Chapter 3 FINN

Today started on a really bad foot, and I hoped it would get better at school or at least give me a moment of reprieve.

But it didn’t.

Dad came back home happy last night celebrating how he just got a Million dollar deal in his company. He kept me up all night ‘advising’ me on how to properly run a company ‘his company’ like I was actually interested in taking it over someday.

He went on about it for an excruciatingly long period of time. The talk dragged on for hours and I lost track of time. So I overslept and I barely made it to school, and I looked like a mess, especially my hair.

I didn’t expect we’d get a new student this late into the term, but somehow, we did. We were almost halfway through the term and this was our final year. I wondered how she was going to cope.

I’d seen a lot of new students come and go, but if you walked in late, you’d think she’d always been there. She didn’t look nervous. If anything, she looked… intimidating or maybe just tired. Like she’d rather be anywhere else.

And I’d never seen anyone refuse to introduce themselves before. That was bold of her.

After class, I gathered a few of my notes figuring she might need them to catch up. I walked over to her desk.

She was going through her bag, barely paying attention.

“Umm… hi,” I started. “These are some of the notes from what we’ve covered so far. I thought it might help so you don’t get confused.”

She paused, glanced at the books in my hand, then looked back into her bag.

“I didn’t ask for it.” I blinked.

That was… new, I thought.

“Well, you’re going to need it.”

“I doubt it,” she replied, almost bored.

I placed the notes on her desk anyway.

“Just take it. If you don’t use it, you can return it. I’d rather not have you leave empty-handed… I was told to help you settle in.”

“Well, I don’t need your help, sooo… adios.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t exactly sign up for this either. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. But when I’m given an order, I follow through.”

I paused slightly.

“Perks of being head of the class.”

She let out a small scoff as I dropped the books on her desk. Before she could respond…

“Maddox.”

A voice cut through the room, drawing everyone’s attention. She stiffened slightly.

I followed the sound and saw a guy leaning back in his seat, a smirk playing on his lips. He was in our class, though I didn’t really know him, we didn’t run in the same circles.

“Didn’t think you’d last long enough to get expelled again.”

The room went quiet. I was confused. Expelled? And just like that… I had a feeling she was going to be trouble.

JUNO

I watched Greg as he leaned back in his seat with that disgusting smirk on his face. I thought I’d left the past behind, but somehow it followed me here in the form of Greg.

He used to hang around James back at my old school. One of his little followers.

I heard his dad died in an accident, and he had to move in with his mom and stepdad because they couldn’t keep up with school fees. Funny how life works. Out of all the towns I could’ve ended up in… I landed in his.

Even his school… Great.

Everyone eventually settled back into their seats including Finn, the so-called head of the class as another teacher walked in and started the next lesson.

I spent most of the day alone. Greg didn’t make it easy. He kept pushing small comments, looks, little things meant to get under my skin. Especially at the cafeteria and again after school. But I didn’t react, not today. It was my first day, and I wasn’t about to make it my last.

The bus ride home was surprisingly peaceful. But it would’ve been better if I was already home. I liked being alone. And lately… I was starting to like the balcony. It was the best part of this place.

By the time I got home, I was exhausted. I pushed the door open and stepped inside a piercing scream hit my ears as I beheld the atrocity going on inside, and immediately wished I hadn’t gone in.

Mom and her boyfriend were on the couch kissing and making out. I froze, then slowly backed out and shut the door. I stood outside for a second, took a breath, then opened it again.

This time, they were sitting apart, fixing themselves like nothing had happened.

“What the hell, Mom? You have a room, you know.”

“How was school, honey?” she asked, completely ignoring me.

“Fine.”

I didn’t wait for anything else. I just went upstairs.

I spent the rest of the evening going through the notes Finn gave me.

I didn’t want to but I didn’t really have a choice. I read and read but nothing stuck. It felt like I was just moving my eyes across the page, reading with my eyes and not my head.

Eventually, I gave up, took a shower, and changed. By night, I had my headphones on, music blasting loud enough to drown everything out.

That’s when I noticed movement across the yard. At the neighbor’s house. A figure stepped onto the porch. I narrowed my eyes, it was a guy.

For a second, I thought maybe it was a robber? But then he pulled out a key. I stood up, pulling off my headphones, my hands gripping the railing as I tried to get a better look.

He had a hoodie on and the hood was up. I couldn’t see his face and the streetlights barely helped.

Then my feet hit something behind me and made a sound. His head snapped up toward me and I froze for a moment unsure of what to do. I quickly put my headphones back on, grabbed my phone, pretending like I wasn’t just staring at him.

But before I stepped inside I turned.

He was stil

l looked back and his head was tilted slightly like he was trying to figure me out. What a creep.