After they arrived at school, Sam, Erin, and Taraya sat at a table. They attended a private school in Los Angeles that was pretty extravagant called North Ridge High School. A tall, brown-haired boy approached them and sat down with the group. He had brown eyes and his hair was slightly rough and messy. His clothes vaguely reminded Sam those of which a skater would wear.
"Hey guys." He said, smiling in a disturbing but somehow comforting grin.
"Hey Dylan!" Taraya said. She smiled so wide that Sam worried that her muscles would tear. That wouldn't be nice to see. He thought to himself.
"What are you guys up to? What's new with you guys?" Dylan asked, still smiling. Sam always thought it was strange how he always came to them like this, smiling and energetic. He doesn't really smile much elsewhere and he really only talks to Taraya. Why even bother talking to the whole group?
"None of your business. Just go somewhere before the thing that I will be up to is jabbing your throat." Erin said, boldly. She had no respect for Dylan. In her eyes, all he did was move from girl to girl, saving the remains of what he had for the next guy after him.
"Hey, take it easy, hot-head. I'm just trying to be nice. Is it so hard for you to do the same?" He replied sarcastically as if he was trying to get her to finally explode. "Plus, I'm only here to talk to Taraya. She seems to be the only one here who isn't out for my blood." He said, regarding Taraya with some interest. She looked back at him, only to immediately start blushing.
"So, er, what time do you want me to tutor you? I can't do it for too long though. We're going to a party tonight and I wanna get ready in time." She said. She looked away immediately. Sam noticed her face a hot, bright shade of pink, a shade he's never seen on her before. I am SO not gonna let her live this one down. He thought.
"So you're going to the party, too? I'll be glad to take y-"
"You're not going to be taking her anywhere, thanks." Sam interrupted. "She doesn't need you to do anything for her. She's not just some puppet you can toy with and throw away when you're done, asshole." He said, with some aggression. He hated how Dylan could just walk over there and think he could just pick up his sister.
Dylan chuckled a bit, which just so happened to tick Sam off. "Don't be mad that no one asked you, man." He shot back, grinning a worse one than before.
Sam was this close to getting up and giving Dylan a quick hook right to the jaw, but Taraya stopped him just as fast as he could blink. She gave him a look that said not now that Sam understood perfectly. Dylan was just lucky that this was the last day of school and he didn't want anything to ruin it.
He sat back down and put his earbuds in. Then Erin stood up and started yelling.
"You better watch your mouth, jerk! You can't just come over here and shame someone because they put you in your place," she roared. Suddenly, all attention in the area was on her. "Just because he won't let you take his sister to a party with you doesn't give you the right to say what you did! And don't get any of us started on you." She snapped. Dylan started looking around like a lost puppy, a look of embarrassment flashing across his face. "You just go from girl to girl until you're not satisfied anymore. Then you throw her away and accuse them of abusing you. Don't ever come here to disrespect us again, got it?" She said, her eyes wide with anger and hatred. Sam looked at her, kind of scared himself.
He couldn't believe it. Erin Lightwood schooled Dylan Foster in front of the entire school. He couldn't help but grin.
Suddenly the entire schoolyard burst with sounds of laughter and murmurs. People were whispering and gasping all at once, their heavy gaze still on Erin. She shot a look that spread through the schoolyard and, almost as if a spell had been broken, everyone continued with their lives. She sat down and began breathing more calmly. She looked at Dylan and immediately he got up from his seat and walked away.
Sam noticed Taraya watching him walk away and frowning. He didn't know what to say, so he said what anyone else would have.
"That was pretty cool, right? I mean Erin had everyone like-" but then he was cut off.
"Why don't you just SHUT UP okay?" Taraya yelled. "All you ever do is ruin things for me! I haven't been able to get away from you our whole lives. I could have actually had something like all of the other normal girls, but you just had to go and ruin it!" She snapped. She looked at him bitterly and grabbed her things, but before she left, she looked at Erin. "I hoped you would be on my side." And she was gone after Dylan. They saw her catch up with him and they walked away without a single glance back.
So that's how Sam's day started. He got shamed and his sister now hated him. Today was supposed to be the day he finally found peace at this stupid school. Not only did his morning start off wrong, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that this was going to affect his entire day. He looked at Erin for some support, but she just shrugged and walked off. Now he was sitting alone at the stupid bench with no one else to talk to. How could today get any worse? He said in his mind.
And then the bell rang.