New Nickname (Chp. 1)

"All right girls! Practice is over." Coach Leah said. "See you Thursday."
We were practicing for next weeks game. But, I had something to tell Coach Leah.
I waited as the other girls entered the locker room.
"Hey, Coach?" I asked.
"Yeah?" She looked at me.
"Um, so I just wanted to say that..."
"Hmm?"
"Th-that I'm quitting the cheer squad." I admitted.
"What?" She said, shocked. "Why?"
"I'm trying to catch up on all of my studies...." I told her about the things I wanted to do, and that I needed to keep my grades high, etc. In the end, she accepted. I said goodbye and then I went to change in the locker room.

A clean pair of clothes later- I was out of there.
"Woah whoa! Mikaela, wait." Henna Jenkins called to me.
"What?" I asked.
"You left your science book." She handed me the heavy book.
"Oh, thanks." I said.
"Yeah, have fun studying." She said. She didn't know I quit the team. I laughed, then waved goodbye.
"See you later." I said.
"Bye." She waved back.

I walked down the hall to get some things from my locker. I wasn't in a hurry to get home, my mom had left me a text saying that she had to go to work early, so it'd be my older sister picking me up. And...I also had to go to the science club meeting, which started in a few minutes.
Yeah, I'm- was- a cheerleader- the stereotype: pretty girl, popular, etc. But, I swear I'm not like that. I'm totally inner geek. Receiving good grades is more important, to me, than getting an invite to a jock's party, so that's kind of why I quit the cheering squad.
Also, I'm the "good girl". Never breaking the rules, cause I don't want to. It's wrong...and- well- I'm too nice I guess.
So, I got all the things I needed for the science meeting. This meeting was held in the same room as where people went for detention, because all the other rooms were being cleaned.
As I walked into the room, I saw that about ten kids were sitting at the back of the room- the detention kids. Towards the front of the room, were the people from the science club.

For today's session of the science club, we were just reviewing stuff, then we just started doing homework or talking. I began talking to Marilou Marten.
"Do you get this?" "Hm..I think.." We were figuring out some math problems. We sat in the middle of the room, two rows from the people in the back.
They were talking, texting, listening to music, and a few were throwing a ball around- they were quite noisy. I didn't want to complain to the teacher who was watching them, though. Mr. Tilden wants even paying attention, just reading a magazine.
Marilou and I were finished with all our science homework, so were the other kids. We began talking too, while the other kids were waiting to be picked up. I chatted with some friends. I could still hear the laughter of the people serving detention, and it was getting louder- combined with the chatter of the science club.
As the noise grew louder, so did the rowdiness. The kids in the back began throwing a ball all across the room. They also held a mini arm-wrestling contest.
I turned my back on them for a bit. Then, something hit the back of my head.
"Ow!" I exclaimed. I saw a ball roll on the floor next to me. I turned around.
Three shocked faces were looking at me. "Oops." One said. They were all guys.
One came over to where I was. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry- are you okay?" He was half-smiling, so I knew he didn't really mean it. He looked sort of familiar, but I could tell that he was mischievous- it was just the way he acted. He was slim and tall, he looked at me with dark brown eyes and he had fair skin, which contrasted to his midnight-black hair. He wore a red and black plaid shirt, with dark blue jeans and black Converse high-tops.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I rubbed the back of my head.
He tilted his head. "You sure? Johnny threw the ball pretty hard." He turned around to look at his friend. "Bad Johnny." He shook his head.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Tell Johnny he has horrible aim." I snapped. The guy raised his eyebrows.
"You hear that Johnny? You have horrible aim." He laughed.
"Sorry." Johnny said to me. I picked up the ball and gave it to the guy.
"Thanks, darling." The guy winked at me. I blushed a little, he was kind of cute. "What's your name?" He asked.
"Mikaela." I said. "And you are?"
"Nat." He said. "Aren't you a cheerleader, Mikki?"
"Mikki?"
"Yeah, a new little nickname for you." He smiled, then he sat on my desk. "MY new little nickname for you."
"Oh, uh, thanks."
"No problem." Nat winked again. "Thanks for the ball." Then he threw it back at Matt.
"Your welcome." I said. He got up from the desk and then sat right down next to me. He was just sitting there, so I decided to finish my other homework.
"What is that?" He asked.
"Math homework...?" I said, kind of confused by his question.
"Why are you doing it right now?" He said accusingly.
"Because..." I started.
"Come on, girl- look at me." He said.
"What?" I looked at him.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"What's obvious?"
"Darling, I'm trying to make a move on you- so give me a chance?" He smiled and sounded like that was definitely obvious.
"Um..why?" I asked.
"Cause you're a pretty girl, and you're..different." He leaned in.
"Is that a good thing?" I asked.
"You bet." He smiled.
"But, Nat- I'm sorry, I need to get to know you better." I told him. He looked down.
"Fine- how's this? We friends?" He asked.
"That's better." Now, I smiled.
"Now, I'll be seeing you later." He smiled, then tapped my nose with one finger. And as if on cue, the teacher said- "you are dismissed."
Nat jumped up and went back to grab his backpack. I put my books in my bag, and found that I couldn't fit the rest I had. So, I had to carry them.
"Let me get that for you." Two hands took the books from my hand. I looked up to see Nat, again.
"No, it's-"
"Shh." He put a finger on my lip. I backed up a little. "I got them."
"Thanks." I said.
"So, where are you going?" He asked.
"My locker." I said.
"Ok, lead me there." We walked out of the classroom, and I showed him where my locker was. I opened it and started putting in some stuff, and taking out some stuff from my backpack.
"You know, you didn't answer my question earlier." Nat said.
"Hmm?"
"I asked if you were a cheerleader, you didn't answer."
"Oh yeah, sorry- but, yeah I am a cheerleader..at least I was." I said.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"I quit the cheer squad, today actually."
"What?" He looked at me.
"Yeah." I nodded.
"Why, Mikki?" He asked.
"I have to keep up with a lot of things this year, I'm starting to get really serious about school." I said.
"Oh. That's not too bad a reason. It's a good reason."
"Uhuh, there." I finished getting the things I needed. "I'm done."
"Okay, now, where too?" He asked.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"By the parking lot, my car's there." He said.
"Oh, good, I'm headed there too."
"Then, lets go." He started walking.
When we were outside, I spotted my sister's car right away- it was the only parked right in front of the school.
"Well, there's my sister- I'll take those books." I told Nat.
"Okay- see you tomorrow Mikki." He said, as I took the books from his arms.
"Thanks, see you too." I said. He left, and I jogged over to my sister.

"Hi, Amanda." I said as I got into the passengers' seat.
"Uh...Mikaela?" She said.
"Yeah?" There was something in her tone that made me look at her funny.
"What were you doing with Nat Scion?" She looked at me.
"He offered to carry my books." I said, innocently.
"Mikaela...steer clear from that boy." She pursed her lips.
"Why?"
"He's a troublemaker, Mikaela- he's a prankster."
"What's wrong with jokes?"
"They're bad jokes. He and his friends were the ones who graffitied town centre, even of it wasn't proven, they were the ones who kidnapped people's pets and gave them back a week later, they've done lots of things." She shook her head in distaste.
"Oh. Okay."
"Try avoiding contact with him- it's for your own good." Amanda said.
"Yeah." I frowned. "Okay..."