SAM's POV

I roll up into the parking lot and find a space without much snow and ice. This past weekend, New York got hit with a snowstorm that brought 7 inches of snow, but that didn't stop the school district from continuing classes this morning. It didn't stop my mom from forcing me to drive to school today either, and she knows I hate driving in the snow!

I put on my black beanie that says 'DOPE' and zip up my coat, preparing myself for the blast of chilly air waiting outside of my car window. Before I turn off my engine, I grab my phone sitting in the cup holder and check out some missed texts from Mama G and Becca...

MAMA G: Text me when you get to school

I reply,

ME: I'm at school now.

...a few seconds later she responds.

MAMA G: Thank you. Love you! Stay warm and have a great first day back <3

I check the missing texts from Becca. She is complaining about how stupid the city is for not closing schools, and don't they know how dangerous it is outside? And I wish I stayed home today. I start to text her back when I get surprised by a knocking sound on my window. Startled, I turn my head quickly towards the noise and see this girl's face all up in my window cheesing real hard. I roll my eyes, turn off my engine, and get out the car.

"I was just about to text you."

"Man, I'm so mad! I could be sleeping right now but noooo, we had to come to school on the coldest day ever," Becca whines. She was wearing a matching pink hat and mittens which also paired well with her fluffy winter coat that covered her thighs. She was rubbing her arms and shivering.

"We had to come back eventually," I reply.

"Ugh, I can't take it!"

I just laugh as we walk up the hill to the school. It was cold outside, but I'm actually looking forward to today. I can almost smell graduation around the corner. I feel like things are gonna get better this semester.

                                                                                                         ***

I walk into my first class, Spanish 3, once again with Mrs. Raymond. Finding my assigned seat from last semester, I drop my backpack beside the desk and sit back in my chair. The class was pretty full but I noticed Jake, Diggy, and Julie weren't here yet. Not that I care about the whereabouts of the last two mentioned. Since the teacher wasn't in the classroom either, I decided to take a quick nap, so I laid my head down on the table and stuffed my cold hands into my sweatshirt pocket. A few seconds later, somebody tapped my right shoulder. I looked up to see that it was Jake.

"Still taking naps in Spanish, I see..." He smirks.

I sit up in my chair and reply, "That's what class is for. Where did you come from?"

"I've been here. I was just talking to some people in the class."

"Oh." Awkward pause.

Looking around the room making sure nobody was watching, Jake comes closer to me, leaning his arm on the back of my chair, and whispers in my ear, "I missed you."

Feeling myself blush, I gently push him away and look to see if anyone is watching us. Then, I make eye contact with him and say, "We texted each other almost every day since New Year's—"

He interrupts. "I know! But, I haven't seen your face..."

"Take a picture then. You can see me whenever you want," I reply jokingly.

He smiles, revealing his dimples, and leans toward me again. "You ready for this year?"

"I don't know. I'm ready to graduate, that's for sure!"

"Yeah... and then you'll be off to L.A., soaking up the sun, while ya boy will be stuck in simple New York City trying to get an associates degree in I don't know what."

"Stop it. Why do you always have to bring that up? You chose to stay in New York, but you can always change your mind," I remind him.

"Yeah, but not if the money's not there."

"Don't worry about what you don't have. Just worry about graduating for right now and getting a diploma."

He nods and rubs his head, looking kinda sad. Then, quickly sneaks a peck on the lips and sits back normally in his seat across the aisle. Caught off guard, I playfully hit him and lick my lips. That's when Diggy walked through the door, but before he sat in his seat, he glanced at me and Jake and stopped in his tracks. He looked like he saw a ghost or something. Jake waves at him which takes him from his dream state. Diggy returns the wave and nods at me. I nod back and look at the whiteboard in the front of the room while he sits in the seat next to me. I haven't talked to or seen Diggy since around Christmas last year, and I honestly don't mind if it stays that way.

Our teacher Mrs. Raymond quickly walks into the classroom, sitting at her desk at the front of the room just before the bell rings. She sets down her cup of coffee and glares at each of us, cradling her textbook in her arm.

"Buenos dias, clase. Espero que todos hayan tenido un gran vacaciones de invierno."

The class was silent.

Mrs. Raymond sighs and says, "I said I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas break. You all should know these words... but that's what class is for, and we will be diving back into the work that we left off with. But first, I will take attendance."

I sigh and wish that this day will go by fast. The door at the front of the class jolts open and Julie quickly shuffles to her seat next to Diggy, not making eye contact with anyone. She's wearing a baggy grey RUN-DMC sweatshirt with her hood on with black leggings and snow boots - a drastic change of style since her first arrival at Wesley High.

"Ms. Martinez, glad you could make it. You know about our late policy—"

"I'm only a minute late, Mrs. Raymond... but my mom called the school saying I may be late because I'm not feeling too well," Julie explains.

"...that's what STDs can do to ya," I hear someone whisper across the room. What the heck?

"I'll let it slide this time, but you need to have a pass, Julie."

"Okay."

"And take your hood down."

She does so.

"Now, today, we will be learning about the past tense of verbs..."

DIGGY's POV

It's cold and gloomy, but the first day back is aight, I guess. When I saw Sam and Jake this morning, all I could picture in my mind was them kissing... that image has been haunting me since the new year. I couldn't even tell Khalil about it because he was there with them during the ball drop downtown, and I don't want them to know that I was there, or that I saw them kissing. I don't even know why I'm tripping off of this though. It's none of my business what they do...

Oh! Julie. She looked like she just rolled out of bed in Spanish class. She's usually more "done up" if you know what I mean. Anyway, I was hoping we didn't have to speak with each other or work on our assignment in pairs, but we did. I was being nice though... like, she was trying to make small talk and I replied to her simply, but I didn't give her any drawn-out answers because what we had between us is over. In class, she kept trying to talk about "us" and about how "sorry" she was for lying to me and hurting me. But I really wasn't trying to hear that! I hate when people keep bringing up things from the past. Like, it's over. I've moved on and so should she, because I'm not trying to get caught up on any girls this semester. I'm all about Diggy.

After Spanish, I walked to my next class which is Writing 101. I've been sitting in this desk for about five minutes waiting for the teacher to show up and for class to start. I've always been good at English classes, so this writing class should be a piece of cake. So far, there's nobody that I know or talk to in the class - only a group of girls gossiping about something in the corner of the room, and a few other people talking to each other and texting. This class is really gonna suck if I don't have anyone I know in it. I guess I'm gonna have to be a loner in this one.

"OMG! Honestly, I knew she was easy... she's always flirting with every guy she sees. Like dang, b****, save some for the rest of us!" A group of girls giggled from the doorway.

I looked up from my phone and saw Dana and one of her cheerleader friends walk in the room stopping in front of a girl that they knew. Aye, there's somebody I know!

As she was talking, she caught my eye then excused herself from her friends and walked over to my desk. As she sashayed towards me, I noticed her leather pants hugging her curves... then I quickly moved my eyes up, looking over her red wool jacket with fur and meeting her dark eyes surrounded by lots of make-up.

"Wassup, Diggy? How you doin'?" Dana looks me up and down.

"I'm good, how are you?"

"I'm great." She smirks, putting her hands on her wide hips.

"So, you in this class too?"

"No, just stopping by to talk to my friends. I have an open block before lunch."

"Oh..." I reply somewhat disappointed, but I get over it.

"I'm sorry about you and Julie - I never got to tell you."

"Sorry for what?" I ask in confusion.

"The break-up. You guys were cute together... but life happens, right?"

"Um... how did you even hear about that?"

"The cheer squad knows everything. Plus, it's all over social media," Dana shrugs.

What in the—?

RING RING!!

Dana and her friend run out the classroom as the teacher walks in, with Julie right behind her. NOT her again, man!

"Hello, class, welcome to Writing 101. I am your teacher for the semester, Mrs. Lyon. I'm excited to get to know you all! Sit wherever you like; there's no assigned seats for now. I'll start off by taking attendance, then I'll pass out the syllabus."

The teacher marks some papers at her desk as a few kids take their seats. Julie spots me, smiles, and sits in the desk across from me to the right. Ughhhhh, why does she have to sit by me?

"Hey! Looks like we're stuck together again," she whispers to me. I nod with a fake smile.

~After class~

I packed up my stuff, swung my backpack over my shoulder, and charged for the door. I'm trying to get as far away from Julie as possible. I don't want no conversation. Rushing out the door and into the hallway, I push past the crowd toward my next class. My only focus was the stairs, but I was barely half past the row of lockers to my left when a hand grabbed mine gently and called my name. I sighed and slowly turned around to face who I had been trying to avoid.

"Diggy, I was trying to ask you something but you darted away so fast!"

"Oh... my bad. I just don't wanna be late to my next class." I tap my fingers on my backpack strap and look around the busy hallway.

"Well, I don't wanna annoy you or seem pushy..." Julie pulls me over to the lockers, her eyes looking sincere. "But I was wondering if you wanted to see a movie or get a smoothie one of these days?"

I blinked, confused. "What?"

"It's a new year, and I hope we can try being... cordial again."

"Julie..." I don't know what to say to her. I turn around and continue my way down the hall to the stairs and to my next class, leaving her behind.