Chapter Two

This was the first term we were being assigned lockers, something about increased workload, books and exams, or whatever. Who cared as long as that meant I didn't have to lug around ten books I rarely looked at, the weight of which was slowly beginning to curve my back, so that I looked like a Pangolin walking on two legs.

I checked the letter I'd gotten from the school again. Locker number six hundred and sixty-five, here it was, just a hop skip and a jump away from my home room. I put in the locker combination they'd given me, tossed my books inside, and briefly wondered if there was enough space inside to toss myself in there too.

True to form, todays 'first' was turning out to be in my top ten list of nightmare-inducing memories. Of course, I just had to sprawl myself on the floor right in front of my stupid ex and his stupid attractive new girlfriend. So much for my plan to avoid them.

I curled my fingers around the locker door and banged my head lightly against it. And I just had to spill my life-giving juice all over me, how was I going to get through the morning without caffeine now? I banged my head on the door several more times, the sound more audible this time as my despondency increased. I fought back the burning tears threatening to spill from my eyes. I knew today was going to be hard, but did it really have to be so embarrassing too?

"Hey, are you alright?"

I immediately ceased banging my head and moved the door back to look at the person standing behind it. Oh dear god, could my day possibly get any worse than this!

It was Elijah freakin Walker. Of all the people to see me having a breakdown in my locker, I must have had the luck of an ice-cream in hell.

Elijah Walker had the look one could only describe as being comparable to that of a Greek god, or perhaps it was the statues I was thinking of, I could absolutely imagine him cast in marble and I would absolutely display him on a fountain in my garden. Smooth waves of muscles, large hazelnut Disney eyes and a jawline cut straight from superman himself. Damn this boy was fine. Fine, and way way out of league.

I ducked my head back into my locker to wipe any tears from my eyes, before reappearing with a bright smile. "Oh hi, yeah sure I'm fine," I said, knocking my fist on my locker door. "Just checking that it's sturdy. I have a lot of books to store, wouldn't want to lose any." I cringed as I said the words. I have a lot of books to store? Great line Mae, real smooth.

He lifted his hand and knocked his knuckles on the other side of my locker door. It made a satisfying rapping sound when he did it, it was like he had some kind of magical door knocking powers. "Sounds good," he said with a faint smile on his face. "I think you're safe."

"Haha, yeah." I turned away from him and pulled a face. Oh no, oh god, come on Mae you're better than this.

"Six hundred and sixty-six," Elijah said, looking down at his paper and back up at the locker next to mine. "Looks like we're neighbours."

I raised my eyebrows. My locker was next to Elijah Walkers, which meant I would get to see him every day and maybe talk to him too. Today was looking up.

"I guess we're going to be locker buddies," I said, fighting the urge to face plant my locker door again. And I was definitely going to have to work on my conversation skills, this was not going to work. I sounded like a complete idiot.

He laughed as he opened his own locker and shoved in his books. "I guess we are." He shut the door and readjusted the straps of his sports bag, brandished with the school emblem, he had hooked over his shoulder. "Your Alex Johnson's girlfriend, right?"

No no no no no. This was the most I'd ever said to Elijah ever, and now he was asking me about Alex. How did he even know Alex? They ran in completely different circles. Alex was part of the debate team and Elijah was on the swim team, when would they have even met?

I smiled awkwardly. "Erm actually no, we're not together anymore." I'm single, free as a bird, definitely ready to start dating again. If somebody were to ask. Hint hint.

"Aw shit sorry, did I just drop my foot in it?"

"No, it's ok, it was ages ago." Like two weeks and four days. But who's counting?

"Phew," he said, nodding. "That was a close one. Wouldn't want to offend my locker buddy within the first five minutes of us meeting."

I squealed internally. Did he just call me his locker buddy? I no longer regretted saying it, it sounded cool when he said it, and I wondered if he would think it was weird if I wore a t-shirt with it written on. It could be emblazoned in glitter gems. We could have matching t-shirts. Even better!

He glanced at me again. "Has anyone ever told you your hair looks like it's on fire?"

I reached up and touched my ponytail self-consciously. "No?"

He threw up his hands, his expression sincere. "I don't mean it offensively. I think it's awesome, like if you were to reach out and..." he raised a hand, holding it in the air inches from my head for what felt like a ridiculously long time before then dropping it to his side with a grin. "You'd get burned."

My eyes widen, thrown off guard by his comments.

"Elijah. Dude!"

We both turned around. One of the guys on Elijah's swim team was waving frantically down the hall at him.

"What's up Duncan, how was your summer?" Elijah called back as he started walking toward him, seemingly unaware how he had bewildered me.

I felt a pulse of disappointment that our conversation was over already. I hadn't even been able to show him how normal and not weird-sounding I actually was yet.

Elijah looked back over his shoulder and I had to quickly look away, like I hadn't been staring at the back of his head like a creepy weirdo. "See you later locker buddy," he said, flashing me a smile that did something funny to my stomach.

I stared back at him, open mouthed. What did see you later mean? Did that mean I was going to see him again later because he wanted to see me again later, or because we were bound to see each other again later, because our lockers were right next door to each other? Probably the latter. He didn't even know me, why would he want to see me again. He probably didn't even know my name. Oh, wait.

"My names Mae," I called after him urgently. He'd already gone.

Toby from my English class gave me a funny look as he opened his locker a few doors down from me. "Yeah, I know."

I blushed, spinning back toward my open locker, I weighed up the tempting prospect of throwing myself in with my books again.

**Authors Note**

Hiiiii I hope you enjoyed this Chapter, I didn't think I'd get up another one so soon but here we are. Please Vote, Comment and Follow. Thank you so much for coming back!