She Will Be Loved

I sat on the edge of my bed, staring into the mirror across from me. I frowned as I ran a hand through my hair. I was still not used to it yet, color and length alike. I sighed and pushed myself off the comfort of my bed to walk over to my dresser. I took a lip stud from on top of it and slipped it into my labret slot. A knock came on my door.

“Yeah?” The door cracked open and Val stuck her head in the door. She had returned yesterday after being reassured her father would be fine. She smiled when she caught my eyes and I had to force myself to smile back. She frowned and fully stepped into my room.

“What’s wrong?” I sighed, leaning forward to rest my elbow on the top and my chin resting in my palm.

“I guess I’m just nervous. I haven’t been to school in a few months and even then I’m having to start over in a new city, new state even. It’s not very fun to have your senior year in another world pretty much.” Val walked to stand by my side and rubbed my back comfortingly.

“It’s going to be fine. You just have to keep in mind one thing; these kids won’t matter soon. As soon as you graduate it doesn’t matter what kids thought of you in high school. If anything that should drive you. People tell you you don’t matter, you have to prove them wrong.” I smiled at her.

“Thanks Val.”

“No problem sweetie. Come on. We gotta head out now.” I sighed but nodded anyway. I stood and grabbed my backpack from the floor by my door. Jimmy had run out yesterday and bought it in excitement for me. I don’t know why he got so excited about me going to school, but whatever. Together we walked down the stairs and then into the kitchen. All the guys had a cup of coffee and their heads were either being held up by their hands or on the counter. I was kind of shocked to see even Zacky in here.

“What are you all doing up?” I asked curiously. These guys didn’t seem to know what the morning was. Believe me, I am always up by eight and they don’t wake until eleven the earliest.

“We wanted to - ” Jimmy paused to let out a loud yawn he tried to cover with his hand. “see you off on your first day.”

“Well maybe you five shouldn’t have stayed up until three in the morning playing Call Of Duty?” Val mused with a smirk as she placed her hands on her hips.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Brian practically slurred from his exhaustion as he raised his head from the counter. “You ain’t my mother.”

“Would like me to call her instead? She’ll probably bitch at you too,” Val remarked. Brian whined/moaned out a long ‘no’ as he placed his head back on the marble counter. Val shook her head and started towards the door. “We’re going. All of you go back to bed.”

“Bye Dakota,” everyone yawned. I grinned and waved before following Val out the door. We climbed into her Jeep before she backed out of the driveway. Luckily she had the cover on so my hair wouldn’t get all messed up by the wind. I let out a small sigh as I sunk in my seat a little, the now familiar sound of Metallica playing through her speakers. Everyone decided to make it their job to make sure I knew who at least they were.

“Oh yeah, did Brian tell you what we’re doing after school?” I narrowed my eyes in confusion at the side of Val’s face since she had her attention on the road.

“No?”

“We’re finally taking you to meet the Haner clan. After you called Papa Gates he was expecting us to come over the next day or something. Him and Suzy, Brian’s step-mom, threw a fit since it’s been, like, a week.”

“Oh. Okay.” I was even more nervous than ever now. Not only did I have to deal with school, I now had to meet a new part of this family right after. Could I not just get a break, ugh. Suddenly Val pulled to a stop in front of the high school. It was about seven thirty-five, twenty minutes before the late bell. A few people looked over, but most looked away. Maybe people won’t recognize me without my crazy, red hair.

“Go speak to Mrs. Torelli, she’ll give you your schedule. Someone will come get you after school. I’m not sure who, but someone will text you when it gets closer to the end of school,” Val informed me. I nodded, grabbing my bag and hopping out of the Jeep. “Have fun, okay?”

“I’ll try.” With that I shut the door and she sped out of the parking lot. Obviously school is somewhere she did not want to be again. I turned around, pulling my backpack onto my back, and held my head high as I walked up the steps to the front of the school. I walked inside and instantly slumped. How the hell do I get to the office again?

“Lia! Go the other way!”

“No way! He’ll find us that way!” Suddenly two blondes, that looked very similar, ran into the hallway I was in. Sadly I didn’t move fast enough and I was run over by the first one with plain blonde hair. We fell in a heap, me on bottom, both of us groaning. The other girl stood above us with wide eyes, hands hovering over the other girl’s body, unsure of what to do.

“Oh my God! I am so sorry about my sister! Are you okay!” The girl huffed and rolled her sister off of me to hit the floor with a slight thud. She offered a hand which I took as she pulled me to my feet. “She didn’t hurt you too bad, did she?”

“Thanks Alice! I feel the love,” the girl one the floor mocked, pushing herself to her knees and then to her feet. Her green eyes turned to me with a smile. “Sorry about that. Are you okay?”

“Yeah I’m fine. Thank-you though,” I said kindly. Both tilted their heads to the left wearing identical looks of confusion.

“I’m sorry, but Lia just ran you over and it’s okay?” The girl, Alice, asked shocked. I nodded. “Aren’t you mad?”

“Not really. You guys were in a rush and didn’t see me. Besides, I heard you coming, I should have moved or something.” By now they were staring at me like I had three heads. I fidgeted under their gaze and let my own eyes trail to the left.

“I like her!” I turned my head back to them to see Lia grinning widely. “She doesn’t hate me.”

“It is a new record,” Alice muttered. Soon they were both smiling politely at me. “Well I’m Alice Summers and this is my twin sister Amalia, but just call her Lia.”

“What’s your name?” Lia interrupted, taking a small step forward.

“My name’s Dakota Sanders, but everyone calls me Kota or Koty. I’m new here.”

“Gasp! We get to meet the new girl first?!” Lia exclaimed excitedly. She latched her arms around one of mine and grinned at Alice. “I call dibs on best friends forever!”

“Lia, calm down. Geeze. Must you always overreact?” Alice muttered, the last part more to herself. Either Lia didn’t hear or chose to ignore her sister because her wide smile didn’t disappear or even faulter.

“What classes do you have?”

“Uhm, I don’t know yet. I was on my way to go get my timetable, but I forgot how to get there. When I came to sign up I was too busy talking to my friend instead of paying attention,” I explained with a small smile. Lia began to pull me down the hall.

“Come, I’ll show you the way!” Alice silently followed us down the hall. I had decided that Alice must be the older, and much more calm twin. It was kind of like yin and yang. “So what grade are you in?”

“Senior.” She let out a loud and audible gasp.

“Us too! You will fit in perfectly with Alice, Jake, Max, Dev, and I. Oh, the fun this year entails!” Lia exclaimed, her mind seeming far away from me. It was like she was forgetting I was still in her arm lock.

“Excuse me, who?” Lia was still rambling about 'how much fun this year was going to be'. I craned my neck to try and catch Alice’s eye. She smiled and walked up on the opposite side of me.

“Our friends. Lia will probably force you to meet all of them soon. Believe me, they’re really cool dudes.”

“That’s cool,” I muttered. Meeting people is, obviously, not my forte. Alice smiled to me reassuringly.

“Is that an English accent by the way?” I nodded in confirmation.

“No way!” Lia shouted. “New student with an English accent?! I love accents! You are definitely my new best friend!”

“And what about Max?” Alice mused. Lia frowned which soon turned into a pout.

“He can suck it. He’s your boyfriend, not mine. I can reject him if I want to! Dev is my best dude friend. She will be my best friend!”

“So you’re boyfriend is getting denied?” Lia nodded. “Alright, whatever floats your boat I guess.”

“Here we are!” Lia exclaimed, pulling to a stop in front of the glass door I had been in front of only a few days ago. Lia didn’t let go of my arm until we were all inside, standing in front of Mrs. Torelli’s desk. I moved my arm in my socket to hopefully get my circulation pumping again. Mrs. Torelli looked up and smiled at the three of us.

“Hello again Dakota. Lia, Alice, I see you two are taking care of her. Treat her good. Her uncle wouldn’t appreciate her damaged,” Mrs. Torelli warned as she typed away at the computer.

“Aye, aye ma’am!” Alice and Lia said in unison. We all laughed a bit as Mrs. Torelli printed out a paper. She handed it to me and my eyes scanned over the classes. I was slightly disappointed to not see track or photography on the schedule. But luckily there was at least music and art. As we left the office Lia snatched the paper from my hand. I was almost sure I was going to have a paper cut. Her green eyes shot over the words in record speed.

“Physics, Calculus, Art, lunch, music, and U.S. History. At least you got all your English shit done. We all have the same lunch and I have your U.S. History. Alice is in your art and Calculus since you two are the overachievers in math.” Alice looked over her twin’s shoulder and nodded in confirmation.

“She’s right. I think you have Jake in physics and Max and him in your music. Right Lia?” Lia nodded absent mindedly.

“I think Jake is also in History. Oh yeah, he is whenever he actually shows up,” Lia informed, handing me back my schedule. I raised my eyebrow at the short list. In my other school we have eight periods.

“When does school let out?”

“Two thirty.”

“Oh.” Much earlier than we got out too. We got out almost an hour later. Lia put her death grip on my arm again and pulled me down the hall again.

“Come on! The bell for everyone to get to class will ring soon. We have to get you to physics so you can meet Jake!” I wordlessly allowed myself to get dragged. Who the hell is Jake?!