After lunch, Kiera and I headed straight to the gym. Since it was our first day back, we didn't expect to need gym clothes. We entered through the massive doors that opened into a spacious gym with sprawling gray and red bleachers. As kids started to pour in and take their seats, I made my way toward the middle of the bleachers to get a better view of the crowd, with Kiera trailing behind me.
Just two minutes later, the final bell rang, and in walked two adults. One was a pretty woman with a pixie cut, who looked to be in her late twenties, and next to her was a tall, muscular middle-aged man. They approached the bleachers, placing their bags down and looking up at us.
"Good afternoon, seniors. My name is Mr. Smit. You can call me Mr. Smit or Coach. I'm the varsity football coach, and I expect everyone in my class to give one hundred percent every single day." Most of the crowd groaned, but a few cheered—Aaron and a couple of his friends stood out among them.
"I'm going to let Mrs. Ryder speak now," Mr. Smit said, motioning to the woman beside him. Mrs. Ryder smiled and stepped forward.
"Hi everyone! As you now know, I'm Mrs. Ryder, and I'll be co-teaching with Mr. Smit this year. I'm really excited to be here!" she beamed. When no one responded, she glanced nervously at Mr. Smit.
"Alright, we will now take attendance. I'll call my class first, and then Mrs. Ryder will do hers."
As he read out names, he got to Kiera.
"I won't fail you again," he said with a smirk.
"Yeah, hopefully," Kiera replied, rolling her eyes. He continued until he finished with a girl named Loren Win.
"Right here, Mr. Smit!" she called out enthusiastically.
"Hello, Loren," he replied flatly.
"Looks like we have two newcomers. Luciana Crest?" Mr. Smit said, scanning the stands. I hesitated for a moment before slowly raising my hand. "Here," I squeaked. Mr. Smit nodded. "Welcome to Sunnyhill High."
Just as I was about to thank him, he moved on to another name. "Ashton Flynn?"
When there was no reply, he jotted something down and looked at Mrs. Ryder to continue. She finished her list with Aaron, who was met with hollers from the guys and admiring glances from the girls.
"I honestly don't get what girls see in him. He's just a cocky jock whose only goal is to sleep with every girl," Kiera huffed. I couldn't help but laugh at her annoyance; she really seemed to despise him.
While the crowd cheered, Mrs. Ryder cleared her throat. "Looks like I have two new kids as well: Karlie Ann Craft and Bentley King?"
I glanced around, but no one answered. Everyone began whispering. Leaning over to Kiera, I whispered, "Who are Karlie Ann and Bentley?"
"Luce, Karlie Ann is part of the gang, and Bentley is the leader," she responded quietly. Well, I guess they're making a comeback.
Suddenly, the gym doors swung open, revealing a boy and a girl. The room fell silent as they made their way to the bleachers. The girl was pretty, with dark hair and chocolate-brown eyes, dressed in a loose T-shirt with holes, black ripped jeans, and black Vans. The boy beside her was tall, with brown hair and green eyes, wearing a navy blue V-neck, dark jeans, and combat boots.
"What are your names?" Mrs. Ryder asked.
"Ashton Flynn," said the boy.
"Karlie Ann Craft," the girl replied, sounding bored.
"Since it's your first day in gym, we'll let it slide this time, but make sure you're on time from now on," Mr. Smit said, sounding annoyed. The two just looked at him, then turned to walk up the bleachers. Mr. Smit then started talking about the units we would cover. As they moved past us, Loren stood up and called out, "Wait, where's Bentley?"
Karlie Ann smirked. "Staying as far away from you as he can."
Loren's mouth dropped open as she slumped back into her seat, eliciting snickers from the crowd. As Ashton and Karlie Ann continued walking, Ashton suddenly stopped and looked up into the air before turning toward Kiera and me. Kiera didn't notice his gaze, but I caught Ashton glaring at her. Just then, Karlie Ann nudged him to keep walking, making him stumble slightly. I stifled a giggle, earning surprised looks from both Kiera and Karlie Ann. Quickly, I focused back on the front as Mrs. Ryder concluded, "...and our first unit will be dodgeball, lasting the whole month."
She checked her watch and added, "Looks like you have ten minutes before the bell rings. Feel free to stand in the hallway and chat while you wait." With that, everyone quickly sprang to their feet and filed out into the hallway.
I urgently needed to use the bathroom, so I linked my arm with Kiera's and headed across from the gym.
"Well, that was boring," Kiera remarked.
"Yeah, I guess," I replied as I entered a stall. Once I was done, I washed my hands and looked at Kiera, who was applying cherry ChapStick.
"You know that guy who walked in with Karlie Ann?" I asked.
She gave me a curious look. "What about him?"