Chapter 11

The day goes by in a weird mid-week blur, both stretching on forever and seeming to be over like lightning. Before I know it, I've already gotten through an unbearable Chemistry class with Jase and Chrissa (who seem to think it commonplace to spend the entire class period making out in the back row), and I only have one class left: English. A complete drag, I know, but if I can manage to ignore Mrs. Lynch's droning, I can usually escape unscathed.

Even though Jase is in that class. Because it's not like Jase and I actually talk outside of our forced car rides together, and thank god for that. Any more Jase Turner and I honestly might blow something up, I decide as I stare at the back of his head all through attendance.

"Miss Brown?"

I shoot up, embarrassed to have been caught not paying attention. "Yes! Um, that's me. I'm here."

Mrs. Lynch gives an exasperated sigh and I can feel the disappointment in her gaze. "Miss Brown, perhaps you can recall that I just asked everyone to get out their copies of The Scarlet Letter and was wondering why you do not seem to have yours."

Crimson fills my cheeks as the room lights up with small giggles and I feel more eyes on me than I want, ever. "S-sorry. I'll get that," I say softly, reaching down into my bag and ignoring the giggles that still surround me. I notice, when I finally pick my head up, that unlike some of my other classmates, Jase's gaze is still very much straightforward, like he didn't even notice everything that just happened.

Thank gosh for small miracles.

"Since everyone now has their book out," Mrs. Lynch starts, her gaze affixed to me at the word everyone, "we can begin. Miss Brown, would you care to-"

But what I cared to do I will never know, because at that second the old wood door to the room swung open on its hinges, flung open to reveal Ms. Steinem, the principal, in all her floral-patterned-suit glory, and someone behind her. She steps into the classroom, beckoning for a tall, dark-haired guy to step in beside her. He mutters something to her and looks up, scanning the classroom, and I practically jolt out of my seat.

Noah?

Next to me, Nalah James practically starts salivating, her sapphire eyes flickering up and down Noah's body. I almost want to smirk. Nalah seems to think that her flirting techniques actually... well... work. However, the only guys she manages to get are only with her because they're horny, she's pretty, and she has absolutely no standards. Nalah and I have gone to school together for six years, and even in fifth grade I remember her buying lip gloss 'to impress the boys' as she put it and wearing low-cut shirts with her training bras, snapping the straps in the middle of class just to show all of the guys that she was wearing one. Nalah and I have been neighbors for years, but have never been friends, really. I think she's too big of a flirt, and she thinks I'm a prude.

Which may be true.

"Hello, everyone," Mrs. Steinem says, giving us her big, friendly I'm-A-Principal smile reserved solely for five-year-olds and new students. "We have a new student joining us, all the way from..."

"Atlanta," Noah jumps in, giving everyone a warm smile. His eyes flit around the room to me, and I think I see a flicker of surprise in his eyes before he makes his smile even brighter. "I'm Noah, by the way." He says it to the whole class, but something about the conspiratorial sparkle in his eye as he gazes my direction makes me think that he's talking... directly to me.

"Well, feel free to sit down, Noah! I usually assign seats, but Nalah and Sienna's row has two extra seats, and there's one next to Tyler, so you can choose," Mrs. Lynch says. I swear I see her batting her eyelashes at Noah, and I don't blame her. The guy is stunning. He thanks Mrs. Lynch and Ms. Steinem and then, without hesitating, gives me a wink and takes the empty chair next to me. My heart soars. I kid you not. Next to me, Nalah scoffs, giving me a side-eyed glare. I know we were both expecting Noah to sit next to her. Smiling softly, I turn to him, blushing slightly at the fact that he's looking at me too, the corner of his mouth quirked up in a crooked but gorgeous smile. "Hey," I say softly. "I didn't know you were transferring here."

"Well, I didn't know this was your high school," Noah shrugs, a slight smirk on his lips. "I have to say, though, this is a very welcome surprise."

My face heats up and I try to come up with something witty and clever to say back when Nalah leans directly in front of me, reaching a hand out for Noah to take, which he does, though rather gingerly. His smile, still as big as ever, has lost a little of its warmth.

"Hi. I'm Nalah. It's so nice to meet you." Her eyes are wide open as she looks at him. She isn't blinking. It's honestly kind of creepy.

"Um... great to meet you, Nalah," Noah responds, looking a bit uncomfortable. He drops her hand and looks back at me. "I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly at the cafe this morning. I wanted to stay, maybe ask you for your number."

Without meaning to, my lips turn upward into a smile. "Well, we'll just have to see if we can arrange that, won't we?"

Next to me, Nalah rolls her eyes, butting in again. "Sienna, I didn't know you could even afford a cell phone. Aren't you like, homeless now or something?"

Oh no. Oh nonononono.

"What?" I decide to play it cool, pretend I have no idea what she's talking about. How on earth could she even know in the first place. "I have literally no idea what you're talking about." Under the table, my hands start to shake, but I can't let her know that. I'm enough of a social pariah as it is. Adding homelessness to my reputation isn't necessary.

"Don't lie. The last time I saw you at your house, all the lights were off. And now it's empty. Come on, Sienna. Everyone knows that you're a poor loser. Don't be afraid to admit it."

"I think that's enough of that," Noah says, giving Nalah a cold glare. I didn't even know he was capable of that. "I don't think Sienna would lie, and even if she was homeless, it wouldn't be any of your business now, would it?"

"Besides," I say, more bravely than I feel. "I'm not homeless. My mom and I just moved. We wanted to live in a neighborhood that was closer to her job." Lie. My god, I hate lying, hate the slippery way the words feel as they twist out of my mouth, but I can't stop myself. If people knew the truth, it would bring my status at school from invisible to someone who deserved to be mocked and tormented. All that seems to matter at this god-awful school are money and power, which I clearly have neither of.

"Oh." Nalah looks like a kicked puppy. "Well, sorry."

"All right, class. Let's get back to Hester Prynne. Now can anyone tell me what symbolism they found in chapter 11?" Mrs. Lynch says, (thankfully) interrupting Nalah's fake apology before I have to respond.

After class, I type my number into Noah's phone, with his promise to text me tonight, and I go to my locker to grab my Chemistry binder. To my surprise, I find... Mayah there, biting her lip. I know that's always been a nervous habit of hers. Honestly, I'm a bit surprised that Mayah even wants to talk to me at all after everything that happened the other day. I mean I basically told her to stop liking the guy she's had a crush on since we were 10.

"Hey," I say nervously, opening my locker door. "What's up?"

Her eyes light up. "Did I hear that you were just talking to UVPHS's brand new hottie, Noah Windsor? And he even... got your number? Scandalous, Sienna. I'm impressed."

I take my denim jacket out and throw it over my shoulders, rolling my eyes, though I'm still smiling. "Okay, that was the biggest overreaction I've ever heard. I'm not scandalous. He probably just wants to make friends, since he's new here. We already met at Newton's this morning and I guess I just looked friendly. And really, don't be impressed. It's not like I'm some delicate little flower who's never talked to a boy in her life."

Mayah gives me a skeptical look. "Sienna... you haven't. Do you remember how André Rodriguez asked you to homecoming freshman year and you got so freaked out that you fainted?"

"Fair," I laugh. "I can't believe you still remember that."

"Are you kidding?" Mayah asks. "That was the highlight of my entire freshman year." She elbows my side jokingly. "I've missed hanging out with you, by the way. When did we stop hanging out all the time?"

I shrug, suddenly feeling guilty for what I said to her about Cody last week. Maybe that's why we stopped hanging out. I clearly have a stick up my ass. But another part of me wants to yell at Mayah, tell her that the distance between us has been entirely her fault.

"I don't know," I say, grabbing my backpack and slinging it over my shoulder. "But I'm free now. Wanna go to Newton's? Maybe I can even introduce you to my new friend, Noah."

I don't know why I say that. It's not like she's going to agree. But to my surprise, she perks up, grinning. "Yess! I was hoping you'd ask. I've been in dire need of a Newman's hot chocolate for way too long."

I smile back at her, hoping naïvely that things were finally going back to normal.

"Wait- slow down. I still can't believe that you're living with Jase Turner. Do you know how many girls would kill for that?" Mayah leans closer, whispering from across the booth. "Have you seen him naked yet?"

"Oh my god! No!" I say, leaning back and wrinkling my nose. "Absolutely not. Not now, not ever. The only relationship Jase and I have is one of mutual animosity."

Mayah raises an eyebrow. "Suuure. That's what you say now. Tell me more. What does he act like? Is he hotter at home?"

"That literally makes no sense," I giggle, inhaling my hot chocolate too fast and getting whipped cream all over my chin. "And he's an asshole. Just like he is normally. Did I tell you that he refuses to drive me to school with him? He drops me off twenty minutes away. And then I have to walk. It's insane."

"What a jerk!" Mayah says. "Lucky for him that he's hot, otherwise no one would date someone with that personality."

"I mean Chrissa Thompson doesn't seem to care," I joke. Mayah giggles, and it makes me want to say more about Chrissa just to please her. But I stop myself just in time. Gossip like this fills me with a slimy feeling, like the words coming out of me are twisted and fake. Even if Chrissa Thompson deserves it...

After Mayah has to go home, I walk back to school. Jase had practice again today, and I'd rather let him drive me than wait thirty minutes for the bus that I can barely afford to ride. I check the time on my phone as I stand next to his car, annoyed when he still hasn't arrived.

Ten minutes pass, and I decide enough is enough. Sending Jase an annoyed text, I walk into the school, passing the locker rooms. I deliberate for a minute before stepping inside the boys' room. There'll probably be no one there, except for stupid Jase, who clearly doesn't understand the concept of time.

Quietly opening the door, I step into the locker room, seeing no one there. I roll my eyes. Is Jase hiding? Or did he just decide to leave me here? I check the time on my phone again, looking up when I pass the next set of lockers.

And immediately freeze.

Because here, making out in the guys' locker room, is Chrissa Thompson and... some blonde girl.

Wait a second. Chrissa Thompson is making out with some blonde girl. She's also in a relationship... with a guy.

With Jase.

For a split second, I imagine telling him. I imagine Chrissa, who's ignored me for years and bullied so many girls being shunned and ignored for both being gay and for cheating on the hottest guy in school.

But that isn't really a consideration, is it? Because, as much as I hate her, I could never, ever do that to Chrissa.

I snap back to reality when the blonde girl moans, pulling Chrissa towards the wall and wrapping her legs around her.

Oh shit. I need to get out of here.

Trying to be as quiet as possible, I turn around, sneaking past the locker so they can't see me, and quickly running away, until my foot slips and I plummet to the ground in a crash.

Oh no.

"What the hell?" I hear Chrissa ask as I get up as fast as I can, sprinting out of the door, out of the school. I don't know if Chrissa saw me, but if she did... she could make my life hell. And I can't imagine what it would be like for her, to know what I knew but not know if I would tell anyone. I can't imagine being Chrissa, the head cheerleader, so obviously straight. Except... obviously not.

I make it to Jase's car and startle when I see him there. "What took you so long, Red?" he asks me. I can't even look him in the eyes as I shrug. I'm afraid he can see Chrissa's secret on me, and I'm silent as I slam the door shut, as Jase turns the key in the ignition, and we drive home.