PITD 1: Day One

Saints Academy indeed lived up to the direct opposite of its name. The school had no one left to be called a saint. Absolutely no one! Everyone was either sleeping with someone, doing drugs, being part of a gang or juggling all together.

It was a little wonder Leigh's former principal had recommended her to a school like this. It was a school for the socially delinquent. You either join the tide and be carried away by it or drown trying to go the opposite way or very well just stay clear of the muddy water. 

The school itself, was painted the colour of muddy water. Fits. Leigh thought as she walked through the crowded halls. She hadn’t been able to take a good look at the exterior of the building as her mother had practically dragged her reluctant ass all the way in. From what she could tell though, the school was a three story, red bricked building that looked like those ancient places she only saw in movies. Though inside, it boasted of modern day decorations and met up with demands of the ever advancing technology. Each floor level had rooms that went on and on for as far as she could see and someone had taken the pains… or not to half-heartedly hang framed quotes, art projects that dated back to years ago and shabbily decorated prompts like 'Don't be late for class.' Or 'Pay attention to avoid Detention'. Cheesy as it was, it hung proudly amidst the student lockers which were painted blue for seniors like herself. 

Damn! Leigh thought to herself, kicking at the empty soda can some delinquent had disposed on the floor. She was in her senior year. She shouldn’t be changing schools in her senior year when finals and college applications were just around the corner. The soda can bounced off the wall and landed in a trash can just below another cheery poster which read ‘Don’t Litter The Hallways’. Ironic, she smirked, just like her life was at the moment. Still, she continued mulling as she took a curve into a shorter hallway, she would choose Muddy-it was the new name she was giving the school now- over seeing a certain bastard’s face every day. Muddy wasn’t all that bad anyway, she reassured herself. 

One of the things few Leigh actually liked about the school was the basketball court and the soccer fields. Being a sports lover, she was always exhilarated during gym class and had even been on the sports team in her previous school. The only flip side to this was that there were no women sports in Saints Academy. Leigh had actually flipped out when the Principal had explained in boring tones during her registration earlier in the week, why female sports wasn’t available in the school. Except of course, cheerleading which she disliked with passion. 

Trying to remain positive, in contrast to her usual pessimism, Leigh reminded herself that it was still her first full day of school and of a new month. November. She felt hyped for the possibilities to be explored… and the hearts to be broken.

She walked hurriedly now, unable to take any more of the crowded hallways, pulling the hood of her extra-large hoodie lower over her mop of chocolate curls that never seemed to stay in place, putting extra effort in making sure her new sneakers were not scuffed by the pounding feet of delinquents. It might’ve been the first day but she had been determined to have little to no human interactions hence her hunched posture and the oversized hoodie which swallowed half her frame. 

 She was busy skirting through the pressed together bodies of the multitude in muddy waters when she came toe to toe with a sneakered foot. 

She side stepped, trying to get the person to move the other way but they got into her front again. When she moved left, the person moved too. When she moved right, the feet followed. She would have found it comic if irritation hadn’t been licking at her skin right at that moment. Ready to give whoever it was a piece of her mind, she looked up and came face to face with ocean blue eyes. They were the most intense blue eyes she had ever seen with flecks of green swimming in them. 

Of course it had to be him. Disgust masked up the irritation on her face. She had seen him with one of his friends in the hallways earlier, talking about something dumb that all boys seem to talk about. Last time she’d seen them, she had overheard them talking about her. 

Willis Reeler. The school’s reputed Player. Of basketball and girls. 

"Beg your pardon Miss," Willis finally spoke, his voice drifting to her on a flirty note while perfectly shaped lips curved into a smile. "I think you might just be in the way here." He winked.

That snapped Leigh out of the hole she had spaced out to while checking him out or rather being disgusted by how handsome he actually looked up close. 

It took everything she had to hold back her tongue from lashing at him and pointing out that he was in fact the one that had rudely blocked her path. Instead, she did the exact opposite and made a show of cowering back into her hoodie, eyes cast downward to her toes.

Willis watched her shudder back into the brown hoodie that was a tad too big for her. She was really a petite little thing. All her curves were hidden in the folds of the damned thing she wore. 

Her hair, a mess of curls was let loose under her hood most probably to cover up what was left of her face. And she had the most delicate face. Willis thought to himself, smiling. 

 He'd seen a flash full lips, rich brown eyes, rounded cheeks and a petite nose just a split second before she shrunk back into her hoodie. He hadn't however missed how those eyes had thinned and blazed fire at him before she'd taken an interest in her sneakered toes.

"Leigh is it?" He asked sultrily. 

Underneath her hoodie, Leigh smirked. She hadn’t been expecting him to make a move on her that fast. It wasn’t even lunch on her first day yet but here he was moving in on her like the predator or player he was reputed to be. 

Without looking up, she slowly nodded her head sending her curls in a frenzy all over her face. 

"Now, I haven't seen you around here before. Just transferred?" He asked in the same flirty tone. 

At least he had the courtesy to act curious. Leigh inwardly scoffed. As if he didn't know already. Then she gave another nod.

"You could look up and reply with words you know, I won't bite." At least not yet. Willis thought to himself, smirking.

"Y..yes." She made her voice shaky enough to give him the implication that she was nervous.

"That's better.” He sounded like he had achieved something big. “Now can you look up, please? I'd love to see that pretty face of yours."

Oh, I'm sure you'd love to see a whole lot more. Leigh smirked, then took her sweet time lifting her head up to his chest. At 5’4, her head only came up to his broad chest. 

 She hadn't realised that he had been standing so close to her that she was practically breathing him in. He had the heady scent of musk, mint and male. And he was also wearing a leather jacket. 

What was it with high school boys and leather jackets?

"A little higher sweetie." He cooed sweetly. A gesture that only added to Leigh’s disgust. Still, she obliged.

Rich brown eyes met deep blue ones and everything else melted away. The rushing students, the colourful halls, the blue lockers, the sounds coming from every direction of the hall, the bell ringing in the distance, everything. It all simply melted away in the heat of their locked gazes.

"Mr Reeler! Miss Raeken!" The voice of the Principal, Mrs Dahra snapped them out. "Homeroom now!"

Leigh hadn't even heard the bell ring, neither had she noticed the now empty hallways nor kept track of how much time had passed since she'd gazed into this player's eyes.

"I guess I'll be seeing you around Miss Raeken." And with that, he winked and left her standing alone in a deserted hallway.

This time, Leigh didn't have to fake her nervousness or her confusion because the second she'd looked into his aqua marine eyes, she'd felt her heart stop.