Chapter 1
“Today is my day, Lake you can do this” I told myself walking up to my new high school. Its freshman year and this high school looks like a palace with pillars going up for a shaded door, I’m standing in front of doors about 8ft high. I am about an hour early hoping I’ll be the only one here other than the teachers. I walk in and follow signs directing to the office I’ve been here once before I already feel like I know as if it was the back of my hand. When I walk into the office to my surprise someone is already there, he stands about 6’1”, he has black hair with maybe dark brown highlights that looks super soft, it was straight on the top brushed to the front with the sides shaved down. He’s new here I can hear them talk about getting him a tour guide she hands him some papers as she notices me. The girl behind the desk points to me telling the guy I could be his guide.
“What’s your name I will give you your papers now so you can show him around”
“Lake Ray, freshman” she handed me paper and the guy turned around he looked me up and down nibbling on his bottom lip, he smiled and licked his sharp tooth.
“I guess you get to show me around, I’m River it’s my first year here too” the guy said and looked at me
“well nice to meet you, I guess I am” I said nodding my head his eyes were like a meteor shower they were a dark grey with white lines through them. I didn’t know if I could trust him but something about his presence made me feel safer. I turned around walking out to the hall way “we start at the entrance” I say trying to sound like I know what I am doing. First, we went by the grade 12 lockers then the gym and then the art room he actually looked around the art room I would have taken him for more of a sports guy myself, we followed the map up until my locker I started to unlock mine when he walked over.
“I believe we will be seeing much more of each other” he said
“and why is that”
“because it seems we have been placed beside each other” he held out his notes. I looked at them and could not believe my eyes the only class we didn’t have together was drama he went for metal working instead.
“well from what I can see we will be in the same classes too”
“well don’t get tired of me too fast then, okay” he said grinning
“So, I guess I should show you the metal working room then?” I asked trying to pass off of the topic that I will be spending most of first term with this guy. He seems confident but closed off. He’s dressed in jeans and a belt with a medium size buckle and a white muscle shirt that seems worn out . He has black combat boots on that look like they have never been shined, which reminds me did I shine the ones I’m wearing today. Then I was about to say his name and tell him we were going to check out the metal working room now but I fumbled over the words, it just struck me how him name is River and how mines Lake. It’s so similar and weird to have such a close name.“you know I can’t figure you out” River said very quietly.
“Pardon” I said because I didn’t know if I heard him correctly.
“well your just, like ummm I don’t know different. You’re not letting me in, I normally can tell everything about a person just by seeing their eyes, but you, you won’t let me see.”
“Is that a good or bad thing?”
“Good, because everyone else is just boring once I know everything. But you, you’re special I can’t even tell what you are going to do or say next, it’s quite interesting actually.
“well I would say I’m just complicated not interesting” something about his words soothed me. I quickly changed topics. “so, where are you coming from then”
“Nowhere you know of” he responded. Like he knows what I know of and what I don’t.
“well let’s head on then okay, River?” I started walking away and he grabbed my belt loop and tugged me back I pretty much fell into his arms as he was pretty much dipping me. What am I doing.He lifted me up so I was leaning on his chest instead, my arms we clutched in front of me still stunned. He had his arms wrapped around me now as I stared into his eyes tilting my head back. He was looking at me to it was silent for a moment, but not awkward silence, it was a silence that could speak a million words without saying anything.
“We already passed it, Phoenix” he said
“What?” I immediately asked
“Phoenix, you know like the mythical creature. Unknown, feisty, dangerous, but sweet and beautiful, something that even when it was down it raised from its ashes. I think I will call you that”
“I’m a creature well that’s flattering”
“ Also one of the strongest beings and most beautiful and majestic too, it suits you and from what I can tell you’re just as mysterious too.” He points to my shoulder that my sweater fell off of in the whole falling thing. It was exposed now because it wasn’t the one against his chest. “That is a Phoenix right, very pretty. What’s it from? Some crazy night you never want to forget, or perhaps a prison tat, who knows. Unless you tell me.” I just stared in his eyes amazed as he laughed. “So are you going to answer me or just stare me to death till I go away. You know if I walk away right now you will fall on the floor.” I just realized I’m still leaning against him. I stood up but his arms were still linked around me and pulled me back down. “No, no it won’t be that easy.”
“Fine, it’s to show that there’s more to me than what everyone sees. Just like how everyone saw the Phoenix as a scary monster till one day someone came along and tamed the beast by just giving the Phoenix time.” I Finally said
“Awesome so it’s official, I will call you Phoenix.” He’s says back. The bell rings and tons of people come rushing in. I smiled and then went to my locker, and he waited a moment before going to his. I quickly shoved my locker stuff into the bottom thinking I would do it at lunch. Next, I left to my classroom looking straight ahead. First class was math I sat in the third row just aside the middle River sat behind me one seat over in the back row in the last line so diagonally behind me so if I looked at the door he would be in my way. I took my notes quietly as the class was still getting settled into the school phase so did River though he was new too so he also had no one to catch up with. When the bell rang, I waited till some people left to make sure the teacher wasn’t one of those the bell doesn’t dismiss you I do types. River had already left so I went out the back door and turned left. To my surprise river popped out from behind the door and started walking with me having a hard time keeping up. “you sure walk fast little phoenix”
“I’m sorry am I walking to fast for you, you are tall I am short shouldn’t you be walking way faster than me?”
“How about you and me walk to class together since we already are going to the same place”
“will you be able to keep up”
“yes, and I will even carry your bag for you”
“really” I say smirking. I take my bag off my shoulder and hand it to him and his arm falls immediately with my bag landing on the floor.
“what do you have in here? Bricks” he remarks
“i wish but sadly they forbid throwing bricks at people” I laugh and so does he “it all the stuff I need plus a few books, not much really. Can you not carry it, is it to heavy?”
“no, no, no its fine just wasn’t expecting it to be that heavy. I mean you carried it like it was nothing”
“well yeah that is nothing I dumped most of it in my locker that’s super light. You should see how heavy it is when I switch houses”
“oh I’m sorry what happened with your parents”
“long story”
“well we have all day phoenix”
“maybe I will tell you later okay”
“fine but I wont leave you alone all day”
“fine” we walk to my locker and he hands me my backpack back and I switch out somethings. We begin to walk to our next class where we pick the same spots then lunch begins and I sit down at a table where he come up and sits beside me.
“you going to tell me now?”
“okay, my dad died when I was five and my mum got really depressed she was already pretty bad but it seemed my dad was her only happiness and when he passed she just broke and so she went out to bars every night bringing tons of guys home after I turned 6 this one guy pretty much lived at our place and I was told I had to call him dad because it was disrespectful not to. He was my new dad and I was told that my old ones never coming back and I heard that every day for 2 years by the time I was 8 my mum got pregnant and pissed off at the guy she kicked him out and he took me with him. I absolutely hated him but I got used to the fact he was my dad now. My mum didn’t tell him she was pregnant so just I knew and one day after school when I was 9, she took me out of school to go to the hospital with her because she was in labor and I helped her though the birth. And then he found out about the kid and I started switching houses so I got to see my mum more that the occasional times she came and took me from school.” I said and then I looked blankly at his face waiting for him to say something. He looked like his eyes were watery. He just stared directly into my eyes and hugged me. My head in his chest again I felt safe but I shouldn’t so I just shook my head and sat back up.
“holy crap Lake are you okay” river said so sweetly
“yes, river I’m fine that all happened like 4 years ago I’m completely okay now.” he still had his arm on me he was so warm it was kind of hard not to melt in his arms. But I can’t no letting people in, right? Right! We sit there for a while just looking in each other’s eyes till the bell rings then we go off to class. I don’t see him again till the end of school where he’s waiting for me at my locker. “and look who it is. What’s up, long time no see hey?”
“oh well you are my tour guide, right? We never finished that tour you mind if I have you show me around a little more or is that look telling me to fuck off?” he said moving out of the way of my locker as I start to grab my stuff.
“come on I guess I can show you around the town too I have free time”
“well lead the way” he says. I walk out the door and start walking to the library. We are walking for a few hours just talking the time away I didn’t even notice how long we had been out.
“shit, look at the time I have to go. Umm I will see you tmrw. You can get home okay right?” I say just now realizing I was supposed to be home 15 minutes ago. He tilts his head back and starts laughing.
“what are you worried about me phoenix, sorry to tell you but I am just fine on my own I will be okay see you tmrw” we part ways and I start running home.
