Save Me

Walking through the hallways was the worst part about high school. There were too many people walking into you, books falling, lockers closing and opening, and teachers watching your every move.

It's worst when you have football players practicing their passes right in front of you.

I wasn't paying attention to them. I was walking around, reading my schedule. It was actually pretty confusing. None of my classes were close to each other, which was really bad. I just hope I get to meet new people, and not be a loner like how I was when I used to live in California. I can't believe I'm living in Chicago now. It feels like everything happened too fast. In two months, my dad got fired, my mom left him with her new boyfriend, Will, who was the one who bought us the new house. He's really rich and a friend from her old work that had a huge crush on her. I guess everything works out, right? Nope.

“Hey, watch out!” Someone yelled. I looked up and a ball came flying to me. I couldn't catch it because I had my schedule in my hands. It hit my head and I went flying to the ground.

(~~~)

“I think she's waking up,” An unfamiliar voice said. I grumbled, squinting my eyes. It was bright and there were two faces looking down at me. I gave them a confused look, then opened my eyes some more.

Oh my God....

The guy that just talked was gorgeous. He had straight messy black hair and a half smile on his face. He had green eyes. His other friend had straight, neater hair than him. He had brown eyes.

“W-What?” I mumbled, sitting up. I looked around finding myself in a white room. I was laying on a blue bed and there was a lady at the other side of the room, reading papers on her desk.

“Whoa!” The brown eyed boy yelled. “Whats wrong with your eyes?!”

“Zach!” The green eyed one whispered, slapping his shoulder. I covered my eyes, blushing pink from embarrassment. My eyes were purple because of something that happened when I was born. No one would ever say anything about it, to be nice and all, but people think I did this to myself. Like if I was the one who made my eyes purple. Nope. I didn't. I wish I didn't even have my eye color. I just wanted the color my sister had, blue.

“I'm sorry if what Zach said offended you,” he said, giving me a perfect half smile. “I'm Cameron by the way. Are you new here? We're pretty popular and we've never seen you before.”

“Uhm, yes I'm new here, along with my sister...Krista,” I mumbled, touching my head. I felt something weird on it and looked at Zach and Cameron to explain to me what it was.

“Oh, that's cool,” Zach said, not noticing that I was wondering about the thing on my forehead. “You have a bandage on your head. Cam and I were playing football in the hallway and you were sorta in the way when I tried to throw it to him, it sorta hit you in the head...”

I nodded, thinking everything through. Then I asked, “Aren't we late for class?” The boys groaned and someone walked into the room. She had high cheek bones, a long nose, and her lips were a dark red. The lady had no expression on her face, but when she noticed I was talking to the boys, she glared at them.

The lady then said, “She's awake. I hope you two apologized.” They nodded, not looking at her in the eyes. “She's a new student here. From her records, she's amazing at everything she does. If you two do one more thing to her that might injure her, you'll be expelled. Understood?” They nodded again. Cameron and Zach looked terrified, I wanted to say something, but I just couldn't. I was as terrified as they were. “Cameron, show her to Mr. Jones' class.” With that, she left.

“Who was that?” I asked, getting off the bed. I felt a little woozy, but good.

“That was our principal, lovely isn't she?” Cameron joked. Zach and I both laughed, and we left the room. I looked back, seeing what the door said. Nurse's Office. Of course.

The hallways were now emptied out and silent. It felt so different from the last time I was here. This time, I could see the walls. There were fliers telling people to join this, join that. Mostly sports like volleyball, football, soccer, things like that. But one caught my eye.

Love Story musical.
We have a lot of parts out for anyone interested.
We need singers A-S-A-P!
For more details, go to the auditorium and contact Mrs. Anderson.
Tryouts on Wednesday, December 5th.

Was I actually going to join? Tryouts were in the middle of the week, which means I had plenty of time to go through the lines and practice them. The only thing that I was scared of was singing. I think I have a good voice, at least, that's what Krista tells me.

“What's your name?” Cameron asked, watching me reading the flier. I looked at him, pursing my lips.

“Natah.”

“Is that a nickname or something?” Zach asked and I shook my head, smiling. I was very different from everyone else. I had a weird eye color and a weird name. I wonder how much weirder I can get! “Are you planning on joining the musical?”

“Possibly,” I whispered, walking away from the wall, continuing our way to homeroom. The boys laughed and I crossed my arms, glaring at them. “What's so funny?”

“Musicals are lame,” Cameron laughed and I rolled my eyes and he sighed. “Okay fine, they aren't lame.” What the heck?

“If you think they aren't lame, why don't you join?” I asked, smirking at him.

“Don't do it, dude! They'll CHANGE you!” Zach yelled and I shushed him. He nodded continuing, “Please don't.”

“Uhm...” Cameron mumbled, thinking this through. Of course he's going to say no. Zach's like his best friend! “I'll do it, Natah.” Zach gasped at him and I chuckled, then the boys stopped and I turned around, looking at them weird. “We're here.”

I looked at the door next to us and it had a plank with the words, Mr. Jones Room 202.

Fun time over.

(~~~)

“Where to now?” I asked, looking at my watch. Cameron was holding my schedule and scratching his head.

“Lunch. Yeah! You, me, and Zach have the same time!” We have almost every class together. It was weird! Not that I was complaining about it or anything. I think it was awesome. “The jocks don't have this time for lunch, and luckily, Cali doesn't either.”

“Cali?” I asked. “Who's Cali?”

“Zach's girlfriend. I don't really like her,” he stated, opening the doors to the cafeteria. It was crowded! There were more people then there was in the hallway, which was apparently, a lot. After we got our food, he said, “I want you to meet some of my friends.”

We walked to a table in the middle. There were only four people at the table. Three girls and one boy, with his arm around one of them. She wore a lot of black, and her hair was the same color, but had streaks of blonde here and there.

“Hey,” I said and they all looked up at me and stared. Was it my eyes? I looked down at my feet and sighed.

“Guys, this is my new friend, Natah,” Cameron finally said and I nodded, and Cameron motioned me to sit. I sat and he sat next to me. My stomach growled and I touched it, biting my lip. Why was I so nervous around everyone? I'm never this scared.

Right when I was about to eat my spaghetti, someone coughed and I looked up. “I wouldn't eat that if I were you.” It was the boy. I pushed it away and he laughed. “I'm Oliver, but you can call me Oli, and this is my girlfriend, Raine.” The girl in his grasp looked at me and gave me a small smile.

“You can call me Blaze. The food here is terrible,” She explained. “It would get you sick, especially the spaghetti.” When she said that, I noticed something about her eyes. Her left eye was blue and her right eye was green. Someone sort of like me, finally!

“Here,” Cameron said, giving me his pizza, the only thing he had. I shook my head giving it back. “Come on.” He laughed. Right when that happened, I saw my sister walking up with her lunch. I smiled and she sat on my other side.

“Hey everyone,” Krista greeted, giving everyone a huge smile.

“Hey Krista,” Everyone said and I looked at her for her explanation.

“We already met,” She laughed, giving me a pudding. “It's good, trust me.” Zach walked to our lunch table, sitting next to Krista.

“I like your shirt,” One of the other girls. I smiled at her, then looked down at my shirt. It was a red long sleeve and I had plain black pants. “My name's Shannon. You can call me Shan though. Can I call you Nat?” I nodded.

Krista said, “Everyone already does.” I rolled my eyes, playfully.

“Then can we call you Dollface?” The other girl said. “I'm Laura, Shan's sister.”

“I like Dollface, but it doesn't involve my name,” I laughed and Zach pushed his food away, looking like he was about to hurl. “Whoa, you okay there Zachy?”

“Zachy?” He laughed and nodded. “I'm fine, the food just tastes like feet.” Lovely.

“Uhm, okay,” Krista giggled, looking at him. “How would you know how feet tastes like?”

“Err...” Zach mumbled. “Let's just go back to giving Nat a new nickname.”

“I got it!” Cameron yelled. “What about Natahpoo?” We all started laughing and I nodded, eating my vanilla pudding. It was actually good.

(~~~)

After school, Cameron asked me if he can walk me home. Of course, I said yes. He was adorable and super funny. It's weird, Krista didn't want to walk home with me. She went to tryout for volleyball. She was going to tryout for cheer leading tomorrow, like me. I'm not that kind of girl though, but I want to try something new, y'know?

“So about the musical,” Cameron interrupted my thoughts. I looked at him and he looked at me. “I don't know if I should join...”

“Why?” I asked, walking through the white snow. I just love it. It's beautiful.

He coughed. “I'm a jock.”

Was he actually going on about this? Wouldn't he not care about what people said about him? I left that stage a long time ago.

“So? C'mon! Please?” I said, giving him a pouty face. He smiled, chuckling a little.

“Fine, Natahpoo.”

(~~~)

When I got home, I smiled. I just didn't know why. I looked around the small house, finding no one insight. Mom and Will were at work and Krista was still at the tryouts. I looked at the time. 3:30. She'll probably be home around four.

I went to my desk, finding a book. It wasn't mine or Krista's, but it had a note on it.

For: Natah Cook
From: Jason Cook

My dad? Why would he want to give me a book after everything we've been through? And why not Krista?

Taking off the note from book, I gasped at the title of it. Pretty Little Liars. I've always wanted that book! But I never told my dad. Actually, I never told anyone.

Opening the book, I read the first line. Then I walked to my bed, laying down.

After about fifteen pages, I stopped, flipping through the rest of the pages. I suddenly found something in one of the pages. A piece of paper with writing on it.

Dear Natah,
It's funny how I know you'll read a few pages, stop, then flip though the pages.
But, that's not why I gave you this book.
What we're going through is unbelievable and frustrating for everyone, especially for you and Krista.
Everything that's happened is a lie.
None of it is true!
I would never do anything like that to my family.
Please, understand.
I know you won't be able to contact me without your mom or William knowing,
So I hid this in your book.
I miss you and your sister.
Oh, and don't tell anyone I gave you this note, okay?
I love you.
-Jason

So it was all a lie?