"Okay," Vanessa exhaled. "One more year. Let me just get through one more year."

She entered the halls of West Bev with Gilinsky. Boys were gawking at her beauty while girls were staring and hoping Gilinsky was available. Madison and Andrea walked past them and Madison winked at Gilinsky.

"I think this year will be just fine..." Gilinsky trailed off, staring at Madison who was down the hall by now.

"Seriously? What 16 year old looks like that?" Vanessa's face scrunched up with disgust.

"Don't be so judgmental," he laughed. "I gotta focus on football anyway. Coach is not gonna be too friendly this year."

"Of course," Vanessa agreed. "This has to be winning season. Last year was shit, sorry to say."

"Hey sis," Kian said, sneaking up behind her.

"Don't! Call me that."

"Why not, sis?" Kian spoke louder, purposely.

"Just because my dad married your mom does not mean you can go around embarrassing me and telling the world. Ugh."

"Be nice to your brother," Gilinsky teased.

"You're supposed to be on my side, Jack."

Kian was always obnoxious, putting on a show to make people laugh. Vanessa always despised him. So one could imagine how much she felt life was over when their parents broke the news that they were dating...and later engaged to be married. Their parents' wedding surprisingly went smoothly without Kian and Vanessa bickering. But once it was over, things went back to normal. Kian was back to pulling pranks & being gross.

"I'll see you later...BEST SISTER I NEVER HAD!" Kian laughed all the way down the hall and Vanessa quickly rushed over to her locker, hiding her face. Gilinsky leaned against the locker next to it.

"Anyway," she sighed. "Have you seen Lucy? I've been texting to her all morning and no answer."

"I haven't seen her since the party," Gilinsky shrugged.

"I saw her at the store a few days ago and she said hi but she seemed down. I don't know what's up with that girl."

"Did you try asking her?"

"I know Lucy well enough to know she won't tell me. Anyway...I was thinking maybe this Friday we could go bowling?"

"What, like all of us?" Gilinsky chewed on one of the strings of his hoodie.

"N-no. I was thinking just you and I. You know, a best friend outing."

"Um...okay, yeah for sure. What about Lucy?"

"What about her?"

. . . . .

Lucy sat in her car in silence. The A/C blasted, blowing her hair behind her while she people-watched in West Bev's parking lot. She's startled when Cameron comes out of nowhere, knocking on her window. 

She rolls it down and just stares at him through her sunglasses, waiting for him to speak as he leans on the window frame.

"Hotboxing before class, Durant?" He asked with a smile.

"I wish," she replied, checking her face in the rearview mirror. "What is it?"

"Just making sure you're okay."

"I'm peachy," she shrugs it off & turns off the car, stepping out. "I'm not starting the year as a pregnant teen statistic. I literally have my freedom back. Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"Because of them." He nods down the parking lot at Nate & Tiffany making out against Tiffany's car. Lucy slams her car door.

Lucy purses her lips and swallows her pride.

"Yeah well...fuck 'em."

Lucy storms ahead, marching into school, seemingly unbothered, and leaving Cameron behind her.

"Okay, see you later," Cameron called out to no avail.

Lucy struts past Vanessa and Gilinsky undetected, not in the mood to talk to anyone. She seeks solace in the closest empty stairwell and drops her bag, leaning against the cement wall. Her throat feels constricted, her eyes well up with tears.

"Not exactly the best way to start the year," Kian says seated on a step.

Lucy gasps, not even knowing he was there.

"What are you doing in here," she asks.

"Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing? Why are you crying?"

"None of your business," her voice cracks.

"Just trying to be friendly," he shrugged.

"From what I've seen with Vanessa, that's not exactly your reputation."

"Yeah that's what everyone at West Bev is so big on...reputations."

Lucy wipes her eyes and picks up her bag but Kian hops up and blocks her from exiting.

"Move," she commanded him.

He holds up a tiny baggie with a pill in it & grins. "It'll take the sadness away. And this one's on me."

Lucy hesitated. She wanted the pill but then again she didn't. Kian was always known for his shenanigans but she didn't know he was a makeshift drug dealer too. She couldn't stop the sadness, she couldn't see how. So she snatched it from him, took it out the baggie and put it onto the tip of her tongue. Kian smirks and hands her his bottle of water.

"Down the rabbit hole to Wonderland," he says.

. . . . .

Nadia was up bright and early for school today. She did her workout, showered & groomed, ate her complete breakfast, took her vitamins, and was out the door an hour before classes started.

"I promise you, the Squad will be on point this year now that I'm captain," she said on the phone, parked outside of Swazz's house. She honked the horn, waiting for him to emerge from his house and still nothing. "But I'll talk to you at lunch, this boy is taking forever to come outside."

She hung up and called him but he didn't answer. So she called a few more times and still no answer.

"Alright," she said to herself, backing out of the driveway. "If this is how you wanna play it."

. . . . .

Sammy and Serenity were making out by his locker, completely ignoring anyone around them who would see. They paused to look at each other and he kept his hand on her chin.

"My house after school?" He asked.

"Nope, going to my other boyfriend's house," Serenity joked.

"Other boyfriend?" His eyebrows raised. "Fuck that guy, you're mine."

"Guess you two will just have to fight over me."

"Fighting ain't my style babygirl." He smiled and kissed her again, only for them to be quickly interrupted by Nadia. She repeatedly tapped on Sammy's shoulder. "Uhh, what?"

"Have you seen John?" Nadia asked them.

"Man it's so weird when you guys call him that. But uh, no I haven't seen Swazz."

"Don't you usually pick him up," Serenity asked.

"Yes but either he's in a very deep sleep or—"

"Wait, there he is." Serenity pointed behind Nadia.

Nadia quickly turned around and rushed toward Swazz, her heels clanking on the polished floors.

"Where the hell have you been," she shouted at Swazz.

"I left my phone at home," he responded calmly. "My dad took me to breakfast and dropped me off. Wanted to give me a little first day pep talk."

An angry Nadia slowly calmed down as Swazz brought her in for a hug.

"I'm sorry babe," he said. "You look beautiful, by the way. Wait here, gonna run to the restroom."

"Okay," she pouted. "Hurry back though, I have a segment on the morning announcements."

"Two minutes." He smiled and kissed her sweetly before going across the hall into the men's room.

Two guys were on their way out as he walked in. He checked all the stalls and saw he was alone. Slowly he lifted his shirt, revealing a large bruise on the right of his ribs. He tried touching it but he flinched at the pain. The door opened and in walked Gilinsky, causing him to quickly put his shirt back down.

"Bro," Gilinsky exclaimed. "What's up? Have you seen Lucy? Vanessa won't shut up about her."

"Uh, n-no. Just got here, sorry."

"Everything okay? You seem down about something."

Swazz turned his frown upside down. "Just sucks we're back in this shithole for one more year, am I right?"

"Oh yeah, I feel you on that one."

"I'll catch you later though," Swazz patted him on the shoulder. "Can't keep the lady waiting."

"For sure, see you at practice."

. . . . .

Once lunch came around, Lucy's high had ceased and she was back to her lows. She stumbled through the hallways and bumped into Kali.

"Walk much?" Kali said defensively.

"S-sorry," Lucy stammered.

"Lucy!" She heard Vanessa yell from behind her. "I've been looking for you all day! We have major damage control to take care of."

"Huh?"

"I'm talking about Gilinsky and Madison," she said more quietly. "We need to find a way to keep her away. I'm thinking maybe set her up with Kian or something. Wait...no, he wouldn't dare. Oh! There's this new kid who is like super smart, he's a junior but he was in my AP Algebra class, I think his name is Nash something. Maybe he-"

"Vanessa, I understand you want Gilinsky but you have got to let it go," Lucy spoke with pure frustration. She didn't realize it was the after-effects of the pill Kian gave her.

"What? All summer you were telling me to go for it, now I have to let it go? And why are you sweating?"

"Just...forget it. Okay? Drop it."

"Drop what? Talk to me, Lucy."

Lucy abruptly walks away, finally reaching the outside courtyard to get some air. But across the way and through the crowd of students enjoying their expensive lunches, she sees Tiffany sitting on Nate's lap. She hated herself for still having feelings for Nate.

"Need another pick-me-up?" Kian asked from the right of her.

"No, I feel more shitty than I did before I took it," she replied.

"Maybe you just need an old-fashioned high with sweet Mary Jane," he grinned.

"I'm fine, alright? Leave me alone."

"Okay," he smacked his lips. "But when you need something, you know how to get ahold of me."

______

A/N: Johnson wasn't mentioned in this chapter but here was his first day of school outfit anyway...