J O S H • P O V

Senior year. It symbolises the beginning of the end, and also the beginning of the beginning.

The end is high school. The end of home work, tiresome teachers and self absorbed students.

The beginning is the rest of your life. College, even more home work than you've ever known, jobs, interviews, bills, families and more responsibility than we can fathom.

For me it symbolised more than this. It symbolised the chance for a fresh start. The chance to redeem my high school experience and possibly leave on a high note instead of ending it with a bad taste in my mouth.

I assessed my reflection in the mirror, adjusting the tie and combing my fingers through my thick dark hair so that it wasn't a total mess. Just a tidied mess.

I was pulling my blazer on but decided that I preferred not to wear it, when my cousin, Blake, appeared in the door frame with his bag hanging from his shoulder. "Are you done pretty boy?"

I gave him a sarcastic smile and snatched the back pack hanging from the bed post in the spare bedroom that was no longer 'spare' but my own. It didn't feel like it. Nowhere seemed to feel like home now. I pushed past Blake and started towards the kitchen with him following close behind, causing the morning to feel even more painful with his incessant blubbering.

"I don't wanna be late, it's the first day."

"As if you care."

"I'm working towards a scholarship this year. I can't be late."

Blake picked a bagel and his keys off the countertop in the kitchen before we headed out the front door and into the sunshine of Hamilton, New Zealand.

"I don't have rich folks that can pay for my university fees like you," Blake added with a playful jeer.

"Give me a break, you're hardly a third world citizen," I tapped the top of Blake's Audi to drive my point home before I slid into the passenger seat.

"How do you feel about being back?" Blake questioned as we started the short distance to school.

For the last two years I'd been in Australia with my parents. They invested in a postal business that took off and is earning them. . . a lot.

I hadn't minded the move initially but due to certain circumstances I'd pleaded with my parents to let me come home for senior year. So I now lived with Blake and my Aunt Jess and Uncle David.

"Indifferent," I shrugged. "As long as this year doesn't shit on me, I'll be happy."

"Na you've got me this year. I got pretty popular since you left, ya know? Being the rugby team captain and all. Everyone loves me." He delivered his 'modest' speech in a mocking tone, but I suspected it wasn't a joke and his ego was taking up all the space in his little two door.

"Your heads pretty well wedged up your ass isn't it?"

"Yeah," he chuckled, not bothering to deny it.

Blake and I had been close growing up. But over the last few years during my occasional visits, I'd noticed his ego had blown up. He'd turned into an egotistical jock with a devious attitude. He oozed a charismatic charm that seemed to draw in everyone around him.

But he confided things in me that confirmed he was just a bona fide douchebag. The way he spoke about girls was particularly disgusting. And I knew if he was his genuine self in front of his many conquests, they wouldn't have been quite so easy to obtain.

Blake swung the car into a spot in the school parking lot. As soon as we exited the vehicle, swarms of people surrounded Blake and greeted him enthusiastically. I rolled my eyes at the legions feeding his ego. I recognised most of the guys that were exchanging bro hugs with him. They'd all joined the rugby team it would seem. Blake turned to me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You guys remember my cousin Josh?" They nodded before I exchanged brief greetings and niceties with them. I wasn't going to exclude myself, but becoming close with anyone that considered Blake some sort of king made me weary of developing friendships.

I did notice that Bryce hadn't been quite as worshipping as the rest of them though. I remembered him having more of a head on his shoulders than most of our peers. We chatted for a bit before I heard my name being chimed.

"Josh Baker? Is that you?" I turned to see a blonde cheerleader skipping towards me, her tight ponytail bouncing with each step.

Dehlia Rhodes.

Ellie, Dehlia's friend lingered behind her with a bored expression on her face.

"It's so good too see you!" Dehlia beamed. She put one hand on my bicep, the other went across her chest as she leaned in closely. "I've really missed you around here."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her shameless flirting. The girl hadn't changed at all. Last time I'd been in town, she was dating Blake. But that hadn't stopped her trying to get me into the spare bedroom at his dad's birthday when no one was around. I wasn't sure what their relationship status was at the moment. But I certainly wasn't interested. Bryce snickered at the unwanted attention as he gave my back a slap and walked into the school.

"I need to go and find my locker," I shrugged out of her hold.

If she was embarrassed at the brush off, she didn't show it. She simply smiled and continued to purr. "Hopefully it's close to mine."

I pressed my lips in a tight line and raised my eyebrows before I spun around and made my way to the school entrance steps.

Blake fell into step beside me as I pulled the school doors open. "How's that nostalgia for ya?"

I glanced around at the large corridor which had been freshly painted with the cherry red and navy school colours. The white lockers look like they'd been upgraded and Northwood high posters hung from the ceiling as well as the rugby team banners.
Students buzzed around, greeting each other and looking over their schedules. A lot of familiar faces stood out to me and I was greeted occasionally as we made our way through the halls.

I looked down at the schedule which had my locker number and timetable on it. The information was sent out the week before school started to avoid over crowding in the office.

Blake split off from me as his locker was further down the corridor. I found mine and punched the code into it, sliding the books that I didn't need for the first half of the day in and slamming it shut.
I spun around to find Dehlia standing just inches in front of me, causing me to curse and step back, bumping into the lockers.

"Want me to show you around?" She offered, leaning in closely.

"I remember where everything is. Thanks."

She opened her mouth to speak again as Blake sidled up beside her, kissing her cheek and wrapping his arm around her waist. Scowling harshly, she pushed away from him, allowing me an opening to step aside so that I wasn't being cornered anymore.

"Blake we broke up. Stop touching me," she hissed and quickly glanced at me, as if letting me know that her form of suggesting that she was single was subtle.

It wasn't.

"Didn't stop you from inviting me over too fuc—"
Blake was cut off as Dehlia put her hand in his face. She shot him a wicked glare and he shrugged his shoulder in nonchalance.

"So anyway," Dehlia smiled broadly, turning her attention back to me. "It must be strange being back after all this time."

"Sure. I suppose."

I gazed around, scanning the hallway at nothing in particular. Anything was more interesting than these two genetically modified clones.

My gaze fell on a face that I didn't recognise.

A petite girl in the school blazer and pants leaned against the lockers on the other side of the hallway. The uniform looked like it was swallowing her whole and her long chocolate curls fell over her face, obscuring my view. But I could just make out a pair of wire frame glasses looking down at a book in her hands.

"Who's that?" I questioned, interrupting the pointless bickering that was unfolding between Blake and Dehlia.

They both turned around with curious stares that morphed into boredom and disgust when they turned around again.

"Ugh," Dehlia scoffed. "That's virgin Marley."

Blake laughed as he leaned against the locker. "She's weird as fuck. She doesn't speak. Doesn't have friends. She's just got her nose in a book all the time."

"She transferred at the beginning of last year. I think she was homeschooled," Dehlia cringed as if saying the word alone would give her an incureable disease. I scowled at her attitude. The judgement in her tone really pissed me off.

"What the fuck is wrong with being a virgin?" I asked, perhaps a little harsh because Dehlia recoiled and her lips parted in surprise.

The bell rang and I looked back over to where the girl had been standing. But she was gone.

"What do you have Josh?" Dehlia asked, ignoring my earlier question as if I hadn't spoken at all.

"Chemistry."

"Oh bummer, I've got drama." She sighed.

How fucking ironic.

I didn't hang around to deliberate how unfortunate it was that we didn't have class together now. Instead I offered a brief goodbye and took off towards the staircase which led to the block of science labs on the second floor.

When I found the right room, I glanced over the seats near the back and huffed in disappointment to see they were all taken. People weren't slow around here. Looking to the front of the class I saw a spot that was so free it almost looked like people were actively trying to avoid sitting there. It was next to the reading girl, who still had her face in her book.

My curiosity got the best of me and I strolled over to the bench, sitting on the free bar stool beside her.
I stole a peek at the brunette girl only to see that the corners of her mouth had pulled down slightly and she was leaning a little further away than she was before. Was I bothering her?

Suddenly, she ran her hands through her hair and tossed it over her shoulder, giving me a clearer view of her face.

She was beautiful.

Her sun kissed skin was smooth and flawless, her pink lips were plump and appeared soft. Her cheek bones sat high, the blue behind her glasses was vibrant and she had a cute perky nose.
I felt ashamed to admit that she wasn't at all what I expected. She was breathtaking.

"Hey. I'm Josh."

Her figure became rigid as she stared out in front of her, her eyes flickered from left to right and soon her head started to turn from side to side as though she was searching for someone else that I could have been talking to. After a moment, her sights rested on me, her lips turned down in a puzzled frown.

"Uh, hey," she mumbled, still searching with confusion. "Marley," she informed me before she returned to her book.

I had heard Dehlia call her virgin Marley, obviously it being a play on the 'virgin Mary.' But coming from this girls mouth, it sounded a lot nicer.

"Marley, huh?"

She rolled her eyes and set her book down as she turned towards me and raised her hand in an informative gesture.

"If I hear, one stoner joke, a mention about the beautiful dog or a reference to the famous Jamaican singer, you'll have to sit somewhere else,"

I was pleasantly surprised by the confidence she suddenly showcased. It was a stark contrast the nervous jittery vibe she'd exuded only a moment earlier.

"Get that a lot do you?" I laughed.

She rolled her eyes again and picked her book back up. "A lot is an understatement."

I peeked around to look at the cover, curious too see what she was reading.

"John Fitzgerald huh? Great author," I approved, leaning back to my side of the bench.

Her face snapped up to meet mine, her eyes were wide and her mouth turned in to a little circle of surprise. "You know John Fitzgerald?"

I cocked a brow, wondering why she was so shocked at that information. "Yeah we had to study one of his books for school when I was in Australia. I enjoyed it so I read most of his other books after that," I shrugged.

I enjoyed reading. It wasn't something I was immensely passionate about, but if a book was good, I'd read it. Her mouth turned upward in to a smile and she shook her head as she turned to look forward.

"He's a really cool guy too, I met him once when he was touring in Australia, he came in to the lunch bar I was working at," I grinned at her shocked expression.

"I am so jealous of you right now," she said, putting her hands to her cheeks and letting out an exasperated sigh. "There's so many questions I would ask him if I ever got the chance."

Her visible excitement was cute and I found myself intrigued. "Oh yeah? Like what?" I questioned, leaning my elbow on the desk and putting my face in my hand. She hesitated for a moment, looking unsure as to whether I was really interested or not.
I arched my brow, prompting her to continue.

She began listing all of the things she wanted to ask him. Her face was practically beaming as she shared it all with me. She was intelligent. Her vocabulary was exquisite and she carried her sentences with confidence and knowledge.

She finished talking and her cheeks flush red, looking embarrassed about all the speaking she had just done in a matter of 90 seconds. She cleared her throat and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Those are impressive questions," I smiled. "Hopefully one day you get your answers."

She grinned, a light blush trickling across her cheeks and nose. "So you lived in Australia? Why did you move here?" She asked curiously.

"Just moved back actually" I told her leaning back and tapping my hands on the desk. "I left two years ago with my parents. But I wanted to come back for my senior year. I live with my Aunt, Uncle and cousin."

"Oh, that must have been cool, going to school in another country," she shrugged with a shy smile. "A cool experience I guess."

"It was interesting I suppose," I deadpanned. She gave me a sideways glance, picking up on my tone.

It looked like she was about to ask me another question when the teacher finally began the class and asked everyone to be quiet.

I could see Marley still watching me out of the corner of my eye. She finally opened her text book and took out a pen, paying attention to the teacher.

After a moment she grumbled about her glasses being dirty and took them off to clean them.

"You have beautiful eyes," I murmured. She whipped her head towards me, her impossibly round eyes looking at me with shock, thick lashes fluttering as she blinked. She regained herself and slipped her glasses back on.

"Thank you," she replied with a soft voice, her lips curled up at the sides as though she was trying to repress a smile.

Through out the class we chatted to each other and cracked a few jokes here and there. From the way that Blake and Dehlia had described her, I imagined her being some weird introvert that was in to sacrificial ceremonies and had imaginary friends.
But she was. . . normal, and nice. She was funny too. I couldn't understand why they picked on her.

The end of the class was signalled by the bell and students started filing out. Marley was reading something from the text book. I was about to question her about the homeschooling thing when the teacher called me. "Josh can you come here for a moment."

I packed up my bag and books and walked to the teachers desk, hoping that whatever she wanted, wasn't going to inconvenience me.

"Yeah miss?" I asked slinging my back pack across my shoulder.

"You seem to be a level behind on your chemistry. What level were you studying in Australia?" She asked while she flicked through some papers on her desk.

"Level one miss," I shifted my weight, not really liking where this conversation was going.

"Hmmm we are on level two here," she explained, slipping her glasses off and looking up at me. "I need you to catch up, which shouldn't be hard for you. I remember you being a bright boy."

She smiled and looked past my shoulder, her eyes became a little larger, looking as though an idea had come to her.

"Marley, dear can I see you for a moment?"

Marley glanced between us both and nodded with that same puzzled expression that she wore earlier. She gathered up her things, walking over and standing next to me. Her head barely came to my shoulder. I looked down and noticed that she seemed a little nervous. She had her hands wound together and her knuckles were white.

"Can you please lend your notes from last semester to Josh, you still have all of those, surely?" The teacher asked.

I was worried she was going to tell me that I needed a tutor. Borrowing notes wasn't so bad.

"Thanks," I gave her an appreciative smile. "That'll be a great help."

The kind smile that she returned with, touched her eyes, brightening her entire expression and it was captivating to say the least.

"Great! Thank you Marley," Mrs Riggs clapped her hands together and turned to me, "collect those as soon as you can okay," she nodded her head, dismissing us.

We shuffled out of the class and into the busy hallway.  I turned around, stopping Marley in her tracks, which caused her to stare up at me with a blank stare.

"So I'll come over after school?" I suggested, leaning on the wall.

"What?"

"For the notes?" I reminded her.

"Oh! right! Yeah that works!" Her words spilled out as she shook her head and stared down at the floor.

"How do you get home?"

"I walk. I don't live very far," she shrugged. Neither did Blake and I. But Blake still drove.

"I live in Ashmore," she finished.

"Me too." I told her. "So I'll just walk with you?"

I didn't think that she would want to get a ride with Blake. If those assholes openly picked on her then I doubt that she'd feel comfortable getting into one of their cars.

"Yeah sure that sounds fine," she finally agreed, meeting my eyes and smiling.

"Cool, meet you on the steps?"

She nodded and we said goodbye as we headed to our next classes, which we unfortunately didn't have together.

The day dragged on and when the bell finally rung, signalling the end of school, I didn't bother telling Blake what I was doing. I just went straight to the front steps to meet Marley.

I spotted her waiting off to the side with her head down. Avoiding looking at the crowd of students rushing past her. She was fidgeting with her bag string and shuffling her feet back and forth.

"Hey, ready to go?"

She lifted her head in surprise at my appearance, those blue eyes taking me back again. They were unreal. She nodded her head, letting a small smile form on her lips.

As we got further away from school, she started to relax. We talked about the first day and the teachers we liked and the ones we didn't. Marleys favourite class was English. But she felt like it wasn't enriching enough and wished that a college professor could run the class.

We entered her street and she seemed completely at ease now that we were away from the school and students. Couldn't blame her for that.

"I literally live just around the corner," I told her as we walked towards her house.

I came to a stop as I noticed a familiar person standing by a letter box a few houses down, she was in her pyjamas. She looked up as she noticed us and began wildly waving.

"Is that Andrea Thompson waving at you?" I questioned with a curious stare. Marley glanced up and rolled her eyes, letting out a deep sigh.

"Yeah, unless you know my sister and she's waving at you?"

"Andrea Thompson is your sister?"

Andrea Thompson had been an extremely popular girl in school when I was in fourth form. Every guy wanted her, girls worshipped her. She had always been a decent person from what I remembered though. Nothing like Dehlia, that was for sure.

"I can't believe that she's your sister," I mumbled, regretting the words as soon as I saw the hurt on Marley's face.

"Why? Because I'm not pretty or popular like she was?"

I wanted to tell her that I thought she was fucking gorgeous. I wanted to tell her that out of all the girls that I'd met today, she easily put them to shame with her natural beauty and stunning smile. But she turned around and stormed off, her long dark hair bouncing with each step.

I followed her, striding casually as my long legs didn't need to work very hard to keep up with her bustling jog. I gave Andrea a polite smile as we passed, her confused expression was amusing and I suspected that it was an odd sight to see a complete stranger following her sister into the house.

I kept my eyes on the back of Marley's head as we made our way through the house and into her bedroom. She didn't object to my presence but she did keep her back to me and I couldn't help but find her tantrum a little adorable.

"Marley, all I meant was, she went to school with us, but you were homeschooled? I was just curious as to why?" I told her with a stern voice, not wanting her to misinterpret what I was trying to say.

She turned around, her mouth hanging open in amusement and her brows furrowed together in confusion.

"They told you I was homeschooled?"

By 'they' I assumed that she meant Blake and the rest of the group that I'd spent lunch with.

After a moment she curled over in laughter and yet again I was floored by the gorgeous sound that came out of her mouth.

She straightened up and tried to control the laughter that was racking through her petite frame.

"Sorry, it's just so ridiculous what people come up with," she giggled again.

I stared with an arched brow, hoping that she would elaborate because I was one hundred percent baffled at what the joke was.

She playfully rolled her eyes and sighed. "I was in boarding school from the age of ten. It was by choice."

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