He gave a one-shouldered shrug in reply. “I mean, I know I seem godlike, but even I can’t control puddle trajectory.”
Was this guy for real?
“If you need a dry top to wear,” he continued, “I’ve got a spare jersey with my name and number on it in my locker…”
Irritation clawed through me. “I’d rather roll in that puddle than wear something with your name on it.”
“Guess you better try the front office then.” He smiled and set off up the steps to the front entrance. “Welcome to Ransom, Mallory.”
“It’s Mackenzie!” I shouted after him, making a few nearby students jump and look my way.
I took several deep breaths and tried to remind myself that murdering Parker would be a bad idea. Jumpsuits didn’t flatter me, and I looked terrible in orange. If I was ever going to end up in prison, I refused to let it be because of Parker Darling.
Another breeze sent a shiver up my spine. My wet top clung to my skin, while my jeans and shoes felt like leaden weights. There was no salvaging this outfit. I was just going to have to hope Parker was right, and the front office had a spare set of clothes.
With my shoes squelching and my arms wrapped around my body, I hurried up the steps and through the front doors. There were students laughing and shouting, and a constant clanging of lockers opening and shutting. It was weird to feel such a strong sense of familiarity and total foreignness at the same time.
I felt a fleeting desire to turn and flee back out the front doors… but I never backed down from a challenge. So I stuffed my nerves deep inside and focused on finding the front office.
Luckily, it wasn’t far from the entrance, and when I arrived, I was greeted by a girl with a cautious smile and kind hazel eyes behind heavy-set glasses. She was wearing a thick, knitted cardigan and jeans, and her light brown hair was messily piled on her head. I was immediately jealous of how dry she looked.
“Mackenzie Foster?” Her voice was soft but friendly.
“Uh, yeah, but Kenzie’s fine.”
“Well, welcome to Ransom, Kenzie. I’m Jaz. I’ll be showing you around the school today. I…” Her voice drifted off as she looked me up and down. “What happened to your clothes?”
“I lost a fight with a puddle.”
“On your first day?” Her eyes filled with dismay.
“Wrong place, wrong time, I guess.”
“Well, don’t worry. We can fix this. Come on, let’s get your schedule and then we’ll check the lost and found for something you can wear.”
I nodded and gave her a grateful smile as I followed her into the office. My gratitude was extremely short-lived, though. While there was a box of spare clothes for me to look through, the options were severely limited. It was mostly boys’ clothes, and nothing looked like it would be the right size.
After I’d found the best possible combination I could, Jaz took me to the closest bathroom to change. I cringed as I left the stall and caught sight of myself in the mirror. The faded red Devils hockey sweatshirt I’d selected was so big it hung to my knees. And while there were shorts underneath it somewhere, the sweatshirt swallowed them whole. I supposed things could be worse. At least I wasn’t wearing a jersey with the name Darling printed across my back.
“I look like I raided the Ransom High uniform shop,” I said, quickly tying my hair back. I hadn’t realized it was wet too. The list of things Parker Darling had to answer for was growing by the second.
“It’s not that bad,” Jaz said, trying her best to sound positive.“You look cute.”
“Cute?”
“With lots of school spirit,” she added.
“Right.” I lifted a half-hearted fist in the air. “Go Devils.”
Jaz giggled. “Okay, well, if you’re ready, we should probably get to homeroom. I can give you a quick tour on the way.”
I risked one last look in the mirror. I didn’t want anyone seeing me like this, but we were already running late, so there wasn’t much choice. At least I was no longer wet. “Okay, after you.”
The corridor was much quieter now. The bell had rung while I’d been getting changed so most students had gone to class.
“So, what do I need to know?” I asked Jaz.
“Well, I’m a Pisces. Pescatarian. I have two super annoying brothers, a BookTok account with ten followers, and I’m almost ninety-nine percent certain aliens walk among us. You should see the lunch lady, she…” Jaz trailed off as she caught my confused expression. “You’re talking about the school, aren’t you?”
