Chapter Two—Okay, I Get It. You Like Pine Cones

My alarm went off before the sun was even up. I rolled out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom for a shower that was so cold I think it did permanent damage to some parts I can’t even feel anymore. Turns out it takes a while for the water heater to get working. Oh well.

I threw on my downright skimpy skirt and the shirt that went with it. It was white and the tie was purple, so at least I got all the colors in there. I pulled on my knee socks that looked like number two pencils, and I grabbed my backpack before heading downstairs.

Candy and the kids were already gone but Patton was at the table. He was reading a worn out old book and eating a bowl of Frosted Flakes. He greeted me without looking up at his book.

I went to the cabinet and grabbed a Pop-Tart. “Kids at school?” I asked.

“Yup. I’m leaving for work in T-minus eighteen minutes and counting. You okay getting to school on your own?”

I smiled. “I can see the top of the school from my window. I’ve got this one.”

“Good. Now ya just gotta watch out for the gnomes. Tricky little devils. And be careful. The kids drive like maniacs ‘round these parts.”

I nodded and gave a salute. “Wish me luck.”

He waved as I walked. “May the Force be with you.”

I went out through the front door and hopped off of the brick wall and onto the driveway. My bike was up against the house where I left it for it’s nap. I rolled the Blue Meanie out and got on. I really didn’t like the idea of riding in a skirt but I was left without choices. I was more of a jeans girl. I already missed them.

I started peddling down the roads and I wondered if I would see the sun today. It was pretty freezing out and it was all I could do to not die. The wind almost knocked me off my bike a couple times, but I stayed strong. Really, I was a trooper.

I took a sharp left and in my sights was the school. I could see most of it from where I was, and I was already horrified. Before me, I saw people. More than I was comfortable with. Walking, talking, laughing just a little too loud to be for anything but attention.

The wall of the main building was lined with girls in cheerleader uniforms with a pinecone smack in the center. The name of the school, Pinus Strobus Academy, was plastered above them. Right above the words 'Home of the Fighting Pinecones.'

God, what did I get myself into?

Cars flew all around me, cars worth more than the down payment on a home. I knew the Thunes had a little money but I didn’t imagine it was like this, and they went to this school. This town must have been old money.

The football field lied to the left of the gates that led inside. From there, you went into one of three buildings, that I would have to figure out later. White pine trees lined the school, and the ground was littered with the needles. You couldn’t walk on an area without them.

I heard the screams of excited girls, and I looked up to see a group of cheerleaders calling to the ones at the wall. They jumped up, kissed their boyfriends/girlfriends, and started running to the other cheerleaders.

I noticed the way everyone wore their uniforms, and I quickly untucked my shirt from my skirt. Though the rules appeared strict, it was clear that they weren’t. The girls more often than didn’t, had the skirts they were in hiked up to a dangerous level. The shirts were unbuttoned and the ties were loosely knotted and hung low, sleeves rolled up. So I guessed they just wanted to seem fancy. But how did you wrangle four hundred spoiled brats?

You don’t.

I went to lock my bike up, and found that I was the only one that did so. My poor little Blue Meanie was all by her lonesome on the rack. I bent over to tie the wheel up to the metal, and was stuck fiddling with the sticking combo code.

When I heard a whistle, I had no reason to think anything of it. Then I got my reason. It was at least three boys that were yelling at me. I didn’t want to look up and give them the satisfaction of them knowing I was annoyed at it. So I just worked on my bike.

“New girl!” one of them yelled. Great, so they knew I was coming. The school and the town were smaller than I thought. “Turn around for me, new girl.”

I heard another boy speak in a scolding tone. “Shut up, Ed. If she turns around, then we lose the view.”

Jesus.

“Good point.”

I stood up after I was done with the bike, and I heard a chorus of whining followed by some comments I wish were a little quieter. Well, I guess them wanting to screw me wasn’t as bas as them making fun of me. So I told myself.

I pulled my schedule from my bag and the boys lost interest in me. I saw that gym was my first class and I groaned. Clearly someone hated me. I had no clue where anything was and this handy dandy map just didn’t do a thing for me.

I heard music booming from a car and my head turned reflexively. The car was black and I didn’t have a clue what kind it was. It looked like a Jaguar, and it was confirmed by that little logo on the front. The song that poured from the closed windows was something I knew in a heartbeat—'Before I Forget' by Slipknot. The windows were tinted and I couldn’t see the driver.

Then he stepped out of the car.

He was tall, easily more than a foot over me. His hair was a shade of light brown that was only a few darker than my weird blond. It was a little curly, and a little messy. It wasn’t long enough to fall in his face, but it flirted with the idea. I couldn’t see his eyes from where I stood, but I didn’t look long enough to try and figure it out.

I glanced down at my schedule again as the bell rang. I cursed to myself and started walking. The map was a mess, might as well have been a picture of a middle finger with the caption you’re on your own.

I turned the map as I tried figuring out what side was up. “Where’s Kaepora Gaebora when you need him—Oh!” I made a sound when I hit something solid.

I stumbled back but I didn’t fall. Yay me. “I’m so, so, so sorry,” I said to the person I just ran into. “I’m a total...” I said as I looked up. Then I stopped before finishing.

Hazel. His eyes were hazel. There was almost no brown in them. Just around the edges.

“Please finish.” He smiled. “I’d love to hear you call yourself a name as to save me the trouble.”

My eyes narrowed. “Sorry,” I said sharply. “It was an accident.”

He straightened out his wrinkled shirt as if I were the cause of it being in that state. His sleeves were down but unbuttoned at the bottoms.

“Doesn’t make it less annoying.” He scowled.

Oh, okay then. I was gonna need to be a bitch. “Listen up, fella.” He smirked at me but I kept going. “I’m not saying sorry again. I’m just trying to not be late on my first day. So you can kindly go fuck yourself.”

I started walking past him.

“Will do!” he yelled after me.

I threw the map in the garbage and just started following my sixth sense. Then I ran into a little group of people that looked like freshman. I could handle talking to people younger than me.

“Um.” I approached the students. “Can you point me in the direction of the gym?”

A girl leaned over and turned her head to me. “Thataway.” She pointed past the field to a little building. “There are two big doors. The gym is right inside and the locker rooms are on either side of the room.”

“Thank you,” I said in a desperate voice before I started running. A hill led down and I moved like lightening. It was almost fun. It felt like I was flying down the hill. I gained enough momentum to make stopping hard. Thankfully, my hands kept me from breaking my nose against the double doors. I only wished they opened for me.

I fell on my butt on the grass and it hurt. Lots. I was cold, my butt hurt, and I was probably gonna be really late for class.

I heard a chuckle from behind me and I looked up to see Mayor McDouche walking past me. Glad to entertain him. He pushed the door open and walked through it, leaving me alone with my embarrassment.

I righted myself and went inside. That was the second that music started and it exploded in my ears. It was the band, I could tell by the lack of talent and care that they sounded awful.

The gym was pretty big even though the student body was small. The far end had a group of cheerleaders that were throwing each other around or whatever the fuck cheerleaders do. The band sat on the wooden stands, playing away with all the enthusiasm of a man on death row. But my favorite thing of all, was the dancing pinecone. It was quite literally just a giant pinecone mascot costume. It had big eyes and a smile, and it was coming for me.

I would have run if I knew I needed to. The pinecone grabbed me and I was hauled up off of my feet.

“WHAT THE HELL!?” I screamed but the band was too loud for me to be heard.

I heard singing from the inside of the costume, though it came out more like screeching. It sounded like a girl that was responsible for the horror.

“LET ME GO!” I screamed at her just before the band stopped, making all eyes go to me. There were giggles and points and the girl in the suit set me down.

She took her head off and somehow the costume became more terrifying. She set the thing on the floor and smiled at me. “Have a problem with my welcome, newbie?”

“Um, yeah,” I huffed.

She bit her lip. “Sorry. I’m Mona.” She held her hand out to shake mine. Only problem was that her hand was an oversized glove. So I shook the index finger. “How ya doin’ so far?”

She shook her hair out of her costume but the clip she was using stayed in. Her hair looked long and very curly. It was dark brown, hovering on black. Her face was stunning. Her nose and cheeks were covered in freckles that dominated but made her look nothing short of adorable. Even with her tanned skin, you could see them. Taking an educated guess, I’d say she was Hawaiian. At least half. Obviously I wasn’t going to ask, but I thought I was close. Her eyes were a brilliant green that drew my gaze in a second.

“Okay I guess. Other than an assault.”

She grinned. “That’s nothing, babe.” She winked at me and I literally couldn’t stop myself from smiling. “You look a little like a lost puppy. No offence. You looking for something?”

“The coach.”

“Ah, she’s in the girls’ locker room. That way.” She pointed to the stairs leading down on the right side of the room. “Her name is Coach Glover. Tall, blond, crazy hot. Can’t miss her.”

“Thanks.” I started walking.

“Hey!” Mona called.

I turned. “Huh?”

She held her gloved hands up. “You wanna tell me your name?”

“Sorry, just a little jumpy about being late. I didn’t think about it.”

“You have fifteen minutes, so calm down.”

Fifteen… I almost smashed my face for nothing. “Posey,” I said before I left.

I went down the stairs and found myself in a brick walled locker room. The right side was all rows of lockers. The end had shower stalls and I saw a glass wall that said Coach on the door next to it. There was a blonde inside, messing with papers on her desk. I walked through the open door.

“Excuse me?” I said.

She looked up. “Posey Dae?”

Of course she knew me. “Yeah. Sorry to bug you. I… don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing right now.”

She bent down and picked up a little handful of clothes. “These are your clothes for class. And,” she grabbed a lock from the top of her desk. “Just pick any locker without one of those. The code is on the tag. You can rip it off.”

“Thanks. So I change and then what?”

“Wait up on the bleachers till I get out there. Most of the kids like to chatter before hand. And I’m sorry for the band. We have a football game coming up and they’re practicing.”

“Football? Isn’t it a little cold out for that?”

She grinned. “Sports don’t stop for weather. Not here.”

I left to get changed into my clothes. Black short shorts and a purple shirt with the school crest on it. Wouldn’t you know, there was a pinecone. I shoved my backpack into my new locker and I put the tag in my pocket after I locked it all up.

Mona was still dancing when I got back up. She had her head on and she was making long strides across the floor as the band continued to try and destroy my eardrums.

The bleachers were getting full but I found a spot that was empty. I sat down and stared at my shoes for lack of anything better to do. The seats vibrated from the noise and I watched the shaking that almost had me convinced the whole thing would collapse.

I watched Mona sashay on over to the bottom of the bleachers before she took her head off again, and grabbed a bottle of water that sat on the seat. She took a swig and came over to me. She collapsed next to me and laid her body out.

“So tired!” she yelled.

I looked down at her. “Wonder why.”

The band went on break and the room was only filled with light chatter from the students.

My head was facing the direction of most of the others. I caught a glimpse of that jerk I’d run into. He too was stuck in the oh so trendy purple shirt and shorts. His arms were revealed for the most part and I saw what was paired with his almost lanky body. There were clear muscles on his arms, wiry and crawling up his arms, and hiding under the sleeves of his shirt. Also in my sights was the ink on his right wrist. In elegant scrip was just one word. A name. Dahlia.

“I think I’m losing my ability to see colors,” Mona panted.

She drew my attention. “Maybe you should cool it on the dancing. Unless you have the meth to back it up, it only hurts.”

She laughed and pointed to my face. “I like you. And your crystal blue persuasion. Gimme a back story in fifty words or less.”

Why the hell not? “Orphan. Dropped off at a fire station when I was a day old. All I know is my name because the bastards who abandoned me took the time to name me first. My foster parents returned me when the mom got pregnant. Now I live here.”

She frowned at me. “That sucks. They kicked you to the curb?”

“Yeah. At least I get to finish out my senior year in a whole new school.”

Her eyebrow went up. “Those cun—” The band’s music started playing again, drowning her out and making me pee a little. Half the students started screaming at them for startling the lot of ‘em.

The coach walked out of the locker room holding a mega phone to her mouth. “Attention all those it may concern. Shut up.”

The band stopped and the cheerleaders stood to watch her.

“Thank you,” she said. “Go away. I have a class to teach.”

A boy with a tuba shouted. “WHERE ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GO?”

“Hell!” one of the gym kids said, making a few of the others laugh.

Coach Glover looked at the jerk. “You can shut up too. And the band kids, maybe go to the band room.”

“IT’S TOO SMALL!” one girl shouted.

Mona, out of nowhere, started yelling and singing again.

The coach sighed and shook her head. “Thank you Mona and Posey.”

Mona threw her hands in the air as the other students started stared at us, and I started getting nervous. “THAT WAS ALL ME. Don’t you be giving credit to my new girlfriend.”

“Anyway,” the coach moved on as the kids chattered, my name being mumbled. “We need the gym for gym things. You are a band. Go to the band room. Cheerleaders need to go too.”

More protests that were ignored came up. She shouted at them again to leave and they started getting together their instruments.

Mona sat up. “I guess I should go. Duty calls.”

“Before you go,” I said. “Can I ask why the hell you choose to dress like a fucking pinecone?”

She wagged her gloved finger. “Oh no. No fucking in the costume. But to answer your question, I do it because it’s my calling. And I get an elective credit and a free period.” She started hopping down the steps as she sang loudly. She picked up her head and waved to me. “MISS YOU!” Then there was another wave of mumbles about us.

After the extra people left, we were all brought down to the floor and split into two teams for basketball. Yay. The game started, and I did my best to just not get knocked over.

The ball flew out of a girl’s hands, and bounced over to the guy with the attitude. Then he stood still and watched it roll right past him.

The coach rolled her eyes. “Way to be apathetic, Nickolas.”

“Thank you.” He nodded and then didn’t move.

Much of the game went like that. I carefully made it seem like I cared by just walking around a little. The action was enough to keep the coach from looking at me. It seemed to work and I was pleased.

Class was cut short from all the shenanigans with the band and it made it feel like it flew by. I changed back into my uniform and headed out to find my next class. I ended up outside again and I followed a group of kids that I heard mention the science lab. That was my next class, and I was banking on them leading me there. Even if they didn’t know.

As I was crossing the grass, I saw Nickolas again. He was talking to a man. He looked too young to be a teacher but too old to be here. He was…very pretty. His hair was dark brown and combed neatly on his head. He was just a few inches shorter than Nickolas but he carried himself like he was just taller. The muscles on him were much more obvious. He was in a t-shirt and it put him on display in such a lovely way.

I didn’t try and listen to them as I walked past.