"Do you need me to pack you some lunch?" Mom asks, standing before me with her hands on my shoulders.
"No, she doesn't," Lilith yells from the living room while she searches for her missing Calculus textbook, as Christian said.
"I'll be okay, mom," I assure her with a genuine smile. She has been worried about my sudden change of environment. Mostly because I've been attending an all-girls religious school, and now I'm going into the real world of teenagers.
Smiling, she kissed my cheeks and sceptically narrowed her eyes, contemplating whether I was honest or ersatz. "Mom, seriously, I'll be okay." I giggle.
Mom and Christian were all dressed, ready for work. When Christian is a successful engineer—my mom's a doctor, she works in a particular private hospital in Summerlin.
"I'm gonna take it from here, I'd say I will be her guardian angel, but she's a grown-ass sophomore," Lilith says, tugging on my arm while we walk backwards towards the door. I can see she's found her missing book.
Christian clears his throat and shoots Lilith a warning glare while my mom blushes. "Sorry for the language." Lilith grimaces and turns us around after slamming the entrance door.
"We have to branch to falling water to pick Quinn. Her car's still with the mechanics." Lilith apprised when we left the hills guard gate.
"So this is your car?" I asked her what I've meant to ask for long.
She connects her phone with the car and plays on one of my favourite girl band songs. With a sigh, she replied. "My earlier birthday present, ta-da."
"Are you even legally old enough?" I firmly ask.
"Why are you so obsessed with legal stuff?" She fires back.
"Because that's what is right." I confusedly answer her silly question.
"You don't want to say that at school. Avoid that by all means. It's social life destruction." She laughs while I stare at her unbelievable. "I'm serious, Ava, don't." She faces me with a severe expression after she parks by the side of a residential street. Before I could protest, the back door opened.
"Hey, bitch." A penetrating voice says behind me that I had to turn to find a slim teenage girl with long hair blonde and blue eyes.
"Yo, whore." Lilith reply.
Feeling unease about the situation, I turned to Lilith. "What? Your dad is going to..."
Her definite fake spluttering coughs was loud while she shot me a murderous glance which stopped me from concluding my sentence. Lilith smiles back to Quinn, I believe. "This is my dad's fiancé's daughter, actually already sister. Ava." Lilith introduces me.
"Hey Ava, mind if I call you a hoe?" Quinn asks, and I promptly shake my head in disgust until another murderous glare pours through me.
With slack shoulders, I smile small and nod. "Cool."
"Sad that Zachary and Sofia had broken up. I'm so afraid for Embry because we all know where Sofia's target is," Quinn says.
"Oh, believe me, I will kill that fake psycho if she attempts hitting on my bro. I'm rooting for Leibry all the way this semester," Lilith says.
"Is gonna blow up, senior and junior just like mal and Allen last year, I can't even begin to imagine, Embry has waited for this her whole life. we have to pursue our girl forward before Sofia does."
"Yeah, absolutely because I can't imagine having a family dinner with that evil." Lilith groan.
I was utterly oblivious of their language codes, only I knew Leigh was involved in the plot, so I blurt out. "Or maybe you should let Leigh decide for himself."
I felt all eyes on me, but none of them argued. I was silent for the rest of the ride while I ignored their rumours and focused on the little mix songs playing in the background until we arrived in the crowded parking lot of the enormous school.
From the passenger seat, I observe the front building. Extremely nervous as different kids wander around. Well, mom is right; this is tough.
With sweaty palms, I swallow. "It will be fun," Lilith says. "Come, let's go." She smiles at me. Maybe she sensed my fidget feeling, or she knew it would happen. Either way, I'm glad to have her beside me.
I managed to pull myself together physically, at least and step outside the door. I didn't realise Quinn had left the car until I spotted her around some girls while she melts in some boy's arms between a black Jeep and a red ford coupe. I follow Lilith's smile as she approaches what I believe is her group of friends.
"Hello, bitches and sluts." Lilith says in a singing tone, feet's away from the gang.
"Omg, did you hear what happened this weekend?" A redhead girl exclaim.
"I know, right. We'll discuss in private, no boys code. Harry, Quinn, can you please pause the PDA and continue later." Lilith giggles at the couple who care less about the location.
"No." The guy, I believe, is Harry manage to say in-between kisses while Quinn giggles like a baby floating above the water.
The redhead grabs Quinn by her dress, forcefully breaking the make-out session. "Let's do it the hard way, then." She says at the same time, Quinn and Harry mutter. "What the fuck."
Lilith and a black American girl in leather trousers and gorgeous curly hair laughed at something I didn't find funny. My eyes process the four girls around me in high-class outfits, while instantly made me mentally review myself in my dotted ruffle trim skirt and a graphic tee shirt, so I immediately accept the position of an outcast since a car doesn't have a fifth wheel. I peaceful agree with the fact that I'm not going to fit in this group of superior friends.
"Lilith, tell me this year is mine." The redhead faces my soon to be stepsister.
"That's what we have to plan." Lilith answers.
"What if Leigh isn't over Hailey?" The curly-haired girl questions her group of friends.
"Oh, then I will kill you for jinxing it." Seeming affected, the redhead annoyingly retaliates.
"What? I'm weighing both sides here, Embry." The curly-haired girl rolls her eyes.
Still frowning, Quinn added. "Embry, stop overreacting. No one here is your rival... I have class in the next five."
Embry is taller and slim than all the girls. Her red hair was slick and shiny. She is no lie beautiful but definitely obnoxious and obsessive.
"Sorry, I'm just afraid someone will grab him before me. Sofia is a senior, and they'll have classes together. Lord of hell, why did Zachary had to break up with her." Embry groans.
With widening eyes, Quinn and the rest of the girls' unison "what?". "Okay, I will take two before I go to class," Quinn says, looking so intrigued at whatever hint Embry mentions.
I begin to realise the girls are really good at gossiping. I scan the hallway with busy kids wandering around lockers. "I thought Sofia broke up with him," Lilith asked.
"She's actually lying. He found out her left boob is bigger than the right." Embry snort.
"I told you, I told you... that's what I figured at Layla's pool party." The curly-haired girl hushes. "The right was a blueberry size, and the left was a big coconut."
That's when I laugh out unintentionally at the same time the girls burst into laughter as they all utter: "No way." "What the fuck Suri." "Girl, you're so wicked."
"Who are you?" Embry firmly asks, eyeing me curiously when her eyes finally notice my presence. "You've been following us."
"I'm Ava." I squeak due to the sudden attention of everyone on me.
"Shit—girls, sorry. Remember I told you my dad fiancé's daughter would be joining us here. So here she is." Lilith smiles at me. "She's the coolest kid I know." She winks.
They all stare at me for some seconds. I guess trying to find something wrong about me while I gnaw on my bottom lip. "Alright, I've already met you hoe, we rode together. So see you bitches and sluts at lunch." Quinn stalks away.
"two Leigh siblings in the school, huh?." Embry mutter.
"I'm Suri. I like your accent. You should talk often." Suri smiles at me.
"Yes, I know right, she's adorable." Lilith wraps her hands over my shoulder. "I've gotta show Ava to her class, so see y'all later." She appends and gladly helps me out of the event that I most likely wouldn't survive.
We cut corners and followed a path that led us to the administration section. "I thought we're going to class," I ask.
"I remembered it's the principal duty." She smirks.
We sat on a bench waiting for the principal, who didn't seem to be appearing anytime soon, so I forced myself to allow Lilith to go to her class since the bell rang minutes ago. She insisted it was okay, but I have to be a lovely sister and also courageous, so I assured her I would be fine just like I told mom. I waited in the administration side for over half an hour, fighting between eighty-five per cent of nervousness and fifteen per cent of courage.
When the principal finally arrived, I introduced myself, and he checked some of my files. He was kind and polite and even praised my GPA. He asks some woman to accompany me to the second floor where my class happen to be located.
With paper slip in my shaking hand, I step into the class filled with students. The woman introduced me to the male teacher standing by a desk. He studies my slip and turns to me with a smile. "Great GPA, you went to a girl's catholic boarding school in London?" He says while reading the slip, and I wanted to hit him for saying it aloud because I've already heard more than two voices whispering. "Mother superior."
With a sigh, I turn forward to find an unoccupied space, everyone seems to shoot me a dirty glare, and that's how I spend the first two classes in frustration.
After twenty minutes long lunch of not actually feeding with the girls who keep addressing me with harlotry names, I moved to P.E class, where some students and I were ordered to take a run around the football field for being lazy at swimming.
"You're fast." A girl says behind me.
I turn to find a plumped Asian smiling. "I love running," I reply her while I try to catch my breath in the shorts and tight shirt provided for P.E.
"Hard to say about everybody here." she laughs, and we both look behind us, how the rest collapses on the concrete.
"I also doubt." I smile.
"I'm Evie. We're in the same class." She tells me.
"Good to know, I'm Ava. I moved here recently."
Smiling, she nods. "Obviously, you seem new around here." She says.
We discussed for a long, and I find myself knowing someone new today apart from Lilith friends. Evie even relocated her seat next to me in the last class, and I feel a little better than in the past courses. Although it seems I've gained a nickname from more than ten people who had to refer to me as 'mother superior.'
It was three when the school bell rang, and I gathered my notebooks in my backpack and made it through the hallway. I was about to call Lilith when a new message appeared on my phone screen from an unsaved number.
*meet me at the lot.*
I take that as Leigh, so I shove back my phone in my bag and leave the school building. The parking space was packed with people, and It wasn't easy to spot a chestnut-haired stepbrother.
When I did, I wanted to immediately call Lilith and ask the favour of staying with her until after her lessons, but it was too late. Leigh's eyes found me, and he waves until he's sure I'm on my feet in his direction. He is standing in the middle of some group of boys when I halt opposite him.
I stand still staring at him without a word as the boys around—eyes pours on me. Leigh studied me from my shoes to my hair. I guess he's hoping I won't be an embarrassment since I've come to realise he's the most famous person in school.
I can see by the way the group of boys looks at him. By the way, every one that passes greets him. By the way, all girls blush while gawking at him. "Guys, my sister, Ava. And I need to drive her home." He finally announces with a shrug.
The boys didn't say anything to me, only the muscular one among the group that said. "Meet us at the gym. We have practice, big brother." And all the boys laugh while Leigh stalks away without protest, I follow behind him across the other side of the lot until he stops to my surprise and presses the key to the unbelievable thing.
"What is this?" I know what it is. I just don't believe it.
Smiling, he opens the door. "A blue-tinted carbon fiber Chiron of the year." He smirks. I stare at him unbelievably.
"You have this year Bugatti?" I scoff unwillingly.
"Get in." He politely commands and slides into the driver seat without replying to me.
I notice some eyes around the lot peeping on us, but I choose to ignore and intensify my focus on the slightly musky background scent in the small space. "Fasten your seatbelt." His voice was deep while he raved the engine and drove away from the school, from the gossipers. I didn't make a sarcastic joke about mom's order because my eyes were fixed on the person next to me.
For the first time, I get to study him as we sit closer in a small space. His smooth hair is styled to perfection, his adam Apple bulge from his perfectly veiny neck, his flawless nose that I find enticing and when his gaze catches mine, I find his eyes glimmering colour of emerald, sparkling in daylight, and then he turned his head sideways, they caught the light and played tricks with anything and everything that screamed 'spring.', I was memorising his lips when he called my name louder.
"What?" I let out a breath that I didn't know was there. He must've been talking when I was deep in another world.
"You okay?" He worriedly asked, a crease form on his forehead as he managed to share his attention both on me and the road. "How was your first day." He appends.
I look back to the road and press my lips to a straight line. "Lilith friends refer to me with prostitution names, and my classmates and others address me as mother superior. I think so far so good, since no pranks yet." I shrug.
The car was silent for a while. "Yes, no pranks." He turned to me with a smile that I found very healthy to my sad emotion.
The rest of the ride was quiet, no music and neither of us brought up a subject to discuss. I also end up gawking at Leigh Boyce as he focuses his concentration on the road until we arrive home. I was about to thank him when he drove away and left me standing on our driveway.
Way to go, Leigh.
***
"How was your first day?" Christian ask while we eat dinner.
I napkined my mouth before I answer. "It was mildly exciting. I made friends with someone."
"Wow, that's positive." Mom smile from across the table. She had no idea the percentage of negative it was, but I didn't intend to let her know, so I returned a smile.
"Does this someone has a name?" Lilith faces me. She drops her spoon and raises her brow.
A little annoyed at her guts, I huff. "Evie, a sophomore." Emphasising it out loud.
"Okay, because there are some people you don't want to hang around with, they will destroy your reputation." She says and bites on the chicken breast. She has no idea how already my reputation has been crashed. Again Leigh is skipping dinner today, and I guess the family is getting used to it because no one mentions it.