4. Free At Last!

Rei wasn’t kidding about meeting her after every class, inwardly smiling. She childishly wondered if he was looking at no one but her when he focused his stare on her, but reality smacked her in the face, once again for not minding her surroundings.

Alyssa popped up seemingly from out of nowhere, right in front of Rei, smiling and whispering apologies, Briar called them “Sweet Little Lies”. They result in one of two ways, pain or heartbreak. Her mom always told her to stay away from that kind of stress. It wasn’t worth it.

Ever.

Briar let them have their lover’s quarrel, thankful for the distraction so she could take a moment to breathe. Quickly ducking into the bathroom, Briar thanked her lucky stars it was vacant. The bell sounded a few seconds later.

“That’s better.” She said to the silence. She took a few minutes before returning to the zoo. Glancing around the hall, Briar looked at her map, and by the time she looked up again, Rei was walking down the hall towards her, no not Rei, his brother.

“What?” she barked. “Did Rei send the B Team in his stead?” Bri asked, angrily.

“You have anger issues. Has anyone ever told you that?” Artemis asked, smiling.

”Sorry,” Damn it! There’s that word again! “People are the thing that makes first days hard, ya know? I’ve gotten to know more about this place than I learned in the last 3 schools I’ve been to.” Bri exclaimed.

Artemis chuckled, “It’s not so bad. That’s exactly what your first day is, a day. Tomorrow it will get easier. Alyssa has hazed every new girl this way since she got here a couple years ago. You’ll be old news by Friday.”

“Here’s hoping. Thanks.” Bri said, walking off to the 3rd Ring of Hell, history. Steeling herself for being late, and who would be in there, waiting for her. Bri opened the door, walked in, and, as planned everyone stopped and gawked at her.

“You must be Briar? Come in. I’m Mr. Piccotti. We are taking a pop quiz, so if you’d like to, you could use this time as a study hall to work on other things.” He said.

“I have no problems taking the quiz too. It will serve to show where I’m at with history.” She said.

“Ok,” he replied, completely thrown off guard. “I like you already, Briar. There’s limited seating so first come first serve. You have 35 min to finish the quiz.” Mr. Piccotti waved her over to an auxiliary chair along side a small desk for her to use.

Briar could hear the beating of her heart in her ears, she was so red. ‘OK, just breathe, read, and go.’, she mentally repeated her “battle cry” and put pen to paper. Briar completed the quiz way before any other student, but couldn’t make herself move to bring her test up first.

Mr. Piccotti knew what Briar was doing, waiting as long as he could before going over to her. He whispered, “You’re finished aren’t you?” She nodded slightly.

“I’ll take it. Talk to me before class tomorrow? I’ll let you know how you did.” He winked and dismissed her.

“Thank you so much.” Bri breathed and jumped up, leaving quickly without a look back.

If Briar was riding a roller coaster, she would be at the part where you are just about to descend into madness. Running to her locker to drop her violin and history book off and grab her laptop bag, a notebook, and pens. Lunch was next so she could travel light.

Minutes later, well before the bell sounded for a change, she walked up to the teacher, introduced herself, got what she needed from him, and found a seat at the very back corner of the room, so she could see when they walked in.

Briar was thumbing through the text shed been given when they walked in. Alyssa with her perfect icy smile on Rei’s arm like she belonged there. Seeing Briar there, she pulled Rei to within ear shot, pushing him in the seat facing Bri, while she sat with her back to Bri. He shot her an apologetic glance, but she returned it with pure fire. Rei looked away, not being able to hold her gaze for long.

Unknown to the three of them, Artemis saw it all. Walking over to a guy right next to her, he flashed the kid a look, sending him looking for another seat.

“No one should have to see that,” he said watching Alyssa fawn all over his brother. “Shameless, isn’t he? Telling you he’d stick by your side, and now he’s by hers. Mind if I sit?”

“Maybe you should have just asked that poor kid you just ejected from his seat, not me. If you must, then sit.” Briar replied, still thumbing through the book.

“Please don’t snap out at me, when it’s my brother you’re angry at. I may look like him, but I am a different person. Remember that?” He said quietly.

“I’m not going to apologize. I have been doing that far too often today. I’m just not up for all this drama. I come here to learn, not to be in a tragic high school melodrama.” She replied dismissively, not looking up from the book.

“Your eyes are fire, but you are pure ice. You’re my kind of girl.” Artemis laughed.

The teacher walked to the front and started class, introducing Briar to everyone, explaining where they were at in the curriculum, and laying the outline for the mid term, which Bri could skip, but chose to do it anyway.

Thankfully, in this class there were limited interactions with any other students. If she had to, Artemis was there to save her from having to feel anymore awkward than she already did.

Artemis glanced at the clock, seeing it was almost time for the bell, he grabbed Bri’s camera and took off, into the hall. Jumping up herself, she gave chase, forgetting her stuff in her seat.

Not even hearing the teacher trying to call them back to their seats, they kept going. When the bell rang, Rei got up, went to Briar’s seat, picking up her stuff intending to give them back to her, but Alyssa had other plans.

She grabbed for Briar’s stuff, but Rei’s look stopped Alyssa cold.

“What is so special about her? Your brother is obviously interested, and you know whatever Artie wants, he gets. Kiss your New Girl good bye, Rei.” Alyssa laughed walking away.

Rei stood there, closed his eyes, and counted to 10. It didn’t work, so he just walked out of the class wondering what he did to deserve this.

“Hey! Stop, you’re going to break my camera! Give it back!” Briar ran after Artemis catching up to him easily. She grabbed his arm and spun him around.

“What is wrong with the people in this school? I’m going to need a therapist on speed dial if this is how life is here. What’s the name of your shrink?” Briar growled.

“Ohh, you are too much woman for Rei. I will tell you that.” He handed her the camera and walked away. Briar was shaken by a numbing static in her head. Something about it felt familiar but it slipped away just as fast as it came on.

She was going to take a long lunch after the first half of her day. Volleyball tryouts were this weekend, so she was good there.

Remembering she left her stuff back in class when Artemis ran off with her camera. Hopefully the teacher had noticed and grabbed it.

“I’m glad I caught you before you left!” Rei exclaimed, coming around the corner with the stuff she had forgotten.

She looked down, embarrassed at her immature behavior, “Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow, OK? I need to go. You saved my bacon again. “ She grabbed her stuff, leaving.

“Anytime, Briar.” He replied, headed toward the cafeteria. Smiling to herself, Briar made her way to her truck and melted into the seat. This was the worse first day she’d ever had, it was time for her to get a double shot espresso and zone out, livestream chat with Rina.

Stopping at the Coffee Shake, a mix of coffee and milkshakes drew her in. The best coffee shops really were in Colorado.

On her way home, Bri took the time to slow down and enjoy the area before finally giving in and going home. Not wanting to cook dinner, Briar stopped at a little dinner called Home Fries, for something new. Her mother’s cooking was questionable at best.

She ordered 2 double bacon cheeseburgers with fried onions, steak fries, onion rings, and milkshakes. It was going to be a little bit until her food was ready, so she sat at in a booth to wait.

Text Message To: Mom

From: Briar KingBear BKB

‘I’m buying dinner, so we don’t have to cook. It’s your favorite! Be home soon! Kisses’

Hearing her number called, Bri got up, shoving her phone in her jacket pocket. When she was just about to the counter the bell above the door of the diner chimed. As she turned her head to see who was coming in, she wanted to dig her eyes out with a fork. Alyssa and Rei.

“Look, they even let the welfare babies in here. We are going to have to change our favorite diner!” Alyssa chuckled at Bri’s expense, hanging all over Rei.

“Thank you, it smells great. Keep the change.” Bri turned around, carefully, she didn’t want to run into a random locker door, or Alyssa.

“Alyssa, I swear you are the most embarrassing mean girl. Why her?” Rei asked.

”She just makes me crazy when she’s around you, that’s all. I get jealous. I may be a mean girl, but underneath it all, I’m still a girl first.” She said, humbled by Rei’s loyalty, wishing she could feel the same.

“Just leave her alone. I’ve lost my appetite.” He said, leaving her there.

“How am I going to get home, you drove me?” Alyssa asked, her voice high pitched.

“You’re an athlete, run.” He shrugged his shoulders.