“But I suppose it can’t hurt.” I can feel everyone’s eyes on me as I strut towards the new girl. Her eyes shoot up to meet mine, and before I even speak, Sam is beside me. We approach the table, leaving the stoners speechless at seeing the coolest siblings in school gracing their table of burnout losers and freaks.
“So,” I say after a beat of silence. “We’re throwing a party this weekend at our lake house. Just a few friends. You should come.” I smile at the new girl.
If I’m being honest, beneath the wholegrungething, she’s attractive enough. The thought pisses me off.
Jessica blinks, obviously caught off guard. “Oh—I don’t know.” She smiles nervously, her eyes darting between us. “I don’t know anyone yet.”
I smile. ”That’s the whole point,” I reply with my lips widening. “Everyone who matters will be there. Great time to get to know us.”
Sam's hand moves to the small of my back, his thumb stroking in a circle, trying to calm my nerves. My eyes remain glued on her as I wait for an answer. She’s hesitating, but then she nods. “Okay. Sure.”
Perfect.
“Cool,” I say, bending over her and ripping a piece of paper from a random composition notebook. Using the pen on the table, I write down our address, and obviously, it’s the wrong one. “See you there.”
The bell rings just as we walk back towards our table. “That was nice of you, Sis,” Sam practically purrs in my ear.
Nice. That word keeps making me irrationally angry today. Something ugly continues to curl inside my chest. By the time I gather my things, I already know one thing for sure. Jessica might think she’s just another new girl, but soon, she will learn the rules of this school. I smirk at the thought. Soon she’ll learn that around here, I make the rules.
JESSICA
Master of Puppets by Metallica
Today was not a complete and utter disaster at least. I kinda made a few friends…well, maybe. I mean I got invited to a party. I’m not sure a bunch of uptight, preppy bitches will truly know how to party, but maybe this will be a fresh start, one where I’m not entirely a social pariah. At my last school, there weren’t really popular kids, we were all just art freaks being art freaks together. But the school before that was rough. I always flew under the radar, too quiet and unassuming to draw much attention from the pretty and popular upperclassmen who ruled the school, but I watched them bully others mercilessly. One girl was so distraught over the constant rumors and taunts that she slit her wrists. They called it depression, but we all knew the ugly truth.
It’s why, when Tommy tells me that he’s staying after school to play D&D with some friends he met today, I’m hesitant. He’s not the type to make friends on day one. Immediately, my older sibling hackles raise in alert.
“Come on, Sis,” he whines, looking over his shoulder to a table in the library behind him.
I follow his gaze to a table full of kids. They’re all nerdy, goofy, and unthreatening. If I’m honest, it looks like my brother actually has found his fucking tribe. But I’m still a little nervous.
”What about walking home though, Tommy? It’s a new town,” I remind him. “What if you get lost or forget the way back or get turned around.”
We haven’t even gotten the landline number memorized yet for him to call if he needs help.
“Joey lives two doors down!” He bounces on the balls of his feet with excited energy. “We’re going to walk home together when we’re done.”
He nods behind him to a chubby kid in a bright red t-shirt with curly blond hair that looks like it was cut with a bowl around his skull. The kid raises his hand and waves enthusiastically, a huge smile on his face and chocolate caked in the corner of his chapped lips.
Yeah, that kid’s not bullying anyone.
“Fine,” I relent. Being latchkey kids means that, as the oldest, I generally make the rules. Mom usually doesn’t even get home until after we’re asleep. I wonder if New Boyfriend Steve will be home earlier. Fuck, I hadn’t even thought about that. I really don’t want tospend the evening alone with Captain Combover. “But you know the rule—home before the street lights turn on.”
”You got it, Sis,” Tommy says enthusiastically as he throws his arms around my waist and gives me a quick squeeze before running off to join his friends.
I stay for a moment, watching to make sure he’s settled and happy before turning away reluctantly. My feet drag as I head through the empty halls towards the front door. It’s such an eerie feeling to walk the high school halls after hours. During the day, they’re so loud, so crowded, so full of life. But as soon as the final bell sounds, it turns into a ghost town. But it’s never truly empty. The imprint of the bodies that have filled the space lurk within the walls, their presences lingering in the air. It feels like ghosts are watching my every step.
“Miss Caldwell,” someone calls out, causing me to turn.
Standing in the empty hallway is a tall, thin man with wiry brown curls, rectangular glasses, and a ridiculous polka dot bow tie.
“I’m Principal Matthews.” He holds out a hand to me as his thin face breaks into a warm smile.
I’m not a trusting person. I spent enough time around enough people to know that most are shitty, most will sell you down the river in a heartbeat if it helps them get ahead. Especially men. Men are generally creeps. But this guy seems alright. He looks genuinely kind, as if he’s truly happy to work in a fucking high school. I accept his hand and shake it. It’s warm and slightly damp. I fight the urge to recoil as he beams brightly at me. I get the feeling this dude justwants people to get along. Kumbaya and shit.
“Hi, Mr. Matthews. Nice to meet you.”
He smiles brighter. “I’m so sorry I didn’t get to welcome you sooner to Sunnyvale High. It’s been a bit of a hectic day with prom preparations.” He laughs lightheartedly.
