by G. Bailey
“Morning class. Today we have a new student, Aura Scott. Please, can everyone say hello and make sure she feels welcome?” Miss Glone asks and the students all mutter hellos, except for Maxx. “Please continue on with your case study with your partners. If you need advice or help, I will be here.” The class quickly gets to moving around next to their study partners, and I notice that Maxx doesn’t have one. He only pulls a text book out and starts reading. I quickly fill in all the paperwork I have been given, which is a pretty basic test, and I take it up to the teacher.
“Thank you, Miss Scott. Please start reading the textbook while I go over this and see what we should do,” Miss Glone instructs. I make my way back to my desk and sit down, noticing a little white folded note on top of my textbook. I open it up, reading the scribble inside:
“Go back to wherever you came from before someone gets hurt.”
I jump when the nasty note is ripped out of my hands, and I look up to see Maxx crumpling it into a ball. He rapidly throws it at the back of the guy’s head who is sat right in front of me. I lean back when Maxx places his hands on my desk as the guy rubs his head and turns around.
“Stay the fuck away from her, you got it? I don’t like these jokes, and trust me you don’t want me playing games with you,” Maxx demands. The poor guy looks ready to pee himself as he nods rapidly with bright red cheeks and turns around. Maxx smoothly moves away, and I go to place my hand on his arm to stop him going so I can thank him, but he jumps away from me like my hand would burn him or something. When I glance up at him, he looks so angry that I’m not sure whether I should speak or not.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to—” I stop, not really understanding why he reacted so badly to me trying to touch him, and clear my throat. “Well, I wanted to say thanks.”
“It was nothing,” Maxx states nonchalantly, sliding back into his seat and carrying on with his work. Yep, he is weird. I keep reading the textbook, skipping most of it because it’s all too basic and I learnt this already. I occasionally look around and notice how none of the students are even looking my way anymore. Miss Glone gets up off her desk chair and walks over to me, stopping next to my desk and placing my papers down.
“Miss Scott, I am very impressed with your answers. I don’t think there has been a student who got the entire test correct since Mr. Faraway over here,” she says, and Maxx looks up at the sound of his name.
“She got the entire paper, right?” Maxx asks, making me sound like I’m a piece of dirt, and I pray the burning tears in my eyes don’t fall.
“She? My name is Aura,” I snap.
“I know,” he responds, a smug look on his face as I glare at him.
“Miss Scott did indeed get the entire paper correct, and not only that, she added notes on easier ways to correct the problems,” Miss Glone answers, flashing me a pleased look.
“Good for her,” Maxx says, though his voice is laced with so much sarcasm that I can’t believe a word of it, nor would anyone else.
“Well this is just brilliant for you, Miss Scott. Mr. Faraway hasn’t got a partner for the case study because he needed someone that can keep up with him. Now I believe he has found that someone,” Miss Glone states, and Maxx groans loudly.
“I don’t want to work with her,” he growls out.
“You do not have a choice Mr. Faraway, and I believe Miss Scott could not only keep up with you, but challenge you as well,” she says, and starts to walk away, but pauses to look back. “I am being clear that you will fail the entire year if you do not make an effort to work with Miss Scott.”
“Got it,” Maxx all but growls out and leans back in his seat just as the school bell rings. I gather up my things and go to ask Maxx for some insight into the case study, but he is walking out the room, and he slams the door shut behind him. This is not the best start to the day.
I make sure I have all my things before pushing my chair in and noticing that Maxx has left a piece of paper on the table. I pick it up, quickly reading the equations and problems written all over it and knowing I need to give him this. It’s a lot of work, and pretty good by the looks of it. I put it into my bag before leaving the room and going out into the busy corridor. I spot Landon just as he runs down the corridor towards me.
“So, how was your first class?” he asks.
“Not bad. I mean other than having been made partners with your brother on a case study,” I admit.
“Ah, shit,” Landon mutters, and throws an arm around my shoulder. “Don’t worry. Maxx is all growl with no bite.”
“Yeah, I don’t know about that,” I say with a little laugh.
“You’ll see. Anyways, what class is next?” he asks.
“Gym for two hours, then lunch. I only have art left in the afternoon,” I say.
“Ah, well gym is this way. They split the gym into all girls and all boys classes on different days. So, there will be no Maxx,” he says, grinning at me.
“Small bonus then,” I say, feeling somewhat relieved and disappointed at the same time. I bet Maxx working out is a pretty awesome sight.
“But that means Iris and her sister are in the class. I’m going to apologise in advance for any shit they pull,” he says, patting my shoulder.
“Right, well that’s worse,” I say, knowing that I’d rather avoid her if possible.
“Yeah, I can’t disagree with you on that. Just avoid anything she throws at you,” he says, offering worrying advice before tugging me down another corridor. I keep an eye on the other students and notice they all give Landon a fearful look. Why is everyone scared of the brothers?
Chapter Five
I walk into the busy changing rooms, full of girls getting ready, and I don’t miss how they are all staring at me as I walk in, or how quiet it has gone since I walked in here. I make myself stay calm and find an empty locker with a bench opposite it. I open the locker, place my bag inside it, and pull out my gym shorts and a cami top to wear. I hate gym, always have done. I would much prefer to swim for the entire lesson, but I know that isn’t an option. I glance around, seeing how the girls are still whispering and looking over at me as I slide my shoes off.
“Why are you here?” an irritated voice snaps from behind me, and I recognize it as Iris before I even spin around to face her. Iris is already changed into her gym clothes, and she looks perfect. So annoyingly perfect. Her gym clothes—if you can even call them that—are so tiny that it is like she is wearing nothing, showing off her toned body. I try not to feel jealous and threatened, but it’s hard not to compare yourself to other girls. Especially model-type girls who are looking at you like you are crap under their shoes.
“Really? I can’t deal with the crap that’s about to come out of your mouth. So why don’t you tell me what your problem with me is, and we can go on our way,” I say, crossing my arms.
“She doesn’t have a single clue, does she?” another girl says, walking over and stopping by Iris’s side. It’s clear this is her sister, they look very alike with their long dark blonde hair and green eyes. This girl is a little shorter, with narrower eyes and curlier hair. Both of them standing next to each other make me feel like an ugly duckling with damn pink hair. I miss my blonde hair.
“Nope, Abby,” Iris says, making the ‘p’ pop out more and dragging the one word out.
“Poor thing. We should leave her, she isn’t a threat to you and Maxx,” Abby replies, sighing deeply and winking at me when her sister isn’t looking.
“Ah, I see. You are dating Maxx?” I ask, ignoring the sharp pain I feel when she nods.
“We are promised,” she states, crossing her arms as defensively as her statement comes out.
“What does that mean? Like arranged marriage?” I ask, shocked. I didn’t even know that was a thing in England anymore.
“It doesn’t matter, someone like you would never understand. Come on, sis, we can find another spot to get changed. Somewhere she isn’t,” Iris says, sticking her chin out and somehow managing to m
ake me feel small.
“Bye then! And I’m no threat by the way,” I shout a little too loudly as all the girls turn to stare at us. Iris stops and spins around to face me, her sister walking ahead, chuckling under her breath. Iris’s eyes lock on mine, and she mouths two sentences.
“You better not be a threat to me. Stay away from Maxx.”
I ignore her threatening and downright creepy statement, watching her walk away until she is out of sight, and then focus on getting dressed for gym while I ignore the whispers. After putting my trainers on, I walk out of the changing rooms and come out right behind some girls also going into the massive gym. There is a man stood in the middle—the teacher I assume—clapping his hands. We all run towards him and make a circle, and somehow, I’m in my own space with no one standing next to me. One girl nearly trips over herself to move away from me. So odd. Iris and Abby are sitting on the benches at the side, making no effort to walk over to us, and the teacher doesn’t even seem to notice them. I bet he is used to them doing whatever they want. I look back to the teacher, who is wearing a white sports kit and a baseball cap on backwards. He looks super young to be a teacher though with his brown hair, smooth face and big grin as he looks around the group.
“Right, welcome back, everyone!” he says, and everyone mumbles ‘hello coach’ as he spots me. “Ah, the new student. Miss Scott?”
“Yep,” I say, feeling awkward as hell.
“Well, you call me coach,” he says and claps his hands as he runs his eyes around the crowd. “I believe ten laps around the gym will warm us up, and then we can have a friendly game of dodgers to welcome Miss Scott to the school.”
“Yes, coach,” everyone mutters, and there are a few groans as the group splits up and starts running. I stay near the back as I follow the main part of the crowd around the gym. I jump, nearly tripping over my own feet when someone bumps into me. I look over just as Iris runs past me, deliberately bumping my arm as she goes. Bitch. I watch Iris look back, smirk at me, and keep running, her head held high. Then I look over at the benches where Abby is talking to the coach, her hand resting on his arm. So that’s how she gets out of running then. I shake my head and keep jogging, ignoring the world as I try not to run out of breath. By the time the ten laps are over, I’m sweating buckets, and I rest my hands on my knees as I catch my breath back.
“Right, time for a game! I want no hits anywhere above the neck,” the coach shouts, standing on the benches. “That means you, Doris,” the coach says as I straighten up. I follow his gaze to a girl with massive arms and a mean scowl on her face that is directed at the coach. Gotta avoid that girl then. Some of the students start pulling out benches and no doubt setting the room up. Considering I don’t have a clue how to play this game or where anything is, I just step away from them and awkwardly stand watching so I know how to help next time.
“Miss Scott, may I have a word while they set up?” the coach asks from a little distance away, nodding his head over to a quieter part of the gym by the doors.
“Sure,” I say, crossing my arms and following him over. He pulls a letter out of the back of his pocket and hands it to me. I quickly scan the letter, which is from my old swim coach, before handing it back to him.
“Your old coach suggests you were the best swimmer they ever had and that it would be a shame if you didn’t continue it here,” he explains, basically summarizing what the letter says.
“I have applied for the swimming lessons online,” I explain. “It said there is a waiting list and the class is currently full.”
“Well, after reading this, I went ahead and got you signed up. We have a swim meet in two months against the other schools, and we have never won one before,” he tells me.
“We won a lot of them at my old school,” I say, and he laughs. I might as well try my best to get on the team.
“I like your spirit. Now the lessons are every Tuesday and Thursday with Coach Dale. She is a brilliant swim coach and also teaches art,” he explains.
“I can’t wait. Thank you,” I reply.
“No problem. It’s not always easy being the new kid. My parents moved me when I was eleven, and it was difficult to fit in. Now if you help the students win in the swim meet, well that might make you some new friends,” he says and walks away back to the students. Maybe this school and new town aren’t all bad.
Chapter Six
“What the fuck happened to your arm?” Maxx demands as I walk out the nurse’s office and see him leaning next to the wall. I nearly jump at his harsh tone and turn to face him with a confused look. Maxx looks stressed, his hair is messy like his hands have run through it a dozen times and his hands are in fists at his sides. I don’t get his anger, or why he would be here at all.
“Why are you here?” I ask, folding my arms as Maxx scans my body. The door to the nurse’s office slams shut behind me, the noise making Maxx snap out of whatever he was thinking.
“I was walking past and heard what happened. I wouldn’t want Landon’s new girlfriend to be alone when she is hurt,” he says, but it sounds like lies to me. I raise an eyebrow at him, and he keeps his poker face in place as I wait for him to actually explain the truth. When I realize that he is just going to be stubborn, I look away.
“Landon is my friend, which you are not,” I snap back, and shake my head. “I’m off to lunch.” I turn around and start walking away, surprised when Maxx catches up to my side.
“The lunch hall is this way,” Maxx states when we get to the end of the corridor, and I walk to the right path where he is pointing.
“Thanks,” I mutter and stop, pulling my bag around to my front and getting out the paperwork that Maxx left in science. I hand him it, and he frowns at me until he reads the paper and looks relieved.
“Thanks, where did you find it?” he asks, and when he is this close to me, all I can smell is his scent which reminds me of sandalwood.
“On your desk after science class, I thought you might need it,” I say, and he hands it back to me.
“You take it and read it over. Next week we will start the case study. We have the whole year, so there is no rush,” he says, and I accept it, putting it back in my bag. I flash him a thankful smile. I know he doesn’t like me and doesn’t want to work with me on this case study, but I need to pass this year to get into the university I want.
“Thanks. I want to study science at university, so we need to do well on this case. I hope you can keep up,” I say, and he smirks.
“Don’t worry, human science is a walk in the park,” he says, and I almost ask why he would call it ‘human science’, but seeing as we are actually getting along right now, I decide to leave it. I already know he is weird. I start walking again, and I see him looking down at my arm like he can see the bruises through my sleeves.
“It doesn’t hurt much,” I tell him, and he meets my eyes for a second, and I can’t look away from the swirls of light and dark blues that make up his iris. It’s not just his body that is perfect. I clear my throat and look away when I know I have been staring for too long. Guys like this must have plenty of girls staring at them all the time.
“So, what did happen today?” Maxx asks, and I’m surprised by his almost gentle tone. I flash him a slightly confused look but decide to answer anyway.
“Iris threw a dodgeball at me. I ducked to avoid it, but it clipped my shoulder, and I fell over. Nothing serious, but it hurt, and it will bruise,” I explain, and he nods, running his hand through his hair.
“Iris forgets how strong she is at times,” he mutters. “I will tell her to be careful around you.”
“Strong? The ball felt like a brick,” I say, and we both chuckle. “Though it was just a game, and I doubt she meant it.”
“You’re not a good liar, Freckles,” Maxx tells me.
“I don’t usually lie,” I say, and his eyes run over my face as we both pause in the corridor just outside the busy lunch hall. Maxx parts his lips to say something, but he never gets the ch
ance.
“Maxx?” I hear a sweet voice shout, and we both turn to see Iris running over, with Abby and Landon not far behind her. I don’t miss the angry and defensive look Iris gives me before wrapping her arms around Maxx, and I look away.
“What are you doing with her?” Iris asks as she breaks away from the embrace but stays very close as I look back. I suddenly feel a wave of anger, annoyance and something else that I don’t know what it is.
“Her has a name!” I shout, “It’s fucking rude not to use it.” Iris turns to look at me as Maxx laughs. If looks could kill, I would be a pile of ash right now. I cross my arms and hold my ground as Iris stares me down. Despite how much my arm hurts, I’m not backing down and letting her bully me. I frown when Landon and Abby get to us, and Abby tugs at her sister’s arm while whispering something to her. Maxx stops laughing as he looks between Iris and me, and it kind of hurts when I see that he is annoyed with me.
“I want you dead, and you are pushing your luck. Things like you shouldn’t be allowed to exist,” Iris growls out.
“What the hell is wrong with you? Did you forget your crazy pills today?” I ask, because not only am I confused by her statement, I’m a little fearful of how serious she looks. I step back when her whole body starts to lightly glow a green color, with green swirls appearing all over her skin, and when I blink, it’s gone. My heart beats fast as I take a step back.
“Let’s go, Iris,” Maxx growls, grabbing her arm and turning her away. “Now.”
“Stay away if you know what is good for you,” Abby warns before following after Maxx and Iris, leaving Landon behind. We are silent as they leave out the courtyard doors, and I don’t know what to say about that for a while. Did she just glow green? Or am I seeing things?