Chapter Text
“Senior year man, gonna be insane. Can’t wait to get this fucking degree and be out of this state”, Tobin tells her best friend, Julie, as she leans against her car.
“I hear you, dude. The second we graduate, we’re packing up this car and leaving. We’ll sign some huge ass record deal and be millionaires in no time. Deal or deal?” Julie responds, taking a long draw from her cigarette.
“Deal. Me, you, Ash, Alex, and Kriegs. We’ll drive straight to Cali and never look back”, the brown hair girl replies.
"That’s going to be one hell of a drive, I don’t know if I’ll be able to put up with all of you”, Julie says as she adjusts her snapback.
“Shut it, JJ. You know you start most of the fights with Ash, which brings Kriegs into it. Which brings Alex into it. You’re definitely the instigator”, Tobin laughs while slinging her backpack on her shoulders.
“Alright. You ready to do this, Jules?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s go to first period, and then we can just skip the rest of the day. One periods good enough, right?”
“Sounds like a plan to me. I'll text Ash and see if she's in."
After putting both of their cigarettes out, they walk into the front door of their high school and part their separate ways for first period. After their junior year, their principle made it a mission to never let them be in the same class again. They can’t blame him though, the chemistry class still smells of the chemicals they spilled.
“Heath! How are you late on the first day? And take that beanie off your head, you know the dress code.” Mrs. Scott yells the second Tobin took a step inside the class.
“God, Scotty, chill, would you? We both know you’re not going to be seeing a lot of me, so how about you take that stick out of your ass? I’ll be out of your hair before you know it, and you’ll miss my Heath charm”
"Heath. Sit down. Before I send you to the principle’s office in the first five minutes of class. And take that beanie off.”
Tobin shrugs to herself, but does as she’s told. She takes the beanie off and finds an open seat in the back of the class, of course next to the school’s freak.
“Hi Tobin”, she whispers.
“What, Press?” Tobin whispers back. She has a reputation to hold, and she doesn’t want the school’s weirdo to ruin it.
“How was your summer?”
“Fuck off, Press. I’m trying to get an education here.”
Christen seems to get the hint, and doesn’t bother her anymore. Tobin feels slightly bad, Christen’s a cute girl, but she didn’t need to be seen with her. And besides, Christen was sweet, smart, and innocent- she didn’t need Tobin’s bad influence to ruin her.
“Tobin, why aren’t you paying attention? Don’t you want to graduate?” Christen whispers again, adamant on getting the older girl's attention.
“Press for the love of fuck, would you leave me alone? I’m sitting here because there’s no other seats, and I really don’t give a fuck if I fail or pass this class. Leave me the fuck alone, I don’t want to be seen talking to you”, Tobin replies, a little harsher than she meant. It seems to do the job though, and Christen immediately goes back to taking notes, while Tobin lays her head down on the desk.
The ringing of the bell jolts Tobin from her sleep, immediately grabbing her backpack and rushing out of the class. She’s halfway out to her Jeep to meet back up with Julie and Ashlyn when she hears her name being called. Putting her pack of cigarette's back in her pocket, she turns around to face whoever's screaming at her.
“Tobin! Where do you think you’re going?” Ali Krieger’s shrill voice echo's through the parking lot.
“Uhh, just getting my phone charger? From my car?”
“Good answer. I already caught Julie and Ash trying to do the same thing. Get your ass back in that school and learn something.”
“Yes ma’am. But to be fair, I don’t think you needed to pursue Ashlyn that much. She’s practically wrapped around your finger, Kriegs.”
“Shut up and get back in there. We’ll all catch dinner after if you stay the whole day", Ali replies a light blush coloring her cheeks.
True to Ali’s word, Julie already had been scolded by their older friend, and sent back to class with a promise of dinner after Alex’s and Ali’s soccer practice. As she walks into second bell, she smoothly slides into a seat in the third row.
“Hey babe, how’s your summer been? Miss me?”
“As if, JJ. And I saw you a week ago so you know how my summer went,” Alex replies, scoffing to herself at the blonde’s persistence.
“You’re right, I saw you last week. Have you thought anymore on my date proposal since then?”
“Actually I have.”
“Oh? And the answer is?”
Alex leans close to Julie’s ear, and in her best sultry voice she replied “Still no.”
“Damn, Morgan. That’s cold. Are we all still catching dinner after, though? I miss you, kid.”
“Of course, Jules. Ali texted me that we’d all meet at Benny’s. And I miss you too, JJ. A lot actually”, Alex says refusing to look Julie in the eye.
As JJ opens her mouth to crack a gross pick up line, Mr. Blaut clears his throat to start class. Five minutes in and Julie's already bored, but to be fair it was her parents fault for giving her ADHD, so if anyone’s to blame for her failing her classes this year, it’s her folks. Trying to find a way to rid herself of boredom, she starts poking Alex’s leg. Alex gives her her famous mom look, and tries to pay attention to the teacher’s droning about the syllabus. But when JJ keeps poking her, she can’t help hid the smile appearing on her face. She swats Julie’s hand away, but JJ grabs her hand and intertwines their fingers.
“I’m in for a long semester, aren’t I Jules?”
“Is that even a question? Of course you are.”
After two more gruesome bells, they all meet up again for lunch. Thankfully the principle has some sort of soul left in him and allowed them to be placed in the same lunch, with promises from all five of them that they wouldn't start trouble. Tobin and Ashlyn already have chosen their table for the year, close enough to the cafeteria, but also close enough to the front door if they wanted to make a run for it.
“How’s everyone’s first day going?” Ali asks
“You really are the mom of this group, aren’t you Kriegs?” Tobin scoffs as she chugs down her drink.
“More like the milf”, Ash says under her breath, but loud enough to cause Tobin to choke on her lemonade.
“Jules, get off my leg”
“Why don’t you guys just fuck already? Get that sexual tension out?”
“Tobin, that’s disgusting. Me and JJ are never going to be a thing. Right JJ?”
“Agree to disagree here, Morgan.”
“Guys, stop arguing about this again, Jesus Christ, this is like an everyday thing”
The arguing goes on for the next few minutes, until their attention is drawn to a few tables down from them, where an interaction between Christen and a football player is taking place.
“Stop! Give me my book back!”
“Come on, Press. It’s the first god damn day, and you’re already reading the textbook? Do you even have a life?”
“Give it back!”
Eventually, the football player gives Christen her textbook back, but not without “accidentally” knocking her food all over her shirt. Holding back tears, she runs into the bathroom while the cafeteria laughs.
“I feel bad for that girl. Everyone’s always being a douche to her”, Ashlyn says as she watches her go.
“Yeah. She’s the smartest girl in our grade though, so at least she has something going for her”, Alex responds not looking up from her salad.
“That obviously just makes matters worse. I have to go to the bathroom guys, I’ll be right back” Tobin says as she excuses herself.
Knowing she was a bitch to her earlier, Tobin desperately wants to make up for her mistake in first period. Sure, she can be a dick to teachers and people who cross her, but not to innocent cute girls who already suffer from her peers teasing. As she walks into the bathroom, she can hear the younger girl sniffling in the first stall.
“Christen? Are you in here?”
“Who is it?”
“It’s just me, Tobin. I saw what happened out there. That was super shitty of him, I’m sorry he did that to you.”
“Why the hell do you care? I thought you didn’t want to be seen with me? So just go back to your perfect friends and tell them all about how pathetic I am.”
“Press, that’s not what I’m trying to do. I just wanted to make sure that you’re okay, and I don’t think you’re pathetic. I think I have a sweatshirt in my Jeep if you want it? Since your shirts probably ruined.”
“Is this some kind of cruel joke?”
“No, Press. I’m being dead serious. Let me help you, I feel bad about earlier. Please?”
After a few moments of silence, Tobin can make out a faint “okay”, and she turns to retrieve her sweatshirt from the car. While she’s gone, Christen leaves the stall and washes her face so it’s not as evident that she’s been crying. The last thing she wants to do is come across as weak in front of Tobin. Tobin that she’s had a crush on since sixth grade. Hot Tobin, with a jawline that makes Christen’s knees go weak. Tobin with an incredible body and-
“Hey Press, here it is. It’s clean, I promise”, Tobin says as she hands it over.
“Thank you, Tobin. This means a lot to me”, she replies as she goes back into a stall to change.
“Take it as my apology for first bell today. If you need anything else Press, just come find me. Me or JJ. Have a good rest of the day, I might see you tomorrow in first period if Jules and I decide to come."
As Tobin goes back to her table, she takes a few minutes to just watch her friends. JJ and Alex are giving each other heart eyes and Ali and Ash are currently sharing Ash’s sandwich. She knows that her friends are in love, she just wishes they would all open their eyes. It’s been painful to watch this go on for the last few years, but you can’t rush love- a lesson Tobin had to learn painfully. With one last glance back to the bathroom, she joins her friends again and starts talking about dinner that night. Only nine more months, and then they’ll all be able to chase their dreams down together.