It Happened Last Year

It happened last year. No one saw it coming, it hit our town like a meteor, something foreign, something both frightening and enticing. This scandal made everyone shake their heads, but they loved it, they love drama simply because they hardly get a taste of it. Sadly, their entertainment came with a cost, and I got shoved the bill. Really, the entire scandal was put into motion by me, but it wasn't my fault. They say I lied. That I made it up. They pinned me with a dire need of attention. Attention was the last thing I wanted, especially from someone like him.

Don't cause problems, my mother said to me, in this town, nothing stays a secret for long.

It's not a secret, I told her, I want people to know what he did to me. And I'm not causing problems, it's the truth!

I told my mother everything after the incident happened. She listened, and I thought she supported me-her nods were terribly convincing-but when I finished she told me to stop creating such stories. Attention, attention, attention, that's all she wants, they said, after it spread around the school. I told my best friend at the time, Daphne, and Daphne decided to take on the role of head-gossiper. She started the spread, like an STD during spring break, like in the movies. Everyone at school knew. Everyone at school thought I made it up, for guess what, attention.

She made it up because her Daddy ran away with that slut, some girls said in the locker room, just a week after school started.

The incident happened at a beginning of the school year party, thrown by the bastard himself. I attended with Daphne and our mutual friend Jana. Daphne was on the dance team and needed to soar this school year, as Junior year meant rising and senior year meant thriving. She needed to set herself up for greatness. Daphne, Jana, and I were nowhere near popular, but we weren't considered losers either, we were just there. I was okay with it, just being there. She needed more.

Once she made the dance team over the summer, Daphne knew she had a shot at actual popularity.

Jana, on the other hand, was like me, she was satisfied with her notch on the scale of social status. She was focused more on school than friends, then again, now, who knows what she's like.

To make this all clear, after the start of the year party and after the first semester of my Junior year, I left.

After my fake incident spread, everyone turned against me. How could they turn against their leader, Harrison Keller?

Harrison Keller was the host of the party a year ago, and my leading man in the production that is the scandal. Like I said before, I did not want attention from him, unlike everyone else. Everyone else happened to love him, he was the star of our small town football team, a golden boy, wealthy, and charismatic to all hell. Girls swooned, boys were jealous, blah, blah, blah.

I know what you all are wondering, what was this incident?

A sudden bell causes me to jump, my heart skipping an extra beat. I nearly hit my car horn. I scan the cluttered parking lot around me, filled with student cars, and the last few freshman rush past the main doors.

I wish I was a child, I wish I could fall to the floor and cry, I don't wanna!

Groaning, I grab my backpack and climb out of my car, shutting the door dramatically behind me. I swing the bag onto my back and grasp my phone tightly in my hand, ready with 911 already dialed, as if I'll need it, and I start my death march up to the doors.

As I said, I left after the first semester of my Junior year, here at Coldgrove High School. I spent winter break packing up my things, leaving my mother, and moving to Florida with my Dad. How could I stay at a school where everyone hated me? Hell, the entire town hated me. So, I left. I started my second semester at a High School in Florida and lived with my Father and his girlfriend, yes, the one he ran away with. My parents are divorced now, but they were together at the time.

My mother was devastated.

I didn't want to move in with him, but if I wanted to leave Coldgrove, he was my only option.

The main hallway of the building is empty, students are already shuffled into their classes, eager to discover who they'll be sat beside. It is nice to have the hallway to myself, as no one has noticed me, meaning I will not be pummeled with paper snowballs...yet.

Part of me wants to believe that they won't recognize me. I dyed my hair for it, and hopefully, I actually look rather different. How much can a person change in half a year?

I printed my schedule out last night, at home. I scramble for it in my backpack, unfold it, and look at the first slot, reminding myself. It reads, Economics, 1242, Freeman. Room 1242, I can barely remember where that'd be.

A year ago last week, at the party where it all happened, I had my first drink. It was a vodka sprite, and I didn't like the taste, it reminded me of the dentist.

Don't tell me you're a lightweight, Daphne laughed at me.

I shot back, I'm not.

We had just arrived and we were already drinking. As soon as we walked through the door Jana went off with some guy from her Spanish class, leaving me with Daphne. Daphne wanted to impress her new teammates, so drinking professionally was a task. All of the dance team was there, including the captain at the time, Clara. Daphne was obsessed with impressing Clara.

Daphne rolled her eyes at my baby-sips and left me all alone in the kitchen, abandoning me for Clara.

I stood in Harrison Keller's kitchen, alone, at a party full of upperclassmen, and I was scared shitless. My two best friends left me, and in the moment I hated them for it. It was then that he came in with a few football players, glanced at me, and asked me my name.

I wander the halls and count each room I pass until I reach 1242. There is a small, black plaque beside the door. The number 1242-numerals and in brail-with 'Freeman' underneath it. Mr. Freeman, I've heard about him. Eight months ago, the first semester of Junior year, the senior students would talk on and on about him, how hot he is for a teacher. It's funny how I remember only that. I would remember that.

I take a deep breath and hesitantly reach for the handle. I hear them talking inside, probably going around the room, sharing, playing ice-breakers. I want to turn around, run, head straight for the hills, but I know I can't.

I don't wanna!

I roll my eyes and hype myself up as if I am about to lift three hundred pounds.

Then I do it, I grip the handle a little too hard, push the door open and step in. Everyone stops talking, the room falls silent.

I know what they're all thinking: holy crap, Hailey Fonte is back.

I feel suffocated like all their harsh eyes are focusing in on my throat, mentally choking me. I swallow, step further in, let the door shut behind me. "Hello, I'm Hailey. I'm new," I say and turn to the teacher, they were right, he is good looking, but a little too short for my taste.

Mr. Freeman's face is blank, surprised maybe, then he comes back to life. "Oh, o-of course. Take a seat, it's an open seating chart."

I smile, painfully, and turn back to the crowd. They are staring or whispering to each other, it's one or the other. There is a seat right in front and I make my way over until a girl suddenly places her bag on the chair. I look at her and she glares.

With a sigh, I find another seat in the middle of the classroom. I step over bags and move to sit down. Once I am sat, I place my bag by my feet and look up. The girl that was sitting in the desk beside this one has now moved across the room. Everyone is watching me. I want to cry.

"Alright everyone," Mr. Freeman slices through the silence, not knowing what to do, "let's continue. We were taking turns saying our names, something we like, our favorite class, and what we did over the summer."

I am thankful that he updated me, though I knew, already, what they were up to.

A guy a few seats behind me starts up again. "My names Bradley. I like to play football, my favorite class is lunch, and over the summer I played football, hung out, you know." I remember him. He was a friend of Harrison's, he was with him when he walked into the kitchen.

"My names Jacob, I like to hang out with friends, my favorite class is Spanish, and over the summer I went on a cruise."

"My names Daphne," oh no, "I like to dance, my favorite class is anything without liars in it, and over the summer I didn't run away like a little b-"

"Daphne," Mr. Freeman cuts her off, giving her a warning.

Once it is my turn to share, I say whatever, doubting that anyone actually cares. I like to write, my favorite class is English, over the summer I went to the beach, nothing noteworthy. The last thing I need is more attention.

Once the class is over, I rush into the hallway with my head down. This is what I was scared of, large crowds. My next class is across campus, Earth Science with Mr. Long, and I pray to God that Daphne doesn't join me again.

I got a glimpse of her as I left the class. Her hair is longer, lighter in color, she has a beautiful face, perfect body, and a dance team shirt on, everything she strived for. There was a look in her eye almost telling me to get out. It is hard to believe that we were once friends.

Something stops me in my mission to safety, something hard. I stumbled back with a red face and look up at my victim, the person who I had stupidly run into. Are they going to yell at me? Laugh at me?

I meet his dark, unfamiliar eyes, and before I realize what a catch he is, "sorry" is spilling from my lips. "I'm such a klutz."

My heart seems to pause a moment when I study his face, the stranger's jawline is enough to have any girl at this school blushing. How come I don't know him?

"It's fine," the tall, muscular, mysterious, swoon-worthy, shall I go on-says to me, then moves past.

My eyes follow him until he disappears into the crowd. A few people around are watching, but they don't seem interested in me, rather the fact that I bumped into him.

Who was that?

Like I have anyone to ask.

Just on cue, it happens, like an angel sent from God, I hear her beautiful voice. "Holy shit, Hailey!"

At first, I thought it was another student, ready to cuss me out or fight with me about Harrison, and how what I did was wrong. But no, it is something much better.

When I turn to the side, Jana, my once best friend grabs my arm and yanks me into the flow of walking students, the one I was in before running into Mr. Mystery.

I don't know what to say to her.

Jana was my one good thing before I left, she was the only person who didn't shun me. I couldn't tell if she believed me or not, but Jana never fought with me about it. She listened and we moved on, even if everyone around us was turning against me. She was my one reason to stay. The Cons outweighed the Pros.

"What on earth are you doing back here?" She asks rapidly. "I thought I would never see you again."

Her blue eyes are alive, full of excitement and happiness. Her cheeks are pink, her hair is chestnut and full, Jana is the spokesperson for life, if there ever was one. "I-I lost your number when I got a new phone. I wanted to tell you that I was coming back, but I didn't know how to reach you. To be honest, I didn't know if you wanted to talk to me."

She glares at me jokingly. "Not want to talk to you? How? You're my best friend, stupid. Even though I should hate you because you left me, I'm going to move on and try not to have a heart attack because you're actually right in front of me. This is insane. What made you come back?"

A smile lights up my face and I thank God for this gift. "My Dad and his wife moved to Canada. She's Canadian. I couldn't go so I moved back in with my mom."

"They got married?"

I nod. "Just a few months ago. What have you been up to? We have so much to catch up on."

Jana groans. "Oh God, I know. Let's meet after school at Knocks, we can talk over milkshakes, okay?"

I hesitate.

Knocks, the number one hangout for the students of Coldgrove High School. Daphne used to drag us there over the summer before Junior year so she could talk to Clara about trying out for the dance team. She knew Clara always hung out there on Fridays.

It is a small, fifties style diner that has been here for years. It's a town favorite.

Not wanting to risk my chance at rekindling my friendship with Jana, I agree and we go our separate ways.

I remember it all so clearly. Harrison asked me my name.

Hailey, I mumbled softly, not sure why he was talking to me. I knew who he was.

Harrison, but I'm sure you already knew that since you are at my house, he said with a charming smile. All of the girls in my grade dreamt of that smile. He was a Junior like I was, but he was friends with many seniors because of football. He played on the varsity team, every game.

I didn't know what to say back to him, I hardly ever talked to guys. The only time I was around popular ones like him was when Daphne wanted to go to Knocks.

I felt his eyes watching me. You want something to drink? He asked, and nervously I said sure.

I close my car door behind me, leaving my school bag on the passenger seat before heading to the double doors of Knocks. Since school just ended, not many people are here yet, and that gives me room to breathe.

I push past the doors and a woman greats me as she wipes down a booth table. I smile back and scan the room for Jana. Thankfully, I spot her in the corner booth, on her phone. Once I am close enough for her to notice me, she drops her phone and smiles. "Thanks for showing up."

"You thought I wouldn't?" I ask and sit down across from her.

"I don't know. You seemed a little uneasy about it at school, but I'm glad you're here because we have so much to talk about. Start with Florida, what was it like?"

I'm happy that she's eager to start things up again. "Florida was..."

Florida was amazing. It was sunny, humid, busy, and exciting. The people at my school always hung around at beaches, like in movies. I became friends with this girl who loved to surf-and urged me to learn-her name was Lila. Lila and I were stuck together like glue. The guys loved her, and I loved the guys. They all seemed to love their lives, which looked to be an act, but I couldn't care less. Everyone seemed so alive, and Jana reminds me of them.

There is one part that I keep from Jana, though. Mr. Russ. Mr. Russ was my English teacher and my favorite teacher at that. When I first moved to Florida I obviously knew no one, but he was nice to me. Soon, we became friends. He was young, it was his first year teaching and he had just moved to Florida from Seattle. We were both new, in a way. We became close, a little too close. Close enough to the point where I would visit him after school ended, with the classroom door closed. We never had sex. After what I went through in Coldgrove, I didn't want to, but if I didn't have these issues, I'm sure it would have happened. I'm ashamed of myself for it.

It started off with harmless flirting, extra attention in class, asking me to stay after. I thought he was handsome, I thought what we were doing was wrong, so I lost myself in it. It was wrong. That's why I was so I love with the idea of it.

I was damaged.

We kissed a few times, hardly. Whenever things became too heavy I would freak out and have a panic attack.

"Wow, Florida sounds wonderful," Jana smiles and takes a sip of her pink milkshake. "Beaches every day, warm weather, hot guys, sounds like paradise. Darn, and I was stuck here."

I laugh lightly. "I'm sure you've been busy here."

"You know, same old Coldgrove. The most exciting thing here is the high school football games, and that says something."

I shrug. "Well, are there any guys in your life?"

Jana blushes, giving herself away. "Well, possibly. There's this guy in my English who is super sweet, and he's a total catch. We've been talking for a bit, I gave him my number last week. He asked me to the movies and he paid for everything."

"What a gentleman," I comment, "what's his name?"

"Tyler Bradshaw."

Just then the door opens and I glance in that direction. A few students have wandered in, none of them noticing me, but I have a habit of looking every time just in case.

This time, it was worth it.

I hold my breath as Harrison Keller himself casually walks in along with a few others. I feel a pain in my lungs, as I am forgetting to breathe. I shoot back to Jana and she notices my discomfort. The space under the table seems very inviting right about now.

"Do you want to go?" She asks and I shake my head, no. I can't risk ruining my newly mended friendship. Maybe he won't notice me because of my dark hair, maybe-

"Hailey Fonte, right?"

I freeze in my spot. My eyes plead with Jana for help, but she seems struck also. She is staring up at him.

Tears well in my eyes.

The walls close in on me and I find it hard to focus, to breathe even. I know this feeling, a panic attack.

Jana suddenly stands up and grabs her bag before grabbing my arms and yanking me from the booth. With my head down, together we push past Harrison and head straight for the door. Jana drops cash on the counter before escaping.

"No hello?" Harrison calls, but we're already gone.

Outside Knocks, I cling to my car and Jana gets in before I do the same. Knowing Jana, she doesn't have a car, she most likely walked here from school.

"Let's go to your house," Jana suggests and I nod. "Do you want me to drive?" I nod again.

I knew I would see him. Harrison tormented me sparsely throughout the first semester, but when he did, I couldn't take it. He too would pretend that I made it all up.

So you're going to be a Junior? He asked a year ago, in his kitchen. His friends had moved on with the party while Harrison stayed with me, and I didn't know why. What was so interesting about me?

Yeah, I mumbled back.

Did you come with anyone?

I thought of Jana and Daphne then, and how they had left me. I did, I said, but they're off somewhere.

He flirted, I have you all to myself then.

I blushed. I didn't know how to answer. I had never flirted with a guy before, only Daphne did. Don't you want to go with your friends? I asked.

He shrugged, they aren't as interesting as you are, Hailey. I'm surprised I'd never noticed you before.

I felt special. No guy had ever given me so much attention. Harrison chatted me up, asked me about school, about my friends, about myself. He asked, do you have a boyfriend?

I shook my head and took a small sip of whatever he gave me, I wasn't sure what it was. I thought it might be beer, it felt like beer.

Really? I thought you would have. You're so beautiful, I thought for sure some other guy would have swept you up by now, he smiled charmingly, again.

I blushed, again.