Chapter 2:  That Moment When You Want to Become Enemies With a Cat

       A loud alarm began blaring, waking me up from my sleep though I didn't bother opening my eyes. I just groaned and pulled the blanket over my head, trying to ignore the annoying sound so I could go back to sleep.

       Apparently, that wasn't possible because Sawyer decided to say, "Seriously? I've been trying to wake you up for the past ten minutes."

       "Why are you trying to wake me up?" I muttered. "What time is it anyway?"

       "Eight-ten."

       I didn't really process Sawyer's answer for a few seconds. When I did, I finally realized why Sawyer must have been trying to wake me up for the past ten minutes. Today was my first day at my new school and it started at eight-twenty.

       I sat up on the mattress and looked at Sawyer. "Why didn't anyone wake me up earlier?!"

       "I've been trying," Sawyer said. "Like I said, for ten minutes. You are a really heavy sleeper, aren't you?"

       "You couldn't have done anything else to wake me up?" I asked as I started digging through my suitcase to try and find something to wear.

       "Your mom said you're more than capable of waking up on your own," Sawyer said. "Though it's clear she was mistaken. I thought I'd be nice and wake you up so you're not late to school."

       Sawyer left the room so I could get ready and I sighed heavily. I forgot to set my alarm last night and because of it, I was probably going to show up late to school anyway.

       I was going to make a wonderful first impression.

       I got ready as quickly as I could before grabbing my backpack and hurrying down the stairs. The only people still in the house were Trey, Beth, Vincent, and Sawyer, all four of them being in the kitchen. 

       "Where's my mom?" I asked.

       "Sorry, she already left," Beth said. "She was waiting for you to wake up but she couldn't wait any longer because she had to go take Dorothy to school and talk to the principal for a bit."

       Why couldn't my mom have tried waking me up? Now I was going to have to walk to school and I had no idea exactly where it was. Knowing me, I was only going to get lost and end up in a coffee shop instead.

       ...Not that I would go to a coffee shop instead of school if I couldn't find it. That would be bad.

       "I'll give you a ride," Sawyer said. "I have to run some errands anyway."

       "Thank you," I said even though my mind was clearly thinking of something else.

       Mom was right. I had been way too sexual every since I came out.

       My bad.

       Sawyer and I left the house and went to his truck. Once we were both inside, Sawyer started up the truck and pulled out of the driveway. While I got so used to living in the city, I guess it wasn't so bad living in this small town again since it took less than two minutes to get to the school.

       Sawyer pulled over to the side of the road and I opened the door, about to get out but then I realized I had nobody to show me how to get around the school so I asked, "Any chance you can tell me how to get to the office?"

       "It's on the right as soon as you walk in," Sawyer said. "You can't miss it."

       "Thanks," I said, hopping out of the truck and heading to the front doors of the school.

       "Jamie!" Sawyer called, so I stopped in my tracks and looked back at him. He was leaning out the window, holding up my backpack. I hurried back to the truck. "I'm starting to think you're pretty much helpless without me."

       "My brain is still frazzled from moving back here," I said. "Leave me alone, Sawyer."

       Sawyer chuckled. "Have fun at school."

       "Fun and school are two words that should never be in the same sentence unless words like don't and isn't are in the sentence as well."

       "Yeah, whatever. Do you need me to pick you up after school or do you know the way home now?"

       "Well, considering I'm not helpless without you, I can walk home after school." Though I definitely wouldn't mind if he picked me up after school. I just didn't want to bother him more than I already have this morning.

        "Sure thing, Jamie," Sawyer said. "Call me if you get lost, which you probably will."

       I glared at him before making my way to the school since the first bell was probably going to ring any second. Thankfully, the office really was easy to find; it was the first thing on the right side.

       I walked in, heading to the desk. The woman behind it immediately smiled at me. "You must be the new student." She must have guessed I was about to ask how she knew because she answered right away. "Small town. I know all the students here. I'll get you your schedule. What's your name?"

       I spelled my name out for her since nobody was ever able to spell my last name correctly just by hearing it. She typed my name into the computer to get my schedule and once she did, she printed it out and handed it to me.

       "Here you go," she said. "Your locker information is on there as well."

       "Thanks," I said.

       The bell rang just then so I walked out of the office, looking at my schedule. My first class was Foundations of Mathematics and I had no idea where it was. Of course I didn't. I haven't been in this school before.

       I just hoped I found it before the tardy bell so I wouldn't arrive late. I knew the teacher wouldn't care, at least they shouldn't, since it was my first day but if I did show up late, I'd have a higher chance of having to introduce myself in front of the class since all eyes would already be on me.

       "Hey, new kid!" a voice called so I looked up from my schedule to see a girl with shoulder-length ginger hair walk over to me. "Need help finding your class?"

       "Yes, please," I said. "In hindsight, I should have gotten here earlier but... I was sleeping."

       "Understandable," she said. "I have to set several alarms in the morning because I always end up sleeping through most of them. I'm Lulu, by the way."

       "I'm Jamie," I said.

       "So Jamie, what class do you have?" Lulu asked so I showed her my schedule. "Ooh, my class. Perfect, we can walk there together." She gestured for me to follow her so I did. "How do you like Ruralburgh so far?"

       "Well, I just moved here yesterday but from what I can remember, I like it," I said. "I lived here before. I moved away when I was seven but it was time to move back." I didn't really want to get into the reasons why my family moved back. I didn't want the sympathy. I was fine getting it when people found out about my dad but my family just got bad news after bad news. I didn't want people to feel sorry for my pathetic life.

       Besides, my life wasn't too bad. I knew I could be happy eventually. Just not now.

       "Then welcome back to Ruralburgh," Lulu said. "You'll probably find it the same as before you left, apart from the people growing up. Not too many came and left."

       "I kind of like that about this town," I said. "Things stay the same. In the city, people were always coming and going. I like it when things stay the same."

       Because if things stayed the same, I wouldn't have lost my dad.

       When Lulu and I got to the classroom, I had to go talk to the teacher to tell her I was new here. She gave me a textbook as well as a few handouts that were going to be used in the upcoming classes. She then told me I could sit anywhere I like, and thankfully it seemed as if most students were already here. I would hate to sit in a desk that someone always sat in.

       Even though there wasn't a seating arrangement, some people got used to using the same desk every day.

       When the class ended, Lulu wanted to know which class I had next. It wasn't the same as hers but she still showed me where my next class was, claiming that she didn't care if she was late.

       By the time I got used to being at this school, I wouldn't care about being late as well.

       Once lunch arrived, I went to go find my locker and put my textbooks and binders in so I couldn't have to lug them around. Since I didn't have time to make lunch in the morning, because my mom decided to be rude and not wake me up, I went to the cafeteria to buy something.

       I didn't have much money to begin with so I just had to settle for a BLT sandwich. 

       I looked around the cafeteria for somewhere to eat and right as I was about to leave to eat in a place where I wouldn't feel judged for sitting alone, I heard Lulu call my name. I looked over and she gestured me over.

       Lulu was sitting with a boy who was very occupied eating the poutine he bought from the cafeteria. Lulu immediately nudged his side once I sat down. "Be nice and introduce yourself," she said but his mouth was currently full so he couldn't say anything. Lulu sighed. "This is Beau, my best friend who is always eating. Beau, this is Jamie, the new kid. He just moved here."

       "Stop getting mad at me for eating," Beau said once he finished the bite he took. "I'm a hungry and growing boy." He looked at me. "Welcome to Ruralburgh. And I am so sorry Lulu decided to talk to you. You should get out while you can or you'll never be able to escape her. I tried. Blink twice if she's holding you hostage."

       "Why are you such a mean person?" Lulu asked. "I'm nothing but nice to you."

       "Nice, sure, but real annoying," Beau said.

       "You still love me," Lulu said. Beau only shrugged and went back to eating his food. "So Jamie, I have a question that I wanted to ask you earlier but I didn't have the time. How do you know Sawyer?"

       "Sawyer Birch?" I asked.

       "Yeah, I saw him drop you off," Lulu said.

       "Family friend. I was neighbours with him before I moved away. Our parents kept in touch."

       "Did you keep in touch with Sawyer?"

       I shook my head. "No, why?"

       "Because I feel like I should probably warn you about his ex," Lulu said. "Kitty Ward. She's a very cruel person for various reasons. One, for the way she dumped Sawyer. And two, because she apparently still has feelings for Sawyer so she hates on everyone that's close to him. I've already noticing her giving you death glares."

       "Oh, sweet, my second day and Ruralburgh and I already made an enemy," I said. This ought to be fun. "Why did she dump Sawyer if she still has feelings for him?"

       "I shouldn't say," Lulu said. "It's personal. I just overheard it happen but I wouldn't tell other people. It's not my place to tell."

       "You told me," Beau pointed out.

       "Shut up and eat your food, Kruger," Lulu said. "I tell you everything. I've even told you the first time I got my period."

       Beau winced. "Information I didn't want nor have to know."

       Lulu rolled her eyes and looked back at me. "One more thing. Becoming enemies with Kitty really isn't the best thing. Her mom is the mayor and her dad is the principal of this school. They love their daughter so dearly so they, unfortunately, won't hesitate to favour her over everyone and treat the people she hates unfairly."

       I shrugged. "That's fine."

       "You're okay with it?"

       "Of course. If she hates me because I'm friends with Sawyer, it just shows how petty she is. If anything, I'll just continue being friends with him to make her hate me even more."

       "You're a brave man... What's your last name?"

       "Krukowski."

       "You're a brave man, Krukowski."

       "I try."

       When lunch ended, Lulu asked if she could get my phone number. Beau was shaking his head profusely, mouthing, "Run." He only did it to bother Lulu since she was able to see him do it. She glared daggers at him as I put my number in her phone.

       These two were interesting friends.

       School ended after two more classes so I went to my locker to grab what I needed before leaving the school. I stood outside, trying to remember which way Sawyer drove from but I guess I was too tired in the morning to remember. It shouldn't even be too hard to remember. It was left or right.

       Note to self: Don't wake up so late before school.

       "Jamie!" I heard Sawyer call. I looked around before noticing him looking out his truck window, which was parked on the side of the road. 

       I walked over to him. "I'm not helpless, you know."

       "Oh, clearly," Sawyer said. "That's why you seemed lost and not knowing which way to go."

       "So... You came here because you figured I wouldn't know how to get home?" I asked.

       "Pretty much," Sawyer said. "I was actually nearby picking up something from the store so I just came here. Want that ride?"

       "Stop being kinky, Sawyer."

       "Drive, Jamie. Want a drive home?" 

       I just smiled at him before getting into the passenger seat. I buckled my seat belt and as Sawyer pulled away, I noticed a girl standing in the courtyard, sending death glares at me.

       I guess Lulu really was right when she said Kitty hated when anyone was near Sawyer.

       Too bad I could be a very stubborn person at times and this only made me want to get Kitty even more mad at me.

       Probably not the best thing I should do since I just wanted things to go calmly for me while I still got over the loss of my dad but then again, this could be fun.

_______________

i love jamie and sawyer and lulu and beau so much already skldfsldnfdn

i never have a plans how my chapters are going to go but i'm hoping next chapter, we'll get to know sawyer's family more because i love them.

we might even saw this infamous paint that jamie hates because the horse is 'evil'