Waking up the next morning, I found the warm rays of the sunlight caressing my skin. My alarm wailed from beside me; and as I turned off the annoying sound, I sat up in bed.
I could already hear my parent’s downstairs, so I knew I needed to get moving. Especially, since Maylee and Ace would be here in thirty minutes.
After showering and dressing, I walked over to my vanity and messed with my hair. I decided on a high ponytail and then added some light foundation to my face. Applying mascara, I noticed my eyes were even more green today than normal. I finished my look with some shiny lip gloss and then grabbed my new black backpack and headed for the stairs.
I found my parents in the kitchen. My dad was busy at work on his laptop while mom poured us both a steaming hot cup of coffee. One thing my mom and I definitely shared was a love for coffee.
As I passed my mom she handed me a steaming cup and said, “Good morning, Lizzy. Are you ready for your first day?” she asked.
I took the coffee and enjoyed a sip of the rich goodness before responding. “I guess I am as ready as I will ever be,” I say, taking a seat beside my dad at the farmhouse table. When decorating, my mom went all out on the decor. She stayed true to the house’s overall feel and added a touch of modern flare.
“I still remember your mom’s first day at Salem High,” my dad noted, giving my mom puppy dog eyes.
It was gross and a little cute how much my dad adored my mom. But, I would never tell them I thought they were adorable.
“Well, it should be interesting. Maylee and her brother, Ace, are driving me,” I say.
My mom hands me a fresh apple cinnamon muffin and sits down beside me.
“That’s very nice of them. You are really getting to know Maylee and Ace,” she says, her attempt at getting some information out of me.
“Maylee is great,” I offer. “But, Ace is still up in the air. He barely speaks and seems too protective of Maylee,” I finish, taking a huge bite of my muffin. My mind instantly drifted to what Talia had said about Maylee and Ace losing their parents. Maybe I should be kind to Ace. I don’t know what I would do if I lost my parents.
My mom simply nods, but doesn’t press me further. Before I know it, it’s time for Maylee and Ace to be here to pick me up. Gathering my things, I said my goodbyes to my parents and walked to the front porch. Just as I closed the door behind me, I heard the roar of Ace’s car as it headed toward my house.
My heart began to beat wildly in my chest and I just assumed it was my nerves at first, but as Ace’s car came into sight, I realized this was more of an eagerness really.
I spotted Ace and his dark hair flying in the wind as his windows were rolled down. Maylee waved as Ace stopped in my driveway, I felt like my heart was going to explode right out of my chest.
“Morning,” Maylee said, opening the door for me.
Since this was a sports car, I would have to crawl into the backseat. I didn’t mind though; they were offering me a ride and I was going to be grateful.
Maylee moved her seat forward and I climbed in. Once we were seated, Ace took off like he was in the middle of the Indy 500.
As he drove, I couldn’t help but notice that he kept stealing glances at me in the mirror. I smiled once; but when he scowled, I decided to just keep my eyes focused on the outside and the small town passing us by.
When we reached the long drive of the high school, I felt my body growing nervous. A two story brick building came into view, and I sucked in a deep breath to try and calm my nerves.
School buses lined the front as students piled out. Others parked in the student lot like us. Ace pulled into a spot and shut off the engine. Without saying a word, he jumped out of the car, slamming his door shut, and not saying anything.
Maylee opened her passenger side door and helped me out of the back. “Don’t mind Ace. He is like that with everyone,” she said, rolling her eyes at her brother.
I paused for a moment and watched Ace walk away. He seemed to stand out in the sea of students. With his black leather jacket, denim jeans, and messy hair, he looked more like a young James Dean in an old Hollywood film, than a high school student.
“Why is that?” I asked, adjusting my backpack on my shoulder.
We began to walk toward the school and the blue and green East Jessamine Jaguars sign welcomed us.
“What do you mean?” Maylee asked me.
“Well, you said he’s always so… quiet,” I said.
I wasn’t about to insult her and call her brother rude or cold, so I went with being quiet.
Maylee seemed to grow tense as she walked beside me. Her smile never faded, but I could feel her energy shift. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked at all.
“Ace is just different. He keeps to himself mostly. I guess I am just used to it,” Maylee answered.
I decided to not push her further. We made it to the entrance; and as I stepped inside the school, I realized this was my first step into the newest journey of my life. I was about to embark on a new chapter as the new girl in a new town.
As we walked through the halls, I took in my new high school. We were greeted by a painted Jaguar emerging from a lush, green forest, featured on the entry wall. A glass case containing years of trophies and plaques lined the halls that led to the library and office.
“I assume the school mascot is the Jaguar?” I ask, pointing to the many Jaguars and paw prints decorating the building.
Holding out her hands like paws, Maylee pretended to swat at me as though she were a big cat. “Roar, welcome to the jungle, baby,” she giggled.
I couldn’t help but laugh at her and it seemed to put me at ease for the moment.
Maylee told me she would show me to my locker and homeroom. We shared only two classes together, but I was sure I could figure the rest out.
My locker was upstairs on the second floor; and as we began climbing the stairs, I couldn’t help but notice the hushed whispers all around me about the new girl.
Maylee pretended not to notice for my sake, but I knew she could hear, too.
“Your locker is here,” Maylee said, pointing to a set of green lockers. I looked down at my schedule I had gotten before school started and searched for the locker number I was assigned. Once I found it, Maylee helped me with the combination. Easy enough, but I tried twice to make sure I had it down.
“Got it,” I said, smiling and cheering for myself.
“Your homeroom is just over there, room 202,” Maylee said, pointing to a heavy wooden door just beyond the staircase we had just come up.
Nodding, I smiled. I was very grateful for Maylee’s kindness since she seemed to be the only person even talking to me.
Grabbing books for my first hour, I closed my locker and said goodbye to Maylee.
Heading to my homeroom, I spotted Ace walking down the hall. Stopping dead in my tracks, I took a moment to watch him. Ace had a strange aura about him that made him seem almost otherworldly. As he sauntered down the hall, students seemed to part to make way for him to glide right past them. Watching this was fascinating. It was as though each step Ace took, my heart, body, and soul was glued to each movement. I tried to look away, to will myself to enter my homeroom, but I just couldn’t seem to stop staring.
Suddenly, Ace stopped in front of a doorway and turned. Our eyes locked and a shock of energy coursed through me. It caught me off guard and took my breath away.