Blake
1155 Words
It is hard to describe what I was feeling as I got ready for Victoria’s first day of high school.
I was nervous, but not in the way I was on Heather’s first day of high school. Heather was afraid that she wouldn’t fit in, and that she would have difficultly making new friends. I remember clearly that I was scared of embarrassing myself somehow. I had convinced myself that something ridiculous would happen and I would end up with a humiliating nickname.
It’s crazy to think that the biggest concerns Heather had were that she would trip over in front of the cool kids, or that she would not be a straight-A student.
I didn’t care about being popular this time, and I wasn’t worried about embarrassing myself. I was scared that someone would see through the act and that they would know that Victoria was not real.
“You know what to do when we get there, right?”
“Follow you to the principal’s office and wait to be called in.”
We had been through this ten times already, and I was frustrated that Brooke didn’t seem to trust me until I remembered that this was her first day, too. I still hadn’t been able to work out whether this was her first time living in Witness Protection.
“Have you worked in a school before?”
I hoped that the question was phrased vaguely enough that she was comfortable responding with more than just a generic answer, but she didn’t answer immediately and at first, I assumed she wasn’t going to respond at all.
“This is my first teaching job.”
She had responded to me as Brooke, but I believed that the answer was true for whoever she had been, too.
“Good luck. I think you’re going to be great at this.”
She laughed and shook her head, without taking her eyes off the road.
“Oh, kiddo. You’re a sweetheart, you know that?”
I felt silly, then. Brooke may be my cool older sister in her first job as a teacher, but I was also talking to a US Marshall. She didn’t need a 17-year-old nerd wishing her luck in her new job, she would probably find it boring and uneventful compared to her real job.
When we got to the school I walked beside Brooke as she led me to the principal’s office. I kept my head down, staring down at my feet rather than taking in my surroundings.
I was wearing knee-high black leather boots over tight jeans and a close-fitting black t-shirt that made me feel a lot more mature than I ever had before.
I had the large handbag that I had been given to use slung over my shoulder, this time filled with my school supplies, and I dropped it at my feet as I sat outside the door waiting to be called in.
The school didn’t look too different from my school back in Boston. There were rows of battered old metal lockers lining many of the corridors, and posters advertising a variety of after school activities and clubs were pinned on a board opposite where I was sat.
The hallways were quiet at first, but more students started to arrive until eventually, the school was buzzing with kids and teachers.
A bell rang out signaling the start of the school day, and the noise died down as people went off to the various classrooms.
I was still left waiting alone outside the office.
A few more minutes passed, and I stood up to look at the notice board.
I wondered what clubs or activities Victoria might choose in this new life, or if it would be better for me to ignore all of these things totally.
I heard footsteps and voices approaching, and then a group of people turned the corner and walked towards me.
There were three people my own age and one older man in a suit.
“You must be Miss. Cooper,” the older man addressed me.
He sounded unimpressed.
“Yes, I…that’s me. Victoria Cooper.”
“Hmm. Well, you were supposed to meet us outside the front entrance half an hour ago for the tour. There’s not going to be time to show you around now, but at least you’re here.”
“But Brooke…”
“…come on into my office.”
Great. It was my first day, and I had already made myself look stupid to the principal.
I followed him and the three students into the office, and we all sat down opposite him.
He was sat at a large wooden desk with several files stacked on it, and he picked up the top file to read the cover.
“Jake Hill.”
He handed the file to the chubby greasy-haired boy who sat to my right.
“Evie Alvarez”
The next file went to the bookish-looking girl who was sat closest to the door.
“Victoria Cooper.”
I raised my hand, and Jake stifled a giggle as the principal handed me my folder.
I wanted to look through it, but the others had not opened their files so I sat patiently for him to hand the last file out the guy sat to my left.
“Blake Quinn.”
He leaned forward casually to take the file, and I caught a smell of his aftershave. It was sophisticated and mature - nothing like anything any of the kids at my old school had ever worn. It smelled masculine and expensive; like amber, and leather, with just a hint of something sweeter I couldn’t figure out.
I hadn’t paid much attention to him until then, but I turned to look properly and found my heart racing as I looked at him properly for the first time.
Blake had flawless tanned skin and a jawline to die for. His eyes were an incredibly vivid shade of glacier blue, and his hair was mid-length and rich dark brown like fresh black coffee.
He was wearing a black leather jacket over a black t-shirt with dark blue jeans and expensive-looking new sneakers by some designer brand.
He furrowed his brow disapprovingly when he noticed me looking at him, and I turned scarlet with embarrassment and looked swiftly down at the file in my own hands.
I had never had a crush before now, but the rush of attraction I felt when I looked over at Blake was unmistakable.
Blake Quinn was hot. I had never described anyone as hot before, but it was the only world that did his smoldering good-looks justice.
- Writer
