Chapter 1
Harmony stood before the school, a new building that already felt like a prison, her old life just a collection of memories. Her foot was tapping slightly, and she clutched the straps of her backpack tightly in her hands. She took in a shuttering breath and scanned the entrance.
She thought, If I’d just stayed in one place, none of this would have happened. My fault, though. My tactics of helping friends probably aren’t the most reliable. As this is currently proving.
She sighed. Sixth school. The words echoed in her mind. Surely, she was allowed some trepidation. She knew it would be the same, maybe even worse if anything. And it didn’t exactly help that complicating things seemed to be her middle name.
Just don’t appear like you’re losing your head. You are perfectly calm, relaxed, and mildly bored and unimpressed. You’re going to walk in, open the door, and act normal. She forced herself to start walking to the door, her footsteps nearly silent.
As she pushed open the heavy doors, a sea of unfamiliar faces swirled around her. She was the new kid again, the invisible girl who just wanted to make it through the year without drawing any attention. She forced her face not to frown, though it took more effort than it should have. Her legs ached to turn and race back outside, but she willed them forward, her expression now unreadable.
She walked toward the office, head down, and her long dark hair that seemed almost black, fell down from behind her shoulders slightly. The last thing she wanted was to be seen, so she scanned the crowd, trying to look nonchalant. She spotted a trio of girls: one laughing mischievously, another giving her a flat look with a flicker of amusement, and a third with a small smile playing on her lips. A familiar, bitter thought crept in: If only I could have had real friends for once. Or at least been at a school long enough to get there.
She flicked her shoulders back. No. We are not starting with self-pity. Friends are overrated. They usually end up being a liability that’ll turn against you for their own gain. The plan was simple: walk to the office, check in, and act completely normal on her way to her homeroom. She’d play the part of a normal new kid—friendly but wary, and keeping to herself. Not the self-pitying, instantly-regretful new kid. She took a deep breath and stepped into the office, carefully and a little stiffly.
The space was a stark contrast to the chaotic hallway—quiet, smelling faintly of lemon cleaner and old paper. A woman with a tight bun and a pair of glasses perched on her nose sat behind a large desk, her gaze fixed on a computer screen. Harmony noticed her fingers were long and bony as she typed on the keyboard.
“May I help you?” the woman asked without looking up, her voice as clipped and neat as her hairstyle.
Oh thrilling, I got the emotionless front office lady that’s about as interesting as watching paint dry. Schools are so predictable sometimes, Harmony thought with an internal groan.
“Hi,” Harmony said, her voice softer than she’d intended. “I’m new. Harmony Ekomay.”
The woman’s fingers flew across the keyboard. A moment later, she nodded, her eyes finally lifting to meet Harmony’s. “Ah, yes... Ms. Ekomay. We’ve been expecting you.”
Harmony noticed the slight pause between ‘yes’ and what she had been called. She guessed it was probably something akin to meaning that this lady saw her as an interruption and didn’t really care. Since her tone also slightly showed that.
Well, if I was her I wouldn’t care either. Sitting in a bland room and staring at a computer all day, running on coffee and seeing how many kids get detention. Let me guess, the last thing she’ll say to me is the classic, ‘Have a nice day’, Harmony thought.
The lady’s eyes seemed to be a bland gray-blue, and her pseudo-smile made Harmony’s hands clench into fists against her will. The lady pulled a stack of papers from a nearby tray. “This is your schedule, a map of the school, and a few forms for your guardian to fill out.”
Harmony took the papers, her fingers brushing the woman’s, making Harmony acutely aware of how clammy her hands were, as well as how fast her heart was beating. The contact was brief, but it was enough to make her flinch slightly. “Thank you.”
“Your locker is 214,” the woman continued, pointing a stern finger toward the hallway. “Just down the hall, past the gymnasium. Homeroom is in room 112 with Mrs. Henne.”
Harmony nodded, clutching the papers to her chest like a shield. “Got it.” Let’s hope my homeroom doesn’t have that one group of kids that constantly bother people just to make themselves feel better. But what am I saying? Schools always do that to new kids, just to make things more entertaining. I’m as screwed as skating on thin ice, she thought as she felt her hands clench the paper a little harder.
The woman nodded once and said, “Have a nice day, Ms. Ekomay.” And she returned her gaze to her computer. Harmony’s eyebrow twitched as she thought, Called it.
She turned and left the office, stepping back into the cacophony of the hallway. The simple act of getting her schedule felt like a monumental achievement. Now came the hard part: navigating the map and finding her first class without getting lost or, worse, noticed. She unfolded the map, tracing her finger along the lines, her mind already plotting the quickest, most inconspicuous route to room 112.
She scanned the hallway and she began her route, noting people’s friends, their general behavior and even looking at what they were wearing to get a glimpse of their personalities. She always wanted to be prepared. Preparation wasn’t just something she did because she was nervous, she knew very well it was a necessity.
She noticed a tall, skinny kid about her age, with dark hair and a scowl on his face. He seemed to be watching everybody just like she was, though colder, and in a way that suggested he was judging and analyzing that to his advantage... rather than just general.
His posture was tense and his jaw was clenched. His dark hair seemed to be smoothed as much as possible making him look like a teenage version of a lawyer. Though there was one group of hair strands that seemed to be threatening to return into a cowlick. He seemed to be walking (or trying to) in a deliberate way showing confidence. Though his ice blue eyes showed that he was thinking of something else entirely.
His eyes were narrowed and he seemed to huff through his nose, Harmony noticed, when he glanced at certain people. She felt her eyebrow twitch again, from a mixture of being uncomfortable, and a bit of... possibly something akin to intrigue to having something less bland to figure out. She could already imagine some priceless faces she could cause on him with a few well placed subtle insults.
That’s totally not unsettling- scanning the crowd the way he is. Though he’s probably doing it for a reason, Harmony’s mind began to race, building a profile of him.Possible reason number one: He’s determined to prove he’s better than everyone, that he’s more impressive, and that he has authority. Which means he fears being underestimated and forgotten, and probably wants to be liked. Like everyone does. He’s looking for flaws in everyone else so they don’t see his own. I’m probably his next target.
She was already preparing for him to notice her, and say a remark. She had already thought of at least five possible comebacks that would shut him up and make him rethink the situation.
Harmony’s amber eyes met the scowling person’s. The world seemed to go silent, the cacophony of the hallway fading to a dull hum. He was still watching, but now his icy blue gaze was locked on her. It wasn’t just a general scan anymore; it was an active assessment, a challenge. She could almost hear his mind working, searching for her weaknesses, cataloging her as a potential target as well as a threat. A slight smile, razor-thin and devoid of warmth, touched his lips.
I’ll be a challenge for you all right, one that’ll startle you into wishing you never messed with me, Harmony thought as her eyes narrowed and her jaw tightened.
And then, just as quickly, the moment was over. He turned, his gaze sweeping the hall once more before he pushed off the lockers and started walking. She watched him go, a knot of unease twisting in her stomach. He was heading in the same direction she was. To her homeroom. She knew it, with the same certainty that she knew the sky was blue.
Of course he is. Just my luck. My wonderful luck that almost got me killed last time. Focus on not being noticed.
She quickly checked the map again, her finger trembling slightly as she retraced the route. She mentally chided her trembling finger, forcing it still, though her hands felt thrice as clammy and unnatural.
She had to beat him there. She had to get to the homeroom first and find a seat in the back, in the shadows, where no one would notice her. Where she would be somewhat closer to safety and part of the background. She broke into a brisk walk, then a jog, weaving through the crowded hallway, her mind a whirlwind of anxiety and determination. She was going to be invisible, no matter what. He wouldn’t get to her. She wouldn’t let him.
Get to the homeroom, sit in the back, and desperately hope whoever Ms. Henne is, won’t give me the classic new kid introduction.
