First Hater...

~Adeline~

"Adeline! Open the door. We're going to be late!"

Josie's voice echoed through my bedroom door accompanied by two quick knocks.

"I'm coming, just give me a second!" I shouted back, picking my backpack up off the floor and stuffing my textbooks into it.

"You said that five minutes ago!" she replied from the hallway.

"Dylan's going to leave us behind if you don't hurry up!"

"I'm grabbing my books now. Wait!"

Casting one last glance at my reflection in the mirror, I adjusted the collar of the Wolfebrooke Crest Academy uniform that Miranda had left on my bed two days ago.

It consisted of a short pleated black skirt, a white shirt, and a black blazer. It felt strange compared to the casual clothes everyone wore at my old public school.

Knowing what to wear every morning used to give me anxiety sometimes. Kids judged your worth by the quality of the clothes you wore to class, but here, with this uniform, it would be different.

I put the blazer on feeling a little relieved. With this on, I'd just be one more face in the crowd... then I hurried outside, my skirt swirling around my legs as I climbed into the Jeep.

Sitting in the front seats, the twins cut off their conversation the exact moment I got in... Caleb turned to look at me, staring for a moment... a blush rose up his neck before he quickly turned to the front.

"You took your time," Dylan grumbled as he started the jeep. "Girls always find a way to drag their feet..."

"Oh, shut up, Dylan," Josie shot back from the seat next to mine. "She's new. She'll get used to the routine quickly. It's not the end of the world."

"We're going to miss the first bell because she needed to stare at herself in a mirror?" he replied.

"Why do guys always find a way to complain about absolutely nothing!" Josie retorted. "Drive instead of actually making us late."

Josie rolled her eyes toward the front seat, then turned to me.

"Don't mind them. Are you nervous?"

"A little," I admitted. "I just want this first day to be over."

"It'll be fine," she reassured me with a friendly nudge.

"The teachers aren't a problem, but you have to watch out for the students. Just remember to always stay with me... especially during lunch."

"I'll try to find you," I said, turning my gaze to the window.

The road wound through the Wolfebrooke forest, where the trees created a natural shield to block the morning sun... Soon, the tree line cleared to reveal the academy perched on a hill. The campus boasted perfectly trimmed trees and flowers, with tall wrought iron gates surrounding the building.

Getting out of the Jeep, the noise of the students filled the space... conversations died and heads turned in my direction. I climbed the steps, walking past a group of students leaning against the walls.

One of the guys stopped talking... threw his head back... sniffed the air then locked his eyes directly on me.

"Why is everyone staring at me?" I whispered, tightening my bag on my shoulders.

"It's just the new girl thing," Josie brushed off... she slipped her arm under mine to pull me through the doors.

"People here aren't used to outsiders. Ignore them."

"Still, they're staring way too much, jeez," I whispered. "Even that guy over there sniffed me!"

"What? No, stop being weird," Josie laughed.

"He probably just has a cold. Come on, let's check your schedule so you don't get lost."

We stopped in front of a row of lockers. I pulled the folded paper out of my pocket that Miranda had left with my uniform.

"OK, I have Literature first."

"Perfect. It's just down that hallway," Josie said, pointing to the end of the aisle. "I have Chemistry on the other side of the building, so I have to run. Meet me at the cafeteria right after fourth period, okay?"

"Got it. Thanks, Josie."

Finding the right class, I pushed the door open, only to realize I was late.

A woman with her blonde hair tied back interrupted her movement, marker suspended over the whiteboard. The entire class immediately stopped murmuring. Silence fell everywhere... somewhere in the back row, a low sound rumbled through the classroom, like a growl.

"Silence," the teacher ordered.

She turned her face toward me.

"You must be the new transfer student."

"Yes, I'm Adeline Cooper," I replied, fighting the urge to turn around and go back through the door.

"Welcome to Wolfebrooke Crest, Adeline. Please take an open seat in the row so we can continue."

"Thank you," I murmured, slipping down the aisle and collapsing into the first empty desk I saw.

"Now, class, let's refocus our attention on the board," Mrs. Bert continued, pacing in front of the class.

"We were discussing the Salem witch trials in The Crucible. The town becomes consumed by paranoia because of hidden acts and secrets. Why does a community fear hidden truths more than an open threat...?"

The classroom door slammed open at that exact moment, cutting off her question.

A guy walked in, filling the entire doorframe with his build. He seemed to be about 6'5", with muscles that strained under his school blazer.

He had short dark hair, a straight nose, a sculpted jaw... he was downright gorgeous, with an air of arrogance that quickly filled the room.

I snorted...

Guys who acted with that kind of cocky energy always expected the world to serve everything to them on a platter, even imagining that every girl would fall at their feet.

Taking a step into the room, he froze. I watched him stiffen. He jerked his head up, sniffed deeply, then laced his eyes on mine.

"Mr. Beckham," Mrs. Bert said slowly.

"You're disrupting my class. You're late!"

He didn't move to acknowledge her words. He just stood there, staring at me so much I held my breath.

I watched his jaw clench…, his eyes darken even more... his gaze turned into a scowl.

"Mr. Beckham, take your seat," she repeated, looking intimidated by a mere teenager.

"Sorry," he murmured. His voice came out as a deep rasp when he said that one word.

Breaking eye contact, he shoved his hands in his pockets... walked to the back of the class and dropped into an empty chair.

Mrs. Bert cleared her throat and resumed her lesson, but my concentration was gone, constantly drifting back to the hot, tall guy who had just interrupted class.

I could feel eyes burning into my back, but I tried to stay focused on Mrs. Bert's words. Some time later, unable to fight the urge any longer, I set my pen down and turned my head.

He was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed casually over his chest, still staring straight into my eyes. I raised an eyebrow in his direction to silently ask what his problem was...

He ignored me and instead turned his head forward with a frown on his face.

It was weird, really... I tried to focus my attention on Mrs. Bert's words, but my mind kept going back to him. The way he had stared at me intensely, and when I looked back, he had given me a hateful look. I wanted to ignore him, but it was throwing me off...

Were my frizzy curly sticking out?

Was there a stain on the back of my jacket that I hadn't noticed?

I sniffed myself, trying to figure out if I smelled bad.

We had never met anywhere before and yet, he was acting like I had personally insulted him the second he walked through the door.

I came to Wolfebrooke to keep a low profile and survive my senior year in peace. I didn't need enemies. I definitely didn't need the attention of a hot guy like him. His dark and brooding energy seemed off. I could clearly see he was trouble... the kind I needed to avoid.

God knows I have enough trouble to last me a lifetime...

"Adeline?"

The sound of my name brought me back to reality...

Blinking, I realized the class was now silent. Mrs. Bert was standing near the whiteboard, her marker raised, looking at me with an expectant expression.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" I asked.

"I was asking for your opinion on Abigail Williams," she replied patiently.

"Do you think she acted out of pure malice, or was she simply a product of her own oppressive environment?"

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. All eyes were now fixed on me. I stared at her, feeling my cheeks burn as the seconds stretched out.

I tried to gather my thoughts. I knew the answer, but she had caught me off guard. As I tried to give my answer, a mocking snicker broke the silence from the next row.

"Wow, great first impression from the new girl," a girl whispered to the person next to her.

A few guys in the middle row snorted with laughter.

Someone coughed to cover a laugh, and murmurs began to spread across the desks.

Looking down at my hands, I wished the floor would open up and swallow me whole... but then a low sound tore through the room, deep and guttural like that of a wild animal.

The laughter died instantly.

Mrs. Bert cleared her throat, her eyes darting to the back row before she quickly looked away.

"Let's keep order in this class," she said.

"Adeline, if you don't know the answer, we can move on to someone else."

Overcoming my shock, I straightened up.

"No, I can answer," I said, forcing my voice to stay confident.

Mrs. Bert nodded. "Please do."

"Abigail was manipulative, but she was a product of her environment," I explained finding my normal flow as I spoke.

"Salem gave young girls no power or voice, so the moment she realized she could use the town's fear of the unknown to take control, she did it. She was surviving the only way she knew how, even if it meant destroying everyone else to protect herself."

Mrs. Bert raised her eyebrows...

"That's a brilliant analysis, Adeline," she smiled. "Fear gives terrible people an easy path to power."

Just as she finished speaking, the school bell rang over the speakers signaling the end of class.

"Read chapter four for our next class, and Mr. Beckham, come see me later," Mrs. Bert said over the noise of scraping chairs. She grabbed her bag, opened the door and walked out into the hallway.

Sighing in relief, I slid my notebook into my backpack, already exhausted and it was only first period.

"Did you hear her trying to act all smart?" a voice murmured.

I froze my hand on my zipper... It was the girl who had made the dumb remark when I was called on to answer...

"She glitched for a minute and now she's acting like a genius? All to seem interesting?" the girl laughed tossing her hair back.

Closing my bag, I decided I had no patience for this high school pettiness. I stood up and faced her.

"If you want to talk about me, you don't need to whisper...i’m right here you can speak to my face”

She blinked... her mouth hung open in shock for a second, then she quickly closed it.

"Relax, new girl," the guy she was talking to stepped toward me with a smug smile. "She was just joking. No need to get defensive and touchy right away."

"That wasn't funny to me," I shot back refusing to back down or look away.

His eyes narrowed.

"You really need to chill, Cooper girl. You have no idea how things work here."

Suddenly, a shadow fell over my desk.

The brown-haired guy froze.

He went pale... looked at something behind me... I followed his gaze... I gasped when I realized it was the guy who had been glaring at me since he came in late.

He was standing right next to me.

Up close, his shoulders were broader than I thought.

"Back off, Miller," he barked.

His voice carried a sense of authority... Miller took a step back with a bow.

"My mistake, Jasper," he murmured. "We were just leaving."

Jasper. So that was his name.

Grabbing their bags, Miller and the mean girl walked out of the classroom door, but I caught the dirty look she shot me before closing the door behind her.

The rest of the students who were hanging around left shortly after.

Jasper and I were alone.

He stepped forward, placing his hand on my desk.

"You talk a lot for someone who just got here," Jasper commented, looking down at me.

"And you scowl a lot for someone hiding in the back," I replied. "I didn't need your help by the way. I can handle my own problems."

He flashed a half-smile, raising an eyebrow...

"I wasn't trying to help you, Adeline. Miller was just giving me a headache with all his noise."

"Right," I replied, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "Well, your headache is gone now. Excuse me."

Jasper stood there, blocking my way to the door. Standing my ground, I waited for him to move, refusing to show any sign of fear.

He stared at me a little longer, his eyes searching mine as if he was trying to read my thoughts. Finally, he stepped back, leaving me just barely enough space to get past.

I deliberately brushed my shoulder on his arm to prove I wasn't intimidated by his attitude or his stature.

I walked out into the crowded hallway, my hands shaking... I took deep breaths to slow my racing heart, realizing that surviving at this high school was going to be a lot harder than I had originally imagined.