(Complete) The Secret Behind It All ✔️

Chapter 8: First Day of School

     First days of school are always the worst. But the first day at a new school are 20 times that. My hands shake as my mom's car draws closer and closer to the sign that says 'McKinley High School'.
    "Are you excited, Hannah?" My mom asks turning around in the passenger seat.
     "Oh yea, yea. Definitely." I say without a doubt, but not really meaning it.
     "You will make so many new friends and..." I tune her out. I'm in no way excited. I don't know these people. I mean I didn't know Daniel and it took almost 2 years until I actually started liking the guy. If my grandma was here, I could have stayed with her. That would have been great. The only problem would be that Jason's house would be further away. Florida is fun, though. Yea, the um and you know the. Actually no, I don't know anything about Florida. California was the best. Beaches for miles and miles and the big Hollywood sign that shouted FAME. "Hannah. Earth to Hannah? Is she home?" I finally hear my mom say.
     "Oh, ma'am?" I say zoning back in. Regretting it though as I look out the window and see students laughing and talking in groups. Great, so I've got to find a group. My mom gets out and opens to door for me.
     "I hear your teacher's name is Mr. Henry, that sounds fun." She says smiling from ear to ear.
     "Yea, totally." I say grabbing my middle school book bag that has holes and stains on it. Walking down the courtyard wasn't as bad as it is in the movies. People staring you down because you're the new student. No, that didn't happen to me. Wait. Oh, yes it did. Laughing stopped and fingers pointing. Was it the backpack that gave the scent of new student away? Boys and girls staring. Some guys smiling at me and pushing each other, what did that mean? Teachers in the front holding clipboards while their glasses are about to fall off their face because their nose really isn't that long.
     "Hi, I'm Abby." A girl whose hair looks like sunshine, holds out her hand. Popular girl. I can tell this by the loads of makeup she wears and how high she pulls up her uniform shorts. Say something back, Hannah.
     "Hi, I'm Hannah." I say shaking her hand lightly.
     "Aren't you just the cutest little thing?" She taps me on the head like a dog. Oh Lord, this school has another Audrey. I smile to show I'm ok with her tapping me on the head. Not really. But I'll bite. "Are you new?" She asks, looking me up and down.
     "Um, yea. But isn't everyone!" I look around at everyone looking at me.
     "Well everyone knows everyone at this school because we all went to middle school together." She smiles. Wonderful, just wonderful.
     "Oh, yea. I just moved here from California."
     "OMG! Like the Hollywood sign California?" She says with a really big smile. Isn't there only one California?
     "Yep, that's the one." I make hand guns but then retreat because I look like a sci-fi geek.
     "You should totally come hang out with me and my friends."
     I know we have all watched the movies where the new girl gets caught up with the popular girl, and it never goes well. But I'm willing to take the chance. But whatever you do don't lie, Hannah, because that never ends well.
     "That sounds good. What class are you in?" I ask hoping for her to say my class.
     "Mr. Henry. He's totes cute!" Dear God, it's Kitty and Audrey combined. If a boy with blond hair walks up to me, I'm leaving.
     "Me too. I'm in Mr. Henry's class." I say smiling.
     "Yay, I'll save you a seat next to me. Come and I'll introduce you to my friends."
     "Ok." She pulls me by the arm and everyone has finally stopped staring. Is it because everyone was waiting to see who claimed me first?
     "So, this is Avery." A girl with brown hair with a JoJo Siwa bow smiles. "This is Amy." A girl with the same shiny hair smiles and pops her gum. "And finally, this is Adam." All the girls stare at this guy who at first had an annoyed look on his face but then sees me and smiles. Oh, no. I know that smile. That's a Jason smile. I look around and all the girls who had an A in their name still stare at him. His eyes locked in on me. He starts to take off his hood. Please be brown hair, please be brown hair. It's blond.
     "Hi, I'm Hannah." Which breaks the awkwardness.
"Oh yea. Hannah, this is the A, A, A, A group. You can join. But we're gonna have to switch your name." Abby says
"Oh ok." I say but wondering if I'm making a mistake by talking to her.
"Oh Abby, she can be Anna!" The girl with the bow says.
"No way, Avery." Abby snaps and looks back. "I know who you can be...Anna like Hannah but it starts with an A!" The other girls roll their eyes.
"Sounds perfect." I smile and they all clap and giggle.
"Great, but here. I'll help. GIRLS!" Abby says; she snaps her fingers and all three girls surround me. One pulling down my hair that was once in a low ponytail. One adding makeup and another taking off my glasses.
"Thank you but I can't see without my glasses." I say holding out my hands, everything's blurry.
"Well tomorrow, wear contacts." I make out the tall guy with the blond hair as he puts his head in his hands. "PERFECT! Follow us Anna!" The bell rings and the girls lock arms with me so I don't run into a post. The guy slowly walking behind us. They set me down in a desk in the front so I can actually see the teacher. Mr. Henry is like totes...50 years old. Ew, just ew.
"Welcome class, I'm Mr. Henry. And, yes Abby?" Everyone groans so I'm guessing she acts like she's better than everyone.
"HI everyone." Abby stands on my right and waves. "Everyone, this is Anna." No, please no. This is every new student's nightmare. If this is anything like the movies, I'm about to hate what Mr. Totes 50 says next.
"Oh lovely. Hannah, is it?" His attention is on me now which makes me want to grab my glasses and run out the room.
"No ANNA!" Abby shouts.
"Oh, my apologizes. Anna. Please stand up and introduce yourself." Great.
"Hi, I'm Ha- I mean Anna." A few students giggle. "I just moved here from California, yes that's the one with the Hollywood sign." Abby flips her hair as in saying "Yes, she's my friend". "Um, I'm glad to move here..." My mind remembers Jason, and his face as I walked down the stairs. "Um, yea." I hurry and sit down because little tears have already been developed. Abby and her friends look confused while the other students whisper to their neighbors.
"Thank you, Anna." I wipe my tears and look to my left. Adam. His smile is bright. I smile back and Abby quickly taps on my shoulder.
"What was that all about?" She says in a low voice.
"I just remembered home, that's all." I explain to her.
"OH, B.T.W. Adam is mine." Good to know I'm not the only one claimed here. A few minutes later, Mr. Henry is sleeping and the kids are laughing. Then the bell rings. Dang, lunch time already. The girls pack up their things while I try to attempt to get out of my desk. I feel a hand lock onto my arm.
"Thanks Adam." I say shyly.
"Oh, I-I didn't know you could see me." He laughs and escorts me down the hall. I hear whispering pass by me as I walk.
"I think you're the only boy with shiny blond hair here, to be honest."
"Oh, yea. Forgot about that."
"So, what do they usually have for lunch?" I say to break the silence.
"Burgers, hot dogs, things like that."
"Um, where's your girlfriend?"
"Woah, I just met you!"
"What do you mean?" I ask because I have no idea what he's talking about.
"Well I usually want to get to know a person before I start asking questions like that." He laughs but I stay confused.
"You're not with Abby? She told me 'Adam's mine'. I mean what else would she mean by that?"
"Oh yea, don't listen to Abby. She knocks everyone down. But if you were wondering, no I do not have a girlfriend." He smiles at me which makes me blush. We stop and he opens my backpack.
"Wh- what are you doing?" He takes out my glasses and puts them on my face. The cafeteria. It's big compared to the middle school one in California, that's for sure.
"Welcome to the cafeteria." He says. "Come, you can eat with me and the boys."
"And Abby?"
"Oh she doesn't do lunch. Something to do with carbs." I laugh as he shrugs his shoulders. We walk to the back of the line. "So tell me about your life? Any guys or-girls I mean, back home worth missing?" Well, this is fun.
"Um definitely guys." He smiles. "And not anymore. But I do have friends that are girls that I miss. Let's see Kitty and-yea that's pretty much it."
"That makes sense. You didn't really remind me of the popular type when I first saw you." What's that supposed to mean? "What's with the necklace?" He points to the gold heart-shaped necklace around my neck.
"Um-" I try to tell him the truth behind it but I am quickly interrupted.
"Aye girl, let me get them digits." Am I supposed to laugh? A guy with brown hair and a football uniform holds out his phone. I'm trying so hard not to laugh right now.
"Um-." I'm speechless. I know if I say anything, then I might just laugh.
"Hey, she's with me." I look up at Adam whose face is serious. The guy puts his phone away as he walks away.
"Thank you. But he was kind of cute." He laughs and starts filling up his plate.
"Stay away from guys like that. Seriously. They just want to show you off. That same guy has dated all the A's 5 times." He's starting to sound like you know who.
"Including you?" I say and grab the spoon to start filling up my plate.
"Nah, if it was up to me. I would be long gone from Abby. Come on." He points to an empty table away from the guys who stare and clap as I walk by but one look from Adam and they go quiet. "Abby and I met when we were in middle school and everyone knows that I used to like her. Then my mom begged me to date her and I just didn't want to disappoint her. So now I have to hang out with her."
"What made you stop liking her?" His face goes blank and he looks up from across the table.
"She's a bully. There used to be another A. Ava. She was the sweetest one. Well before you came along. Abby used to be so cruel to Ava. Making her steal things so she would get in trouble. Just because Ava, had a crush on me and I was starting to like her. The poor girl has a criminal record and had to go to juvie."
"Oh my gosh." I'm shocked and am honestly nervous. What if Abby does that to me?
"So, word of advice. Stay away from them. Tell people your real name. Don't change who you are." He smiles and I return with half of one. "School's almost over, how about a smoothie?" He did not just say that. Please tell me I'm imagining him saying that. "Hannah?"
     "Oh, yea." I look up quickly.
     "So, smoothies?" Smoothies with Adam is the only way to get over Jason.
     "Yea-yea of course. No, how about milkshakes?" Wow Hannah, I guess we're ignoring the fact that you're lactose intolerant.
     "Sure, come on." He grabs my hand and we run down the hall. My hair flying in the wind. We get into his Jeep and talk about life and for a second. Just for a second. Jason is no longer on my mind.