Yeah, if he was straight then I was definitely winning the next “America’s Top Model” competition.
Kala went to the back of the bus and flopped down next to Brandi while I sat towards the front, as far away as I could from the others. I wasn’t about to give anyone a chance to start teasing me during the first day of school. Last year had been bad enough. Apparently, being the pudgy sister of one of the most popular girls in school was hysterical to many.
I stared out the window and sighed, wishing that I would have stuck with the diet my mom had tried to put me on during the summer. But just like all the others, I’d cheated and then had finally given up. It was a horrible feeling, but what was even worse was looking at my sister, and knowing that if I’d lost weight, I’d be more like her – beautiful, confident, and able to wear “skinny jeans.” Coincidently, most of my jeans already looked like “skinny jeans” on my thighs, but were supposed to be “relaxed fit.”
That’s why I hated to shop for clothes. Nothing fit like it was supposed to.
The bus made one last stop before it dropped us off at North Central High School, and we all stared at the person who stepped onboard. He was tall with longish, dark hair and a slender build. A fairly average looking guy, really, dressed in all black and wearing dark sunglasses.
“Vampire,” somebody snickered from the back of the bus.
The “vampire” smirked and then stopped when he arrived at my seat. “Can I sit here?”
“Uh, sure,” I said, staring up at him in surprise. When he sat down, I noticed right away that he smelled like vanilla, which was kind of odd, especially for a guy. I didn’t mind, however, as it kind of reminded me of vanilla-bean ice cream or my mother’s homemade sugar cookies.
He removed his sunglasses. “Hi, I’m Tyler.”
“I’m Kendra,” I said turning my face towards him.
“Nice to meet you.”
My breath caught in my throat as our eyes locked. His were the most amazing shade of green I’d ever seen. They were so deep and hypnotic, I couldn’t look away. In fact, I found it physically impossible to do anything but to try and stay afloat in those deep emerald pools. Just when I thought I was losing my mind, he turned his head and broke the spell.
“So, what grade are you in?” he asked, staring towards the front of the bus.
“Eleventh. I mean twelfth,” I answered in a breathless whisper, still confused at what had just happened.
“Me, too,” he said, smiling faintly.
I cleared my throat. “You’re new to Bayport?”
“Yeah, my mother and I just moved here.”
“Oh.”
Okay, so I was no expert at conversations, especially with boys. Most guys avoided me like the plague anyway, unless they were trying to get closer to my “superstar” of a sister.
We didn’t say anything to each other for the rest of the bus ride. When it finally rolled into the parking lot at school and the door opened, he stood up and moved back, allowing me to get out. He then followed me off of the bus and stayed next to me as we entered the school. When we got to the office, he stopped abruptly, and for some reason, so did I.
“Well,” he said, replacing his sunglasses. “Maybe I’ll see you in class?”
“Uh, sure,” I said, still surprised that a cute guy like him was actually being nice to me.
“Good,” he said, giving me a lazy smile that made my stomach flutter.
Chapter Two
My first class was “Homeroom” and I quickly sat down towards the back of the room.
“Hey, Kendra,” said Amy, who I was semi-friends with. She sat down next to me and took off her eyeglasses, then proceeded to clean them with a small cloth.
“So, how was your summer?” I asked, relieved that I had at least one friend in Homeroom.
She plopped her glasses back on and smiled. “It was great! I went to band camp for a couple of weeks and learned some new songs.”
Amy plays the clarinet, and that’s all she talks about. I went over to her house one day last year after school, and she played “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” for me over and over. Now I can’t even sit through the “The Wizard of Oz” without wanting to throw the remote control at the television.
“Brenda!” squealed Amy, waving her hand in the air.
I also smiled at Brenda, who squeezed into the desk in front of me. Like me, she indulged in a little too much ice cream and pizza.
“Hi, guys,” smiled Brenda, flashing a set of shiny new braces.
“Oh, wow,” said Amy. “When did you get those?”
Brenda blushed. “During the summer. I have to wear them for a couple of years.”