My Secret to Keep

The New Kid

Yesterday the halls had felt small, overfilled with teens foaming at the mouth over the latest Hollywood blockbuster. Loud and obnoxious with their buzzing. Today, most of the halls were deserted and silent- something that should've calmed Starling as she changed her books out at her locker. But every clatter in the quiet made her jump, her heart speed up, and cold sweat wash over her skin.

Her luck was going to run out soon. Eventually, they would be in the same place at the same time- heaven forbid they share a class. He would round a corner, dragging the mob where he went, and with them the crushing bodies and buzzing voices that drove her nuts the day before. How anyone managed to get to class on time today was a mystery to her, but as long as she wasn't affected by Griffin Anders groupies, she could care less.

Thankfully, Starling's English class was right across the hall from her locker, and she finished spinning the dial on the lock just as the first rumblings of the crowd reached her ears. She wondered what they would think if they knew they sounded like cattle, and for a brief moment, she imagined them getting spooked and stampeding through the school, her brother crushed beneath their admiration.

She entered the English class and wasn't surprised to find it empty. Not even the teacher sat at her desk, and the previous period's lessons remained on the dry erase board.

"Oh. My. Gawd." Hanna flopped into the seat at Starling's side. Pieces of her hair fell out of her ponytail, and today's glasses, powder blue and sparkly, sat askew on her thin nose. Her flat chest rose and fell beneath her periwinkle cotton blouse as quickly as it did after sprints in gym class.

"Yes?"

"You know my History class is on the other side of campus so it takes me the full time between bells to get here?"

"That's only because you stop six times and usually go to the bathroom."

Hanna waved her hand in dismissal. "Well, there was no time for that today because I had to part the red, frigging sea to get here. Have you seen the crowd around him? I actually saw teachers in the middle of that mess!"

Starling groaned. "That would explain Mrs. Betmyer's absence from class right now. She's always sitting at her desk when we come in here."

"Oh yeah, she's on the front lines. I think she'd go Mrs. Robinson on him if she thought she wouldn't get caught."

"That's disgusting."

Both girls shuddered and then shared wide grins. It was nice complaining about the ridiculousness that surrounded Griffin with someone who knew the truth. Hanna didn't arch that questioning brow whenever Starling cut off talk of the movie star, and the stars flashing in her eyes the night before were gone completely, not even the slightest twinkle.

"I didn't tell you the craziest part though."

Starling pulled out To Kill a Mockingbird and put it on her desk. A pencil and notepad followed. Content everything was arranged perfectly, she took her friend's bait. "There's something crazier than our dowdy, old English teacher wanting to seduce a teenage boy?"

White knuckling the edge of the desk, Hanna leaned forward. Whatever the girl was going to spill had to be big, she was practically trembling like a nervous chihuahua. "Gillian Shaw is here too!"

Starling blinked at Hanna. Two, long, slow blinks. The world tried to shrink, darkness pushing in on her vision even when her eyes were open. How could she have been so stupid? If you found yourself in Hell, eventually you'd run into Satan. And where Griffin went, Gillian went.

"Starling? You okay?" Hanna grabbed Starling shoulders and shook her. "Hey."

Starling put her hands over Hanna's, stilling the rocking motion. "You're sure? You saw her?"

"Just as blonde and beautiful in real life as she is on the screen," her friend said, envy and worship rivaling the other in her voice. "Wait, don't tell me you're related to her too? Cause, you know...she and Griffin have gotten pretty hot and heavy and that would be just gross."

Starling looked around the room- she knew it was empty, but all it would take was the wrong pair of ears picking up even the slightest hint of her association with Griffin, and she could kiss her anonymity goodbye. He would do his best to keep the secret. His decision to move out had proved as much, something she would never admit to him, but Gillian was another story entirely. She would make a power play with this knowledge.

"Hanna, you can't talk about that in public!"

The girl looked appropriately abashed. "Sorry. I forgot."

The warning bell rang, followed by shrieks of students as they dashed to their classes before the tardy bell rang. The English classroom filled up quickly with Mrs. Betmyer trailing in just as the final, shrill ring died out. She patted her wiry hair and smoothed her skirt, her eyes looking far away as she turned to face the class. She didn't speak for several seconds, and the room grew quiet as the awkwardness became oppressive.

"So sorry dears," she finally said, "there's a lot of excitement going on here today."

    Everyone clapped. Hanna and Starling grimaced.

    "But it's about to get even more exciting. We have a new student joining us, and it's a face I'm sure many of you are familiar with."

    Oh, no. Please no. Please no. How could this day get any worse?

    A dulcet voice spoke from the doorway. "Thank you for the lovely introduction."

    That's how it could get worse.

    "Please say hello to Gillian Shaw."