Bethany's locker was on the second floor and it took her only a minute or so to reach it. Her handy pack of gum was right at the front of the mess of books, she chewed gum more often than she cared to admit, more to get the cigarette stench off her breath than an actual love of gum.
After popping a piece in, she reached for her chemistry book which was first period for her most days except for the ones in which she had gym. A sickly smell interrupted her thoughts and she glanced over as Synthia Seitz glided over to her locker, her constant lavender perfume swirling around her.
Locker buddies with Seitz was a stroke of the worst luck imaginable, Synthia was queen bee in disguise. Her entire friend group was clearly revolving around her and some days Bethany couldn't tell if there was any truth in her innocent disguise, she manipulated people left and right and then tossed them away like the pieces they really were in her cruel game. She had tons of exes, almost as many boyfriends as "friends".
"Morning," she said in her smooth voice. It was deeper for a girls voice, more sultry, but equally girly at the same time.
"Morning," Bethany mumbled through the gum in her mouth, pointedly turning towards her locker and away from Synthia. She felt rude for an instant and then remembered the look of every person she'd seen crushed by Synthia's quiet handle over them. It sounded so dramatic, especially in Bethany's head, but in her head she had Synthia all figured out.
She slid her chemistry binder under her book and closed her locker and with some difficulty locked it. Her lock wasn't cooperative, it always seemed to get stuck whenever Bethany needed to actually get to class. She began the mad dash down the hallway, trying to make up for the time she had lost with her lock. Mrs. Schoon, the chemistry teacher, was not the most sympathetic lady and despite the fact that Bethany knew her better than most students because she was a staff kid, Mrs. Schoon didn't particularly like Bethany.
"Late Forrest," her voice cut across the chatter of the class as Bethany skidded in the door.
"Sorry Mrs. Schoon!" Bethany calls, sitting down in a rush. Her lab partner, Lucas leaned away as her books spilled everywhere on the table. "Sorry Lucas," she mutters, gathering the books back up. Lucas didn't say anything back, just pushed his super blonde hair his face knowing already this was going to be a long class.
Lucas Cooper wasn't a jock, a nerd, or really a social norm. Lucas was just Lucas. He kept to himself, despite his good looks he didn't really interact with other people or put himself out there. He just got through highschool with good grades, no heartbreak, but also not many friends. Bethany Forrest was someone that he avoided due to her unpredictableness. He secretly admired her at the same time, how sometimes she was swearing in the hall and others she was walking quietly listening to music. She seemed to not care, to not give a shit about anything or anyone. Whatever mood seized her, she acted upon it. She'd always been like that, but after her friend died Lucas saw her lose those qualities and no longer wished he could be like her.
"Are we missing anyone else?" Schoon asks right as Bethany settles her head between her hands getting comfortable for the hour long lesson that her teacher was surely about to give. She pushed her thick black hair to cover her face so she could daydream or nap in peace. Whichever she prefered. She cut her hair herself every month with a pair of green craft scissors she'd had since the third grade. She'd been cutting her hair since 5th, each year it had gotten choppier and more wild. Emily and Anna had the best time cutting her hair freshman year.
They spent the night at Emily's house, her mom always let them stay up later than Bethany or Emily's mom. Bethany had stowed the craft scissors in her toiletries bag and brought them to Emily's house. After several minutes of badgering Emily to let her and Anna chop Emily's curls short, the conversation shifted to Bethany's hair. How would the girls do it? Would they make her look decent or make her stand out?
Eventually, Anna took the craft scissors and set to work. Anna did the basics, she was the most precise, then Emily did the styling work to make it look great. The choppy bob ended up being Bethany's favorite hairstyle. Something jabbed her rib and she shifted to get back to her daydream.
"Forrest!" A sharp voice cut through her sleepy state. She sat bolt upright, spitting hair out of her mouth. In front of her desk was Schoon who did not look happy. Lucas shifted uncomfortably next to her, not sure if he should've woken her up sooner.
"Yes sir!" Bethany shouts back still half asleep the class dies of laughter, kids bent over their desks in uncontrollable fits. On the inside, Bethany wanted to punch herself and cry at the same time. She was so stupid. On the outside, she threw the class a cocky look, playing it off as if she was trying to get a laugh. "I'm so sorry, ma'am."
"Forrest, not funny." Schoon glared down at her. "Were you sleeping in my class?" Was she? Bethany cast her thoughts trying to figure out if she had been sleeping. She was daydreaming and then she didn't really remember much. Sleeping? She wasn't quite sure.
"I'm not sure," she admitted truthfully. The whole class died laughing again and Bethany winced. She didn't mean to be funny, she didn't want to be laughed at. Usually she would play along, but she just needed to get out of this.
"Well Forrest, it seems you did. Detention. My room after school." And with that, Schoon swept back up to the board to continue her lecture. Bethany let out a long sigh, dropping her head back onto her hands. The little kid who looked up to teachers squirmed inside her, downright humiliated.
