One
Kali Daniels's POV
As the piercing sound of my alarm clock shattered the tranquility of my morning, I reached out and fumbled for the snooze button. Moments later, it blared again, signaling the start of my second first day as a senior.
With a heavy sigh, I exited the bed and stumbled toward my closet. My outfit for the day was already picked out: light blue skinny jeans, a gray long-sleeved shirt that effortlessly hugged my body, and a pair of Adidas R1s. I go into my bathroom to shower, wash my hair, and brush my teeth.
As I got dressed, I could hear my sister Lily stirring in the next room. At eighteen, she was also a senior and my best friend. Together, we navigated the ups and downs of high school as a united front. After breakfast with our parents, we hopped into my matte gray Rubicon.
All eyes were on us as we pulled into the parking lot. It was my first day back, and the hallways of Westview High were a battlefield of backpacks and awkward greetings. Everyone looked different, their faces, their eyes, their bodies. It felt like I'd been gone for years, not just a year.
My heart pounded frantically against my ribs as I navigated the sea of faces. Whispers followed me, like a swarm of unwelcome flies. "There she is," I heard one girl say, her voice a hushed hiss. "The one who beat up Cody."
It had been a year since I had walked these halls, a year of forced exile after my impulsive, explosive act of violence. My senior year was a blur of anger, fear, and silence. It had all started with a phone call. My younger sister, Lily, sobbing, telling me about a boy who was tormenting and harassing her.
I listened, my fists clenching, a primal rage taking root in my chest. When I arrived at the party, I saw him, a smug grin plastered across his face as he groped Lily. That was it, I blacked out. I confronted him and... well, let's just say I made sure to show him how much I cared about Lily's safety.
The consequences were swift and brutal. My parents had sent me away to a behavioral treatment center in the mountains. A year of silence, introspection, and the constant gnawing guilt of knowing I crossed a line. But the guilt was because I had to leave Lily. He never touched or talked to Lily again. For Lily, I would do it all over again.
"Kali, ignore them." Lily pulled me along with her. "Let's go get our schedules."
The office was a sanctuary of quiet, a stark contrast to the chaotic halls. Mrs. Henderson, a woman with eyes that held a lifetime of stories, looked at me with a mixture of pity and concern. "Hello, Lily," she said, her voice gentle, "Kali, I'm glad you're back."
"Thanks, Mrs. Henderson," I mumbled, my throat dry. "I just... I want to get this over with."
She handed me my schedule, a thin piece of paper that felt heavy in my hand. As I emerged from the office, the whispers seemed to grow louder, each syllable a judgment, but I focused on Lily.
With my schedule in hand, I scanned the list of classes—Mr. Eastwood for English, Mrs. Ozark for Pre-Cal, and Ms. Beckett for Spanish 2. My excitement grew as I noticed that my AP Biology and AP Chemistry classes were going to be taught by a new teacher, Ms. Amore.
Although we were both seniors, we only had two classes together. I'm happy that Lily is a science 'nerd' like me because I'll be taking those classes with her. I walked Lily to her class and then headed to my own.
I dodged a couple of backpacks and made my way to my usual seat in the back of class. As I settled in, a girl with bright red hair and a mischievous glint in her eye leaned over.
"So, is it true?" she asked, her voice low. "You sent Cody to the hospital last year?" I tried to ignore her, but she just kept going. "Everyone's talking about it, the way you just... took him down."
I sighed, "Yeah, it's true."
She grinned. "Good for you. That jerk Cody was just asking for it. He was a real piece of shit, you know? Just like Mr. Collins." She leaned closer, a friendly gleam in her eyes. "We should hang out sometime. By the way, I'm Grace."
"Sure, why not?" I tell her as the teacher starts the lesson.
I sat through class listening to the teacher, doing my work, and making small talk with Grace.
The next two classes consisted of the usual introductions and rule-setting. I listened intently, eager to make a good impression. Finally, it was time for lunch. I met up with Lily in the cafeteria, and we chatted about our classes so far.
We both agreed that we were looking forward to AP Biology and Chemistry. My gaze drifted to the teachers' table, where a new face appeared. A young woman, with dirty blonde hair, green eyes, and glasses sitting on top of her head, sat at the end of the table, chatting with the other teachers.
It wasn't just because she was a new face at school that caught my attention. No, it was the way Mr. Collins, the widely known perverted math teacher, was leering at her. He was not fond of me because I always intervened when he harassed and ogled female teachers and students.
His eyes were undressing her, and he was leaning in close, invading her personal space. I could see the discomfort written all over her face, and I knew I had to do something. I excused myself from the table and made my way over to the teachers' table. I could feel the eyes of the entire lunchroom on me as I approached, but I didn't let it deter me. I stopped in front of Mr. Collins and looked him dead in the eye.
"Mr. Collins, I have a question for you," I said, my voice loud and clear.
He looked up at me, a mixture of annoyance and confusion on his face. "What is it?" he asked. "Can't you see I'm busy?"
"I was wondering if you could help me with a math problem," I said, feigning ignorance. "You know, since you're a math teacher and all."
Mr. Collins rolled his eyes, but he couldn't hide the annoyance in his voice. "Fine, what's the problem?"
I pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down a complicated math problem. Mr. Collins' eyes narrowed as he looked it over, and he started to mutter to himself as he tried to solve it.
Meanwhile, the new teacher had a small smile on her face. She mouthed the words 'thank you' to me, and I nodded subtly in response.
I stood there for a few more minutes, feigning interest in Mr. Collins' attempt to solve the math problem, before excusing myself and heading back to my seat.
As I sat down next to Lily, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. I had managed to intervene and piss off Mr. Collins, all while making it seem like I was getting help from him with a math problem. And most importantly, I helped the new teacher feel a little more comfortable.
She had slowly moved away from Mr. Collins. When his attention was no longer on her, she hurriedly finished her lunch and left the cafeteria.
The bell rings dismissing lunch and Lily and I leave for class. I walked Lily to her locker and being the dutiful older sister, took her backpack, letting her carry just her notebooks. I receive stares and hear whispers as we walk down the hallway. I ignore them, throw my arm around Lily's shoulder, and joke with her.
The teacher, who happened to be the one from the cafeteria, greeted us, we greeted her, and we walked into the classroom. We chose desks in the back and took our seats. The teacher's desk was in the middle of the left side of the class, close to our desks, but that didn't bother either of us. Lily teases me about sitting next to my 'damsel in distress.'
"You know," she said, leaning back in her chair with a smirk, "You're going to end up marrying her."
I rolled my eyes. "Lily, she's our teacher. And she's probably like, thirty." I looked over to where the teacher was standing, giving her a once-over. If she was thirty, she was a gorgeous thirty.
"So?" she countered, her eyebrows raised in challenge. "Age is just a number."
"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly looking for a wife right now, and she's probably not looking for a student."
Lily just shrugged. "Never say never, Kali. You never know what the future holds."
