Hallway bully...

~Adeline~

The warning bell for the second period blared. I dragged my feet through the unfamiliar corridors until the bold lettering of the Biology came into view.

I pushed the door open, hoping to slip in unnoticed…

No such luck.

The whispers of classroom chatter died the exact second I stepped in. I could feel two dozen pairs of eyes latched on me…I pushed my back straight and held my head high as I walked in…once I passed the first two rows of desks, the murmurs picked back up.

I scanned the room and spotted an empty stool at a table near the back. The only other person sitting there was a girl pulling notebooks from her bag.

She was undeniably pretty, with long blonde hair that featured a single, pink-dyed streak.

"Is this seat taken?" I asked.

She paused, looked up at me with hazel eyes. "No, it's free."

I nodded, then slid onto the stool, dropping my bag to the floor. I reached for my zipper, but before I could pull my own textbooks out, the girl leaned into me.

She didn't just lean closer… she leaned in and inhaled. Her nose twitched as if she were trying to catalog my scent.

I froze, turning my head to stare at her.

Her eyes were wide…blinking rapidly as she pulled back.

"Is everything okay?" I asked unable to keep the tone out of my voice.

What is wrong with the people in this town?

Do they not know the basic concept of personal space?

"Yep," she replied. "You're the new human."

She didn't say it like an observation. She said it like a confirmation to herself.

New human.

"Aren't we all humans?" I asked back forcing a small smile onto my lips.

She blinked.

Something like panic crossed her face before she raised her eyebrows and nodded a little too quickly.

"Sure. Sure. Totally."

She went back to fumbling with her stuff.

Looking at her side profile, she was giving spoiled-daddy's-girl energy. Every single item she pulled out… her binders, her sticky notes, even the fuzzy top of her pen, was some shade of pastel pink.

"I'm Adeline Cooper, by the way," I offered watching her stiff posture.

She exhaled.

I watched the tension leave her shoulders as she turned back to me with a much more genuine smile.

"Lily Beckham."

My stomach flipped.

I quickly arranged my expression into something neutral, fighting the shock.

Beckham.

That was the last name of the infuriating glaring giant from my literature class.

Jasper.

Were they siblings?

Cousins?

Just an unfortunate coincidence?

I opened my mouth to ask, but the classroom door swung open and the biology teacher came in, immediately launching into a lecture about cellular structures…

The next forty-five minutes dragged on.

We were grouped up for an assignment, and Lily proved to be helpful, though she kept giving me these curious glances when she thought I wasn't looking.

"Hey, going for lunch?" She asked the moment the bell rang zipping her pink pens away.

"Umm, yeah, but I actually planned to hang out with someone," I told her slinging my backpack over my shoulder.

Her face scrunched up. "Who?"

"Josephine Harris," I said arching a brow at her reaction. "I'm staying with her family for my scholarship year."

"Oh!" She replied. "Well, Josie and I are chill. Let's go, I’ll take you to her."

I followed her out of the classroom…she was actually cool I thought…Lily was the second decent person I had met in the entirety of Wolfebrooke Crest who managed to make my defensive walls drop a little.

As we walked the hallway toward the cafeteria, a group of three girls stepped into the center of the corridor forcing the flow of traffic to part around them.

They looked beautiful all glittery and shiny…

As Lily and I approached, the girl in the middle sneered as she sniffed the air.

"Little Human.“ She spat in my direction.

I froze.

Lily sighed…gripped my wrist, trying to drag me forward. I took one reluctant step but another girl from the trio snorted.

"Ah, look at those legs. Aren't they a little too long for her body? Jeez, she looks like a stray dog."

What? I turned and walked up to them.

They stood straighter…I could see their eyes lit up with excitement…

"What?" asked the first girl.

She had long black hair with bangs...a killer hourglass figure that commanded attention and stood around five-foot-six. From the arrogant tilt of her chin and the way the other two stood around her, she was clearly the queen of the group.

"You were talking about me," I answered locking my eyes with hers.

"And?" she challenged taking a step away the lockers to close the distance between us.

"Camila," Lily warned from behind me.

Camila ignored her, her eyes just focused on my face.

"What, Lily?" she drawled.

"Are you her new protector? Can't we have a little fun with the human?"

She sniffed me again!

"Smells weird," she snorted with disgust.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

I was beyond mortified.

First the 'human' comment again, and now she was telling me I smelled weird?

It was bizarre.

I could sense she was the typical high school mean girl who thrived on tearing others down, but her insults were just strange...

Josie was right.

I had only been here for a couple of hours and the students were already turning into my biggest nightmare.

"I have some advice for you, new girl," She whispered.

"Act like you don't exist here. You are not supposed to be here, you…"

"Camila!..."

Lily's voice roared with an unnatural authority that sent fear through me, I watched in shock as Camila snapped her mouth shut.

She bowed her head, took a step back as if a force had pushed her.

I turned around to look at Lily.

For a second I swore her eyes flashed gold…I blinked hard.

When I opened my eyes…her eyes was normal again. I was too derailed by Camila's threatening words to process what I had just seen.

‘You are not supposed to be here.’

What on earth did she mean by that?

I was given this scholarship.

I hadn't asked for it. I didn't beg for it!

I opened my mouth to demand an answer, but Lily's hand dragged me away.

"Ignore her, Addie. She just gets off on bullying people," Lily muttered pulling me toward the cafeteria doors.

I glanced over my shoulder to see the three girls watching me go. Camila was smirking twirling a lock of her hair around her finger.

Great.

The list of people trying to ruin my peace here was growing by the minute. I didn't pack up my ruined life, move a thousand miles away, just to become the punching bag for a bunch of small-town rich kids.

I just wanted to survive…save whatever cash I could find from a part-time job, and escape to college so I never had to rely on my greedy uncle again.

Was that really so much to ask?

As soon as we entered the cafeteria, I heard my name loud across the room, i spotted Josie waving from a table…Lily and I rushed over…

"I see you’ve met Lily" Josie said… her eyes moved between the two of us.

"Yeah," I sighed dropping into a fseat.

"In biology."

"Are you okay? You look worn out," She frowned.

Before I could answer, Lily jumped in.

"Camila and that ridiculous gang of hers tried to corner her in the hall, but thankfully I was there to shut it down."

Josie grimaced muttered an apology then we went over to order…by the time we paid for our trays and settled back at our table the entire cafeteria turned silent.

I looked up from my food to see a group of guys strolling through.

Leading the group was Jasper.

I instantly rolled my eyes.

‘Of course.’

Behind him walked six other guys, moving with the same grace that commanded the room.

The only faces I recognized were Caleb and Dylan, my host brothers...

I turned back to our table and caught Josie staring..,transfixed…her cheeks were flushed red, her eyes glued to a guy walking at Jasper's right shoulder.

He was almost the same height as Jasper and really good-looking…with a bad boy aura. I looked at her again…she looked too sweet to be going for a guy like that.

He had almost the same haughty air as Jasper. I don't know if it was because they looked like literal models, but everyone I have seen so far in the school looked really good…all of them mostly.

They had killer bodies and muscles rippling...the girls had big boobs and full round hips, like people who didn't bother about diet. It suddenly made total sense why the Harris family consumed enough meat at the dinner table...its all going to their bodies.

I watched as Jasper led his ‘entourage’ to our side of the cafeteria. The students occupying the table direct from ours deserted the second Jasper stopped in front of them.

He didn't even have to say a word.

I gritted my teeth.

Out of the empty tables in the cafeteria why did he have to choose the one opposite us?

It seems the students here respect him even more than they do the staff and teachers, which is totally weird.

Jasper took a seat while locking those eyes of his on me…

Awesome.

Now he gets to scowl at me while I eat too?

"Oh, shut it, Josie," Lily whispered watching Josie.

"I have warned you a thousand times that Logan is going to break your heart."

"I can't help it, Lily," Josie mumbled.

"Can you believe I just saw him kissing one of the cheerleaders as I was walking in. Like, he had her pushed up on his locker, giving her a full-blown French kiss right out in the open."

She rubbed her eyes.

"Shit." I swore.

I know how bad it feels when someone you like kisses another person right in front of you. It stings!

"You should really just avoid him, Josie," I warned her throwing a glare toward the boys' table.

"He's a heartbreaker. It's written all over his smug face. Actually, it's written all over that Jasper guy’s face, too."

"Wait, you know Jasper?"

"You've met Jasper?"

Lily and Josie blurted the questions at the exact same time..their voices rang out loud I flinched…tearing my eyes away from Jasper whom I had caught in a staring contest.

"Yeah," I replied suddenly feeling defensive under their shocked expressions.

"We had literature together this morning. He is a total weirdo. He just sat in the back and shot me hateful glares for the entire forty minutes."

The two girls exchanged a loaded look that made me cock my brows.

"That's my brother," Lily said.

Even though I had suspected it, the confirmation still surprised me.

I stared at Lily. They were nothing alike. Sure, they shared the same striking hazel eyes, and the same straight nose, but their personalities were opposite.

"He's really cool once you actually get to know him. Everyone loves Jasper," She said with something like admiration in her voice.

"If everyone loves him, then why do they act terrified of him?" I challenged pointing my fork at her.

"I watched students dive out of his way here in the cafeteria…. Even Mrs. Bert looked intimidated when he showed up late to her class."

"That's... a different thing entirely," Josie replied not meeting my eye.

"He's umm... just someone of authority around here."

Her stuttering answer only brought more confusion to my brain.

Authority?

He was an eighteen-year-old high school senior.

What authority could he possibly have?

Before I could demand an explanation, the cafeteria noise levels dipped again.

I turned to the entrance and felt my blood boil.

Camila walked in with her friends….sashaying her hips so much her uniform skirt rolled up to an illegal level. I watched in fascination as she bypassed the other tables and made straight for Jasper's spot.

"Here she comes," Josie muttered.

"I really don't know what Jasper sees in her."

"She's gorgeous, Josie. Guys like having a pretty woman on their arm, and you know my brother's taste..." Lily trailed off.

I stopped chewing.

I watched as Camila reached the table.

Logan cleared a space for her…she draped herself over Jasper's side…buried her hand into his thick dark curls and pressed her mouth on his in a kiss.

"What?"

The word slipped out of my mouth before my brain could stop it.

Josie laughed.

"That's exactly how she behaves around him. She uses every single public minute to visually lay her claim."

"Lay her claim?" I repeated feeling like a complete idiot.

"They're dating," Lily explained watching my face.

The moment the words left her mouth and registered in my brain…pain ripped through my heart like a knife twisting inside my body…stealing the air from my lungs.

I gasped dropping my fork on my tray.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked.

Was I okay?

Fuck. I couldn't breathe.

Why the hell was I bothered that this glaring jerk had a hot girlfriend?

It made no sense.

Not only was she his girlfriend, but she was the exact same girl who had cornered me in the hallway, threatening me and telling me I didn't belong in this town.

"I need to go. I'm heading early to my last class," I choked out shoving my chair back.

As I hurried to the door, I risked one final look over my shoulder toward Jasper’s table, through the crowded room his eyes were already on my retreating figure.

I didn't know if I was imagining things, but just as I kept walking, I saw his jaw clench. He grabbed Camila's wrist and roughly pushed it out of his hair.

I didn't wait to see more.

I rushed out…trying to find a quiet place where i can remember how to breathe…