Vanessa
Vanessa was nervous. She always was when she started a new school. You’d think she’d be used to it. She had gone to four schools in the span of six years- the life of a military brat. But here she was, about to start her senior year in California, and it was as nerve-wracking as the day she started as a freshman in Utah.
After a brief breakfast that was forced upon her by her mom, Vanessa bounced out to her car. She lived close to the school, she probably could have walked, but she needed the radio to help get pumped up for the day. Pulling into a spot in the parking lot, she realized just how out of place she was going to be. Everyone looked rich and suddenly, Vanessa felt as though she couldn’t afford to be here.
People stared at her as she walked up the extravagant stairs to the school. Vanessa, however, stared at the building.
“This is a school?” she said to herself because it sure didn’t look like it.
She shrugged her shoulders and headed through the double doors.
Finding the office proved to be easy, but it was just as busy as the rest of the school. Vanessa felt very self-conscious. The secretary seemed to take notice and gave her a kind smile.
“Hi, honey,” she said, “I’m Mrs. Davis, is this your first day?”
Mrs. Davis’s eyes were kind and her facial expression was encouraging.
Vanessa nodded, “My name is Vanessa Mateo.”
Mrs. Davis looked up the name in her files and pulled out what Vanessa took to be as her schedule.
“Here you go dear, this is your schedule. If you’ll stand off to the side here, your guide will be with you shortly.”
Vanessa nodded and did as she was told. Either she was lost in thought or the girl moved very quickly and quietly, Vanessa didn’t know, but the next thing she knew there was a pretty blonde standing next to her with a smirk on her face. Actually, pretty was an understatement. This girl was too pretty for even this school. Vanessa’s mouth went dry.
“You must be the new girl.” she in a soft voice that sounded like velvet.
“How d’you know?” Vanessa retorts, her tone sharp, and she narrowed her eyes at the girl but internally, she was uneasy.
“I can smell fear.” The blonde was amused.
Vanessa rolled her eyes, “I’m not scared.”
Her voice shook. She most definitely was scared, but Blondie didn’t need to know that.
“You have a name?” the blonde asked a sharply drawn brow in a perfect arch.
“Yeah, do you?” Vanessa dared to mirror her expression.
"You can call me Brooke." The blonde, Brooke, was smirking again, “and I’ll be your guide.”
"Vanessa."
“Well, Vanessa,” Brooke starts, and Vanessa’s name coming out of the blonde’s mouth has her almost melting, “let’s get you to your first class, shall we?”
As it turns out, Brooke happened to have a similar schedule to Vanessa’s which, although she won’t admit it out loud, Vanessa was grateful for. She felt Brooke’s presence was calming.
When lunchtime rolled around, Vanessa was ready to look for a quiet corner to hide somewhere in the school so she didn’t have to take on the embarrassing task of finding somewhere to sit as the new girl. She had just shut her locker and was about to ask where the library was when Brooke asked her if she was ready to go to lunch.
“Wait, you want me to sit with you?”
Brooke nodded, a mesmerizing smile spreading on her lips, which Vanessa returned.
“Okay, yeah I’m ready then.”
Brooke smiled even wider and linked arms with the new girl, and if one of them felt the electricity pulsing where their skin was touching, neither mentioned it.
The lunch room looked like a food court, but Vanessa had learned in the last few hours not to be surprised by anything at her new school. She followed Brooke to a table with four other people.
“Everyone, this is Vanessa, be nice!” Brooke was talking to all of them but gave a pointed stare to a girl across from her, who placed her hand on her chest in mock offense.
“When have I not been nice to anyone?” the girl said.
Brooke narrowed her eyes, “you want a list, bitch?”
“No,” the girl answered quickly, she threw her hands up in surrender, “I’ll be nice.”
Everyone at the table laughed.
“That’s Detox.” Brooke explains, “next to her is Nina, Trixie, and that’s Kameron.”
Vanessa smiled and nodded as they all raised their hands when their name was mentioned.
“So you’re the new girl.” Kameron said as Vanessa took the seat next to her, “the buzz of the school.”
“Uh, yeah I am. People are talking about me?”
“You’re new and you’re pretty,” Nina said with a wink, “of course they are.”
Vanessa felt her face turn red and Brooke, who was sitting next to her, sat up straight in an almost protective way. Her expression was unreadable as she stared at Nina, almost like they were having a silent conversation. Trixie, Kameron, and Detox were talking amongst themselves as though nothing weird was happening. Vanessa watched, confused, as Nina cocked her head to the side and Brooke rolled her eyes, a smirk on her lips. Vanessa felt almost like she was intruding on a private moment.
“Anyways,” Nina said with a pointed look at Brooke, “are you settling in alright? Is Brooke Lynn being nice to you? If she’s not, I can handle her.”
Vanessa felt warmth in her heart when asked this. Nina must be the mom of the group.
“Yes, I am. I’m kind of a pro at this whole new school thing.” Vanessa shrugged, “four schools in six years will do that to ya.”
Nina’s eyes widened, but Brooke just nodded.
“Yeah, I know how that is,” she said, "I've moved around quite frequently in my past too."
So that’s why she’s being so nice, Vanessa thought to herself, she’s been in my shoes.
Vanessa glanced at Nina, who had a knowing smirk painted across her lips. Vanessa felt like there was a whole story that she didn’t see, but she shrugged it off, maybe she’ll be let in on the secret someday.
Once the bell rang for lunch to be over, Brooke led Vanessa to their biology class. Vanessa introduced herself to the teacher and took her seat next to Brooke at the back of the class.
Vanessa’s biology class could only be described as pure torture. The teacher was monotone and boring like ones you see in the movies and he was droning on and on about the classroom rules. She was never one for any type of science, and this was no exception. It did, however, help that Brooke kept making silly comments to her under her breath.
Vanessa was going to like it here. There was just something about it, something about Brooke, that made her feel like she belonged here. She felt like she knew Brooke like they were old friends or something. It was a strange feeling, but maybe this was where she belonged.