Hitting A Wall

Kamari

When my alarm went off Tuesday morning, it took a minute for me to remember where I was. Even though I dusted the day earlier, the distinct smell of the old house filled my nose as I wiped the sleep from my eyes. I made a mental note to get some air freshener and heavy cleaning materials to clean the place throughout the week. I looked at the clock to see it was 7:15, and I jumped out of bed, realizing I had hit snooze on my alarm. I had to leave to make it to my 8 am class on time in 15 minutes.

Thankfully, I had set out clothes for the morning last night, so I quickly dressed in my favorite pair of workout leggings. I was petite but had muscular legs from dancing for so many years, and I loved how these showed my curves; they were comfortable yet kinda sexy. I never got dressed up for boys; I thought it was unnecessary. It was more for me to feel good in my clothes. The fitted leggings were as far as I went, though, as I decided on a comfy band tee and a hoodie to counter the cold since I knew I’d have my first dance class today, then threw my white sneakers on. I was never a girly girl and did the least amount with myself to pass for presentable. My naturally wavy long hair is usually a bit of a wild mane, so I braided it down the center to keep it out of my eyes. Then, only putting a small amount of makeup on, I ran downstairs for my daily breakfast, a cup of coffee and a banana.

My mom was already at work on her first shift that started late last night, leaving me in an empty house as I jetted out and walked on the walking trail next to the main road. It only took twenty minutes to get to campus for my first class of the day, microbiology. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I loved animals and thought I’d follow in my mom’s footsteps and take up healing for animals instead.

The walk was quiet and still, a stark contrast from my everyday noisy LA life. Instead of passing a trail of parked cars, graffiti on the walls, and homeless people sleeping in their makeshift homes for the night, I walked on a dirt path along large evergreen trees, long grass with dew collected at the tips, and misty fog gliding through the trees and road, dusting my cheeks with specks of water as I walked through it. I thought the stark contrast of the atmospheres would freak me out, but it was strangely calming and comforting. I listened to the birds chirp their morning songs as the damp morning and low fog gave the town a gloomy yet peaceful vibe. I wrapped my hoodie around my waist, not needing it since the cold didn’t bite the way I thought it would. I threw my arms out wide while I walked through the fog, wanting to feel the crispness of the air on my skin.

The campus was quiet in the morning since many students never took the early morning classes, so my first class went smoothly. The professor gave me the work I needed to do to catch up, which thankfully was only a paper and one lab, before heading to my second class, intermediate ballet, next to the gym. I was looking down at the campus map to see where the gym was when I walked straight into a wall. Or at least, I thought it was a wall, but when I looked up, I saw a large guy turning around with a muffin in his mouth, looking over his shoulder at me.

He was wearing a letterman jacket and what looked like his pajama pants. Blue flannel patterned matching the colors on his jacket, blue and brown. I could tell right away he was a jock but not sure what sport. He looked down at me intensely with his blue eyes, and his messy, long blonde hair that went to his shoulders fell in front of his eyes before he tossed it out of his face. He looked me up and down, finishing his bite with a smirk making his sharp jawline stand out before saying,

“you lost, sweetheart?” he drawled, looking down at my map.

I blushed from running into him and looked down quickly before gaining control of myself. I’ll admit he was extremely handsome, but the way he called me sweetheart for some reason made my blood boil.

“No. And I’m not your sweetheart.” I spat, looking up at him straight in the eyes.

He gave me a surprised look before chuckling slightly, saying, “Not yet anyway, I’ve never seen you here before. You’re the new girl who moved in on Ivy Lane, right?”

What did he mean, not yet? “I did just move onto Ivy Lane. How did you know that?” I asked warily.

“Not much goes unseen in this town, you’ll find. Everyone knows everyone type of thing. Do you need some help finding your way? You don’t need a map, I can show you where to go. I’m Reed, by the way.”

Reed grabbed my class schedule and gave me a wave to follow him. I stood there for a moment contemplating. I did need to know where the gym was, and I’m sure he knew the way, seeing his physique, so I decided to follow him in the direction he was going.

“So what brings you to Sequim…?” Reed asked from over his shoulder as he strolled with an exaggerated strut to his hips. I could tell this guy thought he ran the place by his arrogant demeanor. I was never a big fan of overly confident guys, but I did my best to swallow my disdain. He was the first person I’ve met here, and I didn’t know his effect on the student body. From past experiences, I felt this Reed guy would have a say if I had a good or bad transition into this town.

My mom had asked me not to tell anyone our real last name since we didn’t know much about the town or who lived here, so we had already pre-picked out a surname to hide our identity as witches, just in case. “Name’s Kamari. Kamari Mazor. My mom got a new job at the hospital in town, so I came to check it out with her.” I lied.

“Well, Kamari Mazor, where are you from originally?” He asked as he opened one of the double doors leading into a vast building. He held it open for me to enter with a slight bow, winking at me as I passed him.

“I’m from LA.” I placed a fake smile on my face, trying to keep my answers short and sweet to not give away too much to this guy but also trying to be nice. I never trust people very easily, especially ones that flirt immediately and radiate arrogance with a sense of something else I couldn’t quite grasp. His energy felt different from the other guys I was used to dealing with in LA.

He gave out a whistle in response. “LA huh? You’re a long way from home, little miss.” He stopped at a door, waiting before opening it for me, looking at something through the window.

“Well, good luck in there.” He gestured towards the class with his head before opening the door and then closing it without stepping or looking in. It almost felt like he was hiding behind the door when I walked in and realized what he might have been hiding from.

A girl with long red hair in the middle of the room who looked to be barking orders at the class turned and looked straight at me, then the door where Reed just was, then back to me with an angry expression.

“And who are you? The new Janitor?”

I felt the whole class look at me as I walked in, all utterly silent. I stopped abruptly, thinking this could not be my dance teacher. Reed must have the wrong room.

“um, is this intermediate ballet? Are you the teacher?” I asked confusingly. There is no way a teacher would be this evil to her students.

The girl looked at me with a disgusted look, laughing, “Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t be caught dead as a teacher. I’m the team captain trying to whip these bitches into shape. And you didn’t answer my question.” She put her hands on her hips and puffed up her chest.

Trying to remember what she asked, I tilted my head before saying, “Oh, right. I’m Kamari, a transfer student from LA. Today is my first day of classes. You’re the team captain, huh?”

I relayed, folding my arms and looking back at her. I’m not the sort to back down from bullies, and this girl was one of them. There was something in her brown eyes when I looked her up and down that sent daggers towards me. She was about to say something that I’m sure was delightful before the door opened again, cutting her off, and what had to be the instructor walked into class.