NINA
I was beginning to feel self- conscious as I noticed people staring at me as I walked by, making my way toward the entrance of the school to get my schedule. I hated walking in crowded places, or anywhere with a lot of people. If you haven't noticed already, I am very shy and I tend to just act weird around others. I could hear the whispers and soft laughter —definitely about the new girl. I glanced down at my outfit, wondering if I had accidentally worn my hoodie inside out. But no, everything seemed fine. Maybe its just my subconscious convincing me they were laughing at me.
I tried to ignore them and walked faster toward the large doors ahead. As I hurried, I collided with someone—ouch!
"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry," a girl said as I knelt down to pick up my backpack and the books that had fallen to the floor. I gathered them up and handed them back to her.
"Um, it's okay. It's my fault, actually. I wasn't watching where I was going," I muttered , forcing a small smile as I looked down at my vans, feeling a little intimidated by her appearance.
She was a petite girl, around 5'4, with beautiful doe-green eyes and curly, fluffy hair that shimmered as she moved through the halls. She laughed a little, then said, "you are cute!" Her words caught me off guard, and I smiled shyly in response .
She beamed at me. " Oh,by the way, I'm Grace— but you can call me Gracie! I know you're new, so I'll take you to the Dean's office to get your schedule." she grabbed my arm and led me down the hallway.
"Thank you so much," I said, feeling grateful. I thought I would be wondering around forever trying to find my way there. "I am Nina, I added, smiling.
"yeah, I know," she replied with a grin.
"Oh," I said, feeling suddenly nervous.
"Yeah the whole school knows you're coming. You are what everyone's been talking about," she added, her words making me feel even more self-conscious.
We reached the office, where a woman in her thirties with glasses was sitting at the front desk. "Miss Juliet."
Gracie greeted her, pointing to me. "This is Nina. We're here to get her schedule."
"Nina Odell?" Miss Juliet asked with a warm smile, her soft, countryside accent giving her a comforting presence. "Nice to meet you, dear. Just hold on for a moment while I print it out for you."
" Nice to meet you, too, ma'am. Thank you," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.
After a few moments, Miss Juliet handed me my schedule and a key to my locker. "Here you go, dear. Welcome to Winters High. I hope you enjoy your time here."
"Thank you," I said, smiling as I took the schedule and key. Gracie followed closely behind as we left the office.
" Let me see that," Gracie said, snatching the schedule from my hands before I could even show it to her. "Oh my gosh, we almost all the same classes, except for PE! You have PE, and I have dance and drama," she pouted for a second before brightening up again. "Well, let's head to class. We have English Lit first period," she said, dragging me down the hall. For a small girl, she sure had a lot of strength.
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When we entered the classroom, students were already scattered around, chatting with friends and some glued on their phones. Gracie led me to the back of the class, where she immediately jumped into a guy's arms and started making out with him. I stood there, awkwardly like a sore thumb, unsure of what to do, as they continued their very public display of affection. After a moment, they broke apart, and Gracie, with a hint of pink on her cheeks , leaned against him.
" Umm, Nina, meet Malik— my boyfriend," she said her voice full of pride, as Malik wrapped his hands around her waist. Malik was tall—about 6'2– with shaggy blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He had broad shoulders and soft features that made him undeniably handsome. I smiled shyly and waved at him, mumbling a quiet "Hi." He smiled back and said, "Hey."
Before any more conversations could take place, a lanky, middle— aged man entered the classroom . "Quiet down, class," he said in a stern voice, and everyone scrambled to their seats.
This was the part I hated the most. I stood up to show him my schedule and explained that I was new. He adjusted his glasses and skimmed through my papers before telling me to introduce myself to the class.
I felt a wave of nervousness and awkwardness wash over me. "Hi…I'm Nina," I mumbled , barely getting the words out before hastily retreating to an empty seat at the back of the room, far from where Gracie and Malik were sitting. As I passed by, I overheard snickering and muttering —some students were laughing, while others whispered things I couldn't quite make out. I sat down, looking over at Gracie, who had a panicked expression in her eyes. I wondered what was going on, but before I could dwell on it, the door suddenly slammed open.
I jumped, my heart racing from the unexpected noise. My breath caught in my throat as I looked up.
A tall boy walked into the class. He was dressed in all black, wearing a leather jacket. His face was blank, but there was something undeniably striking about him. He was the most beautiful boy I had ever seen in my entire life.