I checked my phone and saw there were ten more minutes till 7 pm, so I decided to make my way to the cafeteria a bit early.
I grabbed my phone and put my shoes on before heading outside. After I locked my room, I stopped in my tracks. Oh my god, I wanted to slap myself. I can't get myself to read the map correctly, so how am I supposed to find my way there?
I was not going to give up now, so I started searching for someone I could ask for help. Where is Alex when I need him?
I heard a muffled sound from the dorm next door, and I decided to knock on their doors. Maybe that person will help me, well I hope so.
A few seconds later, a pretty brunette girl opened the door and looked at me, confused.
I smiled at her to make the situation less awkward than it already was.
"Uh, hey. I'm new here, and I can't find my way to the cafeteria. Could you please help me?"
"Um, don't you have the map or something?" she looked at me, annoyed.
Rude much.
"Yeah, but I don't understand it. It's a bit confusing."
She sighed and realised that I looked a bit offended by her mark earlier.
"I'm sorry for snapping at you like that. I'm mad at my brother, so I'm kind of in a bad mood. Plus, I don't have girlfriends. My brother and our friends say girls are weird and rude, so yeah, I don't know how to communicate."
Her brother and friends seem like total imbeciles. Not all girls are rude. They are probably some bunch of weirdos.
She gave me an apologetic smile and continued, " Um, anyway, I'm heading there too, so yeah, I can lead the way."
"It's ok, I understand. And thank you for helping me."
We stayed in comfortable silence for a couple of minutes, and then she began to speak again.
"So you're the new girl, huh? I'm Thea. What's your name?"
"I'm Olivia; it's nice to meet you."
"So, have you made any friends yet?"
"Well, I just arrived, but there's this guy that led me to the dorms. He already declared that I'm his new best friend."
She looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
"Weird, right? But he seems cool, although he's a bit childish. When I first came to him, he looked at me like he was having a stroke and told me I was supposed to be scared of him."
Thea smiled, and a look of realisation came upon her face.
"Is he a tall French blond boy?"
I frowned. "You know him?"
"Yeah, that's Alex. He's the biggest baby I have ever met."
"Wait, so you're in his friend group?"
"Yeah, he probably told you we are some kind of big bad wolves, right? Well, in some ways, he's not so wrong."
Now I'm even more intrigued about that group. They don't seem like bad people, yet they talk about themselves like they were some kind of mean popular group.
A few minutes later, we arrive at the cafeteria. Thea goes to grab a tray and some food, and we depart ways. I feel so out of place. Where should I sit? I knew nobody here other than Thea and Alex, and we aren't even that close.
I decide to go grab some food before worrying about where I should sit.
After filling my tray with a sandwich, a can of Pepsi, and some fries, I head over to an empty table. It's fine to sit alone for the first few days. Hopefully, I'll fit in eventually.
Before I could even set my stuff on the table, I jump at the sound of someone's voice behind me.
I turn around to find Alexandre standing behind me and urging me to come sit with them.
"Alex, It's ok. I can sit by myself-"
"No, nop, non. Come, you have to meet them. They will all like you."
Them. His friends. I could already feel all the students that arrived staring at us with wide eyes like I'm talking to a celebrity. I mean, come on, why is it such a big deal?
Before I could argue some more, Alex snatches my tray from my hands and pushes me to the middle table. There were three people other than Alex.
Firstly, I recognised Thea, so I waved at her with a bright smile.
"Oh hey, Olivia!" She smiled back at me.
Then, Alex said out of nowhere,
"Wait, you two already know each other's? Oh my god, that's so cool. Thea, isn't Liv cool, too? She's like my new best friend."
Thea burst out laughing while I stood there with an awkward smile.
The boy on Thea's left looked curious but amused at the same time. I just realised that he looked a lot like Thea: brown hair, brown eyes, the same eyes and face shape. And then, on his left, was another boy.
And let me tell you, this guy was hot. His eyes were a piercing emerald green, and he had thick black wavy hair. I could just look at him all day.
"Alexandre, you can't just drag random people to our table like that without asking them if they want to sit with us." The brunette boy said.
"Nooo, she wants to sit with us, right Liv?"
"Uh, will you kill me if I say no?"
"Maybe." He looked at me with innocent eyes.
"Then yes, I want to sit with you."
That boy is the weirdest person I have ever met.
"You see, she wants to. Problem solved."
Theo adds, "Alex, you're scaring the shit out of the poor girl."
"Wait, guys, I haven't introduced you all to her. Liv, this is Theo, Thea's twin."
He says, pointing at the brunette guy.
Well, that makes sense. They look so much alike anyway.
"Wassup?" Theo smiles at me. I smile back at him.
"And this guy is James. He's like a statue around other people. I'm not kidding. He barely moves, and he has zero emotions. But with us, he's like a cute teddy bear that could kill you in your sleep."
I look at James with a curious stare. Now that I'm looking at him more closely, he does look like the kind of guy who has the coldest heart. I wonder why. He catches me looking at him and snaps me out of my thoughts when he speaks.
"Are you trying to bury holes in me with your eyes?"
I get all flustered, and before I can respond, Alex cuts me.
"Well, you can't blame her. You're a really weird guy, James. She's trying to understand your complexity."
"Whatever." James rolls his eyes and continues chewing on his food.
"Um, I don't know if you all noticed, but why is everyone looking at our table like someone is being murdered here?"
Theo is the first one to explain it to me.
"Well, you're sitting with us. We don't usually let people sit with us. Not that we don't want to."
James cuts him off, "Yeah, we don't want to."
"Anyway, people are just scared of us for some stupid reason. We are kind of the cool kids if you want. But James is not that wrong, though. We hate most of the people at this school. Because they are either in love with us, hate us because of our popularity, or envy us."
Thea chimes in then.
"Yeah, but you seem like a chill person. I mean, every person we tried to befriend couldn't stay more than two minutes before embarrassing themselves. That's why I told you we don't befriend a lot of people anymore."
"Oh, it's fine. I understand. At my last school, people were super weird about the fact that I'm rich, so I didn't befriend a lot of them. Kept it small, too. It was just me, my ex, and some of his friends."
Alex quickly became interested, like I just revealed the most fascinating thing in the world.
"Ooo, some drama. Spill!!"
"It's nothing. He was just like everyone, using me for my money. And got me kicked out of the school."
Theo and Thea became interested now. "How?" they asked in union.
"Well, uh, I kind of got so mad I stole a cigarette from a teacher to try to calm down and kind of set the school on fire by accident? Yeah, pretty much that, but it was his fault. He got me mad, so I stole the cigarette."
By now, even James was interested. He raised an eyebrow at me.
"A little girl like you set the school on fire?"
"What, you think I'm the good girl type, James?"
"Well, seeing you didn't even know how to use the cigarette, then yes, Olivia."
Him saying my name gave me goosebumps. Olivia. I liked how my name sounded coming out of his mouth.
I put my act back together and glared at him, trying to look annoyed by his remarks.
But really, who does he think he is to judge me like that?
We talked pretty much throughout dinner, and I got on very well with everyone. Even James, who looked so closed off to himself in the beginning, talked to me with ease. I can't believe I already have friends on my first day.
This year is starting almost too perfectly.
I just hope I can move on from my ex, I loved him so deeply, it's hard to forget the betrayal.
-It's hard to forget him.-
No. No. I have to forget him. Nothing was real. It was all fake, right? He used me. I shouldn't love him anymore. I should-
"Hey, Liv, do you think I would look good in pink?"
"What? Alex, why would you want to wear pink?"
"Dunno. I just wondered if I would look good in it. The Ts think I won't, and James told me I'm a dumbass. What do you think?"
"I think you would rock pink clothes." I smile at him to hide the laughter that threatens to get out.
"See, guys. You should all be supportive like Liv. She's already doing a better job as my best friend than you all."
Just then, we all start laughing like fools, and even James cracks a smile.
Sometimes all you need is a French guy named Alexandre to enlighten the mood.
The clock indicated 8:30 pm, which means dinner time is over. We all wished goodnight to each other, and before I could head over to my room Alex tell me in the most serious tone,
"Liv, now that you are part of our group, you have to know the rules:
rule number 1, there are no rules, do whatever you want.
rule number 2, you have to be intimidating to look cool."
"I thought rule number one was there were no rules?"
"Yeah, but there's a rule, though. You wouldn't understand. It's smart people's logic."
"Yeah, right... Well, goodnight, Al."
He smiles wide and gives me a tight hug.
"Bonne nuit, Liv." (good night, Liv.)
"Alex, you're going to suffocate me."
"Oh, oops, sorry. Bye-bye!"
We all depart ways, but me and Thea go together since our rooms are next to each other's.
Thea stops in her tracks and turns to me with an apologetic smile.
"Wait, Olivia, could you please wait for me just five minutes? I have to use the toilet."
"Yeah, sure. Take your time."
So I stay on the outside, scrolling on random apps on my phone.
Just then, I get startled by an unfamiliar voice behind me.
"Hey, pretty girl. You're the new kid, right?"
It was a tall boy who looked around my age. He had dirty blond hair and was very muscular. He wasn't all that, though. He looked more like a bad boy wannabe.
I tried to act as less interested as I could, hoping he would leave me alone.
"Oh, yeah." I offered him a small smile, trying to be as polite as possible.
I'm not trying to form any enemies this year.
"So, do I get a name?"
"Olivia."
"Why so dry, Liv?"
"Don't call me that. It's weird. Only my friends call me that."
"Aw, I'm not your friend then? You broke my little heart."
"Well, we just met like five seconds ago, and I don't even know your name."
"Well, I'm David. Nice to meet you, pretty girl."
"Sure."
"What? Am I too boring for you, baby? How about you come back to my room with me? You can find out if I'm actually that boring then."
I looked at him with disgust. I can't believe he thinks so low of me.
"Sorry, but I'm not a whore."
"I can make you my whore easily."
He winked at me, and I felt like puking all over him right now.
"You can go fuck Amber, dickhead. She's the biggest whore you'll ever find. Leave Liv alone, or you'll regret it."
I let out a sigh of relief when I hear Thea defending me.
David's face turns white, and he walks off immediately.
"Thanks, Thea. I wouldn't have been able to make him go away without you."
"No problem. David is the biggest player in the whole school. He used to be friends with us a couple of years ago. But we kicked him out of the group... when he raped a girl."
She said the last part in a whisper.
Shivers go down my spine after hearing that. If Thea wasn't here, would I have been his next victim?
Stop being paranoid, Olivia. I slap myself mentally. Thea said it was years ago. Years. He probably went to jail and learned his lesson.
I shake the thought off, and Thea and I continue our walk back to our dorms.
When I get to my room, I throw myself on the bed, not having any energy to get up anymore.
This day went by fast.
I wish my parents would call. I wish I had someone I could talk to about my day.
As I was almost half asleep, my phone rang, and I jolted up fast to check who it was.
Am I dreaming?
I pick up instantly.
"Hello?"
"Olivia, my love!! How was your day?"
Someone pinch me.
*********************
AHHHHH!! So what do you think??
Well, that was the fastest way to make friends.
But, that's not as important as the call though...
Who do you think called her??
Is she happy about it or not??
Tomorrow you'll find out in the next chapter!!!
(I've been listening to arctic monkeys throughout writing this. Best band in the whole world!!!)
Peace out,
~j