Guess it was time to join the herd of cows…uh, students…excuse me. But it felt like a herd of cows with how they all moved in the same direction, careful not to step on one another. For the millionth time I was grateful it was my senior year. I’d never felt cut out for high school. I didn’t like playing the game. The truth was that I was comfortable in my skin. I liked who I was and didn’t want to change. My parents had always said I was a free spirit. But high school threatened that. It tried to box me in. I wanted to spread my wings and fly free, but in school everyone was trying to pin my wings back and hold them there.
Stepping into the crowd of students, I felt as if I was giving in. A part of me was tempted to run the other direction, to go out a window or something. Anything to feel like I was my own person. That I was making my own decisions. But I knew that would be irrational, so I took a deep breath and stepped in line with the other kids.
My backpack jostled against my spine with each step. The overpowering scent of cologne slapped me in the face. I glanced around, wondering who had gotten into their dad’s medicine cabinet this morning. When my gaze rested on a boy with overly gelled hair, I knew I had my guy. The way he glanced at the girl to his right confirmed it. Clearly, he was working hard to impress her. Coughing, I turned away, praying I’d get out of here soon. If not, I was afraid I might choke to death on his cologne.
“Watch where you’re going,” a loud voice boomed to my left.
I flinched, my head swiveling. A large guy with dark hair and eyes loomed over a smaller guy.
“S-s-sorry,” the smaller guy responded, pushing his glasses up his nose. I recognized him as one of the boys in the band. Preston, I think his name was.
My heart pinched when I saw Holden walking next to the rude guy. So my earlier assessment of him had been correct.
“What? I can’t understand you past all the st-st-stuttering,” Rude Guy said.
I rolled my eyes, disgusted. The guy was like something out of a bad teen sitcom.
Preston attempted to move away from him, but not before Rude Guy shoved him from behind. Preston tumbled to the ground, his backpack slipping off and his glasses dropping from his face. No one tried to intervene to help Preston. Holden and Rude Guy walked away as if nothing had happened. Students stepped over Preston as if he didn’t even exist. As if he was as insignificant as a twig or leaf.
I elbowed my way through the other students until I reached Preston. Reaching down, I picked up his backpack while he re-positioned his glasses on his face.
“You okay?” I asked.
His head snapped up, a surprised expression painting his face. “Um…yeah. Fine.”
“That guy was a douchebag. Don’t worry about him.”
A small smile flickered on Preston’s face. “Yeah,” he breathed out.
After he stood up, I thrust my arm out, holding out his backpack. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” He appeared stunned, as if no one had ever been nice to him before.
“No problem. Preston, right?”
His eyes widened. “How’d you know?”
“We’re in band together. I’m the new girl.” I stuck out my hand. “Chloe.”
His hand was cold and clammy when he folded it around mine. “That explains why you’re being so nice,” he said. “Cause you’re new.”
“Nope,” I corrected him. “I’m being so nice because that’s how I am.”
CHAPTER 3
Holden
People were going to get the wrong impression about me. They were going to start thinking I was a pansy if I kept hanging out every night in the spa. It was one thing when I was in here next to a hot chick, but now I was hanging out with a bunch of dudes sitting in hot water and bubbles. And by the look on the young guy’s face in the corner, he might have just peed.
I needed to give it up already. This was my fourth night in here and Chloe hadn’t shown up once. Clearly she didn’t hang out in the spa every night like she’d led me to believe. But why lie? It didn’t make sense.
Perhaps I’d hallucinated her. Like the bubbles and hot water had gotten to my head or something.
Shit. I needed to get out of here. With these crazy thoughts I was beginning to question my sanity. Pampering myself like a girl was making me think like one. I wasn’t the type of guy who sat in spas waiting on some chick. What the hell was wrong with me?
A splash to my left caught my attention. When I saw a flash of black material and pale skin, my pulse quickened. But it wasn’t Chloe. It was an older lady who happened to be wearing a black bathing suit. And really she should have worn something less revealing. Shuddering, I stood up. That was it. I was done. No more hot tub for me.