Unexpected-Chapter One

I step out of my car and look where I'm going to be stuck almost everyday for the next nine months. I lock my car and start walking into Westview High, I'm officially a senior. I'm almost out of here finally. "Zoey!" I turn around and fake a smile.

"Brooke!" I yell as she runs and hugs me, I'm surprised she didn't fall in those heels. "What's your first hour?" I ask her and she frowns.

"Gym." I laugh at her and hand her my schedule. "No!" I jump at her outburst and so do others around us who are now staring at her like she is insane, which she is. "We have nothing together." She pouts.

"Well, my first hour is study hall. I'll catch you later." Me and her have known each other since kindergarten but ever since middle school she's changed. She to into being popular and getting with guys, I'll always love her like a sister but she's just not the same anymore.

"You better text me." She says flicking my nose and running into the building. I walk inside and instantly hear the voices of other students. I walk to my locker and thanks to my luck it's on the other side of the building from my class. I open it on my first try and put all my things inside, only leaving out my writing notebook and a pencil.

"Hello." A shiver runs down my spine as his voice speaks behind me. I turn around and look up to face him.

"Go away Mike." I say with the strongest tone I can, even I can hear the slight fear in it though. I turn to walk away but he grabs my arm.

"Don't be like that babe." I jerk my arm away and turn to face him.

"Don't ever call me babe again." He chuckles and takes a step closer.

"Come on, I know you still love me Zoe." He puts a hand on either side of my head against the lockers, trapping me there. He's about to say something again when the bell rings. "Well look at that, being late on the first days a bad impression Zoey." He says laughing. He puts his arms down and walks into the crowd of rushing students. I shake off the uneasy feeling I have before running to my first class. I open the door and see the teacher isn't in there yet. It's a large classroom with double seat desks. I sit in one of the empty chairs and look around. I notice in the only one in my grade, most of the other students are in 9th grade. The teacher comes in and my eyes widen with who is walking in behind him. TJ, of all people. He is about to sit in the back when the teacher speaks.

"Everyone stand in the back of the room. This may be a study hall but we do have a seating chart!" I hear groaning from around the room as I walk to the back. He starts from the front and works his way back. "Mandy and Colton, you are in the back right. Zoey and Tyler you are in the back left. Now take your seats." I look over to see TJ giving our teacher the stink eye. Why does he hate his name so much? I sit down to the right of him and lean back in my chair. "Since it's the first day lets talk about the rules." And this is where I zone out. I open my notebook to write when I realize I dropped my pencil.

I groan and shut my notebook when I hear TJ talk. "Need a pencil?" He asks and I look at him surprised. He's talking to me?

"Yeah, thanks." I say hesitantly taking the pencil. I open the notebook and start writing in my story. Why's is he being so nice to me? It doesn't even make sense, he's usually so rude to everyone.

"Ms. Sanders, are you paying attention?" I snap my head up to the teacher who is glaring at me. I thought people said he wasn't strict and let you do whatever you want!

"Yes sir." I lie.

"Tyler, was she paying attention?" He asks and I mentally scream.

"She's writing notes." I look at him with shock and turn back to the teacher who has the same look on his face.

"Oh, well than carry on Zoey." Finally the teacher starts talking again and I turn to face TJ.

"Thanks for that." He nods and puts his phone in his pocket.

"Don't get used to it." Now that's the TJ I know. I go back to my writing and in no time class is over. I give him back his pencil before putting in my headphones and walk out the door.

I walk to my math class and find my seat. My friend Andy is in here but the teacher made him sit on the other side of the room. We go over the syllabus and luckily we have five minutes at the end to talk to friends. I walk over to Andy and sit next to him. "Schedule." I say holding out my hand to him. We swap them and he smile.

"We have math, lunch, and science together" He says handing it back. Good, at least have him with me, even if it's only for a few class hours. The bell rings and we say our byes, it's a free hour for me so I walk out of the school and head toward the big tree in the back. I sit under it and pull out my notebook again. I hear coughing and turn to see TJ, Cole, and Dominic smoking a joint. Of course since we are in the back of the school there are no teachers here to catch them. I shake my head and go back to writing.

As she walked in the door she heard voices coming from her father study. "I don't know what we are going to do, she's failing all of her classes thanks to that boy." I tiptoe closer and put my ear to the door. "Maybe we should send her to that private school the maid was talking about." Boarding school?! Wait, what boy! I don't even have a

"Whatcha writing?" My head snaps up and I see Cole standing above me while the other two are still leaning against the building.

"Nothing." I say closing my notebook.

"Lemme see it." He grabs it from my hands and opens it. I jump up and try grabbing it but he holds it above my hands. "This is priceless. Guys come over here!" The guys walk over and stand behind him. Cole and Dominic laugh as I try jumping for it but TJ just stands there. He looks, annoyed?

"Give it back." I say with a warning but shaky tone.

"Or what little girl." Please don't hurt my notebook, I mentally beg him. I snatch my notebook back from him before trying to run. I feel an arm grab me and spin me around. "Shouldn't have done that." I scream as I'm shoved to the ground and the notebook is taken from my hands once again. This time my eyes widen as he pulls out a lighter.

"Don't." I beg. He smirks and lights it. He drops it on the ground and I start stomping on it trying to put it out. It lays there, almost completely burnt on the grass.

The bell rings and Cole walks away laughing with Dominic. I feel a tear fall down my cheek and wipe it away. I can't believe he just did that. I pick up the notebook and slam it back down on the ground. I look up to walk away and see TJ standing there still. The next bell rings signally third hour has started and I look down at the ground away from him. "What do you want?" I say weakly.

"Why are you crying, what was in there that was so important?" He asks and it's my turn to be taken back.

"Just leave me alone." I try to walk past him he grabs my arm and turns me to face him.

"Hey it's not like I did anything to you." I feel myself getting red with anger.

"No, you didn't." I say turning to face him. "You just let him torment me which makes you just as bad as them! Why do you even care if I'm mad at you huh?! It's not like you like me, you make it pretty obvious how much you hate me whenever we are in school." He glares at me and let's go of my arm I didn't even realize he was still holding.

"You're right, I don't know why I care either. You're just another skank anyway, I don't even know why I'm talking to you." My jaw tightens when he says that and I feel my hands clench at my sides. I turn and walk away. Breathe Zoey breathe.

I get back inside and instantly go to the bathroom. I hide in the biggest stall and sit on the toilet with my legs to my chest against. I start crying and scratching at my arm, trying to ignore what my mind is telling me. Why am I always treated like this? Why am I so pathetic, I can't even stick up for myself.

The door opens and I pull my sleeve down before standing up and wiping my eyes. "I know right, I can't believe she actually cried." No, why does Carrie have to be in here? "It was just a little notebook and she started bawling her eyes out, seriously." She laughs and that's when it hits me. She's talking about me. "She is so pathetic, isn't she?"

"Totally, who cries over a notebook." Oh, she's with Molly. "She's probably just sad the only attention she can get from any guy is like that. She is solo desperate. Right Brooke?" I'm about to gasp but stop myself.

"Naw, she doesn't like them." I smile a little as Brooke defends me. "She still has a thing for Mike." My stomach drops as I hear her. How could she ever say that, she's the only one who knows what he did to me. She knows what he put my through. "She's still obsessed with him, when I went to her house last weekend," both Molly and Carrie gag, which she replies with an "I know right" before continuing. "She told me all about it. She even showed me her closet where she hides all the pictures of him, she's gotten like, crazy stalkersish." Why is she lying about me like this. I thought she was my friend! I let out a choked sob and quickly cover my mouth.

"What was that?" I hear Moly ask. "Hey, who's in there?" She knocks on the stall door but I stay silent.

"Oh shit." I hear Carrie say with a laugh. "Is that you Zoey?" She laughs even harder. "Aw come on out, we should all have a little talk." She starts rattling the door and I cry harder, my hand still to my mouth. Why can't they just leave me alone! I stand up and shove the stall door open, knocking one of the girls over. I look back as I run out the door when I hear one of them yell somethings I see Brooke getting up off the floor. She looks at me with regret in her eyes but I don't care. How could she say those awful things about me then look at me like that! I run to my locker and try the lock but my hands are shaking to much as I try to open it. Breathe Zoey, breathe.

I slowly calm my breathing as I listen to the voice in my head. I open my locker to pull out my bag when an envelope falls out. More tears come, but these once aren't sad anymore. A small smile comes to my lips and I look at the small partially burnt envelope and realize it's from my notebook. These a post it attached to it with a note saying, "this was in the notebook, it didn't get burned to much. I didn't read whatever was inside just in case it was personal. I hope one day I have the chance to though." I fold up the post it and put it in my pocket before opening the envelope and saying the paper inside perfectly in tact luckily. I wipe my eyes before putting the envelope in my bag and shutting my locker. Who would have done that? Could it have been TJ? No, I'm just another skank to him. My mood starts to get worse so I decide to stop thinking about it. I walk out to my car and start it, pulling out of the parking lot away from this horrible place.