Morgan

I glanced up the hallway. Why of course the soccer team would be on the prowl, it was the team's yearly tradition ever since I could remember. It had gone on since I’d been a freshman, since Clarissa had been a freshman, and probably since the team was organized years ago.

The bad boys of the school, the ones who thought they ruled, had placed themselves on exhibition so everyone could get a look at their pretty selves. They were all quite handsome, like in a way that made every girl fantasize at night, but so wrapped up in themselves that it was a total turn-off to me.

Not that I had a chance with any of them, since only the elite of the elite, the Hawkettes, ever got close enough to them. But with me being above average in size and an academic nerd, sort of left me out of the running as date material for any of the soccer guys…well, yeah, any guy in general except for another geek that might need a date for a dance or something.

“Why are they staring?” Tara whispered out of the side of her mouth.

I shrugged my shoulders and kept walking. I noticed the guys weren’t making their rude comments as we got closer and also there weren’t any girls hanging around them.

I kept my eyes focused on the stairwell at the end of the hall. I felt the heat of not only my anxiety but also that of Tara and Rynae who were walking beside me.

We almost made it safely past them when one of them, I thought it was Brandon, the co-captain of the team, spoke directly to me.

I heard a ‘hey, Morgan. What’s up?’, But nothing else followed.

No offensive or vulgar comments were directed towards me, Tara, or Rynae.

The gesture didn’t waver me from continuing on my way. I didn’t respond or even look back as to why they would be talking to me.

“What the hell was that all about?” Tara yelled a little bit too loud in the stairwell as we passed through the set of double doors. The level of her voice seemed to echo for miles.

“I don’t know.” Nor did I really care to.

“Well, they addressed you.” Rynae opened the door that led out to the second floor. She motioned for Tara and me to go ahead of her. The hallway was crowded with other students who seemed to be catching up with each other after not seeing each other during the summertime.

“Secretly, I am having an affair with the captain of the team. We’ve been meeting up all summer and lusting after each other’s bodies.” Like that would ever happen. I am so turned off by that whole group I don’t think I could even kiss one of them if someone offered me a million dollars to do so.

Tara and Rynae both rolled their eyes at me after my comment. They knew how I felt about that group. Since my sister was the lead bitch at one time, I had to endure the Hawkettes coming over to our house all the time. The guys rarely came over, and when they did, I would barricade myself in my room with my headphones on blocking out the whole world. I’m not antisocial, just never wanted to be bothered with their constant ridicule of everyone who wasn’t them.

Tara nudged me in the side. “I saw Ethan Lowry there. He looked like he was staring right at you.”

“Oh, please.” I gave her a look that signaled I doubt that occurred.

Ethan Lowry was the leading man this year. Team captain of the soccer team and leader of the douche bags…oops, I meant Hawks.

Actually, he was one of the quieter ones. But, he still walked around with is nose stuck up in the air like he was the king of all shit.

“I think Ethan Lowry was probably getting a hard-on from looking at all the trophies in the case along the side wall that had his name on them.”

Tara and Rynae nodded their heads that they agreed with me.

“Guess that’s my class.” I motioned with my hand to the lab room that was coming up on our left.

They both had some sort of history class together for their first course, which would be over in the next hall.

“I’ll see you guys at lunch.”

We had already checked our schedules to make sure we had lunch at the same time, that was one place we all had to stick together.

We said our goodbyes and I walked into the classroom.

I looked up at the doorway when the last warning bell rang. There was a stream of students flowing into the Honors Human Anatomy and Physiology class. Everyone sat down at the lab tables that permitted two per counter.

No surprise that I was left unpicked as a possible partner. It was like that all the time. I knew they weren't mean or rude, they just knew each other a little better than they knew me.

The sound of the teacher welcoming the last student made my eyes focus back to the door. It was Ethan Lowry, and he was headed directly to the only open space available, right beside me.