? That look right there assures me that I'm doing what I need to be doing. You'll fit in just fine. Willa and I already like you. Now let's get your locker and combo." Anden strides into the office and tells the secretary that I'm a new student in the area and that I need a locker, and after searching on her computer clicking on what seems like multiple things, the secretary writes down a triple-digit number and my 'combo'. "Let's roll." Anden grabs my arm and leads the way. People stare as we rush past.