Mateo Kimathi's POV:
It's officially the second day of school and I'm currently driving to pick up Elio. I pick him up and we make our way to school. As we pull into the parking lot, we both see someone waiting near my usual parking spot. As we get closer we see Roxanne.
We park and climb out of my car, and she immediately runs to Elio's side. "Good morning Elio!", she practically screams in his face. She shoves a smoothie, which I'm assuming she bought for him, in his face. "Oh, hey Roxanne", he says trying to move away from her. "You're so silly Elio. I've told you so many times to just call me Roxie", she says flipping her hair over her shoulder.
Suddenly, all of our attention is drawn away from the conversation when suddenly, Adalyia rushes past us almost in a sprint. We watch her run up the stairs and bump shoulders with Isla sending all the contents in Isla's hands to go flying. I immediately tun to help her, leaving Elio to deal with his Roxanne problem alone. As I approach her, I can hear her release a sigh of frustration. I bend down to help her pick up her things.
"Hey sorry about all that", I say to her. "That had nothing to do with you trust me", she says giving me a polite half smile. "Thanks for helping me by the way. Now I have to go rearrange these papers, again", she says trying to move past me. "I can help if you want. Just so it doesn't take you too long", I offer hoping she'll maybe spend some time with me. "As much as I appreciate the offer, I'm gonna have to pass. I have to get this done with no distractions", she says quickly turning away from me and walking off.
Elio makes it back to my side soon after that. "Wow you actually talked to Isla. How did that go?", he asks. "Not bad actually. I'm kind of proud of myself for talking to her", I say with a big smile on my face. "Oh yeah me too. Usually you'd chicken out", he says starting to bawk like a chicken. "Shut the hell up, at least the ONLY girl I've ever shown interest in didn't call a song I wrote cheesy and then laugh in my face about it", I bite back at him. He stops immediately and his face goes red. "You have no idea what you're talking about. I don't even know anything about her, how could I like her, dumbass", he says rolling his eyes and walking to his locker. I just laugh and follow him.
Isla Mendez' POV:
After running into Mateo, I make my way to the auditorium. Since Adalyia decided to run into me this morning, I now have to rearrange my notes and ques for this song I'm working on for the first home game of the season. While I'm sitting near the piano working on the song, I hear some people come in. I look up and see one of my girls, Charlotte.
"Hey girl", she says happily. "What you workin' on in here", she asks looking down at what I'm writing. "I'm working on the song you guys are singing at the first home game", I sigh. "Adalyia ran into me on the way here and now I have to rearrange my papers and rewrite some. It's gonna take forever", I complain to her. "Or you could just, and just hear me out. You could just let us sing 'Candy Girl' like Roxanne wants to do anyway", she says. "I could, but who would I be if I let Ms. Wannabe Rockette do whatever the hell she wants. I made a commitment and I gotta stick to it", I say joking a little with her.
She gives me a serious look and says, "If we do an amazing, well written, beautiful song written by you at the first game, all you're gonna do for the rest of the season is bitch about how you're not gonna be to top it. So let us sing 'Candy Girl' so you can have time to do your thing. It's not that hard of a decision to make in my opinion", she says shrugging her shoulders.
I contemplate a little on what she said and make my decision. "Fine I guess I'll spare you guys one game. Keep me up to date though, who's choreographing the routine?", I ask genuinely curious. "Oh Adalyia is. She has the best choreography and you already know Wannabe Rockette wants to impress Elio so that's why she asked Adalyia to do it.", she responds. "When are you guys learning it", I ask. "The rest of this week and one day next week. Then we are gonna rehearse it with the marching band on the field until the first game. But since you've decided to wait to finish your amazing song, I have to go let everyone else know about the changes. See you later girl", she says hugging me and leaving the auditorium. I sigh, gather all of my things, and exit the auditorium.
Adalyia DuBois POV:
*flashback to the previous afternoon*
I leave the school and immediately start walking home. I keep reading that text over and over again. What does he mean by "I'm done trying for you. I've lost it all"? What the fuck does that mean? I put my phone in my bag and start running.
Once I make it to the house I barge in. The first thing I see when I open the door is my father on the couch drinking away his problems. I let out a sigh of relief. "What was that message about? You had me worried. You can't send me things like that especially when I'm at school", I scold. He just looks at me, chuckles to himself, and asks "How was the showcase?". I stare at him for a moment. Why is he avoiding what I'm saying? "I asked you a question", he says with gritted teeth. I still don't answer.
He suddenly gets up and throws his alcohol on the ground, the glass shattering. "I asked you a question goddammit! You fucking answer me when I speak to you, you little bitch!", he says as he strides over to me quicker than my brain and eyes can comprehend. He grabs me by my wrist and yanks me to the ground.
I try my hardest not to let out a scream. If I scream it'll get worse. I try to pull my wrist away from his hands, but he just grips it harder knowing it'll leave a bruise. I already feel one forming on my side where I landed. He quickly shoves my wrist away and grabs a fistful of my hair yanking me back up of the ground. "You cause me nothing but troubles and pain! I was late for my interview so I didn't get the job! Now we'll struggle to pay the bills on time and I won't be able to save enough to pay you're fucking pristine art school's tuition! Is that what you want Adalyia?! You don't wanna go to that school anymore so you make me late! You want to cause me eternal loneliness? Is that why you drove that whore of a mother of yours away?!", he screams in my face.
He finished his blurb by grabbing me by my throat and pushing me up against a wall. "You're probably a whore just like her. You fuckin any of those little high school pricks yet huh? They think you got a tight little pussy?". Every word he throws at me forms more and more bile in the back of my throat, as I struggle in his hand trying to claw it away. I start to see little dots in my vision. I start to think maybe he'll actually kill me this time. As usual he doesn't, he lets me go and I fall to the ground coughing and trying to regain my breath. He kicks me a few times while I'm down, goes to the fridge to get another drink, and sits back down on the couch as if nothing happened . As if nothing was wrong.
I crawl up to my room and lay on my bed. "I refuse to cry, I refuse to cry, I can' t cry. Crying makes you weak and weak people can't handle what you've been through Lia. You've got no one you've gotta be here for yourself. Only strong people can help you, so you've gotta be strong for yourself", I say to myself. I hear my father yelling at the football game that he turned on. I silently pray that one day I won't have to deal with this anymore. I soon drift off to sleep.
*end of flashback*
After I ran into the school, I immediately went to the dance room. It's my safe space. I look at myself in the mirror. All I see is a broken girl, from a broken family, who has to pretend everything is okay when it's not. I sit on the floor and press my back against the wall. I decide to get one dance out before I get ready for my first class.
While I was dancing I feel all of my bruised and sore spots ache. That doesn't stop me from getting everything out. I have to, it's the only way. As I caught my breath I saw someone looking through the studio door's window. I turn towards it to see more clearly. It was fucking Elio.
He notices that I see him, and he opens the door and takes his shoes off. He walks towards me and engulfs me in a huge hug. "It's okay to cry you know. Crying doesn't make you weak.", he says to me. I didn't realize until this moment that I had tears streaming down my face. I must have let them out while I was dancing.
I want to push him away, not only because my body was aching, but because I didn't need anyone to comfort me. I can comfort myself, I'm fine on my own. But my body gives in. My knees become weak. I wrap my arms around him to help hold me up. We both sink to the ground in each others' arms.
He starts to pull away, and he cups my face and looks my in the eyes with concern. "What happened? What made you so upset?", he asks. I immediately pull away, get up, and gather my things and slide my shoes on. "Nothing, we all have bad mornings, and I needed to let my emotions out. That's all it was. If anyone asks, you never saw me here. That moment never happened and I'm fine", I say quickly rushing past him and out of the studio.
Elio Bianchi's POV:
There's something about Adalyia that I want to figure out. I don't want to push her though. I want her to trust me, I want her to tell me everything, I want to make all her problems disappear. I refuse to interrogate her though, it's her life and if she wants to tell me she will. I just know that it has something to do with the slight bruise I saw on her wrist. I acted like I didn't see it. I think I succeeded in that. I know it wasn't just a "bad morning", it just has to be more than that. The bell for first period rings, and I rush off to geometry.
As I walk in, I see Adalyia with her head rested on the desk. I was shocked, I didn't know she was in this class. I immediately rush to the seat beside her. I'm sure she heard me sit down, but she must not care. I tap her on her shoulder.
"Adalyia?", I call to her. She lifts her head off the desk and looks at me. "What do you want Elio?", she asks with a quiet voice. "I just want to talk to you-", I'm immediately cut off by Roxanne strutting over to us and standing next to Adalyia. "Hey guys, fancing seeing you here", she says with a bitchy smile. "Adalyia, did you hear about the changes?", she asks glaring down at her. "Changes, what changes?", she asks confused. "Oh! The squad is singing to 'Candy Girl' instead of whatever song Isla was going to write for the first home game. So think the choreography through wisely, it has to be perfect for all my boys!", Roxanne says winking at me. "Adalyia's choreography is amazing. I'm sure she'll be just fine", I say to Roxanne with a straight face. Adalyia looks at me in confusion as Roxanne walks off.
"Why did you say that?", she asks. "Because I know you have amazing choreography and that Roxanne has no business bossing you around like that", I say sincerely. We both pause for a little just looking at each other. "What I was trying to say earlier, was if you need someone, I'm here for you. You don't even have to tell me what's going on. If you just need a hug or someone to be there, I'm here. Before you say that it's nothing, I know it's not nothing. By the emotion in your face I can tell. I'm not pressuring you I'm just offering to bare some of whatever you're going through with you", I say and the late bell rings immediately after. I see her face soften, and I can tell she's conflicted with herself on the inside. Trying to decide whether or not I'm being open and honest with her or not.
She slightly nods her head and turns back around. I feel happy that she considered my offer. Maybe she'll start to trust me and we can get closer. I smile to myself and direct my attention to our teacher.
Mateo Kimathi's POV:
I was sitting in my first period class, when I hear the classroom door open. I look up and see Isla walking in and straight to my teachers desk. I overheard her say, "Good morning Mr. Evans. I hate to just barge in, but my counselor accidentally put me in the wrong class so I've been moved into this one". I internally celebrated, the universe is giving me a multitude of chances and I couldn't be any happier.
I see Isla turn around and look around the class to find a seat. I wave my hand in the air to catch her attention and say, "Isla the seat next to me is open if you wanna sit here". She flashes her beautiful smile at me and occupies the seat next to me.
"What are you guys working on right now?", she asks. "Just going through the syllabus individually", I reply back. She nods and goes to get one. I'm claiming it right here and right now that this may be my year to finally get to know her and be with her.
As first period drags on, I suddenly get a message from Elio. "is it okay if Adalyia sits with us at lunch?", it reads. "sure man, it's fine with me", I type a quick reply. "cool thanks mat", he sends. I turn my attention back to class.