My Living Nightmare

It was amazing how fast time goes when school’s approaching. The week flew by, and I was shocked- and slightly horrified- when my alarm woke me up at six on Monday morning for school.
School started at precisely 07:45, so I had a whole hour and forty-five minutes to get ready. Enough time, I reasoned with myself, to take a shower, get dressed, have breakfast and still have a twenty minute lie-in.

But it wasn’t to be. The second my eyes opened they wouldn’t close again. I yawned and pulled the covers over my head.

“Wakey, wakey!”

Tory bounced into my room, already dressed and carrying a satchel over her shoulder.

“I am awake,” I mumbled.

“So? C’mon! Get up! Get dressed! Rise and shine, and all that other stuff!”

“Go away.”

“Can’t. If you haven’t noticed yet, I have taken it upon myself to wake you up each and every morning. Now come,” she ordered.

“No,” I moaned.

“Fine.”

Wait, fine? Just fine? Nothing else?

And the next thing I knew was the cool breeze blowing over my now blanket-free body. My oversized T-shirt and shorts were no protection against the cold. I shivered.

“Tory!” I yelled, jumping off the bed and chasing her.

“No time for games, get done for school,” she shrieked, running through my open door and banging it shut behind her.

Unbelievable…

I laid my uniform over a chair as I waited for Sean to finish up in the bathroom. It was really a huge hassle having to share a bathroom with him, especially when there were so many other rooms they could’ve given me. Not that I was ungrateful, but this whole marriage wasn’t even necessary.
I heard the lock turn and open. Just before I went in I placed my midnight blue messenger bag next to the bedroom door.

“Damn it! Why is this so difficult?” I shouted as yet again my hair rose just as I was about to tie my hair band around my high ponytail. Guys had it easy; they didn’t have to worry about tying their hair up. Well, unless they had long hair, and that was their fault, then.

I picked up the brush and ran it through my hair again, holding it up high. My dark brown hair was straight today, so it should have been easy to tie up, but no, I had to have hair as willful as myself.

The whole school thing had my mind preoccupied. I would be starting school in a new environment, knowing only my fiancé, his siblings and some of his friends. I’d have to rebuild my silent-but-deadly reputation and prove once again that I wasn’t a spoilt little rich girl.

Fun.

I finally got my hair under control and combed my bangs to one side. I swiped some lip gloss over my lips and ran a light layer of eye-pencil around my eyes. Then I drew a cloud on my cheek, and a small little cupid.

Yeah, who was I kidding? I was more than preoccupied; I was petrified.

After I wiped off the doodles on my cheek I walked to the door, stopping only to pick up my cell and slip my bag over my shoulder, the neat side showing up. The back of the bag was evidence of insane times spent with Saph and our other friends during middle school.

It was written all over in black marker with all our names and favorite quotes and sayings. There was one that was my favorite, and it was written by Sapphire. The saying was, ‘Hey Lexie, don’t be a bitch’ in Italian.

It was so typical Sapphire Parker that I couldn’t even pretend to be insulted by it.

“Tory, are you going to ride with me?” I asked, before scooping up a spoonful of cereal.

“Yeah, I have to make sure you don’t decide to skive off on the first day,” she answered, draining a cup of coffee in one go.

As if she needed anymore energy.

“What makes you think I’m about to skive off today?”

“Well, it’s got nothing to do with the nervous tapping of your feet against the table, or the constant shaking of your left hand, or even your accelerated speech, so it must be the fact that your gaze doesn’t settle on one thing for longer than a minute,” she replied derisively, a grin gracing her face.

“Okay, you got me, I’m a bit edgy to be starting at a new school,” I said, mentally making sure to quit my anxious acts.

“A bit?” Sean laughed. “If that’s only a bit then I don’t want to see the full-blown version.”

“Very funny,” I glowered at him. “And, by the way, nobody asked for your input.”

“Well, you know me, I had to grace my fans with my comments, poise and charm,” he said.

“Charm?” I snorted. “You have as much charm as a dead jellyfish-no offence jellyfish.”

“And this is coming from the crowned Queen of Sarcasm?”

“Yep, you may bow before me.”

He cracked a smile.

“Okay, okay, you got me there,” he admitted.

“Is everyone still alive?” Jamie asked, walking into the kitchen. “I heard bickering. Should I call 911?”

“You are such a drama queen,” I told him, placing my plate in the sink.

“For once I have to agree with Jamie,” Tory butted in. “Excuse the irony, but you two are like an old, married couple.”

“We are not!” we exclaimed in unison.

“Uh-uh, you guys are totally fooling us,” Jamie picked up a banana from the fruit bowl.

“Whatever,” I stood, pushing my stool in.

“I’m guessing you’re driving with Alex,” Jamie said to Tory.

She nodded.

“Yeah.”

“So, brother, that leaves the two of us. My car or yours?”

“Let’s go with yours,” Sean responded.

“Morning kids,” Christine said, striding brusquely into the kitchen and immediately zoning in to the coffee pot to pour herself a cup of coffee.

“Morning,” we all chorused.

She took a sip of coffee, sighed contently, and then turned to face us.

“Okay first off, I want you guys to enjoy school today. Pay attention in class, behave, and Tory, please don’t volunteer to show the captain of the baseball team how to pitch with your eyes close.”

“That wasn’t my fault mom; it’s not my fault that the players are so slow on the uptake. All that guy had to do was duck, but did he?”

“Tory, he was a benchwarmer,” Jamie said, amazed.

“So?”

“I rest my case.”

Jamie through the banana peels in the stainless steel kitchen bin.

“Anyway,” Christine went on. “Apart from all that, I just want to remind you, Sean, that you and Alex are going out, going steady, girlfriend and boyfriend-”

“I get it, mom,” Sean said, shaking his head half in amusement, half in annoyance.

“Sorry, this coffee hasn’t woke me up yet. So where was I? Aah, yes. You two are going out because Raven and I agreed that it sounds better than engaged, is that clear?”

Acquaintances sounded better to me.

“Yes,” I said, shaking my head meekly.

I wasn’t exactly overjoyed with this whole situation for rather obvious reasons.

“Sean?” Christine prompted.

“Crystal, mother.”

Imagine pretending to actually be able to stand Sean all of the time.

“Alrighty then. You guys better leave now; Alex still has to pick up some forms.”

We picked up our bags, ready to leave.

“Bye mom,” Tory said, standing tall to give her mother a kiss on the cheek.

“See you this afternoon,” Jamie waved goodbye before exiting through the kitchen door.

“Love you,” Sean said, giving Christine a brief hug.

“Er, well, bye,” I said, shouldering my bag.

“Don’t I get a hug?” Christine said, not even waiting for an answer and embracing me in a hug.

“Don’t be intimidated today, okay honey?”

“I won’t,” I said automatically; knowing it was a lie but reassuring Christine anyway. It wasn’t her problem, so why burden her with it?

“Alex!” Tory yelled from outside.

Christine let go, following me to the door.
“Bye kids.”

I got my keys out and walked alongside Tory to the car. It was parked in the same spot Sean had parked it last Saturday.

“So where is this school?” I asked, pressing the key and opening the doors.

“I’m not good with directions so if you want to arrive there this morning still you should follow Jamie,” she replied, settling into the passenger seat.

I put the key in the ignition and turned the car to start.

“Just reverse and go around to the front; Jamie’s parked in the garage,” Tory went on.
I did as she said and sat in the idling car waiting for the boys to appear.

Finally a black Ford Ranger Double Cab rolled out of the huge double garage. Though the garage could fit two cars each, the Ranger seemed to be the only car parked in it.
“Time to go,” I muttered.

I followed the Ranger at a steady pace until we were out of sight of the house. Then we both floored the gas.

“We’re here,” Tory announced as we pulled into the school parking lot. Jamie parked in a spot right in front of the school’s main doors. I pulled in next to him.

“So…” I muttered, for no reason whatsoever.

“Ready?” she asked.

“Not really,” I answered truthfully.

But I still stepped out of the DB9 and braced myself. Reaching down I grabbed the messenger back, slung it over my right shoulder and faced the school building.

It was red-bricked and school-like. Yeah, I know that’s a lame description, but seriously! How did you describe a school? Apart from the massive gold plaque saying ‘Bridgewood High School’ in huge, cursive letters above the entranceway and the school emblem of two flying white doves with a blue banner saying ‘We make every effort for accomplishment’ in rich true colors it was like any other school.

“Hot ride,” some random guy said as he passed in front of us. He winked at us, causing my eyes to roll in reflex.

Tall, lanky, and oozing cockiness; he was definitely bad news.

A group of girls gathered in a group near the steps, each a carbon copy of the girl next to her. I bet they wouldn’t even have been able to tell that they were total duplicates of each other.

All wearing skirts that looked like a thin belt and blouses about two sizes too small so that it would squeeze a certain, cough, cough, boob, cough, area to make it appear larger than it really is (which wasn’t all too large if you ask me).

“So Cheer Squad tryouts are this Friday? After school?” one of the replicas asked in this truly annoying squeaky voice.

“Yeah, and remember, even if you were on the Squad last semester you still have to tryout to make it this time round,” a tall red-head answered. Clearly she was in charge here. She shook her mane of luxurious hair over her shoulder in the ‘I’m better than you’ manner and went on. “Oh, and great news! Coach Reynolds agreed to give us a budget for new cheer uniforms! I was thinking gold, sparkly and low-cut…”

I tuned out and winced. Gold, sparkly and low-cut? Eww!

“So they’re the ‘Plastic Barbie’s’,” I said, mentally trying to forget the conversation. Gold? Ergh!
“Yep, those are the Queen Bees of the school, run by the Head Queen Bee, Miss Rayne Johansen, also known as the Head Cheerleader or Head Bitch of Bridgewood High,” Tory informed me dispassionately.

“I’m guessing she’s the red-head?”

“She used to be blonde, but yeah, nowadays she’s the red-head.”

Our conversation was cut to an abrupt end when Sean stepped out of the Ranger, carrying his bag and a burgundy textbook.

“C’mon girls, less chatter, more learning. And here Tory, I found your Geometry textbook under the Ranger’s passenger seat,” he said, handing over the book to her.

“Damn! I hid it there so that I could get out of Math today! Thanks, Sean,” she said sarcastically.
“My pleasure. Alexandria, are you planning on visiting the office to get your schedule or not?”

“Stop calling me Alexandria; it’s Alex.”

“It bugs you so I do it, now come on,” he said, leading the way up the steps.

“See you at lunch,” Jamie yelled, spotting his friends around the bend.

“What he said,” Tory said. She didn’t have to yell; her voice always carried.

As we passed the Plastic Barbie’s the red-head called out.

“Hey Sean! Looking good as always, I see,” she said, fluttering her eye lashes.

“Morning, Rayne,” he responded, uninterested, but stopping nonetheless.

“The girls and I were just discussing Cheer Squad tryouts. We’ll be ready to support the Bridgewood Tigers at their first game,” she went on, blatantly ignoring me.

That was fine by me.

“Cool. By the way, this is my girlfriend, Alexandria,” he said, obviously picking up on the fact that I was invisible to her.

I discreetly elbowed him in the side. He didn’t even flinch.

“Girlfriend?” Rayne and the other Plastics stared in shocked. I had to give her credit though; she recovered quickly, seeing as how the bomb had just been dropped on her. I couldn’t wait to see her face when she hears about the engagement!

Wait, what am I saying?

“Yes, girlfriend. She transferred in from Melbany High over the summer,” he said, draping an arm around my shoulders.

Like I was going to let that slide!

I subtly shrugged out of his arm, plastering a fake smile on my face.

“Hi,” I said to the Queen Bitch.

“Hey,” she replied while looking me up and down. So typical…

“Well, we should be going,” Sean interrupted her assessment of me. We turned around to leave, but she grabbed my arm.

Nails digging into my flesh, she said, “I hope you enjoy your first day here.”

While her voice might have welcomed me, her eyes said something different entirely.

“Thanks,” I said, matching her tone. I pulled my arm out of her grasp and followed Sean to the office.
As we were walking down the empty corridors something clicked.

Head Cheerleader… Bridgewood Tigers… Fluttering eyelashes…

Turning to Sean I practically pleaded.

“Please tell me you’re not in the football team,” I said.

“Okay,” he said, voice neutral. “I’m not in the football team.”

“Really?”

My hopes grew…

“No; I’m the co-captain.”

…and fell like hot potatoes.

I moaned, putting my head in my hands and leaning against a locker.
“What?” he asked. I could hear the smirk in his voice.

“You know perfectly well what,” I said through my hands.

“I do?”
“Stop demeaning me, it’s bad enough."

“What’s bad enough?”

“Ergh! You’re so patronizing!”

“My apologies, love,” he said, coating his words in charm.

“Oh, please! Who do you think you are? James Bond? Didn’t I tell you this morning that you have as much charm as a dead jellyfish? Once again, no offence jellyfish.”

“Shows what you know.”

“Which is quite a lot.”

“Of course.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re just saying that?”

“I haven’t the slightest idea, love.”

“Idiot.”

“Did you say something?”

“You know I did.”

“I do?”

“God! This is going nowhere!”

I stomped my foot and started marching down the corridor.

“Wrong way, Alex,” he called out.

Sighing, I started marching in the other direction.

“You’re really childish for your age, did you know that?” he said, coming up behind me.

“And you’re bipolar.”

We stopped in front of a glass double door with the words MAIN OFFICE in big bold letters above the door.

“After you,” Sean said, holding the door open for me.

“Bipolar and a half,” I said as I passed him.

I walked up to the main desk, where an elderly woman with a neat, tight bun of grey hair sat behind a computer, typing away at the keyboard intently.

“Can I help you, kids?” she asked us, looking up from the computer screen.

“Yes, hi,” I said, putting on my fake voice; the one I reserve for talking to teachers and other adults not related to me. “I’m new here, and I’m supposed to be collecting my schedule?”

“Name?” she asked pleasantly.

“Alexandria Michelle Saunders.”

She opened a drawer on raffled through it, going through files.
“Aah, here it is.”

She handed me three pages. The first was my schedule, the other two forms.

“The second page you need to fill out and the third you give to your teacher to sign at the end of every period today. Bring both back here at the end of the day. Enjoy your first day here at Bridgewood, Miss Saunders.”