I shouldn’t have been surprised. The interior of Saint View High was no less prison-like than the outside. There was no grand entranceway like there’d been at Providence. Just one long hall that ran farther than I could see, hundreds of grubby white lockers lining both sides, only interrupted by doors that I assumed led to classrooms or other, similarly icky hallways.
I wandered, pushed along by the crowd who all seemed to know where they were going. They yelled greetings to each other, and every now and then I picked up a little conversation. “How amazing was that party?” and “Oh my God, I was so drunk that night.” I hovered when a familiar name caught my attention. “Fuck, did Colt get even hotter over the summer? I’m wet just looking at him.”
I wrinkled my nose in the direction of the girl who’d spoken. It wasn’t Gillian. But it didn’t surprise me that Colt was the object of more than one woman’s desires. I’d bet Gillian had her hands full, keeping hold of that one. He could have had any girl he wanted.
Including you.
I shook my head slightly. Not including me. He might be beautiful, but with a school this large, there’d be a plethora of hot boys to choose from. If I wanted to date, that was. If the metal detectors were anything to go by, dating the boys here might not be in my best interests.
I stumbled across the administration office, and after explaining who I was and why I was there to the harried woman behind the desk, I was given a bunch of forms to fill out. I did so hastily and shoved them back across the desk. In return, the woman passed me a freshly printed piece of paper with my schedule on it.
“It’s just temporary,” she warned. She added another piece of paper to my hands—a school map. “You’ll be able to choose your elective subjects with the guidance counselor later in the week.”
I nodded and studied the timetable. “Wait, all-school assembly?” It was the first thing listed under Monday mornings.
The woman peered over at my paper. “Yes, every week. In the gymnasium. You’d best hustle. Principal Simmons doesn’t appreciate latecomers.”
“No, I do not.”
I swiveled on my heel. The tall man behind me, Principal Simmons I guessed, seemed out of place with his neat navy suit pants and a button-down shirt tucked into an expensive belt. His shoes shone, and a gold watch gleamed on his wrist.
He peered past me to his secretary. “New student?”
I stuck my hand out before she could answer. “Lacey Knight.”
He took my hand, his smooth cool fingers wrapping around mine. “Ah, Lacey. I believe I was just speaking with your aunt.”
Well, that was just great. I’d kill her when I got home.
Selina had tried to convince me all morning to let her come down to enroll me, but I instinctively knew that would be a nail in my social coffin at a school like this. At Providence, and Edgely Academy, parents were often alumni and present at all events the school held. They were like mini high school reunions, and few of the parents missed an opportunity to check out who was doing what. Or doing who. Selina had been set to take me to orientation this morning, and it hadn’t bothered me the least. But I’d talked her out of driving me to Saint View, though she’d only let me get in my car after I promised to pack Mace into my bag.
Apparently, I should have been more specific with my demands. No calling the principal obviously should have been top of the list.
“She speaks very highly of you. Top of your junior year, I’m told.”
I smiled politely.
Simmons cocked his head to the side, as if trying to figure me out. He was pretty hot for an old guy. I’d bet he was buff beneath his preppy clothes. His eyes were a pale blue, set off by his dark hair. It was flecked with gray, but it was attractive in a George Clooney sort of way. My aunt’s friends probably would have thrown themselves at him if they’d seen him out around town or at the beach…until they realized he was the principal of a public school and probably made chump change.
“Come along, then. The first bell is about to go, and I don’t make a habit of being late to my own assemblies. I’ll show you to the gym.”
I nodded and trailed along, a few steps behind him, hoping the other students wouldn’t realize I was being escorted.
We exited through doors at the back of the school, briefly walking through the sunshine, and followed the swarm of students inside a huge gym, completely detached from the main building.
I wrinkled my nose. It was a cavernous space, with a high ceiling and bleacher-style seating down the long sides of the rectangle. But it had a vague musty sweat smell that hung in the air, despite the fact this was the first day of school and the building probably hadn’t been used all summer. A basketball court was painted on the floor, and each end held ratty basketball nets. They were ripped and torn and I wondered if this school was so poor that they couldn’t even afford to replace something so minor. That one little thing, so insignificant, hit me hard. This was a whole different world to where I came from, yet it was just fifteen minutes away? When we’d run into groups of Saint View kids at the beach, I’d really had no idea. I knew the area was rough. But I’d never considered what that really meant.
Principal Simmons stopped in the middle of the floor, and as if out of nowhere, a boy appeared and handed him a microphone. Simmons turned to me. “Just go sit on over there at the bottom of the bleachers. After this is done, I’ll find someone to show you around the school.”
I shook my head and held up the crappily printed map. Admittedly, I’d probably need a magnifying glass and a detective’s license to work it out, but that was fine. Better than being someone’s tagalong. “No need. I’m good.”
He shooed me away. “Nonsense. I like to make sure my new students feel welcomed.”
I somehow doubted I was the only new student. And I didn’t see him foisting his ‘help’ on anyone else. Not wanting to make a scene, I wandered to the nearest seats. Unsurprisingly, most of the top ones were full of kids talking and jostling. A few couples used the spare minutes to make out. I took the first step, not wanting to be the only one sitting close to the principal.
Simmons had either ideas. “Just there, Lacey.”
I flashed him a forced smile, ignoring the titters of laughter from the upper levels. Great. Nothing like a little awkward embarrassment on your first day. I perched on the lowest seat of the bleachers, all alone. But then the bell rang, and students poured through the multiple open doorways that led in from outside. It was like a tidal wave of human bodies. Within two minutes, the bleachers were full, and I no longer felt so on display. I found myself wedged between a tall blond boy with glasses and a severe case of acne. And a short red-haired girl who chatted animatedly with someone on the other side of her. Neither seemed interested in the new girl. Suited me. I wasn’t here to make friends. Just to find out information. Then I could get the hell out of here and back to school with Meredith and my other friends.
Principal Simmons started the assembly with the usual beginning-of-the-year speech all principals seemed to make. I trust you had a great summer. This year will be the best ever. Yadda yadda. I tuned out and let my gaze wander over the crowd across from me, searching for guys who fit the profile of the one who’d carried me out of the fire. I’d scanned the back three rows, left to right before I caught on that I was perhaps actually looking for someone in particular, rather than just casually observing. The memory of Colt’s dark eyes was hard to forget so quickly.