Not Your Girl

CHAPTER 1: LOCKER 101

Thigh-high boots stepped down the hall as heads turned to see where the sound came from. Hazel eyes, with perfect winged eyeliner, didn't bother to look at the various gazes. Lockers shut close as the steps approached. Everyone made way for the legs walking, and smiles widened across their faces. Long ombre hair bounced with each step. Eyes stared at the pink parted lips and contoured cheeks. The scent of perfume hypnotized all the guys in the hallway. It was not a mystery to whom the features belonged to. Girls envied her. Guys obsessed over her. Lower-division respected her. She was Courtney Hill.

I, being one of the only ones not under her spell, rolled my eyes and opened my locker. Pictures of my best friends, Violette and Camille, hung on the door. Textbooks laid on the top shelf, waiting to be carried to class. I ran a careful finger through the spines of the textbooks as I read the titles. In order to get a clear view of my locker, I took a step back. Everything seemed organized, but I was missing a textbook. Concern ran up my body and crept into my skin. Even though I was trying to concentrate on my missing book, an obnoxious sound distracted me. The closer the echo became, the less I could hear my thoughts. All of a sudden, my thoughts weren't audible anymore.

"Looking for something, 'Livvy dear'?" her annoying voice asked as she pushed past me. She laughed, mocking my dad who had dropped me off this morning. "Livvy dear" was his way of showing affection.

In fifth grade, I was unfortunate enough to meet Courtney. She had previously been enrolled in a private school with rich little kids, but apparently, her dad thought it would be a good idea for her to be unique and interact with others that were not like her. 

On the first day of fifth grade, Courtney outshone a lot of people even though she wore the regular uniform, blue bottoms and a white blouse. She was wearing a navy blue skirt with her shirt perfectly tucked in, and a sweater wrapped around her waist. Her long hair was in a high ponytail, and she walked around with a smile. Quickly, she made friends, but I knew there was something wrong with her. She seemed overly cheerful to be in a public school after experiencing the wonders of a rich, private one. Eventually, all of my friends began to hang out with her and I was left friendless for the most part.

One day, we were given the privilege to wear whatever we wanted to school. Courtney showed up with white jeans. At the playground, I was sitting on a swing while she slid on a slide. After she stood up, I realized that there was a small dotted trail of a red substance that freaked me out. I thought maybe she had gotten hurt without being conscious of it. When she turned around, I saw a red stain and I yelled, "Courtney! Your pants are covered in blood!" As soon as she heard those words from me, she cried out. The whole playground had heard and some boys laughed. I was shocked at her reaction since at the time, I'm sure all I was trying to do was help. Moreover, I didn't know what menstruating was.

The next day, she came up to me and shoved me to the ground for "embarrassing her in front of her crush." I apologized, but she swore she would never forget. Even though it was something childish, as time progressed, we continued to insult each other, and she continued to physically aggravate me somehow.

When we finally graduated from middle school, Courtney begged her father to let her attend a private high school which just happened to be the same private school that I had received a scholarship for, Williams Academy. I couldn't help but think of how my luck always turns around.

"Can't you beg for more attention somewhere else?" I asked, knowing she was going to stop in her path to reply back. I never held my tongue around her because I knew it was not going to make a difference. In the middle of her laugh, she stopped, turned around, and approached me. Fiercely, her eyes stared at me.

"Actually, that's exactly what I was about to do. Thanks for the suggestion," she replied and pursed her lips. "And since you did me a favor, here's some advice: maybe you should mind your own business." She lifted her eyebrow at me, waiting for me to fire back.