Broken (The Outsiders Series) Read online

  I nod and pull out my wallet. I probably needed to get my driver’s license updated to my new address soon. Although, it might make it easier for Jack and my mom to find me here. And I don’t want that. “My last name is Daniels,” I add when I hand the woman the card.

  “All right, Mr. Daniels. All you need to do is wait here,” she says as she rolls her chair back and stands up. “I’ve got to go get your schedule set up and all. You can sit in one of those chairs over there,” she says as she points to two chairs in the corner of the office.

  I nod and sit down. I pick up one of the magazines and open it while I wait. I read two of them before the woman comes back into the room. She moves behind her desk and staples some papers before putting them in a folder. Then, she starts humming and clicking things on her computer.

  “Now here,” she says as she bends down to pick up something off the printer, “is your new schedule. Here at Mason County, we do what’s called block scheduling; this means that you take four classes a semester, for a total of eight classes a year. Your first class, World History, is in the science wing.” She pulls out a map that shows the building and all of its rooms. The school is shaped like a figure eight. There are labeled wings, with the electives wing in the center of the school, right behind the office.

  “Then, you’ve got Chemistry in the science wing as well. Third class is always lunch,” she adds as she points to a separate building on the outside of the figure eight. “And your fourth and fifth classes are part of the literature wing.”

  I nod, noting that I’ll only be using half of the school this semester. The science and literature wings are essentially the same wing; it’s just split in half. “Thank you, Ma’am. I truly appreciate all your help this morning.”

  “No problem, Carter. All you need to do is stop by the Principal’s Secretary’s desk before leaving. Principal Wiggins likes to speak with all of his new students. It’s just that way,” she says as she points down a hall that moves further into the main office. “Just follow the blue carpet, darling.”

  I do as the woman says, even though everything inside of me tells me not to. I don’t want to be triumphant out there, only to be caught in a lie in here. Principals don’t tend to like me much. It’s like they can tell that I’m damaged or something. And I don’t need Principal Wiggins to see right through my disguise.

  “Clare,” shouts a man’s voice from up ahead. Great, so Principal Wiggins is a man. That makes it even better.

  “Yes, Mr. Wiggins,” says a short, large woman as she stands up and moves around the front of her desk. She waddles into Principal Wiggins’ office.

  “I need you to get the deputy on the line, Ms. Clare. I feel as though those football junkies are using steroids again.”

  Ms. Clare pulls in a deep breath and nods her head before turning around and waddling back out. She stops when she sees me standing there and stares. Then, she breaks out in a friendly smile and moves to sit behind her desk. The chair squeaks as she settles down, and I have a feeling it’s protesting. “May I help you, young man?” she asks me.

  “Yes, Ma’am. My name is Carter Daniels and I just enrolled. The woman out there asked me to come back to meet Principal Wiggins. Is he busy?”

  “Oh, no. He’s never too busy to speak with a student, Carter. Just walk on in there, all right?”

  I nod and move into the office. It’s big, with a large wooden desk and bookshelf. Tons of books about troubled students, student achievement, and test scores line the shelf. Principal Wiggins sits behind his desk. He has glasses, short hair, and a large nose. His eyes are kind, but they also make me think of someone that doesn’t know what’s really going on. However, his tan suit makes him look powerful enough. And it does fit nicely. Which means he has money to spend. I’m not sure if he’ll like me.

  “Ah, Mr. Daniels, I suppose you heard the conversation between Ms. Clare and me?” He leans forward and continues before I can answer. “Don’t speak a word of it.” He leans back again and gestures for me to join him. He holds his hand out for my schedule and looks at it before continuing. “Your schedule seems fine, Mr. Daniels. However, note that we have a strict dress code at Mason County. We do not allow ripped jeans.”

  “Yes, sir. I understand.”

  “Now I know it’s the fashion but you just can’t wear those around here. They are not professional or presentable, and they distract. Do you understand me? And” he adds before I can answer – a second time – “we do not allow bubble gum, cell phones or music devices. Lastly, we only accept academic excellence, Mr. Daniels.”

  I nod again.

  Principal Wiggins leans forward. “I’ve kicked students out before, Mr. Daniels. Warn your parents that if you cause me any trouble, I will do it again. And I won’t hesitate to keep this school a caring and safe environment for all of my students. Do you understand me, Mr. Daniels? No shenanigans here.”

  I press my lips together to keep from smiling and manage another nod in his direction. He accepts it and stands up with a clap of his hands.

  “Thank you for speaking with me, Principal Wiggins. Have a nice afternoon,” I say as I step out of his office. He replies with a grumble, probably because he’s focused on those steroids now. When I make it back out to where the first woman sits, I stop. “Can you tell me what class I should go to?” I ask.

  The woman looks up from her paperwork. She glances at the time and then looks at a schedule in front of her. “You will be headed toward your second class, Carter. The bell will ring in a few moments so you will have time to find your way around before the bustle of the crowd.”

  I thank her and walk outside with my schedule and map. I look at it, reading it and memorizing it, before I toss it into the trashcan nearest me. I don’t need to look like someone that doesn’t know where they’re going. They will know I’m new anyway. First, I’ve got on my ripped jeans. Second, they have never seen me before. No need to make it worse by carrying around a map of the school.

  I turn left and head toward the science building as the bell rings. Students push their way out of their classes and rush into the hallway. A lot of the guys are wearing collared shirts and loafers. The girls all wear dresses or skirts. This place really is professional. And as I continue moving down the hallway, I look at the tanned legs and high heels that walk in front of me. Aren’t they freezing? I guess I shouldn’t care, because I get to look at them all now – all year round.

  Next thing I notice are the books. There are no backpacks or messenger bags. And kids are pushing to get to their lockers so that they can trade books and notebooks. Some are even grabbing goggles. I guess I’ll have to rent a locker at some point. No one wants to carry goggles around all day, and since I’m taking Chemistry, I’m sure I’ll have some goggles.

  “You lost?” purrs a voice behind me. I turn to see a short girl. She has pink hair that is flat against her head, and matching pink lipstick. She smiles up at me and presses her arms together so that I can look down her shirt. Stupid whore.

  “I think I can find my way,” I say before looking away. I lift my foot to take a step, but she clears her throat to speak once more. So I turn around and wait.

  She smiles again and this time I see that her eyes are an impossible shade of blue. Those have to be fake. Which means that her boobs are probably fake. And that all adds up to one enormous, fake personality. “You’re new. Let me show you around.” She reaches out to grab my schedule from me. I have to stop myself from snatching it back out of her tiny hand. “Oh,” she squeals, “You’re going to Chemistry with Ms. Davis. You must be a junior then, Carter.” She looks back up at me, proud of herself for finding my name on the schedule. “I’m Candy,” she adds as she holds her hand out expectantly. “And I’m an experienced sophomore.”

  I roll my eyes at her but stick my hand out and shake hers. I can’t do two rude things to her. “I bet you are,” I say as I reach over to take my schedule back. “Too bad I’m not interested in your expertise.”
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  She pokes her lower lip out, not caring that I insulted her. “You’re different, Carter. I’m curious. What’s up with you?” She tilts her head to the side and I stifle another eye roll. Will she leave me alone?

  “My past must have been different than yours, Candy. That’s all.” I offer a fake smile and turn to go. Next thing I know, she’s walking next to me, practically rushing to keep up with my larger strides.

  “My class is right across from Ms. Davis, so I can meet you afterwards. We can walk to the lunchroom together.” She smiles up at me. And I can’t find it in myself to be mean.

  “I think that would be fun, Candy. But don’t try anything. It isn’t gonna happen with us. Let’s just be friends. Okay?” I stop and look at her seriously, willing her to understand that I’m not joking.

  She looks down and shrugs. “Your loss, Carter. You’ll hear about me later.”

  This time, I roll my eyes. “See you later,” I manage. Then, I turn away without waiting for her reply. She is psycho.

  I’m almost at the door when someone puts his arm around my shoulders. “Dude, you could’ve had the best five minutes of your life with that girl. Why’d you skip out? Scared? Insecure?” He lets me go and punches my arm softly.

  I push my way into the classroom. “Who says it’ll only be five minutes?” I ask.

  A group of guys near the door start laughing and one of them points at me. “Hey, kid, you’re not bad,” he says as he reaches over the desk to shake my hand. “I’m Ryan but the ladies call me Love Machine,” he sings as he gestures with his hands.

  I laugh with them and scan the table. There are three guys in front of me. Two have dark hair and one has light hair. The kid that thinks the girls call him Love Machine, Ryan, has dark eyes and a kind smile for someone that’s so vain.

  “Thanks for letting me shake your hand before you started touching yourself,” I say jokingly. The guys laugh again, and one of them pulls a chair from another table so that I can join theirs. Against my better judgment, I sit down. The bell rings a moment later, and in walks Ms. Davis.

  “Now class, today we’ll be taking notes on balancing equations. We will do a few practice problems together. Then, you’ll be working with your table partners. Do you have any questions?”

  Ryan raises his hand. “We’ve got a new student, Ms. Davis, and I’ll be the first to say that he’s pretty awesome. Can he work with the guys and me?”

  Ms. Davis sighs. She bites the inside of her plump cheek, thinking. As she does this, I take a moment to look at her. She’s older, probably about fifty or so, and she has flecks of grey in her black hair. She’s wearing nice clothes, but when I look down at her shoes, I flinch. She’s wearing Crocs, just like the science teacher at my other school. It must be something about science. “Ryan, I’m sure that you’ll behave and help this young man, then. Or else,” she says warningly. Then, she turns to address the rest of the class. “Take out paper and pencil. We’ve got a PowerPoint today, kids.”

  I borrow paper and pencil from one of the guys and get to taking my notes. The guys seem to be pretty focused on their work, until we do the examples. It doesn’t take long for me to figure out why. Ms. Davis moves too slow for us. And it’s because a few of the kids in the back don’t pay attention. And then Ryan gets bored. He begins to tell me stories of what they’ve done so far this year, and it’s pretty entertaining. He threw a paper airplane that hit Ms. Davis in the back of the head. He spilled his chemicals on purpose during a lab – they were nontoxic, though. He fell asleep and fell out of his lab stool. And he even walked out once. Needless to say, Ms. Davis isn’t Ryan’s biggest fan.

  And by the time he finishes telling me the stories, the bell rings. It was enough to pass the time, and I didn’t get bored. I wonder what’s going to happen tomorrow. More worksheets that are too short for kids that pay attention?

  I follow the guys out into the hallway but stop. I told Candy I’d walk with her, and I can’t stand her up already. I’m not like Jack or the other jerks. “I’ll catch up with you guys in the lunch room,” I say as I stop and wait in the center of the hallway.

  “You going to get you some?” whispers Todd as he flings his arm around my shoulders again.

  “Nah,” I say. “But I’ll tell her you’re interested, man.” I shrug to get loose from his grip. He doesn’t get it, and he holds on to me. I swallow, suddenly uncomfortable, and look up at him.

  Todd’s blue eyes get big but he shakes his head. “Can’t do that, Carter. I’ve got me a lassie,” he starts. Then, he smiles to show his perfect, white teeth. I look up to see his blonde hair. He spikes it, but it’s too tall, kind of like overgrown grass or something. He seems okay though.

  “And he actually likes this girl,” Ryan finishes. “Come on guys. Carter’s just being nice to the girl, now.” He winks and throws his arm around Todd and the other guy, Eli. “See you in the lunch room,” he calls.

  I laugh and turn around in time to see Candy walking up to me. She looks down toward the guys. “Wow, Carter,” she says. “You don’t seem to have a problem making friends.”

  I look down at her and scratch the back of my head.

  She giggles, making sure to cover her mouth and look up at me. She must think it’s cute, but it’s not. “Those guys are popular,” she says as she looks longingly at them.

  I shrug. Who cares about being popular? I mean I don’t. The popular kids at my last school were stuck up rich kids that cared too much about what neighborhood you lived in. Needless to say, I wasn’t popular. But I had a few good friends, and we had some pretty good times together.

  “I don’t think you understand this,” Candy says slowly. “We can’t be friends, Carter. It will ruin your image. Do you understand?”

  I shrug again. “Not really. They knew I was staying to talk to you. They didn’t seem to care about it, Candy. So why should you care about them?” I cross my arms over my chest and look down at her slender body. There is no way in hell those things are real. “Candy,” I say when she doesn’t answer me.

  She looks back up. This time she doesn’t press her chest together. “It’s not the guys that care, Carter. It never is. The girls care.”

  “I’m not hanging out with the girls, Candy.”

  She shrugs. “Suit yourself,” she says as she turns. She holds out her arm, wanting me to link mine with hers, but I shake my head. That’s just too weird. But we still walk together, and when we step into the giant lunchroom I’m almost overwhelmed. There are tons of students sitting at tables or waiting in line. Right now, a large nine is blinking in green lights on a neon sign.

  “Ninth graders eat first today,” Candy says with a sigh. “I guess I’ll be next. I’m gonna go sneak in line,” she says with a wink. “Oh,” she adds as she turns back around, “your new friends sit over there in the two corner tables. Have fun!” She points to the back corner and waves before walking away. I turn to see the guys over there. Some are standing up; some are sitting down. A few girls sit on the tables in front of the guys. I count four girls. The popularity at this school isn’t nearly as bad as my old one.

  “Carter,” Ryan calls when I get closer to the table. “This,” he says, “is the lovely Lane. He points to a girl with light brown hair and pink lipstick. Her hair is wavy and it falls around her shoulders. She has on a short skirt that barely covers her body as she sits on the table. She waves to me and I wave back before turning to look at the next girl that Ryan introduces as Brooke. This girl, somehow, looks the same as Lane, and I almost ask if they’re twins when Ryan speaks up. “They love each other so much, that Brooke got a nose job so that she and Lane looked more like sisters.” He leans over so that he can whisper something to me. “But now they all say that Brooke is prettier, so we think she did it for that reason. You dig me, Carter?”

  I look between the two girls. And yes, Brooke is hotter than Lane. They must have done something to her lips when they did her nose. Because her lips are unnaturally full. Sh
e looks like a cross between Megan Fox and Angelina Jolie, mixed with a little Jennifer Aniston – the Jennifer Aniston part is the fact that she tries not to look like a dirty whore. She’s just a regular one.

  “And this,” Ryan says as he pulls a blonde girl to his side, “is Katie. She’s my girl and Anne Marie’s little sister. He kisses Katie before pulling away.

  “Anne Marie and Colton are somewhere hooking up or something,” Katie says to Ryan and me. “The girl’s bathroom probably. They got caught in the boy’s locker room last week.”

  “Time for a change,” Ryan agrees.

  “So,” Lane asks, “Where are you from, Carter? And when did you move here?” She leans forward, genuinely interested in me.

  “Just outside of Atlanta. And I got here yesterday morning,” I answer. “My parents moved for work.”

  Lane nods. “My dad works in Atlanta. We live here because my mama doesn’t want us to move too close to the city and all. She says it’s bad there.”

  “Parts of it are bad, but there are also nice parts and nice people,” I say to defend my home. But it’s not like I know any of them. I didn’t grow up in the nice part of town. But my mom used my grandma’s address. I got to go to the nicer schools because of that. I guess that’s one thing I can thank her for.

  “Well, I bet you’ll like it a whole lot more up here,” Lane responds. “The girls are prettier, the drinks are stronger, and the lovin’s a whole lot better.” Katie and a new girl, who I assume is Anne Marie, cheer. Lane and Brooke join in, screaming and hollering so that it echoes around the lunchroom. A teacher walks over and tells them to stop.

  “So, what did I miss?” Anne Marie asks as she looks me over. Instantly, I don’t like her. There’s something about the way she looks at me. It tells me that she thinks she’s better than me. Other than the slightly disgusted look on her face, she’s pretty. She’s got grey eyes and thick blonde hair that falls in curls that hit the tops of her shoulders. She’s wearing a black shirt that’s so low it shows the lace of her purple bra. She doesn’t seem to care though, because she smiles when she realizes I’ve noticed.