My Mistake (a Jackson Felt fanfic)

Bye Bye Summertime

The summer passed fast. Starbucks at least 4 times a week, the beach at least three times, amusement parks and learning my way around town. Hanging out with the boys, meeting some people of my own and making friends. A few more flashmobs, a lot more shopping. My frizzy black hair got even fizzier, forcing me to use a hair relaxer.

Let me tell you, being an Ethiopian-Mediterranean mix makes you beautiful, but it also makes your hair out of control.

Now I look at the uniform in front of me, hanging on my closet door, wishing summer hadn't gone so fast.

I sigh and start changing. The school as ordinary colors, white, baby blue, and navy blue. I slip on a mid-thigh navy blue skirt and a white button-up shirt, along with some black spandex underneath. I grab our gym clothes -which, for the girls, consists of dark blue athletic shorts and a baby blue, grey, or white shirt- and throw them into my knapsack, heading into the bathroom and pulling out my makeup.

I do my normal stuff. Wash my face, brush my teeth, and apply some mascara, lip gloss, and foundation. My freckles became even more prominent this summer and I don't want those to be the first thing people see about me. And then I put dark brown contacts over my amber-brown irises. I refuse to stand out today.

I pull my hair out of its bun, watching as my long-ish afro-like hair puffs out. I sigh and (attempt) to brush it into a nice high bun. I walk back into my room and grab my laptop and phone, sliding them into my bag, along with some deodorant and mint-scented body spray.

I run downstairs and Casey throws me an apple, knowing that I'm about to be late for the bus.

I slide on a pair of white Adidas over my black ankle socks and thank her before heading out the door. I walk a few blocks down to the bus stop and get there just in time.

I can feel eyes land on me as I step on the bus. I am, once again, the new girl. All eyes on me.

I sit down in an empty seat near the front, the whispers of people talking about me reaching my ears. I tug on my earlobe, accidentally poking myself in the finger with the back of the stud. I sigh and look out the window.

After a bit, I feel a tap on my shoulder and look up at Jackson.

"Mind if I sit here?" He asks me.

I shake my head and look back out the window.

"Excited?"

I shrug my shoulders.

"It's a really nice school," he says.

I continue to look out the window.

"What's wrong freckles?" He asks me. I smile at the nickname the boys gave me over the summer. "Nervous?"

"Yeah," I say quietly.

"You'll do great," he says, laying his hand on my shoulder as I look at him.

I sigh. "It's not doing great that I'm worried about. It's the people. People can be mean and rude and cruel. People can be fake. People can hurt you. It's not the school part I'm worried about, it's the people. My classmates and teachers, making friends be only to be stabbed, the school's hierarchy, the people that judge." I look at my shoes. "I've had bad experiences with schools," I say quietly.

Jackson wraps his arm around my shoulder and side hugs me, and I lean into the hug, searching for some form of comfort.

"You won't have to worry about the school hierarchy," he says to me, pulling away. "Because I'm one of the top boys there. And anyone who hurts you will have to deal with me."

I smile at him.

It's nice to know that people got your back.

(Edited 04-11-20)