More Than This

4thpowermama

Hi guys! I hope you are enjoying the Block Party so far, and thanks so much for checking out my post! I'm 4thpowermama, also known as Cynthia, and I am about to celebrate my Wattpad 1st birthday. I can't think of a better present than to be able to participate in this Block Party Winter Edition. I have already made some amazing connections here with other writers, it is a fantastic community.

My current work is called More Than This, and it centers around the tangled relationships of three high school students: Garrett, Matt and Amber. For my post, I wanted to go back in time and watch as they meet for the first time, the first day of senior year in high school. Garrett and Amber have strong opinions about the year ahead. Their cast picture along with their chapter "theme song" is listed as well.

More Than This – Bonus Chapter

Prologue: Day One

The first day of school is always the same. It doesn't matter what school you go to, or how many places you have lived. All these damn schools are identical. As I am walking up to the school building, the first day of my senior year and the fourth high school I have attended, I can tell that this f-ing place is a cheap copy of every messed up mini-society of want-to-be adults I have seen. These idiots think they are special, smarter or more experienced than everyone else their age. Well, I can tell you from experience that they are just the same f-ed up assholes that make up every other high school.

Do I sound pissed?

I am. I hate this BS, and I don't think I can stand another entire year of it.

I head up the steps to the main building, which is made of actual bricks, like it's a freaking ivy league institution, and I look around at the loitering student body. Every typical stereotype was represented: cheerleaders hanging on jocks, nerds with their books, tough guys with their freaking leather jackets. And then there was me- none of the above.

School was never a problem for me. I always did fine and grades took hardly any of my effort. You just had to spew back whatever the teacher preached and you were good. Keep quiet and they left you alone, as long as you turned in your work. I had decoded the system right away, I had to. My survival in high school depended on two things; teachers leaving me alone, and keeping my hood up no matter where I was.

The hood was a barrier, it kept people out. And that's where I wanted them, out of my business and out of my space. The hood told everyone to stay the hell away. That and it covered my scar.

I got the scar when I was ten. The details aren't important, but the fact that I even have it says a lot about me. I am tough, but not in the way that everyone perceives. The scar proves I'm a survivor, but most people assume it means I'm a perpetrator. Hah, if they only knew.

It starts at my left eyebrow and travels all the way down my cheek and neck. No one but my family knows it continues down to my left hip. The worst of it is covered with clothes but the part that is visible is what makes people uncomfortable. So the hood is my way of making them uncomfortable about my personality instead of about my scar.

It seems to work pretty well.

Predictably, I can already tell that I am gaining a rep. All I have done so far is park my Charger and walk up the main walkway, but the looks I'm getting say it all. This guy's bad news is written all over every face watching my entrance. Perfect. People stay away from bad news, which was fine by me.

Walking through the main hallway was no different than the outside of the school had been. Cliché's at every turn. One cliché caught my attention as I rounded the corner to the main office. An obvious football player, flanked by about three other guys in letterman's jackets and five or six cheerleaders, watched me with a narrowed gaze. Something about his stance gave the vibe that he thought he was a big deal. Well, that and the fact that everyone near him seemed to feed off his every move as if they were pigeons and he was a loaf of bread. Their brains were probably about the same size as a pigeon, which explained their behavior. This guy could be a problem for me, guys like him tended to feel threatened by outsiders. His narrowed gaze was lingering on me as I passed by. I made eye contact at first, showing I wasn't intimidated by whatever he was thinking, then gave a silent chuckle, letting my shoulders rise and fall. Whatever, dude.

I got to the office and picked up my schedule. The dreaded twelfth grade government class was first on my list. Perfect. First thing every morning I would get to nod off to Rule of Law in a lawless high school society. How ironic. I checked the room number and found that it was just down the hall from the office. Hood up, eyes down, I made my way to the first hell hole of the day but didn't make it two feet before bumping into someone. I didn't bother to acknowledge the awkward social faux paw, which would indicate weakness on my part. That was not the impression I wanted to leave today. No, today was all about strength, my strength. Because if any of these vultures sensed the tiniest bit of weakness in me, it was game over.

"Oh, um, sorry"

The little voice I heard, however, startled me into seeking out its owner. I glanced to the side and saw a girl with long auburn hair, curled pieces surrounding her face the way these girls have it now, no idea what it is or what you call it. She wasn't making eye contact as I glanced more closely at her face, and she seemed to cower away from me. Even though it seemed like second nature for me to laugh at her, after all I needed to keep up my persona, it just wasn't in me to do it. She was too similar to someone I hadn't seen in four years, and I didn't want to think about her at all. It was too much today. I didn't have the energy to be the asshole I needed to be if the thoughts of my past started to resurface.

So instead of my usual snide comments intended to force a distance between myself and every person I came into contact with, I just shrugged.

"Yeah, fine." Was what came out of my mouth without permission. Great effing start to senior year.

I walk in a daze towards the parking lot after the last bell on my first day as a senior in high school. Was I really doing this? Had today really happened? I'm in shock. That's not even a strong enough word for how I'm reacting to the day's events. With the expansive vocabulary I possess, I don't even have a word to describe it. It's indescribable, this feeling.

I was noticed.

The day started like any other first day; with nerves and excitement. I enjoy school, always have. Learning has always been fun for me, even when it was difficult. I liked to struggle through a challenge and come out knowing more, understanding something complicated, or completing an enormous project. The feeling of accomplishment was like no other feeling in the world. I guess that's why going unnoticed for my entire life wasn't that big of a deal. I hadn't realized what it could feel like. And now that it's happened, I don't want it to go away.

When I got to school this morning, I figured the year would be predictably dull, uneventful, except for the academic challenges of course. Obviously, it being my senior year meant that most of the pressure was already off. Junior year had practically killed me trying to keep my GPA above 3.8. But I had done it, so this year was all about maintaining my academic standing. Everyone said that it would be a walk in the park compared to last year. Easy. I was counting on that.

What I wasn't counting on was what ended up happening.

Walking through the main hallway was always a nerve wracking experience. The populars spent their morning hanging out by the lockers for some reason. Honestly I had no idea why, the quad was so much nicer. But that was the spot they had claimed as "the one", so every day I had to pass them as I walked to class. I always had butterflies walking by their pack.

Today was no different, I found myself almost sick to my stomach, preparing to walk by, when I saw a new student. He was confident, wearing a black hoodie with the hood up. He was looking down but walking with a sense of power, or strength. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. My breathing hitched when I noticed he had a huge scar running down the side of his face. I didn't want to stare at it, so I put my head down to continue passed him.

That was a mistake.

I bumped into him, which was completely humiliating. I mumbled an apology and kept walking. He may have mumbled something in response but I was moving so quickly away from him that I couldn't tell. I hurried to my first class, English, to hide from the rest of the witnesses. That's when he noticed me.

Matt McKinley. The star quarterback and most sought after guy at Jefferson High. He was every girl's dream and every football player's nightmare. And he talked to me.

"Looks like we're in for a great senior year." Matt said with a smile.

"I guess. I mean, I hope so...um" My tongue refused to cooperate.

"Hey, I know you're a really good student. I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me out with this class. That is if you have time to work with me?"

My mouth dropped open "Um, s-sure, yeah I have t-time."

"Great, why don't you meet me after school in the parking lot and we can head to the library. Is that cool?"

"Sure" I finally smiled back.

I couldn't believe he kept talking to me, even after I stumbled all over myself, sounding like an idiot. He even asked me out!

Well, he asked me to go with him to the library, which for me is the closest thing to being asked out that's ever happened. So I'm putting it in that category.

At lunch I told my two best friends, Shannon and Maddie. They squealed, which further confirmed how amazing the whole thing had been.

"Are you serious! Matt McKinley? You are so lucky!" Shannon shouted.

"Shhh! Someone might hear you!" I tried to calm her down. The last thing I needed was some rumor that I had a crush on Matt.

"What are you going to do?" Maddie inquired.

Wasn't it obvious? "I'm going to the library with him, what do you think?" How could I turn him down? He seemed so sweet when he asked me to help him out.

"You have to call us tonight. I want details!" Shannon was insistent. And I'm sure there would be nothing to tell other than page numbers and author quotes. But I would most likely remember every detail, having it etched in my mind forever. It was probably the only opportunity I would ever have to spend time with anyone like Matt. He was so attractive!

As I approach the parking lot, I see him leaning against his car, a white Audi A4. The car seems to fade into the horizon as Matt looks my way and our eyes lock. He really is the best looking guy at this school. Muscular, tall, tan, tousled sandy blonde hair, and eyes that actually seemed to twinkle when he smiled. They were the perfect shade of Tiffany blue, and what girl wouldn't love that color?

"Hey, Amber, how was your first day of senior year?" Matt smiles at me as he asks.

"Better than expected" I respond truthfully, but I hoped it wasn't saying too much. After all, he was the reason it was such a great day. "How about yours?"

"It looks like it's going to be the best senior year ever."

Yep, his eyes twinkle when he smiles. He just might be right, this year is already the best one so far.

^^^^^

Thanks so much for checking out my corner of the block! The next part of the saga takes place four months later, so if you'd like to read about how these three get tangled up, and see things from Matt's point of view, look for More Than This on my profile!

And don't forget to sign up for the giveaways! You could become a character in an upcoming chapter along with a dedication from me!!

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