Open Arms

Chapter 3

I walked to my lab station, and sat on my stool. I opened up my laptop just as Mr. Pedigree said, "Class listen up. This is our new student, Hunter Worthington. Be nice, and welcome him".

"Hey", all 22 students said in unison.

"You can go sit beside Carson, at the back. There's an empty spot beside her", he instructed Hunter.

​As Hunter gracefully crossed the room, all the desperate girls in the class, so all of them, turned and stared at him.

"Hey bestie", he whispered in my ear and sat beside me. I turned and snorted, continuing to stare at my laptop and copy down the note on the chalkboard. He reached down into his backpack and took out his laptop, and did exactly what I was doing.

75 minutes of painful boredom passed and the bell sounded. We all got up and left as fast as we could.

"So tour guide", Hunter said to me, "Here's my schedule. Point me in the right direction".

I looked down at the sheet of paper he had handed me. First period Chemistry, Second period Core French, Lunch, Third period Understanding Canadian Law, and Fourth Period Academic English. I stared up at him.

"You have the exact same schedule as me", I laughed.

"Wow this friendship is really meant to be isn't it", he said, smiling that stupid smile.

We walked into Madame Freeman's classroom five minutes late, because Hunter insisted on stopping at a vending machine to buy Welch's, only for them to get stuck. He was so desperate for them he shook the machine until they came loose. I had laughed at him the whole time.

​As we came into the classroom, Madame Freeman gave us a long, hard look of disgust as I walked to my desk and he walked up to her to introduce himself. I pulled out my binder and looked at the chalkboard to see the pages we were working on in our workbooks today. I picked up my backpack from the floor under my desk because it was bugging my feet, so I put onto the empty desk beside me. There were a lot of empty desks in the class because French was not a subject that everyone really cared to continue through high school. Madame Freeman saw me do this, and said, "Since you're new, and you two are already so wonderfully acquainted, go sit beside Carson".

​I didn't hear her say this and was startled when he tapped on my shoulder. I looked up at him, "Looks like you're stuck with me again", and I laughed, and went back to my work. I forgot about my backpack, but he didn't seem to mind, and quietly and carefully picked it up and put it on the ground beside his. After class, the lunch bell went, and Hunter handed me my bag and we walked into the hallway together.

​"So, I guess I should ask. Do you have any plans for lunch", I said to Hunter.

"Well, I was just going to go down to the cafeteria, sit at a table by myself, and see who comes to sit with me", he smirked.

"Oh shut up you're coming with me", I said as I grabbed his hand and pulled him with me. "Yes mam", he saluted at me with his free hand and laughed, "I'm just going to run to the bathroom really quickly, I'll be right back", ​walking away.

Just then, my best friends, Tessa and Sophie, sprinted up to my locker.

"Oh. My. God. Cars, do you know who the hell you were just talking to", squealed Tessa.

"Umm, yeah the new guy that broke my phone this morning", I said with an eyebrow raised.

"Well, I don't know who he is, but I do know that he's freakin' gorgeous", said Tess.

"Like, uugghh, I'm actually so jealous", said Sophie.

"Tess, Soph, it's just a guy", I said trying to calm them down so that we didn't make a scene in the hallway.

"Yeah, that's easy for you to say! You live in a house with the five most beautiful boys ever", said Soph, whining.

"Umm number one it wasn't exactly my choice and, EW they're basically my brothers and the nastiest human beings ever", I said laughing.

"Whatever, I'm going to go and take my sexual frustration to Starbucks now. Do you want to come with us, Carson", said Sophie.

"No, but thanks, I'm going to Booster Juice with Tyson today. But tomorrow we'll go out", I said.

"By the way, Cars, you're ours tomorrow night! We're going for mani-pedis and then shopping and dinner", ordered Tessa.

​It was a ritual the three of us did. We'd known each other since grade 1, and have been best friends ever since. We made sure that we did our tradition of mani-pedis, dinner, and shopping at least every two weeks or so, to make sure that we stayed as close as ever, and catch up on everything that's been missed by one another with our busy schedules.

​"You guys know that I wouldn't miss it for the world", I said grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in for a hug. I said goodbye to them just as Hunter walked back towards me.

​We stopped at my locker. "Just put your stuff into here for now. We don't have that much time for lunch. Only 40 minutes, so get your ass in gear and let's go", I instructed.

"Damn you're a feisty one", he winked at me before putting his stuff into the bottom of my locker. I rolled my eyes at him, making sure he actually saw me do it. He laughed and put his arm around my neck and pulled me in, hard, rubbing my hair with his fist.

​Being only 5 feet tall certainly didn't help me out with this. "My cousin and his friends are going to Booster Juice, and we're going with them", I said just as he asked what the plan was. I blushed, embarrassed because I was being overly demanding. He saw this and laughed, smoothing down my hair from when he had messed it up.