Love At First Bite~Chapter One

by Creeper(Rockshadow) in California

Love At First Bite-Chapter one

I clutch the straps of my midnight-black backpack, my blonde hair twisted in a ponytail. The wind raced past me in an effort to complete it’s journey to who-knows-where. I see a bunch of people my age, laughing and wrestling with their locks in an attempt to get to their books and things. A few people glance my way, but return to their normal lives.

Unlike me.

“Hi, I’m Jenna, what’s your name? Are you new?” A pretty, long-haired brunette comes up to me. She’s tall, at least four inches taller then me. I stare at her heavily-painted eyelids and incredibly glossy lips. 

“Uh, yea..I’m Carmen.” I respond shyly, clutching my backpack harder. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll make you feel right at home! You’re one of us now. We’re the most popular girls in the school.” She blinks, her eyelashes throwing off bits of light. I smile and join them as they swagger down the hallway. People make a pathway for them to walk, and stare at me with wide open eyes as I pass.

“Hey, isn’t she new?” I heard someone say. “How’d she become one of the Populars?”

The Populars? So, that’s what this group is called. Real creative name, I think. I turn to see who was talking, and come face to face with a girl my age, with enough makeup to cover a 100-person Halloween party. She sneers at me, then crosses her arms over her super-low LOVE WHO YOU ARE T-shirt. “I’m Carmen.” I shyly put my hand out to shake, but she refuses and looks away. Rude, much?

“Carmen, let’s get you situated in our school.” Jenna says. Looping her arm through mine, she gently but firmly pulls me away from the other girl. I see a big white sign with a black arrow pointing right, and the words OFFICE above it. Looking to my right, I see a typical blue door with a window in the middle. Jenna tugs me towards it, and I shuffle my feet to keep up. “We’ll wait with you-class doesn’t start for another ten minutes.” She smiles. Gathering up my courage, I push open the door to see a warm, middle-aged woman wearing square glasses with a chain. She wore a light brown wool long-sleeved shirt, with flowing brown pants. A bowl of candy rests on her desk. 

I cough, ad she looks up from her computer. Her stern face breaks into a smile, and she stands. “Hello! You must be Carmen. Welcome to our school. The principal will be with you in a moment. Starburst?”

I glance down at the bowl of candy. There were Starbursts, Kit-Kats, Reeses, etc. I picked out a couple of Smarties and unwrapped the crinkly wrapper,popping the sweet disk in my mouth. The flavor bursts on my tongue, and as I reach for another a hidden door swings open and a going bald man with a gray suit and tie steps out.

“Hello, miss Summers. I am Mr. E, the principal. Here is your schedule, and you will be in. Mrs. B’s homeroom.” The bell rings, and he steps back into his office. I take my schedule and see I have homeroom first.

“Hey chica, how’d it go?” One of the Populars members steps up. “I’m Alicia. We didn’t get a chance to introduce ourselves.”

I smile, and the rest of the Populars (there were 5 members including Alicia and Jenna) introduced themselves. There was Rose, the perky brunette, Lilianna, the quiet yet hyper blonde, and Riley, a redhead who’s hair looked like fire. They all had pretty tight clothes on, and makeup, true, but not as much as that other girl I kinda met this morning. Myself, I only had mascara, a tiny bit of blush, and lipgloss. They squealed over my “natural taste in clothes” and my “expert hand in makeup.” They invited me over after school for a makeover session, which they say they do every Wednesday. I left for my homeroom with Alicia and Rose, feeling bright and bubbly inside. I had met five new friends today, and low and behold, they were the most popular girls in the school. My mother would be so proud of me! And my father...if he was alive.

Tears start to pool in my eyes as I remember the great man who was killed in that fateful  car accident. Before I could stop, I was overtaken by a memory of that horrible day.

“Hey, kids, I’ll be right back. I have to drop of something off at the office.” My dad says. I stare at his curly brown hair and smiling eyes, and I nod and poke my brother. He looks up from his video game and nods assent. “I love you kids, you never forget that, okay?”

“Love you too Dad!” I squeal, launching in his arms. He takes a step back to support the new weight and hugs me back, setting me gently on the ground. My brother hugs him too, not knowing it would be the last hug he would ever receive from my father. My dad shuts the door, and I return to my book, lost in the world of Eragon. An hour later, I was at the part where Eragon’s father was killed by the Ra’zac, when there was a knock at the door.

I open it to see a young man in a police uniform, and he looked very grave. “I’m sorry, but your father was killed in the highway accident on the 180. Your mother is away, so for now we’ll send a babysitter for a couple days.”  The news takes five minutes to sink it, but when it does hot tears start pouring down my face. My father...the one who has comforted me and helped me with my homework, the man who hardly ever made me clean my room. The man who made us spaghetti tacos for dinner. 

“Hey, you okay?” Rose asks, putting a perfectly manicured hand with bright neon green nails on my shoulder. I realized I was crying, hot tears pouring down my face like that day. 

“Sorry...I was just remembering when my dad died.” I quietly respond. Rose pulls me in a hug, and I put my head on her shoulder. We stand there for a little while, with Alicia joining in before the late bell rings. We exchange a look and dash towards the classroom.

"Alright, class, welcome back from a long and joyful summer. Oh! I believe we do have a new student! Carmen, welcome to Tierra Linda Middle School." A middle-aged women with glasses and gray, frizzy hair smiles at me. "I'm Karen, your homeroom and math teacher."

Every student turns to look at me, including a guy with short dirty blond hair, blue eyes, and cute dimples. I look away from his piercing eyes, wanting to get away from all that hotness. There was only one seat left, but it was next to that really…hot…guy.

 Sighing, I pull my backpack off and set it down. I plop into the seat, trying to avoid his gaze.

"Hey, I'm Tyler." He whispers. I groan inside. Great. He's talking to me?

"Carmen." I whisper back. I can't but help notice his adorable smile, then curse myself for thinking like that. I spy his schedule, and see he has almost every class with me except for Spanish. 

Sooner then I expected, school was over. The Populars and I walked over to Jenna's house, preparing for our makeover session. We were laughing and giggling over random things, before Jenna asks a question that sets my teeth on edge.

"I hear someone found a lil' boyfriend in homeroom today!" She squeals. My stomach drops, and I start to deny it.

"He…I just barely met him! How could i like him that way?" I blush, refusing to acknowledge the fact that I may..possibly…like him. 

"Well good, because I like him." Riley responds snottily. I look at her, surprised, and her face softens a little. "But…if you like him, I won't resent you."

I roll my eyes. "Guys. I. Don't. Like. Him."I giggle. They start teasing me and poking me, and I laugh uncontrollably and start swatting their hands away. "Stop!!" I manage between gasps. They stop, but keeps sneaking smiles and giggles in between.

 "What are you guys up to?" I say suspiciously. That sets them off laughing and chortling, and holding up Jenna's phone, I see a text convo that goes like this:

PrettyGirlz11: Hey Tyler, sup?

TylerBoi434: Nothin much.

PrettyGirlz11: Hey, u know the new girl in hr?

TylerBoi434: yea, y?

PrettyGirlz11: Do u like like her?

TylerBoi434: yea, she's realli hot.

PrettyGirlz11: She's reading this right now. :3

TylerBoi434: WHAT???Uh…

PrettyGirlz11: U wanna ask her out?

TylerBoi434: I barely know her!!!

PrettyGirlz11: U could get to know her on a date!

TylerBoi434: But she'd think i'm a perv…

PrettyGirlz11: It's ok, she likes u 2.

I stare openmouthed at the screen. "You guys!" I shriek, grabbing the phone to text my apologies. But then he texts back.

TylerBoi434: Hey, can u ask Carmen if she'd go out w/ me?