The One. The Knight. My Prince.

~Leighton POV~

At 6:30 am my alarm clock went off. I didn't need it to wake up though. I hadn't been able to sleep well the last week though I didn't really know why. I went to the bathroom to get ready for school. After I brushed my teeth and combed my hair, and washed my face I glanced into the mirror. I saw the reflection looking back at me. I've been told I'm one of the prettiest girls at school. I've been told I'm the angel of some guy's life. I'm not conceited, but I don't have any problems with what I look like. I've accepted that that's the way I look and that's that. As I looked at the reflection of my dark brown nearly black eyes, my mahogany-brown-with-natural-bronze-highlighted hair, and naturally tan skin... I can't understand why I haven't had a guy genuinely like me. I sighed and went to my closet and threw on a pair of UNC sweatpants, my Waikiki Beach Billabong shirt, and my pink Hawaii sweatshirt. I tied my hair into a loose bun ontop of my head, slung my backpack on my shoulder, tied up a pair of Nikes, picked up my gym bag and headed down the stairs. On my way out I picked up the breakfast burrito my mom had wrapped in foil for me, and headed out to the car. My brother was already in there as well as my sister.
"Hey Leigh" they said in unison.


My brother turned off the engine, and as if rehearsed my siblings got out in sych and walked towards the school. They walked in a completely confident manner, slightly cocky, because as everyone knows, they're the Royalties of the senior class. They have been the most popular kids since...as long as they could remember, or rather anyone could remember. Not to boast or anything, but good looks DO run in my family. Our family portraits are something you would see in a magazine for the glamorous family. Problem is, up until now, the beginning of my sophomore year, I was the awkward kid of the family. I had no self confidence, I wasn't as pretty as my sister, I wasn't anything that could help me be considered as popular. I tried dressing up in my designer clothes. I had a growth spurt from March to now, September, from 4'10" to 5'5". It definitely messed my gymnastics and diving up, but I grew out of my baby fat. I got my braces off, and gotten contacts, which apparently was a huge deal this summer up in the Hamptons because everyone had forgotten how pretty my topaz-"irish green" eyes were. So basically I'd gotten hot since March. My sister was so proud to call me her sister now, not that she hadn't been proud of me considering I was the champion athlete and academic and musical nerd of the family. I had felt so awkward at home, and I found a perfect school that fit all my needs. I had always gotten a 4.0 GPA easily, and I excelled in diving and gymnastics, along with the violin. My family saw that I had my mind set on the boarding school, and sent me hundreds of miles away to Oahu to that amazing Boarding school, Birchwood Gifted and Talented Academy. At this academy all the kids were beyond exceptional, and surprisingly they all accepted me. The school's curriculum was ranked number 14 in the world. I was able to take difficult classes, train in the violin and sports at the same time. Everyone there was just like me. I was ready to go there throughout my whole high school, but then drama occured at home and I realized it was time to leave. I learned all that I could. Little did I know that coming home I would surprise everyone. I left for that boarding school when I was 10. I'd spent little time at home since then. I was now 16, an incoming junior, and I had a legacy to live up to. My siblings were the absolute coolest kids in the world, and now I had to live up to it. Except, there was a difference. My brother excelled in sports and maintained a 3.25 GPA throughout his years here at Wootton High School. My sister excelled in the arts, starring in many of the plays and the musical performances, using her voice, acting, and piano abilities. All the while maintaining a 3.25 GPA. Me? I had a combination of all the abilities and more since I've been training for the past 6 years. However, I still envied my siblings who were now standing near the entrance of the school crowded by their friends. One of my friend's sister said something, and Shira, my sister, shook her silky blonde mane of hair towards the car. I had a feeling they were talking about me because at the same time my brother, Jake, friends looked over at the car that I just realized I was still in. I took a deep breath and didn't dare look in the mirror. My mom and sister had said I looked gorgeous this morning in the new Hollister short shorts and cowboy boots they'd insisted I wear. I drew the line when they said I had to wear a lacy white camisole, but I insisted I wear a white BBGTA Dive Team beater. My sister had curled my hair and supposedly looked really pretty, but I didn't wear any makeup which was weird since I wore a ton of makeup from 7th-9th grade. The past summer I didn't wear makeup and I was happier than when I was and it didn't clog my pores so I stopped having breakouts. I got out of the car slowly without looking at my sibling's friends, and walked slowly towards the school. The closer I got the more anxious I got. I passed by my sibling's group and I heard a bunch of things.
"That's your sister?"
"There is NO way that that's Leighton"
"Holy shit"
"She's hot"
"No makeup? NOT A CHANCE!"

I ignored all the whispers I heard in the hallway, something easier said then done. I walked to my locker and quickly spun the lock open. I threw my 5-7 books into my locker. It's weird, my school makes all the kids go in the week before school to issue books and all of that so that when we get back we don't have to waste time and just go straight to the teaching. I glanced at my schedule right when I heard the second bell ring. The hallway I had my locker in was one of the least crowded ones, actually there were only a few dozen kids in this hallway. I actually appreciated that. I was only a junior and I was taking some of the most challenging courses the school had to offer. My siblings weren't even taking them. They had a party scene to live up to. I was taking AP Lang, AP World, AP Calc, and AP Spanish Lang on top of Honors Chemistry, Orchestra, Piano. and Law&Admin. I had just shut my locker and started walking down the steps, when I heard someone yell out "Hey!"
I stopped and turned around, and saw some guy standing in the middle of the hallway looking pretty confused.
"Hey uhm can I ask you a question? I don't really know how to get to my first class, and you're kinda the first person I saw after I went to my locker."
I was taken aback by how attractive this guy was. He was around my brother's height, so at least 5'11". He looked like the type of guy I usually liked. Athletic (looks like a soccer player or a diver) but had a sense of fashion, he was wearing cargo shorts from Aeropostale (it had it's name printed on the right-side pocket), a t-shirt from Abercrombie, sick Nikes, and his slightly long hair was messy in all the right places. He got close enough so that I got a whiff of his cologne and it was some Hollister cologne. I definitely could see me having a thing for him, but I quickly shook that thought out of my head because well I was me and he was...him. He looked strangely familiar however.
"Ok sure, but I'm going to warn you I'm new here too,"
"Oh really? That's cool, but darn that means you can't help me,"
"Maybe I can. My siblings go here, so...I kinda know my way around. Oh I'm Leighton by the way,"
"Hey I'm Landon,"
"Mkay sooo where are you headed to?"
"AP World History with Lambordy"
"Oh no way that's where I'm going!"
"Seriously, that's awesome. So I'll assume you know the way,"
"Unless the classroom has been changed, yes" I laughed as we started walking to class.
"So what grade are you in?" Landon asked.
"I'm a junior,"
"And your siblings go here?"
"Yup"
"Then...why are you new?"
"Well...it's kinda a long story,"
"How long will it take us to get to class if I walk down these stairs?"
"Longer than necessary"
"Then let's go down these stairs," he smiled flirtaciously.
I grinned.
"So tell me about your mysterious past,"
"It's not mysterious. I've been at boarding school since I was 10."
"Boarding school?"
"Yeah in Oahu. Bircham Gifted and Talented Academy"
He paused. "Sounds uhm intense."
"It was, but I fit in there. Better than here anyways."
"How so?"
"I dunno, I just never really fit in with the crowd here. Not like my siblings anyways."
"I get that, the whole siblings thing."
"You have siblings?"
"Yeah a brother and a sister"
"Me too!"
"Well what a coincidence."
"What grade are YOU in?" I asked.
"Senior"
"And you're taking AP world because..."
"Because I need a history credit and that's the only AP History class...with kids my age"
"Relatively anyways" I added.
"True."
"How old are your siblings?"
"They're freshmans,"
"Well if they're so popular I'm sure I'll hear about them,"
"Oh they're not freshmen here! They're in college"
"Oh well now I feel stupid" I said.
"No need"
We got to the classroom then, both of us slightly unwilling to go in but right then the late bell rang and I was never late to class so I walked in and went straight to the back. Taking a seat in the conner. Whereas, Landon took a seat smackdab in the middle of the classroom. I saw all the heads of the people turning to asses the both of us. The girls checked out Landon and immediately grinned at him, trying to get his attention. The guys sized up their competition and turned their attention to me. I saw a few with quizzical looks and awe-struck. I then heard whispers, but they stopped abruptly when our teacher clapped her hands.

~Landon~

This class was so pointless. I know it's the first day and all and that's what most people think, but at Upper Calverton Academy, I learned this stuff as a friggin freshman. And that was LATE. The kids think that this is something like a advance placement class? Oh please. I started to day dream fifteen minutes into class. The teacher was some fifty year old lady that was pretty nice, but boring as shit. She was seriously getting on my nerves droning on and ON about the history of some country. I glanced around the classroom, specifically at the girls. The girls here in New Hampshire, were definitely different from the girls I was used to.

I lived in a few different states, but here they kinda held their own thing. In North Carolina, they had this southern attitude, you know the whole Southern Hospitality type thing. Then in Texas they had that mid-western mixed with hispanic air. In California it was the typical California babe thing. And at UCA in Oahu...it was indescribable. I loved it down there. I surfed ALL the time. It made me feel free and I guess the air of Oahu rubbed off on me. I loved it. I loved Waimea Bay during the winter, some serious stuff down there. The girls around me looked uncomfortable, like they were trying too hard to get my attention. Sitting too tall, trying too hard to look pretty and stuff. A few girls had actually asked to go to the bathroom and came back looking different. Like they added that mascara and eyeliner or whatever girls put on their eyes and face and whatever. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with makeup, especially if the girl applies it well and all that. I just would rather the girl look natural y'know? Not wear makeup all that time and stuff in order to look pretty and get my attention. That's what caught me off guard by Leighton.

She had no makeup on her face, and her outfit wasn't overdone. The whole tank top, short shorts, and cowboy boots were slightly overdone, but the fact that the tank was of a dive team, and the boots were worn in, no makeup with the hair up, and an actual backpack made the whole ensemble. All the girls in the room had a purse, it was nice to see a girl who was still in tune, using a backpack to not cause stress to your back and stuff. I casually glanced back at Leighton who was staring off into space, and suddenly jerked her head down and started scribbling. I suddenly found myself curious about what she was writing about. This was not me though.

At Calverton, I was the player. Not that I valued that name or anything. I just had a short attention span and didn't want to waste my time on a girl I didn't find worthy of my time.


TO BE CONTINUED....