Annabeth POV💖

It's morning already and I rush downstairs and wait patiently for mum to come out of her room to drop me at school. I bite my lip nervously waiting for her to come out and either approve of my look or to recommend changes which is a daily tradition of sorts for us. One that I hate but one that mum is adamant about. If she is out and about she expects me to send her a picture of myself in my outfit, that's how nonnegotiable this rule this. I guess she feels that I dress poorly it would be a bad reflection on her model status.

Mum walks out of her room just as I expel a nervous breath, every single hair on her head perfectly coiffed, her outfit immaculate and she looks at me. Her gaze travels down my woolen tight pink sweater and the plaid short skirt which reached up until half my knees showing off my long legs. I had worn heels and curled my hair which I left loose. My makeup was minimal but covered all my freckles that dotted my nose and I had on a glossy lip balm.

Mum stares for a second longer and then shakes her head in semi-approval. "Not sure if that skirt really matches that sweater but yeah I guess this is good enough for your first day''

I smile at her and sit down at the table to eat my breakfast quickly. Once we were done I get out and get into the car waiting for mum to finish her finishing touches of makeup, another tradition of hers, she always did touch up's every hour or so and it was something that she desperately wanted me to do. I wasn't a big fan of it, but I always made sure that I retouch my makeup before I come home, just to keep her happy, if she ever saw me in school especially after gym class with half my make up off she would probably die from a heart attack so I made sure that she lived in the delusion that I was exactly like her, obsessed with my face having the perfect makeup on.

We drive in complete silence until we pull up to the gray building which reads "Westlake High School'' I look out of the car window watching everyone in their groups chatting away animatedly. A nervous ball starts building in my stomach, which makes me wonder if I would throw up from all this nervous energy. Mum looks at me intently and then leans forward to fluff my hair a bit.

"Now remember Annabeth, go for the pretty popular crowd, and make sure you get into cheerleading ok, I will be working all day but I will be here when school is over to pick you up from this exact spot here ok'' She gives me a small smile

I smile back at her and shake my head nervously before I step out and walk hesitantly towards the school entrance hearing her drive off behind me.

As I climb up the stairs to the door I can feel the stares on me and I feel like an insect being scrutinized, I can hear boys hooting and checking me out, asking for my name, number, and some other stuff that I wish I could erase from my memory. I can also feel a lot of girls giving me evil looks. I quickly rush up the stairs make my way through the hallways, glad that I was starting school on a Friday which meant that I just need to get today out of the way and I would have the weekend to hide out in my house and prepare for Monday

Ignoring everyone I walk straight to the office and smile at the elderly lady who was seated at a help desk in the office which was just at the entrance. She looks up at me and drops the forms that she was holding "Oh wow... hello dear, you must be Annabeth, I must say you do take after your mother, so beautiful. She smiled softly "Anyway here is your schedule and your locker number, good luck sweetheart''

I smile gratefully at her and look at the map that she had given me along with my schedule and start following the instructions to where the lockers were. I reach mine, and punch in the combination, and try to open it but it wouldn't open. I could feel a lot of eyes on me and it was making me more nervous. I try one more time and fail.

I blow out a frustrated breath and was on the verge of banging my head on the locker when I hear a voice behind me.

"Hey, glaring at the locker won't open it''.

I turn around and look at the guy standing behind me. He was tall with light brown hair and was wearing a team jacket which said Wild Bears. Definitely on the football team. He had a dimpled smile and muscles that made me imagine my mum dancing with joy if I took him home. I shook my head to rid it of those thoughts and smiled at him softly.

He leaned in over me making me look up at him as he punched the locker once, and it sprang open. "There you go, I swear these lockers are old as hell, you're going to have to punch it to open it"

I smile at him gratefully as I open the locker wider and start putting all my stuff in. "Thank you.." I looked at him briefly watching him study my face " Umm my name is Annabeth by the way" His smile broadens into a grin and he leans against the adjoining locker still staring at me his head cocked to the side "It's a beautiful name but I swear you are more beautiful than your name," He watched me blush and then extended his hand out "My name is Dylan by the way''

I shake his hand and leave it feeling him hesitate for a second, his palm warm in mine before letting go as I turn back to close the locker door and smile at him again

"Let me guess quarterback" I smile slyly at him.

He grins back at me "How do you know that? Are you stalking me, although I won't complain, you're probably the most gorgeous stalker that anyone could have'' I shake my head blushing at the compliment and shrug my shoulders "I can just tell''

"First day here?" he asks me. I bite my lower lip nervously. "Yea and I don't know anyone here as well so it's kinda scary''

Dylan straightens himself "Aww, that's why I am here, c'mon give me your schedule and I will be your personal escort for the day'' he plucks my schedule off my hand and goes through it. I looked up at him admiring his strong chiseled jaw structure.

"Alright'' he drawls looking down at me and smiling "You have three classes with me so ill be there throughout those and I will escort you to your first class which is English Lit'' He goes back to studying my schedule his brows furrowed with concentration.

I try to focus on his chiseled face, but for some reason, I can't shake the feeling that someone was staring at my back. I had this feeling for a while ever since I came to the lockers, like a niggling thought in the back of my head when I was talking with Dylan but it felt really unnerving now. .I slowly look away from Dylan as he continues looking at my schedule and I turn my head back and make eye contact with the person who was staring at me.

Dark eyes on an impassive face stare at me, I thought that he would look away when I caught him staring because that was what normal people would do but he continues on staring no change in his expression. My breath caught in my throat for some reason and I felt like the entire world was in slow motion as I studied him.

Tall, built, black hair, leather jacket, all black skinny jeans, and a graphic tee underneath the jacket with boots. A petite brunette girl was standing next to him talking with animated gestures and not noticing that he was looking at me. Saying he was handsome was an understatement. Something was haunting about him, my eyes slowly travel back to his face and see a vacant look in his eyes as he continues to stare at me, and then his lips curl into a disgusted snarl.

My mouth drops open and I quickly turn around. Anger curls in the back of my mind. He looked disgusted by me like I was something that a dog dragged in. That was the first time I got that reaction from a guy and for some reason, it was pissing me off. I look up to see Dylan staring at me with concern."Hey, are you ok..you zoned out there for a second'' he slowly reaches out and puts a hand on my shoulder.

''Yea'' I shrug my shoulders and plaster a smile on my face although my emotions were the entire opposite of the smile that I gave him. "Just this guy staring at me''

Dylan looks over my shoulder and his mouth forms a perfect ''O'' his nose wrinkling in disgust. "Yea, that's Ryder for you, stay away from him, he's bad news''. I nod my head quickly resisting the urge to look back again.

The bell rings and Dylan smiles at me again "So shall I escort you to your first class my lady" I smile at him and start walking when I bump into someone who was walking past me. "Sorry,'' I say and look at the person only to realize it was Ryder with that petite brunette by his side who was looking at me angrily. Ryder just glares at me and snarls at Dylan "Keep your bimbo plaything out of my way Dylan'' and starts walking away, his back to us, the brunette was still there smirking at me.

For some reason, I lost it at that moment. I have never snapped in the past but I think the stress of moving, dealing with my mother, losing my two best friends, and the disgusted look that he gave me caused something to snap in me. Before Dylan could respond I look at the brunette girl who was still glaring at me and I spit out " Ask your asshole gigolo plaything to stay out of my way''

The minute the words were out I cupped my mouth with my hands. The look on the brunette girl's face was priceless. It was almost as if I had committed a crime that was going to get me shot right in the face. Ryder stops in his tracks and I can see him clenching his fists at his sides. He turns around, but before I could see his face to ascertain the level of rage, Dylan steps in front of me covering me fully with his built body, so that I couldn't see what was happening. I slowly step back to the side and peek out only to be confronted by Ryder's face contorted with pure, unadulterated rage.

Ryder however still ignores me and growls at Dylan "What the fuck did she say?''

Out of nowhere almost like magic, I see three other guys come all of them in similar jackets like Dylan surround us and I figured they were his football buddies. Dylan snarls back at Ryder "Do you really want me and my boys to decorate your face like the last time Ryder?''

Ryder continues to glare at Dylan while his eyes move around sizing up the other guys that were now surrounding him. I looked around and there was pin-drop silence where everyone was standing still frozen, watching to see if a fight would break out.

I look back at Ryder to see him smirking now ''Dylan...Dylan...you never had the balls to take me one-on-one, you always need your little girlfriends to cover your ass'' he jerked his head to the other guys and then makes eye contact with me "She must be a pretty special lay if you need all these guys to come up in my face''.

I should have been quiet, I know I should have, I have never done this in the past but something about Ryder had rubbed me up the wrong way and before I could control myself the words come out of my mouth

"I'm not anyone's lay you prick" Ryder arches his eyebrows at me as I continue, the rage in me pushing me to go on "You're pretending to be such a big man but all you are is a lame bully trying to pick on some girl to make yourself feel better, I think you need to go get laid, get rid of some of that inbuilt frustration but then again maybe that is the problem, issues down there is it'' I do the quotes symbol in the air with my fingers.

Dylan turns around to look at me and I can feel everyone's eyes on me in shock. Ryder's face though was epic, he looked like someone had slapped him straight across the face. This time around I didn't regret what I said, there was some sadistic happiness in me, one which was making me feel like we were even now. I mean it was the first time that someone had looked at me with disgust and probably the first time someone talked back to Ryder like that guessing by the look on his face.

"What is everyone still doing in the hallways, don't you have class'' I hear a teacher shout out and everyone starts scrambling away to class. Ryder gives me one last look at smiles at me although the smile did not reach his eyes ''You think that was getting picked on princess you have a whole hell coming your way'' he turns around and stalks off.

Dylan looks at me for another second and then he bursts out laughing. He grabs my arm and pulls me along breaking me out of the trance that I was in. "Let's go, or else we are going to be late for class''

We fall into step and I start moving with Dylan towards class still a little dazed from my outburst. Dylan gives me a sideways sly look ''You are such a little spitfire aren't you, I swear that's the first time anyone has spoken to Ryder that way. But not to worry me and my boys are here to look after you''

I turn around and smile at the three guys who were following me. "These are my boys, Roger, Aiden & Josh, bois say hi to Annabeth our very own innocent and angel-like on the outside and raging spitfire on the inside''. he chuckles as he makes his way to class and I follow him still in shock my brain and heart trying to process what possessed me to start a war with the bad boy on my first day.