Status: Complete
Wild Child: Love Cannot Save You Part 1
Hello, I Love You
Huge, archaic doors loomed over Caroline’s petite, 5 foot frame like a storm cloud over an ant; dark and menacing, as if daring her to challenge them. She was not a nervous girl. At any other time, in any other place, nothing would have been too much for her. But those doors-they represented something that chilled her to her very core. If she walked through, she would be accepting the fact that she was starting a whole new chapter in her life, one that she didn’t want to begin.
“You ok, Car?” Phil spoke from beside her.
Caroline shook her head. She felt queasy. She had been getting strange looks ever since she had arrived at of George Washington High School. In hindsight it probably wasn’t the best idea to have worn her favorite outfit-a pair of black tights and a long black and white striped shirt-on the first day of school.
Everyone around her was wearing such proper attire. Long skirts and button down tops. All the girls wore their hair short and fluffed, while the boys had short, neat cuts. With her straight, shoulder length hair, she stood out like a sore thumb. And for once, Caroline didn’t enjoy the feeling.
“Hey,” said Phil, “it’s ok. I’m sure you’ll make plenty of new friends.”
“Are you kidding?” she half whispered, “look at these people, Phil. I don’t think they’d be interested in getting to know someone like me.”
“Just keep an open mind, alright? You’re a great girl, Car. Any of these people would be lucky to know you.”
Caroline looked into her brother’s smiling eyes and sighed. It wasn’t like this move was any easier on Phil than it was on her. It was his senior year after all. But there he was, grinning at her like absolutely nothing had changed. He was being strong for her, so why couldn’t she be strong for him?
“Alright,” she nodded, as Phil patted her on the back.
“If you need anything,” he said, “just come find me.”
“Ok,” She grimaced.
“Alright. See you later.” And with that he was gone, disappearing into the crowd.
“You can do this.” Caroline told herself, sucking in a deep breath, “It’s now or never.” And before she could change her mind, she was off, through the double doors and onto the next chapter of her life, not once stopping to look back.
__________________________________________________________________________________
George Washington High School didn’t seem too fond of the changing times. In fact, Caroline noted as she continued down the dim hallway, they seemed to view progressive education as nothing more than a passing fad. She could hardly believe that she had gone from the glitz and glam of New York City to nowhereseville in such a short amount of time. Not that any amount of time would have been enough to get used to such a massive change.
Her first class had been a disaster, and the ones that followed not much better. Upon arrival, she was scolded not only for being tardy, but for her “inappropriate attire” that apparently violated “at least four different school rules.” And as if that weren’t enough, Caroline had just been kicked out of English Literature for what her teacher considered “talking back.”
“This is a nightmare.” She muttered. “God, I need a cigarette.”
“Car?” She turned to face her brother, and couldn’t help but smile. “What happened? Why aren’t you in class?”
Smirking, she held up the slip in her hand. Before she could throw it into the garbage where it belonged, he grabbed it from her.
“Leave it to you, Caroline, to get in trouble on the first day.”
“What can I say? It’s a gift.”
“Well let’s just hope mom and dad don’t find out about this.”
Caroline frowned. “So what if they do? It’s not like I care what either of them think. And besides, it’s their fault for making us move here in the first place.”
“Please,” Phil groaned, “don’t start that now.”
“Fine,” she surrendered, “so where are you headed?”
“Cafeteria.” He replied, handing back the slip, which she promptly crinkled up and tossed into the nearest trashcan.
“Mind if I join you?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Nope.” She laughed. “So, how have your classes been?”
“Ok I guess.” He shrugged. “Unlike you, I’m trying to make a good first impression.”
“Hey,” she exclaimed, “what makes you think I’m not trying?”
Then, meeting her brother’s skeptical gaze, she began to laugh.
“Why do you care what these people think of you anyway?”
“I don’t.” He answered. “But I do care about my future. You’re messing with your life here, Caroline.”
“You sound like dad.” She joked.
“Hey,” Phil chuckled, “watch it.”
Then, something across the hall seemed to catch his eye. He waved politely at someone, and Caroline, intrigued, followed her brother’s gaze. Immediately, she felt her cheeks get hot.
Looking just past her was a boy that looked around Phil’s age. With his messy brown hair and intense blue-grey eyes like a stormy day, he was probably the most handsome boy Caroline had ever seen.
But he wasn’t just handsome. There was more to it than that. Something told her that this boy was unique. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was, but she could almost see in his eyes the curiosity and intelligence that seemed to radiate from him.
The boy nodded in acknowledgement, managing a small grin. If he felt anything akin to what Caroline did, he certainly wasn’t showing it. He kept walking, without another glance in her direction, his face not showing the slightest bit of emotion.
“Who was that?” she breathed when he was out of earshot.
“That?” Phil repeated, “Oh that’s Jim. He’s in a few of my classes. He’s kind of a fream, but a pretty cool guy.” He kept talking, but his sister was in another world.
“Jim what?”
Phil paused mid-sentence and looked back in confusion. “Pardon?”
“His name. What is it? Jim what?”
Understanding dawned on her brother’s face, his eyes conveying his worry and hesitation. “Morrison,” he frowned, “but Car-“ he was making some kind of speech but she had spaced out once again.
Jim, she thought, Jim Morrison. She liked that name. It suited him. She smiled to herself as she continued walking, oblivious to everyone and everything around her. Perhaps, she grinned, there was something to like about Alexandria after all.
“You ok, Car?” Phil spoke from beside her.
Caroline shook her head. She felt queasy. She had been getting strange looks ever since she had arrived at of George Washington High School. In hindsight it probably wasn’t the best idea to have worn her favorite outfit-a pair of black tights and a long black and white striped shirt-on the first day of school.
Everyone around her was wearing such proper attire. Long skirts and button down tops. All the girls wore their hair short and fluffed, while the boys had short, neat cuts. With her straight, shoulder length hair, she stood out like a sore thumb. And for once, Caroline didn’t enjoy the feeling.
“Hey,” said Phil, “it’s ok. I’m sure you’ll make plenty of new friends.”
“Are you kidding?” she half whispered, “look at these people, Phil. I don’t think they’d be interested in getting to know someone like me.”
“Just keep an open mind, alright? You’re a great girl, Car. Any of these people would be lucky to know you.”
Caroline looked into her brother’s smiling eyes and sighed. It wasn’t like this move was any easier on Phil than it was on her. It was his senior year after all. But there he was, grinning at her like absolutely nothing had changed. He was being strong for her, so why couldn’t she be strong for him?
“Alright,” she nodded, as Phil patted her on the back.
“If you need anything,” he said, “just come find me.”
“Ok,” She grimaced.
“Alright. See you later.” And with that he was gone, disappearing into the crowd.
“You can do this.” Caroline told herself, sucking in a deep breath, “It’s now or never.” And before she could change her mind, she was off, through the double doors and onto the next chapter of her life, not once stopping to look back.
__________________________________________________________________________________
George Washington High School didn’t seem too fond of the changing times. In fact, Caroline noted as she continued down the dim hallway, they seemed to view progressive education as nothing more than a passing fad. She could hardly believe that she had gone from the glitz and glam of New York City to nowhereseville in such a short amount of time. Not that any amount of time would have been enough to get used to such a massive change.
Her first class had been a disaster, and the ones that followed not much better. Upon arrival, she was scolded not only for being tardy, but for her “inappropriate attire” that apparently violated “at least four different school rules.” And as if that weren’t enough, Caroline had just been kicked out of English Literature for what her teacher considered “talking back.”
“This is a nightmare.” She muttered. “God, I need a cigarette.”
“Car?” She turned to face her brother, and couldn’t help but smile. “What happened? Why aren’t you in class?”
Smirking, she held up the slip in her hand. Before she could throw it into the garbage where it belonged, he grabbed it from her.
“Leave it to you, Caroline, to get in trouble on the first day.”
“What can I say? It’s a gift.”
“Well let’s just hope mom and dad don’t find out about this.”
Caroline frowned. “So what if they do? It’s not like I care what either of them think. And besides, it’s their fault for making us move here in the first place.”
“Please,” Phil groaned, “don’t start that now.”
“Fine,” she surrendered, “so where are you headed?”
“Cafeteria.” He replied, handing back the slip, which she promptly crinkled up and tossed into the nearest trashcan.
“Mind if I join you?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Nope.” She laughed. “So, how have your classes been?”
“Ok I guess.” He shrugged. “Unlike you, I’m trying to make a good first impression.”
“Hey,” she exclaimed, “what makes you think I’m not trying?”
Then, meeting her brother’s skeptical gaze, she began to laugh.
“Why do you care what these people think of you anyway?”
“I don’t.” He answered. “But I do care about my future. You’re messing with your life here, Caroline.”
“You sound like dad.” She joked.
“Hey,” Phil chuckled, “watch it.”
Then, something across the hall seemed to catch his eye. He waved politely at someone, and Caroline, intrigued, followed her brother’s gaze. Immediately, she felt her cheeks get hot.
Looking just past her was a boy that looked around Phil’s age. With his messy brown hair and intense blue-grey eyes like a stormy day, he was probably the most handsome boy Caroline had ever seen.
But he wasn’t just handsome. There was more to it than that. Something told her that this boy was unique. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was, but she could almost see in his eyes the curiosity and intelligence that seemed to radiate from him.
The boy nodded in acknowledgement, managing a small grin. If he felt anything akin to what Caroline did, he certainly wasn’t showing it. He kept walking, without another glance in her direction, his face not showing the slightest bit of emotion.
“Who was that?” she breathed when he was out of earshot.
“That?” Phil repeated, “Oh that’s Jim. He’s in a few of my classes. He’s kind of a fream, but a pretty cool guy.” He kept talking, but his sister was in another world.
“Jim what?”
Phil paused mid-sentence and looked back in confusion. “Pardon?”
“His name. What is it? Jim what?”
Understanding dawned on her brother’s face, his eyes conveying his worry and hesitation. “Morrison,” he frowned, “but Car-“ he was making some kind of speech but she had spaced out once again.
Jim, she thought, Jim Morrison. She liked that name. It suited him. She smiled to herself as she continued walking, oblivious to everyone and everything around her. Perhaps, she grinned, there was something to like about Alexandria after all.