Sunshine shone through my curtains, bringing me from my sleeping state, alerting me that it was morning. The birds chirped quietly as I checked my clock which read 7:00 am. Sighing, I shoved the duvet from my warm body, before sitting up and rubbing my eyes. The only reason I was awake this early on a Saturday morning is the fact that I was finally moving back to Arcadia Bay where I would see my best friends: Max and Chloe.
It had been a few months since I got the place at Blackwell academy where Max attends, just before the academic year began. Excitement filled my body as I realised I would finally see them after 3 years. I never had the money to travel from New York, where my parents, brother and I had moved to, back to Arcadia Bay as we came from a less fortunate family.
Quickly, I grabbed my back of supplies to prepare myself for the day and rushed to the bathroom.
~
I watched as the scenery flew past as I stared out of the train window, ears filled with relaxing music. The trees flew past and the sunshine reflected off the lakes creating an amazing pattern. It was truly beautiful. If only I had time to take a photo.
Sadly, I was coming to Arcadia Bay alone; we couldn't afford for all of us to go so it was just me as I got a scholarship to Blackwell academy. I smiled as I imagined meeting my closest, childhood friends again after three years which would soon become reality.
We had known each other since we were around 10, spending every moment possible together. A few years later, William, Chloe's dad, died in a tragic accident just before Max left. I was with Chloe every step of the way which was how I came to meet Rachel Amber. We were a trio again only, this time, without Max. But that all changed when Rachel disappeared, Chloe was heartbroken, having feelings for the blonde-haired girl. Shortly after Rachels disappearance, my mom got a job in New York where she would become a professional writer, writing: books, articles, poems, etc. The guilt I felt was mentally exhausting but Chloe understood; she had been through it before after all.
I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, pulling me from my thoughts. As I pulled it out, I saw a text from Chloe.
Chloe: Hey, nerd. How's the journey?
Chuckling to myself, I quickly shot back a reply.
Y/N: Pretty good, how's waiting for me going? ;P
Chloe: Exciting
I smiled, putting away my phone and turning my attention back to the outside world, praying the journey would fly by quickly.
~
By the time I left the train, I was buzzing with excitement. I was minutes away from seeing my best friends again after so long.
I tugged my suitcase along behind me as I made my way towards the main entrance where I immediately spotted my blue-haired friend and our brown-haired photographer prodigy.
"Y/N!" Chloe yelled, rushing towards me, instantly pulling me into a hug.
"Hey, Chloe. Hey, Max." I grinned, pulling Max into a hug which she gladly returned.
"I am so glad to see you again!" Max smiled, squeezing me tightly as if to check I was actually here.
"You too, Max!"
~
After our heart-warming reunion, we decided on heading to the two-whales where we would get free lunch from Joyce. I was, once again, excited to see another person from my childhood.
The diner had a lively atmosphere, still being the same as I remembered. We decided to take the booth at the back, hoping to be away from everybody else. I took a seat opposite Max and Chloe in a position where I was facing the whole diner.
As I looked around, I spotted an attractive brown-haired guy wearing a red jacket looking towards me. I politely shot him a smile which he didn't return, instead favouring to turn his attention to the camera in front of him.
"Here you go, girls! Enjoy." Joyce grinned, placing a plate in front of each of us.
"It's lovely to see you again, Joyce." I said, returning her smile.
"It's lovely to see you again too, Y/N. It's nice seeing the trio back together."
Joyce gave us a wink before heading back to the counter to take another order.
The three of us engaged in light chatter as we ate, scolding Chloe multiple times from talking with her mouth full which made her chuckle. After we had eaten, we decided to go to my dorm, the two being surprisingly willing to help me unpack.
~
As I opened the door to my dorm, I was in shock. It was a rather large room with cream walls, a closet beside the door and a bed beside the other side of the door. A desk stood opposite the mirror that was beside my bed and a couch was placed just beside the desk, separated by a small trash can.
"Wow..." I said, still in shock.
"Cool, right?" Max said, obviously having a similar dorm.
I gave a small nod, tossing my suitcase onto the bed, immediately pulling out my duvet cover and beginning to put it on the duvet. Meanwhile, Chloe and Max got to putting away my clothes and organising my desk.
"Thanks, guys." I thanked once we were all done.
The two chimed in with no worries, hugging me once more before leaving.
I sighed to myself, already missing my best friends as I began to change for bed, having been exhausted for a few hours due to all the: moving, sorting, etc.
After everything was done and sorted for the night, I threw back the light blue duvet and climbed into bed, excited for the next few days to come.
Instead I stayed up remembering the way Nathans lips brushed against my own. The tenderness in the kiss. Almost loving…?
Sleep deprivation makes one emotional. He didn’t mean it.
I was glad that I told him that I wasn’t a ‘quick fuck’. But, I’m also glad I didn’t tell him I want to be more. That wouldn’t have gone well. Luckily, today I only have science with Warren.
“Morning, Y/N” Warrens voice greeted me, to which I gave a short nod. “Rough night?” He asked, receiving a shrug from me.
“Sorry,” I apologised, “Had a lot on last night.” I sighed, taking my seat besides my lab partner.
“It’s alright. We’re just copying some things out today I think; just an hour class.” He explained as a nodded.
“Thanks, Warren.”
~
Class flew by, me constantly zoning out. Once it was over, I left alongside Warren.
“Want to go get some coffee?” He asked, “There’s a coffee shop nearby, it might wake you up.” He chuckled.
“Yes!” I practically yelled, hoping to finally wake up.
Warren laughed at my antics as we walked to his car, happily riding down the streets to a coffee shop.
It was surprisingly quiet, only a family sat in the corner. The smell of doughnuts was in the air, making my mouth water as Warren and I headed to the counter, ordering our drinks. Once we ordered, we took a seat near a window, able to see all the passersby if we wanted.
“So,” Warren began, sipping his coffee as I did the same, “What kept you up last night? If you don’t mind me asking that is.”
“Oh, I just had a lot on my mind.” I answered.
It’s not a lie.
“Fair enough,” He chuckled, sipping his coffee again. “Was it a boy?” He joked, laughing more as a blush ran up my cheeks which I was unable to stop.
“Warren…” I groaned, covering my face as he continued to laugh.
“Alright, alright.”
~
Warren dropped me back at the dorms, as I was feeling a bit more awake now.
The dorms were quiet, everyone being at classes or out with friends meaning no one was here. As I walked into my dorm, I spotted a presence stood in the middle of my dorm room, arms crossed leaving me slightly shocked.
The following morning, I was awoken by the ringing of my alarm. Letting out a deep sigh, I leant over, turning my alarm off before sitting up and climbing out of bed.
I ruffled my hair, gently running my fingers through it to untangle any knots as I reached over for my shower supplies. Pulling my shorts down, above my knee, I left my new room and headed towards the showers.
~
I watched as the scenery flew past through the dusty bus windows, dust particles flying off as we sped through the empty streets of Arcadia Bay. It was no surprise that the streets were empty, it was 6am, I suppose.
Thanking the bus driver, earning a smile from him, I hopped off the bus and began making my way down the street towards Chloe's house.
I grinned to myself as I saw her bedroom window was open. Brushing my hands down the front of my jeans, I made my way towards her house, hoisting myself up onto the balcony-like thing under her window, before gripping the ledge and quietly lifting myself onto her desk, before landing on the carpeted floor.
Quietly, I walked towards a sleeping Chloe, as creepy as that sounds, before clapping beside her ear making her shoot up. It took her a few seconds before she spotted me and broke into a grin.
"Hey, that was rude." She pouted, looking towards me.
I let out a quiet chuckle, not wanting to wake David, as I assumed Joyce was already up, readying herself for work.
"We're going out for breakfast," I announced, "We need to wake Max too. Actually, I probably should've done that before I came here. Guess I'm not used to living in a dorm full of people." I laughed, awkwardly scratching the back of my neck.
Chloe chuckled at me, gently patting my head.
"Let me just get ready. Go downstairs, Mom will feed you." Chloe smiled, lifting the covers from her body before standing up.
"Alright," I said, "See you soon."
~
"Oh, good morning, Y/N," Joyce greeted, a grin on her face, "When did you get here?"
"A few minutes ago." I chuckled, knowing she'd know what I meant.
"You're going to get hurt one day, Y/N." She chuckled, turning her attention back to the eggs in front of her.
"Coffees just boiled; help yourself." She said, nodding her head towards the coffee machine beside the fridge.
"Thanks, Joyce."
~
"Oh, morning, Y/N" David nodded as he walked into the dining room, taking a seat opposite me.
David had always liked me, saying how he appreciated my kind-mannered personality. He didn't deserve the shit Chloe gave him and I was clear on my opinion. I didn't want to change Chloe, I just wanted her to be less rude to someone who's only looking out for her, even if he didn't show it well.
"Morning, David. How are you?"
"I'm good and yourself?"
"Yeah, not too bad."
A few moments later, Chloe walked into the dining room, her usual outfit on as she seated herself beside me, not saying a word to David, causing him to roll his eyes.
"What's on the agenda today then?" She asked me, grabbing my mug of coffee before taking a sip, a laugh leaving my lips.
"Breakfast at Two-Whales with Max, then I have photography."
"Lame."
~
The diner was quiet as Max, Chloe and I entered, making our way to the back table which we had claimed ownership over many years ago.
Chloe and Max took the seats opposite me, leaving me with the seat looking out into the diner as usual.
The three of us placed our orders, messing around as we waited for our food.
A buzzing in my pocket tore my attention away from my two best friends in front of me. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my phone, unlocking it and looking at the message in front of me which caused a sigh to leave my lips.
Unknown: I miss the way your body felt against mine.
"You okay?" Chloe asked, noticing my lack of reply in the conversation.
Shrugging, I handed my phone to the two who were looking intently at the screen, their mouths pulling into a frown as they handed it back to me.
"Honestly, tell him to fuck off." Chloe sighed, rolling her eyes in annoyance towards my ex, Jack.
"I'd get murdered." I chuckled, brushing the incident off, not wanting to get too emotional over the situation.
Shortly after, our food arrived, and we all ate, chatting in between bites.
~
"Have a nice day you two." Chloe winked as we climbed out of her truck.
"Yeah, yeah." I chuckled, waving goodbye alongside Max as Chloe sped down the street.
"C'mon, show me where this classroom is then," I said, gently shoving Max's shoulder before she led me into Blackwell Academy.
"Just down here." She smiled, tugging me into a large classroom towards the end of the hallway.
There was a medium-sized television near the door, besides an oak desk. I noticed a poster for the 'everyday heroes' contest, reminding myself to tell Max to give in her entry, knowing how talented she is. There were many tables and chairs scattered around the room, reminding me how populated this college is.
I had never been good around people.
"You've gotta be kidding me." Max groaned, bringing her hand to her face in annoyance.
I followed her gaze to see a blonde-haired woman sitting at a desk. I assumed it was mine and Max's.
If it wasn't for my foul mood after receiving the text from my ex-boyfriend, I wouldn't have marched towards her.
"Move," I stated blankly, crossing my arms, my lips pulled into a neutral, yet scary expression.
"And who are you?" She asked, making me sigh.
"Y/F/N. And you?" I replied, bluntly.
"Victoria, Victoria Chase. And Nathan Prescott is my best friend so if you speak to me like that again, I can have you expelled." She spat, making me internally chuckle.
"Bold of you to assume I care." I shrugged, smirking as she let out an annoyed groan before standing up.
As she walked past me, I placed my hand in front of her, stopping her from moving for a second.
"And if you ever speak to Max in a tone I don't appreciate, you'll have more than a conversation to worry about," I whispered.
"Are you threatening me?" She demanded, crossing her arms.
"Nope, making a promise," I warned, "Have a nice day Victoria Chase that's best friends with Nathan Prescott," I called over my shoulder as she walked away, smiling as Max chuckled.
I had been a pretty short-tempered person since I was born, working on my anger as I grew older. It was times when I was worried, annoyed or upset that my anger got the best of me, being uncontrollable.
"You're going to get into serious trouble with Nathan Prescott if you keep this up," Max said, shaking her head as we both took our seats.
"Who?" I asked, curious as to who this Nathan guy is.
"Prescott. As in Sean Prescott's son, the guy who basically owns Arcadia. He can ruin your life, Y/N." She sighed, taking out her equipment from her bag.
"I can do that well enough myself, thank you, Mr Prescott." I joked, making her chuckle a little.
"Honestly, Max. I appreciate you caring for me, but I can handle myself just fine. Thanks for the sentiment though." I said, giving her a genuine smile, appreciating her kindness and sentimental behaviour.
"I know, I'm just worried for you. I know you and I know the trouble you get into."
"Afternoon, guys." A brown-haired older man wearing glasses said as he walked into the classroom. I shot Max a wink when I realised that this guy was our attractive photography teacher, Mark Jefferson. She shook her head at me in disapproval, a quiet laugh leaving my lips as she did so.
"Today we will be learning more about the rule of thirds..." He began before he began his lecture.
As he began talking, I noticed a group of girls, whom I assumed to be the popular girls of this school, throwing paper balls at another girl who was sat alone, a frown on her lips. Immediately, a wave of sadness hit me. She seems really kind-hearted, why are they bullying her?
"Hey, who's that?" I whispered to Max, nodding towards the girl who looked as though she was about to cry.
"Kate Marsh, she's nice," Max replied, as I gave a nod at her reply.
I listened intently to the lecture, knowing I had to pass these classes, or I would have to deal with the pain of my parents being extremely disappointed in me, something I didn't want to happen.
The lecture lasted another hour before we were allowed to leave.
"That was interesting, to say the least," I said as we left the classroom.
As we walked down the halls, I accidentally bumped shoulders with a guy I recognised as the guy from the diner.
"Watch where you're going, bitch." He spat, harshly tugging his shoulder away from my own, as if he would become contaminated by me.
"Watch where you're standing then, jerk," I replied, before walking away from him, not wanting to become more annoyed by the people here.
Been here a day and already had two confrontations in under two hours. Nothing new.
"That was him. Nathan Prescott." Max said, making me chuckle.
Nice one, Y/N. You may have just gotten yourself killed. He could easily hire a hitman on you.
"C'mon, let's go. I can't be bothered today." I chuckled, dragging Max away from Blackwell Academy.
"And I honestly thought she was gonna fight Nathan," Max said as we all sat on Chloe's bed, discussing today's antics.
"I would've if the guy seemed like he wouldn't shoot me. I honestly think he's going to kill me now. He seemed so shocked that somebody stood up to him. Jerk." I sighed, running a hand through my hair in annoyance.
"Victoria's face when you stopped her was great. No idea what you said, but her face was priceless, uh no pun intended." She laughed, nodding towards Chloe as she realised the potential pun on Chloe's name.
"Well, she deserved it. She really pissed me off. A lot of things have today." I shrugged.
I looked up at the mess of a room in front of me, smiling to myself as I realised it was classic Chloe.
Always so messy.
I remember cleaning up for her when we were teens a lot. The mess was just extremely distracting, to the point I couldn't concentrate.
"You're so badass." Max grinned, seemingly proud. "I honestly aspire to have the confidence to do the things you do." She sighed, seemingly embarrassed to be expressing these types of feelings.
"You will one day, Max. I believe in you!!" I grinned, patting her on the shoulder.
As the three of us continued to chat, I began to recall today's events.
First I had received a gross text from my ex-boyfriend. I then went on to threaten a girl called Victoria Chase, seemingly extremely popular before accidentally bumping into then continuing to be rude to Nathan Prescott, son of the guy who basically owns Arcadia Bay and could have me arrested or worse.
Nice.
~
Sighing to myself, I flopped down onto my bed. I had been out all of today and it had been extremely tiring. Usually, I enjoyed spending time with my best friends but after the text I had received earlier this morning, I was hit with a sudden wave of depression. It didn't happen often, just every now and then.
I was diagnosed with clinical depression when I was 15 after a suicide attempt; depressing, I know. My parents were devasted. I was hospitalized for a few days before being sent to a psychiatric ward for around a month. It was horrible.
I decided to try my best to shrug today's events off instead of processing them in my head. Unhealthy, but it's learned behaviour. I try my best to not let things get to me, not wanting to be hurt. I have a tendency to push people I truly care about away as a self-defence mechanism.
I let out another sigh, a habit I had developed over the past few years, before jumping to my feet and grabbing my shower supplies.
As I walked down the corridor towards the showers, I looked around the numerous whiteboards that were placed outside each person's door. They had cute drawings on most of them with the person name below. One of them was different, though.
'Will twerk for God.'
Annoyed, I quickly erased what was written on the board, hoping whoever that room belongs too didn't see it before I erased it before making my way to the showers.
As soon as I walked in I internally groaned.
"Oh, look who it is," Victoria smirked, crossing her arms, seemingly braver now she had her loyal minions by her side.
"Piss off, Victoria. I'm seriously not in the mood." I said, making my way towards a sink away from the three and washing my hands.
"Did Nathan talk to you?" She giggled, making me scoff.
"Totally, because I'm sure he cared enough about our little confrontation that he felt the need to come to me and threaten me. Of course not, Victoria. Plot twist, not everything is about you." I shot back as I continued readying myself for sleeping.
Victoria remained speechless for a few moments before shooting out a line that had nothing relevant to the conversation at all.
"At least I don't dress like a slob." She said, nodding towards my ripped jeans and oversized jumper.
"That has nothing to do with our conversation at all. In fact, you're only saying that because you have nothing else to say. If you would excuse me," I said, pushing my way past Victoria and her two minions before making my way back to my room.
~
"I'll do it!" A boy, around 16, yelled holding a knife out in front of him.
"No, you won't," I warned, holding my hand out, ready to grab the knife whenever possible.
"Don't test me!" He screamed, spinning around and stabbing Max, who I hadn't noticed, straight in the stomach as she let out a harsh scream.
"Max!" I called as I was pulled out of my nightmare.
Groaning, I swung my head back onto my pillow, glancing at the clock as I did so.
3:14am.
After numerous attempts to fall back asleep, I finally gave up, instead deciding to take a walk to clear my head.
~
The moon shone brightly as I quietly closed the door beside me. The only sound outside came from the owls whose wings were flapping as they swooped around the late-night sky. Gravel crunched beneath my feet as I took slow steps around Blackwell Academy.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a guy I had seen around school earlier today holding a camera pointing up, into the sky towards the moon.
"You look very into that," I commented, startling him as he quickly spun around to face me as if he expected a lecture about being out so late.
"Hello to you too." He replied, turning his attention back to his camera, forefinger messing with the buttons as he snapped some photos.
"You should try laying down," I said, offering my own suggestions, "It'll capture the branches and the moonlight peeking through." I smiled.
His attention turned from the expensive camera towards me.
"That's not a bad idea, Miss-" He began, waiting for me to give him my name.
"Y/N, Y/F/N Y/S/N." I introduced, favouring to not shake his hand.
"Hi, Y/N. I'm Evan." He smiled, crouching down to take some photos of the sky.
"Hi, Evan."
~
The two of us decided to take a walk around campus to see if there were any more shots Evan could take for his portfolio.
"What brings you here then, Miss Y/S/N," Evan asked, looking around campus before spotting a pair of owls hunched on a branch, the moon shining brightly behind them.
"Well, I'm taking photography. If I'm being completely honest, I only came here for my mom. It was always her dream to attend a big college, but she never got to pursue her dream," I explained, "How about you, Evan?"
"Well, like you I'm also taking photography, presumably a different class to you. I like working with a professional photographer, he really knows what he's talking about and I aspire to be like him one day. He really captures the beauty of the world." Evan said, talking about Mr Jefferson, or Mark as some would say.
We walked in a comfortable silence for around thirty minutes, the clicking of Evans camera and the hooting of owls being the only sound heard for miles before it was broken by Evans soft voice.
"You know, Y/N. You're pretty chill for a girl here." He commented, leaving me slightly amused.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, you're not stuck up like other girls, mostly Victoria and you're not shy like Kate. You're casual, I like that."
"Thanks, I think"
~
"Thanks for walking me back to my dorm." I thanked Evan, handing him my phone to put his number into so we could hang out again.
"It's no problem. Just as a gentleman should." He smiled, bidding me a polite goodbye as we parted ways for the night.
The loud ring of my alarm, once again, pulled me from my peaceful slumber. I laid there for a few moments, wondering if it was even worth getting up before sighing, knowing I had a class today. Three days. That's how long I had been here, and I'm already annoyed over having to wake up early. Sleep wasn't something that came easy for me, so whenever I could sleep, I didn't want to wake up. As I walked to grab my shower supplies, I recalled my conversation with Victoria the previous night. Would things change between us now? Or would she continue being a bitch to keep up her reputation?
Shaking my head, I shrugged it off. Guess I'll just wait and see.
~
It didn't take me long to get ready for class, in fact only around half an hour which was a new record for me. Once I slipped on my shoes, I headed towards Max's room, giving the door a gentle knock, which earned a quiet 'come in' from my best friend. I walked into Max's room, wishing her a good morning as I did so. There she was, sat on her bed, reading a book which I recognised as Kates. Her duvet was neatly made, something I realised I had forgotten to do this morning.
"Morning, Y/N." She greeted, placing a bookmark inside the book, placing it on the nightstand beside her bed.
"Oh, don't stop on my accord." I chuckled, nodding towards the book at which she shook her head.
"I finished the chapter I was reading." She smiled, standing up while smoothing out her clothing.
"So," She began, "What are we doing for breakfast?" She asked, grabbing her shoes.
"Cafeteria?" I offered, "I don't think I have enough money for dinner at the two whales every morning." I grinned, shrugging.
Max gave me a quick nod, grabbing her bag before we headed off to the cafeteria.
~
Class was okay, I guess.
Victoria didn't bother us, which was a bonus. Maybe she'd leave us both alone now. Mr Jefferson spent way too long looking at Max and I, which creeped me out, but Max didn't seem to mind.
Trust Max to have a crush on our photography teacher.
I internally chuckled at the thought, walking towards the door of the classroom, ready to just go back to my dorm and watch a movie with Max.
"Y/N," Mr Jefferson's voice called, at which I huffed, "Can you come here for a moment?"
Rolling my eyes, I turned towards him, whispering to Max that I'll meet her outside. I tried my best to not let my annoyance show, not wanting to anger Mr Jefferson.
I need to pass this class.
"What's up?" I asked, resisting the urge to cross my arms.
Look welcoming, Y/N.
"Well, I've noticed that you haven't entered a photo into the everyday heroes contest. I was just wondering when you're going to submit one?"
"Well, sir- "I began before being rudely interrupted.
"Forget the formalities, just call me Mr Jefferson." He chuckled, as I held in my sigh.
"I don't really want too." I shrugged, leaving him shocked.
"But I've seen your photos. They're amazing!" He complimented, leaving me confused.
How has he seen my photos...?
I decided to shrug it off. I mean, I might have left one on my desk or something.
Or he's stalking you.
"Shut up," I mumbled to the intrusive thoughts, too quiet for Mr Jefferson to hear clearly.
"Huh? Did you say something, Y/N?" He asked, to which I shook my head.
"Not a word." I lied, "Can I go now?"
"Of course," He said, earning a nod from me as I turned to leave. "But, please do enter a photo; it'd be a pleasure to go to San Francisco with you, Y/N." I heard, just before the door closed behind me.
Weird or what?
"Hey, what did he want?" Max asked, making me realise I had completely forgotton I told her to wait.
"He just told me to enter a photo into the contest." I groaned, placing a hand on my head as I felt a migraine coming on. This was a common occurrence, being a side effect of my medication.
"Hey, girl!" Danas voice yelled, waving me over to, what I assumed to be, her locker.
"I'm so sorry, Max. I'll be back in a second." I sighed, patting her on the shoulder before making my way over to Dana.
"What's up, Dana?" I asked, curious as to what she wanted.
"You're still coming to the party next week, right?" She smiled, hand on hip.
"I don't know, Dana..." I said, looking anywhere but her face.
"C'mon, it'll be fun!" She laughed, "Let loose a little."
"Fine," I sighed, shaking my head as she cheered.
"Evan will be there." She winked, before walking away, leaving me confused.
Evan...? I haven't even spoken to him today; I literally met him the other day? What is she on about? Please, don't say people think we're a thing.
I immediately regretted agreeing to go to the party, knowing nothing good could come from it. I quickly walked back to Max, wordlessly walking down the corridor, her following. Suddenly, I was shoved to the side by none other than Prescott.
"I'm starting to think you like touching me." I spat, capturing his attention as he turned around.
"The fuck did you say, whore?" He spat back, now in front of me.
"Watch out, people might talk." I winked, watching as his hands balled into fists.
"Watch your mouth!" He yelled, pointing his finger in my face, presumably attempting to intimidate me.
It won't work, Prescott. Your spoilt ass doesn't scare me.
"Or what?" I asked, crossing my arms with a smirk.
"I can have you expelled."
"Go crying to daddy, see if I care." I shrugged, leaving him speechless as he shook with rage.
I took a deep breath.
"Considering you haven't said anything, I assume this conversation is over. Goodbye, Nathan. I truly hope I don't see you again." I smiled with fake innocence, brushing past him only to be stopped by him tugging my wrist, pulling me right into his face.
"What the fuck do you want now?" I asked, anger coursing through my body, mad that he felt he had the right to touch me. Sure, his dad might practically own me, but he still doesn't have the right to touch me.
"Never, and I mean never speak to me like that again!" He yelled, shoving me into the locker before storming away.
"Oh my god, Y/N! Are you okay?" Max asked, running up to me, inspecting my wrist for any injuries.
"I'm fine, Max." I said, my gaze not leaving Nathan as I watched him storm out of the doors, out onto campus.
Max followed my gaze, sighing.
"Don't fall for him, Y/N," She said, "He's nothing but trouble."
"Wasn't planning on it. C'mon, let's go." I chuckled, amused by her assuming I would ever fall for Nathan. I mean, we practically hate each other. Every time we meet, it leads to an argument, how could you fall in love under those circumstances? Besides, love isn't a good thing anyway.
The words 'Nathan Prescott has followed you.' Played on my mind for the rest of the day.
Why did he follow me? He literally told me to fuck off and is probably planning my murder right now. He doesn't follow that many people either, only people from the Vortex Club, so why me? Why did he follow me out of all people? Not Max, not Stella, not Alyssa. Me. Confusion filled my body as I continued to theorize why he would follow me. Was it because he liked that I stood up to him? No that can't be it. Why would he like that?
Thoughts and theories flying through my head, I began to make my way to my science class.
~
"Today, I will be putting you into partners," Miss Grant, the science teacher smiled, "You will be working together on a project for this whole semester."
I didn't have a preference of who I worked with considering I didn't know anyone personally in this class, this being my first science lesson here.
"Y/N and Warren." I heard my name being called from Miss Grant who walked past me, pointing at me and a brown-haired boy sitting to the left side of the room, seat beside him empty.
Smiling, I walked towards his desk, plopping myself in the empty seat beside him.
"Hi!" I grinned, holding my hand out for him to shake.
"Hello," He smiled back, taking my hand in his own, shaking it politely.
Our introduction was quickly cut off my Miss Grant who had finished partnering people up.
"Over this semester, you will conduct multiple experiments, complete tests and work on multiple projects with your partner. Of course, the test will be done alone but you are welcome to revise together, if possible." She explained, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"Nice to meet you, Warren." I said, looking towards the equipment in front of us.
"You too, Y/N."
~
As Warren and I left the classroom, I spotted Nathan talking to a guy I believed to be called Hayden. Once again, I found myself curious as to what they were talking about. I assumed that it was about the upcoming Vortex Club party which I had read about earlier today. I had rarely seen the two speak in my short time at Blackwell Academy.
Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice Nathans piercing gaze fixated on me until Warren gently shoved my shoulder, discreetly nodding towards the brown-haired man.
"Why is he looking at you?" He asked, "Did you two have a thing or something? Not that I'm judging."
Chuckling, I caught Nathans gaze, a light pink blush covering my cheeks at the thought of being watched.
"I'm not too sure why he's watching me. It's a bit creepy." I shrugged, confused.
First, he follows me and now he's watching me in the hallway?
Does he like me or something?
Of course not, Y/N. You stood up to him, it'll be hatred.
Warren and I walked down the hallway, heading towards the exit of the building. We walked in silence, the sounds of passing-by cars and birds chirping filling the comfortable silence. Ahead of us, I spotted Warrens car. It looked good for its age, being an old-fashioned car, something Max would love.
I knew that the two were friends, as well as the fact that Warren was hopelessly in love with Max, something she had mentioned multiple times without explicitly saying that he loved her. It was so obvious.
"So, I'll see you in class?" Warren asked, pulling out the keys to his car.
"Indeed, you will." I winked, smiling as I left my new friend, heading back to my dorm room.
~
I decided to take a nap, the early start to the day being too much for my easily exhausted body. When I was younger, I was able to stay up for days on end, but after I developed serious depression, I was tired easier – sleeping through classes, things like that.
The medication helped a bit.
I'd often suffer from nightmares, losing sleep over them until I'd collapse during the day, nobody able to wake me. They'd refer me to sleep clinics, mental health services, even sending me to hospital one time but nothing ever really helped.
A knock from my door woke me up a few hours later. Sighing to myself, I quickly ran a comb through my hair before opening the door.
"Hey, girl." Dana, a cheerleader who lived a few doors down from me, grinned.
We had seen each other a few times on mornings, talking as we waited to shower, friendly things like that.
"Hey?" I said, sounding more like a question.
"You're coming to the Vortex Club party, right?" She asked, walking towards my wardrobe, beginning to sort through my clothes.
"Uhm, no?"
"You have to come! It'll be a great experience for you."
I watched as Dana looked through my clothes, pulling out certain pieces of clothing, placing them on my bed. Eventually, she decided on a pair of shorts, a black and red plaid t-shirt and a grey vest top. I was still confused as to why she was here, she hardly knows me? Unless, someone sent her?
"Dana, not to be rude, but why are you here?" I asked, hoping it didn't come off as rude as it did in my head. I often didn't think things through before saying them, landing me in lots of trouble. It wasn't intentional, instead by my mind not seeing how rude things I said came out.
"I figured that, since it's your first party, you could use someone to choose an outfit for you to impress the Vortex Club. You probably want to join, right?" She replied, laying the clothes out, flattening them before folding them again.
It was weird, having a girl I had barely spoken to not only in my room, but going through my wardrobe? I appreciated the sentiment however, I was slightly uncomfortable; she was probably judging me right now. The thought alone made me anxious, palms sweaty.
"Thanks...?"
~
After Dana left, I was left alone.
Being alone was always a fear of mine yet it was also something I loved. Alone was how I felt safe, nobody to hurt me or nobody for me to hurt. Another fear of mine was hurting the people I care about most. For someone who seemed extremely confident and fearless, I had many fears. It was proof how much can be hidden behind a mask. This somehow helped me look past people masks and see their true selves; seeing the best of people was my speciality.
The thought of Nathan Prescott following me still clouded my mind, I tried to put myself into his shoes, his viewpoint but I couldn't understand why. Something I was good at was understanding people, but I just couldn't...?
"Why am I thinking of Prescott?" I groaned, swinging my head back, softly hitting the wall behind me where I had been sat for the past twenty minutes, thinking things over.
Just why was I thinking of him? It's not like I knew him well enough to even have him on my mind, negative or not. I didn't know him well enough to like him or well enough to dislike him, so just why was I thinking of him? It's not like I knew the guy.
Thought racing through my head, I decided to take a walk.
~
The wind whistled loudly, blowing my hair across my face, moon shining brightly in the sky, reflecting off the water in front of me as I rested on the twisted tree trunk which lay nearby. All around me were owls hooting, flying throughout the midnight sky. Across the water I spotted a familiar brown-haired boy.
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me." I sighed quietly, looking back towards Nathan who had now noticed me.
Just my luck.
Yet again, I whacked my head against the trunk behind me, letting out another sigh.
"What are you doing here?" I heard a cocky voice sound from in front of me.
Opening my eyes, I spotted Nathan Prescott in front of me, arms crossed, lips pulled into a frown.
"Running away from my problems, got a problem with that, Prescott?"
"Yes actually, I do. This is my spot so leave."
"No."
Prescott was the reason I wasn't in the mood to deal with Prescott...?
What the fuck is wrong with me today? I never let my emotions get the better of me, so why now? It's not like I like the dick.
"I'm seriously not in the mood right now, Prescott. Please just... leave me alone." I sighed, closing my eyes again.
"Stop being such a bitch and leave."
Quickly, I stood up, seemingly startling him as he took a step back, tensing slightly.
Abuse...?
Discreetly, I shook my head in an attempt to clear my head.
It's not like I care or anything. He can deal with himself.
We remained in silence for a few moments, before he broke it with a sigh, footsteps becoming fainter as he walked back to his original spot, making me smile.
At least he listened.
~
A few hours passed, before I decided to head back to my dorm. Nathan had long left by now, probably leaving after around twenty minutes. I had no classes today, meaning I could rest after missing out on so much sleep in the past few days, the stress of a new school finally catching up to me. The past few days had been the most stress I had been under for a while. My parents were usually pretty good at making sure I didn't get stressed, but now I'm alone at a big, fancy academy, making enemies like I always do.
Nothing new.
My inability to make and keep friendships was something that had been looked at in the psychiatric ward. It was simply put down to my anxiety around people, coming off as rude being my coping mechanism, which was, apparently, quite common. Yet, I didn't understand the apparent inability to maintain friendships. I had been friends with two girls my whole life with barely any arguments, how is that not maintaining a friendship?
Whatever, it's over now. That was in the past.
The walk back to my dorm was surprisingly short, having been lost in my thoughts the entirety of the journey, something that I had done since an early age. Upon reaching my dorm room, something felt off. It took me a moment before realising that Victoria wasn't being loud like she usually is, despite the light in her room being on. This could be down to the fact that it was late, but that didn't usually stop her.
Why do you care, Y/N?
Groaning quietly, I gently hit my head against the wall outside of my dorm room, before deciding to go check on her.
I gently knocked on her door, hearing a soft 'come in' from inside. Opening the door, I moved as slowly as I could, already regretting my decision.
"What do you want?" She spat, eyes narrowing.
"I just wanted to see if you're okay. You're not being loud like you usually are," I said, realising what I said came off as rude, "Sorry, that came off ruder than expected."
She let out a quiet sigh, head in hands as she looked up at me.
"It's okay," She mumbled, diverting her attention back to the floor below her.
"Okay, Victoria. What's wrong?" I asked, cautiously taking a seat beside her on her immaculate bed.
"Promise you won't tell?" She asked, at which I nodded.
"Promise." I agreed.
"Well," She began, "I just feel like such a failure right now. My parents own a gallery, yet I can't even take a decent fucking photograph. Everything I take just looks bad to me and I can't stand it. I just want to be a good photographer." She groaned, hitting her head against her hands like I had done to the wall moments ago.
"Victoria, your photos are honestly great. My opinion is probably irrelevant to you, but that's what I think. I've seen your photos, everyone loves them, especially Mr Jefferson." I said, winking as I mentioned Mr Jefferson to earn a chuckle from her. "Honestly, your photos are great. Artists go through phases where they can't stand anything they've made, it's awful but it's something that happens to the best of us, you know?" I smiled sadly, gently patting her on the back.
"Thank you."
Nodding, I stood up wordlessly, heading to the door.
"Y/N," I heard my name leave Victoria's lips, causing me to turn around. "I'm glad we talked,"
"Me too," I replied, before leaving the room and heading back to my dorm for the night.
Looking to the left of me, the clock read 3:34am. If I knew fucking Nathan would lead to me thinking about him for three hours straight, I would never have done it, no matter how desperate I was. I didn’t expect to be laid here, unable to sleep because of thoughts of the brown-haired boy. It’s not that I like him, no way. It’s just infatuation, Y/N. It’s just because you fucked him.
Fuck it.
There’s no point lying to myself.
I have gotten attached to Nathan fucking Prescott. Him, of all people. Why couldn’t I get attached to Evan or something? At least then there’s a chance. But nope! My heart decides to go for the spoilt rich kid of Arcadia Bay. Worst of all? I can’t tell anyone. My best friends hate him, my other friends have mixed opinions on him and would probably judge me or pity me. So, I have to keep it to myself. That sucks ass. I can still picture the way his hands ran across my skin; I can still remember the way his thumb ran across the hickeys he had left, the smirk on his lips as he did so, and I hated it.
I. Hate. It.
“Fucking hell.” I whispered, kicking the duvet off me as I ran a hand across my face.
Current mood: self-hatred.
Why him? You two literally hate each other.
Well, he hates you.
But then there was yesterday. When he couldn’t stop looking at you – well until that other girl came over. Then he sent Victoria over, claiming he was being nosey but there had to be more than that. Surely if he was being nosey, he would’ve come over himself?
We fucked when I was being cuddly with Evan, was he jealous? Of course not, Y/N. Why are you even thinking such things? He doesn’t get attached to anyone, don’t be stupid. If he was to get romantically attached to anyone it’d be Victoria. The two have been best friends for ages. He wouldn’t get attached to the poor girl who’s only here because everything is paid for. The mentally ill girl. The girl with the obsessed ex-boyfriend. Just, I don’t know. He wouldn’t get attached to me.
It was around 4am when I finally gave up sleeping, instead throwing on some sweatpants before sneaking out my dorm.
Turning around, I spotted the boy who was stopping me sleeping smoking a cigarette, head leaning against the wall.
“No insult?” I asked, confused.
“No point,” He shrugged, tossing the cigarette on the ground, crushing it beneath his foot. “You won’t return it; where’s the fun in that?”
He had a fair point. I probably can’t be mean to him now, it was a weakness of mine. Sure, I can push him away, but I can’t be mean to him. I probably can’t even push him away, we’re not even close. We don’t acknowledge each other’s existence unless it’s to insult each other.
“Nice hand, by the way.” He said, nodding towards the cast, “Did you punch something?” He smirked, leaving me confused.
“How did you know…?” I asked, shooting him a confused look.
“Because I’ve been there.” He admitted, his tongue darting out, licking his lips as he stared at me.
“Oh…” I whispered, watching as he walked towards me.
Glancing up at him, I noticed his gaze was not on my eyes, but my lips, a smirk covering his own. He leant down, his lips grazing my own before I pulled away.
“I’m not some quick fuck, Nathan. In fact, that whole night was a mistake.” I said, turning away as I shook my head. “Goodnight, Nathan.” I sighed, before walking away, ignoring Nathans pleas for me to stop.
The excessive ringing of my phone woke me the next day. The first thing I noticed was the pounding of my head, my mind still foggy.
“Hello?” My voice croaked upon answering the phone.
“Hey! Where are you?” Chloe’s voice boomed, seemingly louder than usual.
“Could you please be quieter?” I groaned, leaning back onto my pillow.
“Someone had a late night, I see.” She chuckled, but her voice becoming softer. “We were meant to meet at the diner, remember?”
“Shit, I am so sorry.” I apologised, shooting up in bed.
“It’s cool! Stay in bed, we’ll see you later.” She said, immediately hanging up leaving me no choice but to agree.
Sighing, I began to think thing through.
Wait a second…
Oh shit.
“Fucking hell,” I sighed, recalling last night’s event with Nathan.
“I’m a fucking idiot.” I muttered, hitting myself in the face, making my headache worsen. Running a hand through my hair, I grabbed my phone, looking through photos from last night.
At least I look hot.
I chuckled quietly to myself, looking at the photos of me, Dana, Evan and Juliet and all the nice comments on the photo; even Victoria commented how good we look.
I knew there was no point in delaying the inevitable pain of getting up, so I stood up, dizziness taking over my body, along with the urge to throw up. I quickly took a sip of water, making me feel a little better.
Skipping the shower, I quickly got ready, deciding against makeup today, not wanting to put in the extra effort. As I looked in the mirror, I quietly gasped.
I’m covered in fucking hickeys
I thought you didn’t cover one-night stands in hickeys? Like, isn’t that an unspoken rule?
Panic began to set in, as I realised I had no clothing to hide this and I was going to Chloe’s soon. Desperately searching through my wardrobe, I found a red scarf hidden at the back. I let out a sigh of relief, relieved that, not only would it cover my hickeys, it also matched my black dress. Quickly wrapping it around my neck, I checked it hid everything before making my way out of the dorm.
As I left my room, I was immediately stopped by Dana who was as cheerful as ever, clearly not drinking as much as I had.
“Hey, girl!” She greeted, “Where’d you get to last night? I looked for you, but Evan said you left.” She asked, as I forced a smile.
“Just wasn’t feeling too good. I told Evan but I think he was too out of it to remember.” I laughed, feeling bad for lying to my friend.
It’s for the greater good, Y/N.
She nodded, patting me on the shoulder before bidding me goodbye and heading into the toilets allowing me to leave.
~
“Afternoon.” Chloe greeted, ruffling my hair up, making me groan. “Not to be mean, but you look awful.” She continued, at which I shrugged.
“Matches how I feel.” I smiled, pain evident.
“Here,” Chloe said rummaging through her drawer, “Take these.” She smiled, tossing me a box of pills which I gratefully swallowed, gagging as I realised I was that desperate that I took them without water, watching as Chloe laughed.
“I feel fucking awful.” I groaned, jumping onto Chloe’s bed, face hitting the pillow with no energy to get up.
“Wait a second,” Chloe said, her voice getting louder, making me groan, “What the fuck is this?” She asked, pulling down my scarf making my eyes widen.
“Uhm,” I began, “Nothing?” I attempted.
Chloe broke into fits of laughter, double over.
“This is why you had a late night?” She quizzed, still laughing.
“I’m glad you find this so amusing.” I sighed, sitting up, tugging my scarf back over the hickeys.
“Go on then,” She smirked, “Tell me more.”
Sighing, I quickly made up a story.
“Basically: went to a party, met a guy, he was nice, we kissed, went back to his and fucked then I left. Nothing more, nothing less.” I lied, guilt eating me up as I did so.
It’s not like they’ll ever find out.
Chloe chuckled, patting me on the shoulder.
“Must’ve been good from those marks.” She winked, poking my cheek.
“Yeah, yeah,” I sighed.
~
Soon, it was Monday and I was walking to class with Max. My hangover had long gone, me being back to my usual sarcastic self. Victoria and I had got to the point of ‘friendship’ where we would say hello whenever we saw each other which was nice.
As we walked into the classroom, I noticed Nathan and some guy I recognised as Hayden sat on our desk. I let out a small sigh, nervous since this was the first time I had seen Nathan since the ‘incident’.
Completely ignoring their existence, I took my usual seat, leaving them confused.
“The fuck are you doing?” Nathan asked, but his tone seemed… off?
“Sitting,” I mumbled, whipping out my phone as I felt it vibrate.
I felt his confused look before I saw it. He must have been so used to my snarky comment that, when he didn’t hear them, he felt something was wrong.
To be perfectly honest, I just wasn’t in the mood today.
Unknown: I need you right now, baby.
I quickly locked my phone, carelessly shoving it in my pocket, grabbing my bag before rushing out of the classroom, leaving Max and Nathan behind, both their gazes following me as I did so. It didn’t take long to reach my dorm. As soon as I did so, my fist hit my wall, leaving a dent. I heard the crack before I felt the pain.
“Shit,” I hissed, looking down at my now, black and swollen knuckle.
I sighed, hitting my head against the wall.
You need to learn to control your anger, Y/N.
“Fuck sake,” I groaned, sitting on my bed. Usually I would’ve just flopped down, uncaring but, looking at my hand, I knew something was bad. Sure, I had hit things before, even people, but my hand had never looked like this.
Two hours past, my hand still looking as bad, if not worse. I decided to call Chloe, needing her to take me to the nearest hospital. She immediately arrived, rushing me to accident and emergency.
“So,” She began, “What happened?” She asked, nodding towards my seemingly broken hand.
“I punched a wall,” I mumbled, wincing as my hand brushed my knuckle.
“Why?”
“He messaged me again.” I sighed, leaning back against the trucks seat.
“What’d he say?”
“I need you right now, baby.”
“You know, you can call the police for harassment?”
“No point.”
We soon arrived at the hospital due to Chloe’s speeding. Of course, I earned a lecture from the doctor before they x-rayed my hand, realising it was broken. We were stuck there for two hours while they bandaged my hand, saying I should be more careful and get help for my temper. Sighing, I followed Chloe out of A&E, back into her truck where we drove back to my dorm into a comfortable silence.
“Thanks,” I nodded, hopping out of her truck before she sped off down the road after patting me on the head.
The walk through campus was peaceful, not many people on campus due to classes or extracurricular activities. The wind blew through my hair as autumn leaves fell from the trees. The grass was slowly losing its vibrant green colour, now covered by leaves. Birds tweeted, flying freely in the sky, carrying birds for its younglings.
Smiling, I headed back to my dorm.
~
“What happened?” Was the first thing I heard as I entered my dorm.
Looking up, I spotted Max sat on my bed.
“Oh, hey, Max.” I nodded, sitting beside her as she stared at my white cast.
“I broke my hand.” I grinned as she shook her head.
“Punching things again?” She asked, at which I shrugged.
“You need to stop, Y/N. You can get seriously hurt.” She warned, as I shrugged again. “You need to be careful.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologised, feeling bad for causing her worry, “I just got so angry, I didn’t know what to do.” I smiled sadly.
“It’s okay, don’t apologise.” She sighed, shaking her head.
“You staying, or?” I asked, after sitting in silence for a few minutes.
“No, I just came to check on you.” She smiled slightly as I nodded.
“Okay,” I said, bidding her goodbye as she left.
~
“What happened to you, Y/N?” Mr Jefferson asked as I walked into photography the following day. Max was sick, so I was alone. I was slightly nervous to be alone in this class, despite being on good-terms with everyone in the class.
“Oh, I broke my hand.” I chuckled, raising my bad hand.
“Be careful, you can’t take photos now.” He sighed with disappointment, before turning back to his computer.
I took my usual seat, pulling out my equipment, sitting on my phone.
Glancing upwards, I spotted Victoria and Nathan talking, yet Nathans gaze was on me.
Why is he looking at me?
His gaze not moving, he leant down and whispered something to Victoria who then looked up before making her way over to me.
“Hey, Vic. What’s up?” I asked, breaking eye-contact with Nathan.
“What’d you do to your hand? Are you okay?” She asked, giving me a half-smile.
“I’m okay,” I smiled, “It was just an accident.” I chuckled, making her giggle.
She gave me a nod, “Good, Nathan also wanted to know. He was being nosey.” She laughed, me doing the same. “Classic Nathan.” She continued.
I looked back towards the table the two were previously sat at, to see Nathans attention now being focused on another girl, whose vest was extremely revealing.
Figures.
Victoria had left by now. If she had said bye, I hadn’t noticed.
Why do I care who Nathan talks to? It’s not like I like him or anything, right?
