Falling for the Bad Boy

Chapter 5

As I walked through the halls of my new high school, I could feel the burning stares of my peers as they checked me out for the first time. Normally, I would try to convince myself that no one was looking and that it was all in my head... My imagination was playing tricks on me... But today, there was no denying the fact that every single person in the hallway was staring directly at me.

That was the one thing about being a new student in a small town... No matter how hard you try to blend in, you are still bound to stick out like a sore thumb no matter the efforts you make.

I continued to charge forward down the hallway, trying to appear more confident than I felt, but also trying as hard as I possibly could, to not make eye contact with anyone. The last thing I wanted was to get off on the wrong foot on my first day, all because my chronic resting b*tch face made it appear like I was wanting to fight someone...

I instantly regretted not taking my brother up on his offer to help show me around... I expected this high school to be much smaller than it was due to the fact that it was designed in a small town... However, it did not occur to me that this large castle-like school was not only the high school for the small town that I now lived in, but also for all of the surrounding towns nearby that were too small to justify their own high school.

The hallways were much busier than I had anticipated, and I could not make out any of the locker numbers through the crowd of people that were standing in front of them... At this point, the only strategy I had come up with was to go and hide in the girl's bathroom and wait for the bell to ring and the students to disperse so that I could have a clear view of the hallway and finally find my locker... However, the idea of walking into my class late on my first day was one that I did not care for in the least bit.

I could feel the panic set in as I was unsure as to what I should do, and wished desperately that someone would take pity on me and help me find where I needed to go. Suddenly, as if my prayers had been answered, a cute-looking boy that had to be around my age walked up to me with a kind smile on his face. He had blonde hair and beautiful green eyes that were hidden behind a pair of thick-rimmed, fashionably chic glasses. He was tall, and although he looked like a very fit, thin but muscular guy, it also seemed fairly apparent that he was most likely not a jock.

His smile comforted me and made me feel like he was someone who I could be good friends with...

"Hey, my name is Logan, you look a bit lost... Could you use some help? I have a free period first thing this morning and was just planning on heading to the library. I am happy to help you find your way." Logan held out his hand as he introduced himself. I accepted the handshake with my own, and couldn't help but notice how firm, yet gentle his handshake was... He had strong hands, like someone who did a lot of work with his hands... I couldn't help but wonder what kind of work a man like Logan would be doing... Perhaps he enjoyed working on cars... Or possibly woodworking...

I realized that I had taken an awkwardly long time to respond to Logan's question and introduce myself...

"Hi Logan, it is nice to meet you. I'm Emma, and you are right, I am extremely lost and desperate for some assistance. If you wouldn't mind helping me find where I need to go, that would be greatly appreciated..." I smiled back, the kindest smile I could muster up without looking overly eager that he had talked to me in the first place...

Normally, being the introvert that I am, I try my hardest to avoid people at all costs. Back at the school that I attended before moving here, I would not dare to accept help from anyone, because the thought of having to force a conversation with someone was more than my anxiety could take. But today, as I stood out in the crowd of high schoolers that were surrounding me, I would take any help I could possibly get...

"Perfect! Well, now that that is settled, what is your locker number?" Logan asked enthusiastically, ready to guide me to the best of his ability... I handed him my class schedule as well as my locker number and the remaining information that I had printed off from the email my father had received from the school receptionist.

Logan took a quick glance at my class schedule before gesturing for me to follow him down the hall. He moved so gracefully through the crowd. Swift and untouched, like he knew exactly where to go, and no one dared stand in his way... I, however, seemed to be running into everyone that I passed by, as my shoulders continued to bounce off of people as I pinballed my way down the hallway.

"It appears that you are quite the smarty pants." Logan teased me as he once again looked over my class schedule...

One of the best things about being an introvert with no friends or boyfriend was that I had plenty of time to focus on schoolwork... I had been so determined to make the best future for myself possible, that I made sure to take every class I possibly could, in order to line myself up the best I could for any college programs I wished to take... There was no way that I was going to come back to high school to upgrade any grades or classes once I had finally escaped from that place.

"I wouldn't say I am a smarty pants... Just desperate to move on with life, and determined to get into a good career where I can do something that I love." I was shocked as the words escaped my mouth... Normally, I wouldn't say that to anyone, let alone someone I had just met. But there was something about Logan that made me feel like he would understand what I was meaning.

"I totally get that. I am also in my last year of high school, and when I finally graduate from this place, I'm not turning back for anything. I feel like I've been waiting an eternity to escape this town... I don't mean to scare you off, since I am guessing you have just moved here?" Logan finally tracked down my locker and stopped directly in front of me, handing me the paper with my combo information so that I would be able to open the lock.

"Yes, I did, just last Friday... But I've been coming here for years. My dad and my brother live here, so I just moved in with them." I continued to turn the lock to the correct numbers, however, no matter how many times I turned, I was unable to get the lock to release... Yet another problem I was struggling with...

"May I?" Logan gestured towards my lock and I handed him my combo and stepped out of his way so that he could come to my rescue yet again. With a flash of turns, Logan had the lock released, and my locker door opened in the blink of an eye... I couldn't help but wonder how the heck he did that.

I placed all of my personal items in the locker that I wouldn't be needing and grabbed the books required for my first class. Then I relocked the locker and insisted Logan show me how he managed to get it unlocked... Though he found it humorous and teased me every time that I failed, he stood there until I was able to release the lock three times, to ensure that I would be able to grab my books for my next class... I had a feeling that I might not have Logan around to help me later on...

Once I finally had the locker situation figured out, Logan led me down a completely different corridor in order to find my first class. I found myself thankful that he was here to help me and hoping that this would not be the last that I saw of him today.

"So who is your brother? Does he go to this school? Is he our age?" Logan asked, and I found it refreshing to be someone that no one knew anything about... I almost did not want to ruin it by telling him who my brother was... But I figured that it might be weird if he found out later on, and I had hidden it from him.

"He is actually my twin brother... He has been going to this school for years. You may have heard of him, Christopher Foster." The moment that I mentioned my brother's name, Logan's demeanor seemed to change, and I could not help but wonder what my brother may have done to him...