Chapter 3
Chapter Three
After school, Sara-Kate offered to help tutor me in the few classes that I still felt unsure about.
She led me up to the second floor of the library, insisting that she could stay a little longer after school since her mom had to work late.
I had sent a quick text to Tiffany and Mr. Lewis, letting them know I would make my own way home after studying.
Part of me was relieved to have something to do besides going back to the apartment to sit in my room alone. It was nice to have plans, even if it was only to do homework.
“So, what classes were you taking back in Georgia?” Sara-Kate asked as she set down her bag and pulled out her laptop.
“Chemistry, American Literature, Pre-Calculus, French, and US History,” I rattled off, pulling out my notebook full of notes and my new iPad that I still didn't one hundred percent understand how to turn on. “I’m taking the same classes here, but the math feels like y’all are already two units ahead. And don’t get me started on chemistry.”
“Ugh, tell me about it. I took that class last year and hated every minute of it,” Sara-Kate agreed, slipping her jacket uniform off. “But if you have a halfway decent lab partner, then it’s not so bad. Who’s yours?”
I gulped, cheeks reddening when thinking back to Alaric and our awkward encounter.
“Alaric Gaines,” I shrugged, keeping my eyes on my notes. When I didn’t hear Sara-Kate respond, I looked up to find her smiling suspiciously at me.
“What?” I asked, eyebrows raised.
“Nothing!” She smiled knowingly, glancing back down to her math notes. “Even if he sucks at science, at least he’s not too hard on the eyes.”
“I mean, yeah, I guess if you’re into that kind of thing.” I huffed irritably, ready to move the conversation along.
“Into what? A cute boy who hopefully has managed some brain development by this point?” Her copper-brown eyes lit up with laughter. “Do you find the boy cute, Mari?”
“Ugh,” I replied. “It doesn’t matter if he’s cute or not. I just need help catching up so I’m not so far behind.”
“Well, I guess we could just go ask him if he’d be willing to help you.”
“Yeah, okay, I’ll just go find him really quick.” I shook my head, bringing my attention back to the math notes from today that looked more like Greek than any math I had ever done before.
“Yeah, that shouldn’t be too hard since he’s walking this way,” Sara-Kate nodded casually as she turned her attention back to her laptop.
I felt my cheeks heat, feeling as if all my nerve endings stood straight up. I shifted in my seat to see that Sara-Kate was indeed telling the truth. Alaric Gaines was strolling this way, his dark green eyes intent as they narrowed in on me, and a slight upturn in the corner of his mouth.
I turned quickly back around, my panicked eyes meeting Sara-Kate’s. Before either one of us could say anything, a deep voice spoke.
“Mari, right?”
I turned again, my eyes meeting his. “Yeah, and you’re Alaric.”
He smiled, seemingly pleased that I remembered his name. “I saw you walk in and thought I would check in to see how you fared on your first day.”
I choked back a laugh and instead replied, “Oh, it was fine.”
“Yeah, but Mari and I were just talking about how she still feels behind in some classes,” Sara-Kate interceded. “Chemistry and pre-calc are the main issues, and I’m helping her with math, but I took chem last year and don’t remember a thing.”
I turned a dark glare on Sara-Kate, barely keeping my mouth closed as I bit back denial.
Embarrassment burned deeply in my stomach.
Sara-Kate was clearly trying to play wing-woman when that was the absolute last thing I needed right now.
It was only my third full day in New York and my first at this prestigious new school.
I was still just trying to figure out how to survive.
“Really?” I could hear the smile in his voice, but my shocked expression remained glued to Sara-Kate. “Well, then, I suppose it’s lucky we ended up lab partners.”
“Oh, really?” Sara-Kate continued, ignoring me and smiling up at Alaric. “Well, isn’t that perfect! I can tutor her in math on Mondays and Wednesdays, and how about you help Mari out on Tuesdays and Thursdays?”
Before I could even get one word in, Alaric agreed instantly. “Perfect. I guess I’ll see you here after school tomorrow, Mari.”
“Oh!” I finally turned to respond, but Alaric was already walking away, waving one hand as he headed down the library stairs. “Okay . . .”
“Look how perfectly that worked out,” Sara-Kate whispered, a smug smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. “Now you’ve got a study date, and it’s only your first day.”
“You’re crazy,” I whispered, burying my face in my hands, willing the heat to disappear from my cheeks.
“No, I’m brilliant. You’ll learn to appreciate it soon enough.”
“What if he has a girlfriend or something?” I countered, remembering the group of girls he had been talking to before school started.
The last thing I needed was more anger and attention from those girls who had effortlessly labeled me the school weirdo before I had even walked through the front doors.
“He doesn’t,” she replied easily. “Well, not anymore. He and Celeste were dating for a while but apparently broke up over the summer. And since then he hasn’t shown interest in anyone else. He is free and clear and seems to have a thing for curly blondes.”
“Okay, no, we don’t know that,” I refuted, finally looking up from my hands. “You put him on the spot. He’s probably just too polite to refuse.”
“Trust me, Mari,” Sara-Kate reached over, taking my hands in hers. “If that boy didn’t want to tutor you, he would have said so.”
A few moments of silence passed before I asked my next question.
“Who’s Celeste?” I asked, glancing from my pre-calc homework to Sara-Kate’s smug grin.
“Dr. Duvall’s niece,” she whispered. “Alaric and her were pretty hot and heavy during their junior year, but since senior year has started, he has iced her out. She acts like it doesn’t bother her, but I don’t know. I see the way she still looks at him.”
I nodded, a stab of an unfamiliar emotion racing through my veins.
“Well, he might still be into her and is just being nice to the new girl,” I reasoned. I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince Sara-Kate or myself.
“Sure.” Sara-Kate winked.
I finally dropped the subject, realizing that nothing I was going to say was going to convince Sara-Kate that she might just be wrong.
I figured Alaric would tell me something else came up when we had first period tomorrow, and I’d let him off without another word.
The last thing he would want to do is give up his Tuesday and Thursday afternoons to help the new school weirdo catch up on chemistry.
We continued to work for another thirty minutes before we called it quits. As we were packing up, I glanced through my gym bag, annoyed to find I had forgotten my gym shoes.
“Ugh,” I groaned. “I forgot my shoes. I need to head back to the locker room.”
“You want me to come with you?” Sara-Kate offered as she shouldered her own bag.
“No, I know exactly where I left them. It won’t take me long,” I replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Sara-Kate and I walked out of the library, the two of us diverging onto separate paths as I headed back to the gym and she headed to the main entrance of the school.
There were still a few students and teachers meandering about, some clearly coming from a practice or club meeting.
I managed to find my way back to the gym where it looked like a boys’ basketball practice had just ended.
I made my way into the girl’s locker room and headed straight for the locker I had stored my things in while I had changed earlier.
I sighed relieved as I grabbed my sneakers and stuffed them back into my gym bag. I turned to leave when a chilling voice echoed through my head.
Please. Help.
I turned around, frantically searching for whoever had spoken, but found the locker room empty.
“Hello?” I mumbled, glancing through the open stalls and shower doors to see if someone was there. But the place was empty.
Maybe I’d imagined it—the leftover static of Michelle’s name in my head—a literal ghost story I’d heard earlier.
Maybe the tragic story about Michelle Nelson was still bothering me, making my subconscious and imagination run wild.
I had double-checked the locker room, and there was no one there but me. So clearly, I misheard.
Goosebumps erupted on my flesh, and a deep throbbing pain radiated in my skull.
I rubbed my forehead as I headed out of the locker room, anxiety making me rush to get home as I sprinted towards the front of the school.
I regretted sending Mr. Lewis away earlier when I told him I was studying with Sara-Kate, but I didn’t want to be a bother either by making him wait for me.
Besides, the apartment was only about ten blocks away, and clearly I needed to work off some of this extra anxious energy that still thrummed through my veins.
It was a weird first day at a new school, but at least I could say I made a friend.
Even if that friend was the most extroverted and confident person I had ever met. So unlike me.