One

"Come on, Billie, come back here. You can't keep avoiding your problems like this," my mom shouts as I sprint up the stairs to my room. She just doesn't understand how much this move is going to ruin my life. While she gets to stay with her new husband and stepchildren, I'm being uprooted from my life in a big city in New York and forced to live in a small town in South Carolina with my father, whom I haven't seen in years.

"How am I running from my problems, mom?" I yell back at her. "You're sending me to a place I don't know, to live with a man I barely know, all because you got remarried and want to start a new family with them. So, tell me, who's really running from what? Did I become too inconvenient for you? Can't mold me into the perfect child anymore, so you're shipping me off and starting fresh with the new ones?"

"Look, Billie, your father hasn't had any responsibilities in your life, so we decided together that it's his turn to have you in his house," my mom explains, but I can't help but turn on her.

"You're the reason he hasn't had any responsibilities," I retort, realizing that arguing with her is pointless. The decision has been made, and I'm moving to my father's in the morning.

I walk into my room and slam the door shut, shutting my mother out. I have to pack my entire life in just one day. Thankfully, I saved up enough money over the summer to buy a car with my own earnings. It may not be brand new, but it'll get me to my father's in one piece. The drive will take around 12 hours, and I can't believe my mother is actually allowing me to drive alone. But then again, she hasn't been herself since she married Michael.

I make sure to leave out clothes for tonight and for my trip tomorrow. Then I head into the bathroom attached to my bedroom for a quick shower before climbing into bed, attempting to fall asleep. Eventually, I doze off, only to be abruptly woken up by my blaring alarm at 5 am. I wanted to leave early, before anyone else woke up. I don't need my mother's fake tears and warnings to be careful on my road trip. As if she really cares.

I gather my clothes and rush downstairs, then quickly run back up to grab the rest of my belongings. Without saying goodbye, I hop into my car and drive off.

Around 8:30 am, I called my dad to let him know I'll be arriving at his house around 4 pm with no issues. "Billie, please be careful, and if you need anything, anything at all, please call me. I'll have dinner ready for you when you get here," my dad says, concern evident in his voice. After hanging up, I turn on the radio and connect my phone to it, setting Pandora to shuffle so I can listen to a mix of music. Halfway through the journey, I stop to refuel and then continue on my way.

It feels like an eternity, but I finally pull into my dad's driveway around 4:30 pm, delayed slightly by the gas stop and some traffic. It took a bit longer than expected, but I'm finally here.

My father greets me outside and assists me in unloading my belongings from the car, despite there being very little to carry. As I stand by the back of my car, I take in the sight of my dad's neighborhood, which is a charming and uniform cookie-cutter community. All the houses look identical, with some being two stories and others being one-story, but they all have the same exterior. My father's house is a small one-story home with a white picket fence. He remarried after my mom left with me twelve years ago, but he and his wife were unable to have children of their own.

We enter the house, and my dad's wife, Page, greets us at the door. She warmly says, "It's wonderful to finally meet you, Billie." My dad then leads me to my room, which I find quite endearing. There's a cozy daybed in one corner, a computer desk with an Apple computer in another corner, and a charming little decoration on the wall.

"Wow, dad, this is really nice," I express to him. "Oh, I'm so glad you like it. Page and I set it up last week when we found out you were moving in with us," my dad shares with me.

As I learn this, I can't help but wonder why my mom informed them about my arrival. I assumed my parents had discussed and agreed that I would live with them. "Why did mom tell you I was coming to live with you?" I ask my dad. He appears slightly embarrassed before responding, "She informed us that you were causing a lot of trouble back home and she couldn't handle you anymore."

Tears well up in my eyes. Why would my mother be so malicious about this? "And did you believe her, dad?" I inquire. "Not for a second, kiddo. Your mom kept us apart because she was afraid you would prefer staying with Page and me over her. Now that she's married, you suddenly become a problem child. We put two and two together. I hope you can grow to like it here with Page and me, but I also understand that we have a lot of catching up to do," my dad explains, and a wave of sadness washes over me. We were deprived of the opportunity to truly know each other because my mother was, I don't know, insecure.

After putting away my things, I walk out of my room and head straight into the kitchen where my dad and his girlfriend, Page, have prepared dinner as promised. Ever since my mom got together with Michael, she hasn't been much of a cook. She tried her hand at it, but her attempts were less than impressive. So, when I see all the food on the table, I can't help but feel a bit skeptical. It looks delicious, but appearances can be deceiving.

"Don't worry, Page is a chef. She owns her own restaurant," my dad whispers in my ear before taking his seat at the table.

I sit down on the opposite side of my dad, away from Page. It feels strange seeing my dad at the head of the table with Page beside him. At my mom's house, Michael sits at one end while my mom sits at the other, and us kids sit in the middle.

"Dig in, kiddo," my dad tells me.

"I don't want to sound rude, but what exactly is everything?" I ask.

"Not rude at all," Page reassures me. "Let's see, we have lamb as the meat, mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, and peas." She points at each item as she names them. So, I grab a plate and serve myself a little bit of everything to avoid hurting Page's feelings. I wait until my dad and Page have food on their plates and start eating before I take my first bite.

"Wow, this is amazing," I say aloud.

"Was your mom's cooking really that bad, kiddo?" my dad asks.

"Um, yes it was," I admit. When I finish my plate, I ask if I can have seconds because the food is so delicious and I only took a small portion of each dish.

"Of course you can," Page says, trying to hide her smile.

"So, you'll start school the day after tomorrow. We've already enrolled you in your classes. I hope you're not interested in any sports or extracurricular activities because we didn't sign you up for any, but I'm sure you can figure that out once you start school on Monday," my dad informs me.

"Yeah, no sports for me, dad. I'm more of a reader. I've got two left feet," I reply.

"Ah, just like your mom, huh?" he teases. My dad used to play baseball, while my mom was a cheerleader in school. However, my mom wasn't particularly skilled, but she managed to stay on the team because of her parents' influence.

After dinner, I excuse myself to my bedroom and prepare to take a shower. I'm lucky to still have my own bathroom. My dad and Page have a bathroom attached to their bedroom, so the main bathroom is all mine. Well, I have to share it with guests, but that's okay.

~

It's Monday, my first day at a new school. I drive my car around to find a parking spot among the other students. After parking, I locate the front office and retrieve my schedule. My first class is math, so I enter the room and realize I'm the first one there. I hand my paper to the teacher for signing, which I'll need to take to the front office later.

"Hello Miss Billie Green, I'm Mrs. Smart. It's a pleasure to meet you," the math teacher greets me before signing the paper. She advises me to find a seat towards the front on the left-hand side since the back is already occupied by other students. I'm fine with sitting in the front, so I find a vacant seat and settle down.

About five minutes later, other kids start coming in and taking their seats. A small girl sits down behind me and introduces herself as Shaylee Apple. I respond, "Hello Shaylee Apple, I'm Billie Green," and extend my hand for a handshake.

Suddenly, I feel a chill down my spine as a stranger's gaze pierces through me. His eyes seem filled with intense loathing, leaving me confused and uneasy. I can't understand why a complete stranger would harbor such animosity towards me.

Trying to shake off the discomfort, I look away and focus on something else, hoping the unsettling encounter will fade away. But no matter how hard I try, I can't shake the feeling of being watched, as if his eyes are still fixed on me, burning into my soul.

As time passes, I can't resist stealing a glance in his direction, hoping to find some explanation for his intense reaction. However, all I see is a stoic expression, his features frozen in a mask of disdain.

Unable to bear the tension any longer, I gather my courage and decide to confront him. Slowly, I turn my head towards him, meeting his gaze head-on. "Excuse me," I say, my voice trembling slightly. "Have we met before? I can't help but notice the hostility in your eyes."

He remains expressionless, his eyes still filled with an inexplicable hatred. Without saying a word, he abruptly turns away, dismissing me as if I'm insignificant.

Confused and frustrated, I turn to Shaylee for some explanation. "Don't mind Andrew," she says. "He doesn't like anyone. He's one of the richest guys at school and the captain of the wrestling team. He thinks he's better than everyone else. And he has a twin brother."

Just then, the brothers walk through the door with the same air of arrogance. The only difference is that the second brother doesn't look at me with hatred; he barely even notices me. At least he doesn't treat me like scum.

"They're both so huge for teenagers," I comment to Shaylee, who laughs and agrees. "Yes, they are jerks, sweetheart. Just stay clear of them."

I assure her, "No worries about that. I just want to get through the next couple of years of school and get out of Beartoe, South Carolina."

Shaylee tries to defend our town, saying it's not so bad. But I remain skeptical, longing for my previous life in New York.

As the class settles down, the teacher instructs us to quiet down and take out our math books. She walks over to my desk and hands me mine, already open to the page we'll be discussing today. "Alright, kids, let's do some algebra," Mrs. Smart announces.

Thirty minutes into our assignment, a bell rings, signaling that it's almost time to switch classes. Mrs. Smart gives us our homework assignment for the night and allows us the last five minutes to pack up and chat with our classmates.

Shaylee takes the opportunity to ask me where I'm from. "New York," I reply.

Shaylee inquires about the reason for my move down here. "My mother's remarriage and the formation of a new family that didn't include me," I explain. "That's harsh, Billie," Shaylee sympathizes.

I shrug in response. "It is what it is. I didn't get to spend much time with my dad over the years, so this could be a positive change for us."

Just as I finish speaking, the bell rings, signaling the start of our second class, P.E. Confused, I turn to Shaylee and ask, "Shouldn't we have P.E. at the end of the school day?"

Andrew, passing by, decides to make a snide remark. "What's the matter, princess? Are you too good to sweat?"

Ignoring his comment, I continue on my way. I don't have time for his games. He doesn't know me, and I don't know him, so he can kiss my butt.

As I exit the classroom, I check my paper to find the number for my locker. This school is surprisingly large for a small town, so it takes me a few minutes to locate it. I store my bag and books inside, securing it with my lock. With that task completed, I make my way to the gym, find the teacher, and hand him my paper for his signature. I then join the rest of the class on the bleachers, sitting next to a pimply faced boy who is around my size.

"Hello, my name is Kade," he introduces himself.

"Hello, Kade. I'm Billie," I respond, shaking his hand.

"You're beautiful," he compliments me.

"Oh, um, thank you," I reply, slightly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you," he quickly apologizes.

"It's okay," I assure him, trying to brush off the awkwardness. I sit up straight and wait for the teacher to begin the class. This week, we'll be playing basketball. "Oh, joy," I mutter sarcastically.

"We can be on the same team," Kade suggests eagerly, and I feel grateful for his willingness. "Fair warning, though, I'm not good at sports," I warn him.

"It's okay," he reassures me. "Okay then, let's go, partner."

Just then, Andrew walks by and sneers at me. "What's that guy's problem?" I ask Kade.

"There's no telling with Andrew Board. He's not friendly," Kade explains. "But is he always this hostile towards new people?" I inquire further.

"We don't get many new people around here. Everyone grew up together," Kade reveals.

"Oh great," I think to myself, realizing the challenge I may face. I push the thought aside and focus on the task at hand.

Throughout our game, I stumbled and fell three times, and I'm almost certain I broke my tailbone. As we make our way to the locker rooms, Kade asks me if I'm okay. I force a smile and reply, "I think I'm fine, just a bruised ego." I then enter the girls' locker room. Thankfully, the school provides us with gym clothes, so we can shower and change back into our regular clothes after P.E. class. After our intense workout, I find myself famished and head to the lunchroom with Kade.

We reach the front of the line to get our food, and the lunch lady hands me pizza and salad. I spot Shaylee and a few others at a table and join them. Shaylee comments on my appearance, noting that I look rough. I simply respond with "P.E." and she understands the struggle. For some reason, I glance towards the entrance and notice five guys walking in, with Andrew being the last one. While the other guys have girls hanging onto their arms, Andrew stands alone. When he looks at our table, he sneers at me once again. I can't help but wonder what his problem is.

Shaking off his presence, I focus on my food and finish my lunch quickly. Time flies, and before I know it, we're heading to our next classroom. I have Spanish next, and our Spanish teacher is quite entertaining. She enters the room wearing a sombrero and greets us with a cheerful "Hola students." She introduces me as the new student and asks me to say my name in Spanish. I respond with "Billy Verde," and she commands me. However, before I can react, a deep voice behind me says, "Billie Green." I turn around and see Andrew Board sitting there. I almost call him out, but the teacher beats me to it. She asks Andrew how many classes he has with me, and he simply smiles at her. I scold myself for finding his smile attractive and redirect my attention to the teacher for the rest of the class.

Finally, the school day comes to an end, and I head to my car to go home. I know I have a ton of schoolwork waiting for me, so as soon as I reach my room, I sit down at my computer desk and get to work. Time flies, and before I know it, my dad pops his head into my room to let me know that dinner is ready. I pause my work and head to the kitchen to eat.

Page, my step mom, asks me how my first day of school went. I respond, saying it was actually nice and that I made a few friends right away. However, there was one guy, Andrew Board, who was pretty mean to me all day. Page recognizes the name and mentions that the Board boys have a reputation for thinking highly of themselves. We finish our dinner, and I help Page clean up the kitchen before returning to my room to continue my schoolwork.