Becoming "Forever Yours"

Ch. 1 Wicked.

"Substitutes are the shit."

"No, they are shit. Exactly why we're basically watching ourselves before the bell." I looked over at my best friend, Regina Callahan, who looked all too thrilled to have learned absolutely nothing this period.

"Don't act like you're upset because we didn't learn why Romeo and Juliette thought it'd be better to die together.. sheesh, Cole. Lighten up. It's almost summer and we've been getting by in every class without hard labor."

"It's not that.." I stuffed my books into my bag. "I just feel like it's pointless getting up early to come here when there's been nothing but unproductive days. The teachers seem more ready for summer than we do."

"And theeeeere's my contently gloomy girl." She laughed. "We still heading to Pizza Palace after school?"

"What did Nance say?"

"Dear old Nancy is skipping school today, but she'll be there." She assured me.

I sighed. "Why didn't we just play hooky with her?"

"Because.." Gina's voice dropped to a whisper. "Rumor has it-"

The classroom door swung open and usually everyone could care less who'd had what excuse for being tardy, but today.. today all heads turned to the door in synch with wide, awaiting eyes.

"Rumor has it?" I pressed for her to finish, though even I found myself trying to look between my peer's heads to get a better view.

"That.." She tapped me. "The rumor just walked right in." She smiled.

"Who the hell is that?" I made a face of mild curiosity.

"That, my friend, is a Clay."

A Clay? I wasn't sure exactly what that meant.

Gina rolled her eyes at my obvious confusion. "Come on, you don't remember Cyrus.. Cyrus Clay? He was a senior when we were freshman."

"Mmm.. yeah, kind of, but I didn't really see him around enough to care."

"Yeah, because of all the hounds, me included, surrounding him on a day to day basis. He was like a human god here at Green Grove High. Olive-skinned, lean build, perky little ass. God, I tell you."

"Disgusting. But I'm assuming they're related?"

"Seems like every so often, we'll get an infamous Clay member here at DG."

"Ew, I hate it when you call it Double G."

She laughed, but kept her eyes with mine. On the mysterious Clay girl that sauntered her way in without a care in the world.

"Is she holding a helmet?" Gina tapped me more excitedly now. "She might be even more bad ass than Cyrus."

All I could see was a head full of wild, unkempt hair that spilled just over her shoulders. Reddish-blonde curls were untamed and loose as she strode towards the back of the class and took an empty seat.

She sat her helmet at the corner of her desk and looked about at all the faces staring at her. And then.. she smiled. And smiled something wicked I'm sure that struck the class all at once. Before you knew it, everyone found themselves crowding around her like she was an altar awaiting their praise.

"Are you new here?" One of our peers started off.

Someone jumped in before she could answer. "You're related to Cyrus, aren't you?"

"Is that yours? The helmet? You have a bike? Can we see it?" Said the annoying girl that everyone avoided since middle school, her nickname was Twenty-One Questions for a reason around Green Grove High.

"Are you allowed to wear that?" Even the usual grumpy jock, Jaime, found himself wrapped around her aura.

I immediately turned away, not wanting to seem like one of the many desperate souls needing the new kid's worthy attention.

I can't believe how they're acting.

She was just a girl, we had all been the new kid at some point. So what of her hair, helmet, and relation to one of Green Grove's hottest guys. She was still just a girl. Same as me.

"Look at them," I scoffed. "They're animals. Why can't they just be, I don't know, normal? Maybe mind their busin-" I turned back to see Gina leaning over her desk just like the rest of them.

"Is this real leather?" She started to reach out to touch the girl's jacketed arm with a smile.

"That's it, we're going." I stood, grabbing her arm just as the bell rung. When I pushed her in front of me, I took a second to glance. And that glance became a momentary stare as I found light brown eyes fixated on me as they looked up from under red-toned lashes. As if she'd knew I'd look.

What should I say? If anything at all. No, nothing. I nodded once to acknowledge eye contact and caught up to Gina who had made it just outside the door.

What the hell was that? I grabbed my head, feeling a slight lightheadedness that was gone just as quickly as it'd came.

"Cole? Earth to Mother Africa.. you good?"

"Yeah, no.. I'm fine." I looked back, but couldn't make her out amongst the gathering crowd around her. "What do you say we skip the rest of the day, hm?" I shrugged.

"I'll call Nancy!" She threw an arm over my shoulder. "She'll be happy to know we're getting out early. Hey, think we'll be able to spot out Clay girl's bike in the parking lot?"

"I really, really don't want her to be the topic of discussion when there's pizza to be eaten."

"What's your prob?"

Before I could answer, someone else interjected. "Yeah, Sticky Nicky, what's your prob?"

We both turned to see Margot with her undead followers strutting around the halls, as if they ran the place. And if you left it to Margot Perry, she'd say she does.

"What do you want Margot the Maggot?" Gina was always quick to take the first jab back. "Looking for a teacher whose lap you haven't sat on yet?"

"Oh goodness, you should learn to better train your guard dogs, Sticky." Margot acted as if Gina wasn't there, only looking at me.

"I swear to God-" Gina started at her.

"Gina.. let's just go." I grabbed her shoulder.

It took a moment, but she unraveled her balled up fist and allowed me to pull her along.

"Goooood dog." Margot baited her.

"Shut up, Margot." I didn't bother to turn around. If Gina knew how much Margot got under my skin, it would only further fuel the ass whooping I knew she was just itching to give her.

"One day.. one day, mark my words, Nichole Copperhead, I will blend her into my next protein shake and regurgitate her in the nearest shithole where she belongs."

I laughed. "Thanks for the visual."

Thanks for being a good friend.