Lena stopped short by the waist-height gray brick sign, running her hand slowly along the rough, curved cement top. Washington High School, Est. 1905, stood out in thick letters etched and painted black in a polished brass plate. It was even smaller than her old school, a single building of mixed red and gray brick, green hedges with shiny leaves squared off neatly beneath the white trimmed windows on the first floor. Several on the second had plant boxes hanging from them, filled with flowers or herbs. A tall oak tree grew on either side of the front walk, lined with pink and yellow pansies, a simple bench resting in the shade of each. The frosted glass front doors had been propped open, cloud-mottled sunlight streaking in to mingle with the fluorescents that lit up the lobby. 

She stayed by the wrought-iron railing as she climbed the short concrete steps, jumping when somebody smacked her ass. She glared at the smirking boy, his friends cracking up when she whipped him the bird. That was one thing she hadn’t missed.

The hallway was more crowded than she’d thought it would be, kids grouped by their lockers or against the walls, chatting and laughing as they waited for the first bell. Lena glanced at the numbers she’d scribbled on her palm—her new locker and combination. She’d just found it when a tall, tanned blond leaned casually against the next one, smiling brightly as he smoothed a hand through his short, straight hair.

“Well, howdy there, miss,” he started, in the worst Texan accent she’d ever heard. A silver eye tooth flashed in his mouth. “How’s it going for ya?”

She snickered, shaking her head as she went for the lock, then going stiff when he ran a slow finger up her back, making her shudder.

“Get off, you creep,” she snapped, smacking his hand away. He winced, then went back to that slickly charming smile.

“Aw, come on, now,” he lowered his voice and bent closer. “Y’all know you want me!”

She pushed him back, all but choking on his body spray.

“I don’t even know you!”

“That wouldn’t take long,” he chuckled and put an arm around her. “What y’all say?”

She scowled, pulling out of his grip.

“I’m not looking for trouble,” she said testily. Of course this would happen on her first day. “Just leave me alone, all right?”

He laughed again, snatching her wrist when she tried to leave. She turned and kneed him hard in the gut, then grabbed his wrist with the hand he held and twisted, stepping back out of his reach when he was forced to let go.

“Y’all got spunk,” he groaned in pain, then straightened. The almost teasing glint in his sky-blue eyes had gone dangerously dark. “I like that, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to let you—”

“Trust me, Chad,” a lean brunette, thinner and slightly shorter, grabbed his shoulder. “You do not want to go there with her.”

Chad glowered at him, then rolled his eyes.

“Ah, forget it,” he pulled out of the other boy’s grip, the accent gone. “I’m out of here.”

Lena watched as he stormed off, then turned to the other boy. He smiled, the same one she had seen so many times before.

“It’s about time you got here!”

He laughed when she jumped at him, staggering a bit before returning her tight hug.

“It’s so great to see you again, Ty!” 

She was almost in tears, she really had her best friend back! He chuckled, then stepped back, keeping his hands on her shoulders. He was taller than her now, his dark brown hair longer, and he’d finally outgrown his baby face.

“It’s awesome to see you, too, Lena,” he put his hands in the pockets of his tan cargo shorts, a staple in his wardrobe since fifth grade. His thin lips turned in a worried frown. “How’s it been?”

Her smile dropped, too, and she bit hard on the inside of her cheek.

“Not good,” she started quietly as she hugged herself. “There’s so much we have to—”

She gasped when the bell rang, having expected the electric chime her old school had used. He touched her shoulder again, giving it a brief squeeze.

“Hey, I’ll see you at lunch, okay? We can talk then.”

She nodded, then glanced behind her, scanning the quickly emptying hall. Why did it suddenly feel like someone was watching her? Sighing, she turned back and flashed a small, weak smile.

“Yeah, see you then, Ty.”