Destiny: BWWM High School Romance

by Rachael Glass

  The sharp rays of sun filtering through the windows on either side of the bed woke Noah up Wednesday morning. He blinked awake and ran a hand down his face. He padded over to the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror and he groaned. A lock of hair fell over his face and it was a pure white color. He shoved it back and groaned louder. Whenever he gave into the rage and let his inner beast take charge, this happened. His hair would remain white for a few days. Trying to dye it would not work. He knew that from experience. At least it’s just this lock that’s white and not the entire hair. He shuddered at the thought of the latter.

  He had a quick shower and slipped into clean clothes and ensured to put on a cap. Noah grabbed his backpack, headed to the balcony and jumped out. He ran around the house to the front. If his parents saw him like this, it would be a disastrous morning and he could not bear the look of disappointment on their faces. He had given in to his anger and the proof had manifested itself physically for all to see. He headed to his car and started up the engine. He looked up and he saw Natalie standing in front of his car, her arms crossed with anger written all over her face. Noah groaned and he unlocked the door. She turned around and opened the door. As soon as she settled in, she turned to him, eyes narrowed.

  “Why were you sneaking out?”

  “No reason,” Noah replied as he started up the car. He pulled out of the driveway and he could feel her eyes still on him.

  “Why do you have that cap on?”

  “No reason.”

  In a flash, a motion which he could not stop because he was focused on the road, she pulled the cap off and he heard her sharp intake of breath and sighed.

  “What did you do?” she whispered.

  “Nothing Natalie. Let it go.”

  “Let it go? Are you kidding me? Your hair’s white and we both know what that means!”

  “That I’m trying to start a new hair trend? Yep, that’s what it means.”

  Noah did not bother to look away from the road but he knew that she was still watching him. He paid her no heed as he stepped on the gas, remembering to stay within the speed limits. It did not take long to get to the school grounds.

  As soon as he drove into the parking lot, he alighted from the car and speed-walked across the grounds, trying to get as far away from his sister as he could. Natalie called after him but he was very much ahead of her. As they walked into school, the halls resounded with the bells and the order for the students to report to the hall for the Wednesday morning assembly. Noah’s eyes searched the halls as he looked for her. Where is she? He wondered. Noah walked into the hall and immediately, he saw the clique seated in the back row. Ben raised his hand, signaling him to join them. He looked away, searching for her and he found her in the corner with her head buried in a book. Noah turned to his sister who had finally caught up with him. He patted her shoulder as he said, “I’ll see you later sis. Bye.”

  “Hey, wait up Noah. You’ve not said anything!”

  Noah ignored her, hurrying up the aisle. The seat next to her was empty but it would not be empty for long. More students were already filing in. He settled down in the seat with great force and let out a “Whoo!”

  Destiny turned to him with a brow raised. He winked at her and smiled, “Hey.”

  “Good morning Noah. It seems like you’re in a good mood.”

  “Oh I am. So, how’s the lip?” he leaned in and touched her lip lightly.

  Destiny jerked away from his touch and smiled softly. A smile that he noticed did not quite reach her eyes. “Better, thanks Noah.”

  Noah brushed a stray strand of hair off her face and tucked it into the elastic band which held her hair up in a messy bun. Her eyes followed the motion and she smiled shyly and averted her gaze.

  “You look a bit better today. That’s good. But I bet your cheeks can look rosier if you smile some more,” Noah said as he tugged on her cheek lightly.

  Destiny rolled her eyes but she didn’t move away this time around. “What’s with you and me smiling?”

  Noah shrugged. “You are beautiful and smiling makes you more beautiful. It’s really that simple.”

  Destiny cleared her throat and turned towards the front of the hall. The student body was just taking their seats at the front of the class. They were followed by the teachers and once they were settled in, the Director followed.

  “Good morning all. It’s a bright Wednesday morning, am I right?”

  There were murmurs from the crowd of students who did not really seem to care about all he was saying.

  “Anyway there is a lot on the agenda today but I have some sad news that I have to break to you all before we start this assembly. It’s with great sadness that I inform you about the attack on one of ours, Damian Duran.” At that, the hall broke into an uproar. The disinterestedness of the students dissipated and was replaced with eagerness. Noah looked around and he could see students straightening up in their seats, ears standing as they tried to grasp every little bit of information that they could.

  “He was attacked last night on his front porch. He is in the hospital right now and thankfully, he is recuperating. Aqua Vale is a large city with friendly and at the same time, malevolent characters. You have to be careful whatever you do to prevent harm coming to you and those around you.”

  As he continued, the murmurs subsided. Noah turned to Destiny and studied her expression. It was blank and she was fumbling with something underneath her threadbare sweater. He had seen her do the same a few other times and he found himself wondering what it was she was hiding.

  “You okay?” she asked, cutting into his thoughts.

  Noah’s eyes widened in surprise at the question, “Why shouldn’t I be okay?”

  Destiny shrugged and looked at him pointedly. “You and Damian were getting to know each other and becoming friends, right? It must not be cool hearing that he’s not doing well, right?”

  Noah looked at Destiny, his surprise increasing. How can someone be so nice? Damian has been so mean to her over and over again and here she is, asking me if I am okay that her oppressor was hurt.

  “Why are you so nice? He hurt you so much yet you are concerned about him,” Noah blurted out.

  Destiny looked at him and she smiled as she shook her head. “Correction Noah. I am concerned about you since he’s your friend and not him. But even then, the fact that he was so overtly mean to me doesn’t mean that I wish him such misfortune. Oh no way.”

  “I see. Well, many would disagree with you,” Noah said, still studying her. She smiled at him and didn’t say anything else.

  He turned back to the Director and he heard the last part of his speech,

  “And so, the track meet will be taking place on Friday. The school is expected to present a huge turnout. Let’s show up to support our track team, alright!? Dolphins, yeah!”

  “They will never be first, so what’s the point?” someone asked.

  Noah who had been watching Destiny noticed that her smile slipped as soon as the announcement concerning the track meet began. Her face only became tighter when she heard the comment. I wonder what this means.

  The assembly drew to a close and they all shuffled out of the hall. A pair of hands pulled Noah as he tried to maintain pace with Destiny. He was pulled into a nook under a set of stairs and he groaned as he looked at his sister. She glared at him as she crossed her arms. Her eyes kept moving from him to the students milling around.

  “What on earth is wrong with you? How could you?!”

  “I’m confused,” Noah replied quietly.

  “Are you freaking kidding me???”

  “Watch your language.”

  “Watch my language? Watch my language??? You should be watching your fists Noah! Are you stupid or something?”

  “I’m still trying to understand what you’re attacking me about but nothing comes to mind.”

  “So you are going to play dumb? You attacked Damian! You hurt him!”

  “I’m sorry, did I m
iss that part of the announcement which specified that I was the one who attacked him, because I don’t think I did. What is going on here is your imagination going wild and very chaotic on you.”

  “I know what I’m talking about, Noah You and I both know, so don’t act naïve. Your hair’s white! That’s enough proof!”

  “Okay, first and foremost, I didn’t do anything and secondly can’t my hair be allowed to go white whenever it wants to? There is nothing complicated going on here. I gotta go. Almost late for roll call.” Noah maneuvered out of the nook and his sister was fast at his heels. He opened the door of the classroom with so much force and she almost fell in from behind him. He helped stabilize her and once she glared at him, he raised his hands in defeat and hurried farther into the class. Noah could feel his sister’s eyes following him and he knew that they were very far from the end of the discussion. It was actually just getting started.

  He hurried across the class and found his seat next to Destiny. She looked at him inquisitively. “Where did you disappear to? I was worried that you lost your way and I was going to go out into the hall in five minutes.”

  Noah grinned and he leaned close to her. Their noses almost touching and he said, “Don’t worry, I will always find my way back to you.”

  Destiny let out a bubbling laugh and her hand flew up as she quickly covered her lips. She actually looked surprised that she had laughed. Noah’s grin widened. Hearing her laugh is like music to my ears, he thought to himself. Mrs. Baker’s voice broke through his thoughts and they all turned to look at the woman.

  Class after class they moved and Noah stuck to Destiny like glue, never letting her out of his sight, although it’s not like she had an option. She was his tour guide after all. In the cafeteria, the conversation was all about what happened to Damian and he could feel his sister’s burning glare from the other side of the table all through the meal.

  It was study hour and Noah found himself in the wrong hall on his way from the restroom. He scratched his chin as he looked around. He silenced his mind as he tried to follow the voices of the students in the classrooms. Just as he walked past a staff office, he heard some voices but it was the mention of a name that caught his attention and caused him to pause in his tracks.

  “I can’t believe Destiny Kensington is not part of the track team, Bee. It makes no sense. She is the best runner in this school. I thought she tried out and she got in. You’ve had your eye on her and wanted her to join the High School Track team ever since she was in seventh grade. What happened?” the first voice, that of a male, said.

  Interesting. Maybe this will explain why she seemed sad when she heard the announcement about the track team.

  “Well there was nothing I could do about it sir. Yes, she is our best runner and yes, I believe our track team would be stronger and have better standing if she was with us but she turned it down and I certainly can’t force her, can I? If it’s about the extra credit, she already has so many activities garnering lots of credits for her. The poor girl has her hands in every pie in this school and she does excellently well,” he recognized the new voice as that of Miss Bee, the gym teacher.

  “Then why doesn’t she want to dabble in this particular pie? Wait, is she worried about her grades? Surely you can talk to her and…”

  “If it were her concern about her grades, then I would be sure that there is something we can do about it but I believe it has something to do with the other students.”

  “What? Did she tell you anything?” Noah’s eyes lit up as he finally recognized the voice as that of the Director.

  “It’s what she didn’t say. She told me that it’s better off for everyone in the school if she didn’t participate. According to her, everyone in school would be happier with her non-participance.”

  “That’s absurd,” The director argued.

  “Is it really so false?” It was another voice that he was not familiar with. “I’m sorry Director but the young girl is right. No matter how much we try to sweep it under the carpet or turn a blind eye, the truth remains that bullying exists in this school and the victims are those who are not privileged. Destiny is one of the biggest sufferers, so don’t look so surprised Director. You know all too well what the elite kids do. You know what Bee, I bet she was threatened to turn down being the frontrunner of the team.”

  “Well, she didn’t have to do that. Sports will give her a great opportunity as well. Surely she shouldn’t have taken this supposed threat to heart.” That was the Director.

  “Really Director? Destiny Kensington has a bright future ahead of her. She is a scholar with a future hinged on her getting through this Academy with excellent grades. Once she makes it through, she’s on an all-expense paid ride to whatever institute of her pleasing. Do you honestly think she is going to risk any of that and choose to step on the toes of those that she knows can mar the chances of her having the future she craves?”

  “What are you trying to say?” the Director asked heatedly.

  “Would you still protect the girl who leads the school to victory on the tracks when a new building is thrown in your lap or perhaps a huge check?”

  There was silence and Noah took that as his cue to leave. He was right to move at that time because the silence was enough reply for the teachers who were with the Director because they were heading to the door just as he disappeared out of view. Noah turned the corner, his head a whirlwind of thoughts. It all makes sense now, every single step she makes and everything she does is all calculated. She can’t afford to lose her scholarship, so she has to tolerate their cruel treatment. Damn! She deserves none of it. His fists clenched beside him and he felt the rage bubbling once more.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  DESTINY

  “So, are you ready to tell me why you let them treat you like crap?” Cathy asked as she nursed her cappuccino.

  Destiny sighed as she looked up at the woman who was so sweet and friendly to her. There was no way she could avoid the conversation anymore. It was Tuesday afternoon and it was a new week. She had succeeded in avoiding her for the entirety of last week. She had arrived at the café to meet Cathy waiting for her, with a cold Chocolate-Blend milkshake as a welcome. As soon as she saw her and the look of concern in her eyes, Destiny had known that Cathy knew and Kimberly hurrying by just then, a guilty look on her face had confirmed what she already suspected. Miss Cathy had succeeded in coaxing Kimberly and getting the truth from her about what had happened to Destiny the previous week.

  “I’m on a scholarship at Havana Academy Miss Cathy. I got it after fourth grade. It covers my entire tuition. If I keep up my straight ‘As’, I’ll be getting a free ride to any institution of my choice.”

  “Wow, that is really incredible Destiny. Well then, you must be really smart. Hey, have I ever told you that you remind me of a little me? Even Chef Nora agrees with me. She said you’ve got the flair for cooking, just like me.”

  Destiny laughed and Cathy joined her. When their laughter subsided, Destiny told her, “Thanks Miss Cathy. I really feel honored that you compare me to you. It means a lot. I admire you so much.”

  Cathy placed a hand on Destiny’s and she patted it as she said, “It’s fine, Destiny. It’s nice having a protégé. I mean, if there is anyone who is like me, I like that it’s you. But my dear, you still haven’t told me why you let them get away with their bad behavior. How about you report them or something? Doesn’t your school have a no-bullying policy or something like that?”

  “The last student who went up against those kids got expelled when they stood up against them. Their parents and grandparents are the ones on the school board. I tried reporting once and I was told to simply stay out of my bullies’ way. The teachers themselves are fearful of losing their jobs. I know if I stand up for myself, I’ll be creating issues with people who can very well get me kicked out. I need to graduate, like I need to breathe air. I have one year left so I’m deciding to stay low-key and mind my business. By the time
I’m in college, all this won’t matter.”

  “Destiny, I understand what you are saying but you’ve also got to understand that you can’t let them continue to push you around just because you are afraid. Listen, you are not always going to be in favorable conditions and what are you going to do? Keep running away and letting others walk over you? This is life. One will not always be a winner but you’ve got to try to always be one, right? Rather than resign yourself to loser-hood.”

  Destiny covered her mouth as she chuckled. “Loser-hood?”

  “Oh yeah, it totally exists,” Cathy winked and they laughed. “Listen, my point is, don’t be afraid to be you and do all you love just because of others. You have a bright future ahead of you and all those suits in charge of the scholarships and all that will be stupid if they don’t see that.”

  “Thanks Miss Cathy.”

  “So, Kimberly said you’ve made a new friend that you seem to like. Interesting.”

  “What? I didn’t say that last bit. I just said I met a nice guy and I didn’t even say friend…” Destiny stammered.

  “He’s tall and nice and has the darkest hair I’ve seen, I’ll shut up now,” she blushed.

  “Well, could he be the one standing over there, the one who can’t stop staring?”

  “What?” Destiny’s head swiveled in the direction Cathy was looking at and her eyes widened. Noah was seated at the counter, eyes locked on them, sipping on an already empty cup of milkshake.

  “He seems nice just like you said. You both can have lunch on me. What do you say?”

  “Miss Cathy, I couldn’t possibly. Besides, I have to work then training with Chef then study then…”

  Cathy patted her shoulder as she stood up. “We are shutting down early tonight because we’ll be going through the books. You just leave early and when you’re ready, alright?”