Rejected Lovers

Chapter 5

Chapter Five - Brawl

"Ready to go?" I look up at the sound of his voice.

Atticus leans against the door frame at the threshold of my room with his arms crossed as he stares at me. I nod as I zip up my backpack before standing and putting it on my shoulders. Taking one last look in the mirror I turn to him and release a deep breath.

"I wish you could come with me." I sigh as I make my way to him.

Although we are the same age Atticus has photographic memory and because he excelled in all subjects he graduated a year early. I'm nervous about starting at a new school, especially because at my previous one Vincent and his friends would bully me. But I'm praying hard that nobody pays attention to me this time. I just want to get through my last year in peace.

"Well, if you were as smart as me – hey!" He pouts teasingly when I smack his arm. He chuckles deeply before pulling me into hug. "You'll be fine. If anything happens, anything at all, I'm not far away."

I nod and breathe in his scent of sea breeze and spice. It calms me down instantly and takes me back to our childhood days. Hesitantly, I pull away and we make our way downstairs where Arcadia and Elias wait for me. We had woken up early and had our breakfast just so I reach the school early. I need to get my timetable and look around the school to familiarize myself with it.

We bid goodbye to Atticus before getting into the car. It's a twenty-minute ride into the city and a further ten minutes to get to the school. The driver drives through the tall iron gates before stopping by the steps. We get out and some of the students lingering around glance at me curiously before resuming their conversations.

I follow Arcadia and Elias inside to the office where I get my timetable. I wish they were my age so I could have a friendly face in my classes. They show me around the large school and where each of my classes will be. I find my nerves easing the more I get familiar with the building.

Eventually, the bell rings and I say goodbye to them both before heading to my first class which is English. I greet the teacher, Miss Brooks, and she smiles at me welcoming-ly before assigning me a seat in the middle row. Students file in when the last bell rings and I watch them discreetly as they take their seats around me.

"Hey, you're the new girl right?" A girl with pastel blue hair and dark brown roots asks as she takes a seat beside me. "I'm Emilia Bianchi."

"I'm Olivia Peterson." I smile at her just as Scarlett walks in.

Her eyes narrow on Emilia and I but Emilia just flips her off and gestures for her to keep walking. I bite my lip to stifle a bubbling laugh as I watch Scarlett ball her fists in anger before storming to her seat in the first row. Right after her, a boy with sandy blonde hair and light green eyes enters. He looks up and smiles at Emilia before his eyes meet mine. I watch as he takes a seat beside me before Emilia leans across.

"Leon, this is Olivia Peterson." She introduces with a jerk of her thumb. "And Olivia this is Leon Tarantino."

"It's nice to meet you, Olivia." He greets warmly and I nod at him.

"You too, Leon. How long have you two known each other?" I ask as I take out my books.

"Since we were babies. I've given up on trying to get rid of him!" She snorts unladylike as Leon chuckles.

"I'll never leave you, Emi." He winks playfully which causes her to roll her eyes.

She's about to reply when the teacher starts the lesson. The teacher picks up where they last left the play of Macbeth and I'm relieved that we had been doing the same play in my previous school. I assume I'll have a lot of catching up to do so it's a great relief that my workload has reduced slightly.