Seven Petals -Chapter Two-

The best part about being a Junior is that our lockers are on the fourth floor of the old downtown building with the Seniors. For Marisol and I, it's away from all our sisters. Mia, Chrissa, and Lanie are on the first floor all day, except for their arts classes, and I only see Jess and Nicki when I switch classes. It's my own private escape. Pictures are held by magnets on my locker door of my closest friends and I. Some Hollister perfume is on my top shelf next to an orderly row of composition books, my textbooks and corresponding folders on the bottom. I hang up my messenger bag, retrieving my purse and History folder. Marisol slammed her locker, hard, and stormed down to me. She had her dance bag slung over her shoulder as she leaned against the empty locker next to mine.

"I forgot to do my Anatomy."

"Sucks to be you."

"Why didn't you remind me?"

"Uh, hello, I do the homework at lunch." I closed my locker, eager to escape to first hour. Marisol picked up on my impatience, spun around, and stomped off to the dance rooms without a word. I sighed and set off at a brisk pace,towards the stairwell, hoping to beat the rush as "I've Got A Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas played over the sound system.

I knew something was different the minute I stepped into first hour. The normal clusters were organized, all giving off an unusual excited buzz. My aforementioned closest friends waved me over. Kaya, a russet-skinned girl with long black braids the color of a raven and glowing brown eyes; Felicity, a red-head with shamrock green eyes and freckles like no other; and Elizabeth, a blond with sky blue eyes and flawless skin, sporting her trademark ponytail that was identical to Felicity's. They wore skinny jeans and Aeropostale tees, and a large grin.

"What's the tweet?" I asked casually.

"There's a new student," Kaya began.

"It's a boy. A handsome boy," Felicity and Elizabeth gushed in unison. I smiled back, knowing they had clearly been admiring him all morning.

"So where is this too-hot-to-handle noob?" I questioned. They all silently pointed. I turned around, only to have the breath knocked out of me. He was gorgeous. Hair the color of a clear black night, eyes like a rampaging ocean, and he was tall. Like over six feet. More like six-foot-four, give or take an inch or two. Mr. Swann stood up from his desk just as the Jeopardy music (aka our 30-second warning to get to class) ended. I sat in my seat as his eyes raked the room. They stopped at the door.

"Oh, right. Okay, class, this is Asher Scott. He's new here, obviously, so be nice. Find a seat anywhere."

Asher smiled and chose his seat wisely. Right. Next. To. Me! I turned to face him

"Hi, I'm Kailey." I held out my hand.

"I'm Asher. Duh." He laughed a little and shook my hand. I turned on my flirty grin, when I realized my friends wanted a bite of my eye candy. They all introduced themselves, each one flirtier than I. A twinge of jealousy stabbed at me, when I noticed his schedule.

"Intermediate Theatre?" I asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah," he shrugged. "You're probably a dance major or a guitarist, right?"

I shook my head, rejoicing in my silent victory. "Nope. Acting. We have the next two hours together."

He beamed. "Awesome, you can totally show me the ropes around here then."

"Sure can." I beamed back, feeling my friend's stares on my face.

"You guys sure are huggy around here," He commented as we made our way down the hallway.

"Eh, you get used to it," I said, stopping him before he knocked over the minute sixth graders. "I swear, they shrink with every year."

This made him laugh; his laugh was as alluring as he was, and just as attention grabbing. We were almost to the classroom, one where he and I could chat instead of memorizing another Shakespearean monologue and my eyes could greedily check him out, when lo and behold, my moody sister Marisol ran right smack into us. Literally. Asher stumbled back and helped steady her. She blinked up at him, then to me, evidently wondering what in the world I was doing with the hottest teen on Earth. But she didn't get a chance to ask, because Lanie ran up to us at that exact moment and asked me if I had any feminine products left over because she knew last week was a bad week for me and that Mia needed some. My face turned a bright red and Asher shifted uncomfortably, telling Marisol that it was an accident, and that she need not apologize. She was suppressing laughter as I told Lanie no, who promptly responded,

"You used up a fifty pack? Mom just bought that!"

Oh, please, why has no one come and put me out of my misery yet? "Go to class, Lanie." I ordered, shooting Marisol a warning look. She told Asher good-bye and strutted away, winking at him from around the corner. What I wouldn't give to be an only child right now. We entered the theatre classroom, the five other students doing make-up and texting before our bubbly teacher, Mrs. Carroll, would sweep into the room, greeting us loudly.

"So, Kailey, the tiny one was your sister?"

I nodded, still flushing. "Both, actually. Marisol is my mom's goddaughter who has lived with us since she was three."

He smiled. "Yeah, I live with my godparents, too. It's me, Josh, Kayla, and my sister, Crystal."

"You only have one sister?" I asked. Most people consider this normal. I find it unusual, but a pleasing idea.

"Yeah. Why? How many do you have?"

"Six," I mumbled. He laughed.

"Must be crowded at your house."

I shrugged. "It can be. But most of the time it's... Embarrassing and weird. I have no privacy or something I can truly call mine."

He nodded. "I understand. Exactly. My sister is always in my stuff. I can only imagine having six of her." He shook violently, making me giggle.

Mrs. Carroll appeared then, quoting some ancient Shakespearean sonnet in her authentic British accent. Her eyes became transfixed on Asher and I and she motioned for him to rise.

"Good luck," I whispered. He silently thanked me with a twinkle in his eye.

"Oh-em-gee, he is so fine," Elizabeth gushed during Anatomy. We had just had a very long drool session in Spanish over the video featuring Antonio Banderas, and now we were back to checking out Asher as he talked to Mr. Grant.

"And he is like the next... Really hot actor guy."

"The one from Twilight?"

"No, like Johnny Depp, duh." I rolled my eyes and Asher slid into the seat next to me, behind Elizabeth. She shivered a little and I swallowed my laughter.I really wished I hadn't, because my laugh would've covered up my phone going off. Mr. Grant's eyes searched the room as though he had some sort of technology-sensing Spidey powers.

"Answer it now, Ms. Thomas," he snapped, flipping off the lights. I pulled out my phone.

Jess: I'm transferring into your science class. Be there soon.

"No,"I groaned. Elizabeth looked over at me.

"Jess transferred into our class hour," I told her. She smiled, obviously excited about Jess's transfer. I liked having as much time as possible away from my sister's, including at school. Not saying that I can't stand Jess, because I can, she's just... Different. Smart and cute, but quiet and obsessed with animals. She also clings to me, and her being in this class would be problematic. I mean, who in their right mind texts in correct grammar? My biggest problem rang a bell in my head; If I was going to try and flirt with Asher, she'd tell Mom and Dad. I began to text her back, tell her to change the class hour or I'd hide one of her stupid stuffed animals, but it was too late. Jess knocked on the door, handing her slip to Mr. Grant when he opened it for her. Then, she skittered over to sit behind me. Her eyes widened at Asher, but she diligently took out her notebook and began writing whatever was on the overhead.

"Another sister?" Asher asked so I could hear. I nodded.

"The super smart one."

Jess tapped my shoulder. I leaned back. "Why is the cute guy talking to you?"

"Because the cute guy wants to."

"But the cute guys never talk to you."

"Well, the cute guy is this time," I shot at her.

"Maybe the cute guy wants to take notes so he can catch up in class, ladies." Mr. Grant scolded, walking past us. My face burned as again one of my sisters embarrassed me. Asher smiled politely, but turned his face back to Elizabeth's as she rambled about something gossipy, batting her eyes. Jess was right. The cute guys never talked to me, and if they did, it wasn't for long.