The Anklebiters

New terms meant new seats. At least to Dulaney’s Chemistry teacher, it did.

Mr. Brenn was young man who just graduated college to become, obviously, a chemistry teacher. He was a very short guy with long curly hair that he tied back in a short and stubbly ponytail. He was known for also sometimes spitting on his students by accident and making horrible scientific jokes. In other words, he was absolutely revolting.

The whole class stood from their seats which they occupied all of term one as Mr. Brenn started reading off their new places. Hayley stood next to Tay, whispering, “Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll―”

“Miss Williams,” Mr. Brenn tapped a spot in the front, “here.”

Hayley groaned as she sauntered over to the two person desk. She could probably tolerate Chemistry if they didn’t have to sit in these big desks that they had to share. She saw Tay giggle as she was given a seat in the back. Hayley turned and laughed while giving her the finger. Only then did she see the guy Mr. Brenn sat her with: Jack.

“Was that for both of us?” Jack whispered loudly with a smirk as he took his seat.

Hayley frowned his way as Tay bent down to grab her books from her bag. “You are not sitting there!”

“Oh, but I am!” Jack retorted and spun to Tay once she sat back beside him. He put out his hand, which she shook. “Hey, I’m Jack.”

Hayley huffed out a sigh as the rest of the class was seated. She noticed Mr. Brenn hadn’t assigned anyone in the seat beside her at the two person desk. She smiled big. Even though she had Tay and Jack to worry about, at least she got the big desk to herself.

Just as Mr. Brenn was about to continue with his lesson about mass-mass stoichiometry, a new face burst through the door.

“Sorry, I was at the guidance office.” The new kid handed Mr. Brenn a pass.

Mr. Brenn let out his usual exasperated sigh. “Very well,” he muttered, pointing to the spot next to Hayley. “You may sit there.”

The boy’s familiar brown eyes lifted to hers, and Hayley’s hazel ones widened in the process. He made his way over to his seat while Jack made a loud “HA!” in the back. Hayley turned and saw him laughing, earning a glare from her.

The boy threw his bag down next to his chair as Mr. Brenn pointed his way. “You! What’s your name? Do you have any familiarity with mass to mass stoichiometry?”

“I’m Alex,” he said, just loud enough for Mr. Brenn to hear, “and no, not particularly.”

Mr. Brenn closed his eyes and shook his head, obviously ashamed with Alex’s lack of knowledge. Alex pulled out his notebook and glanced in Hayley’s direction, seeing that she was picking at the skin on her orange-painted nails. She tried not to notice as he wrote something down on his notebook and tore off the peace of paper.

He slid the paper across the table to her, and she glanced at it.

You really like orange, don’t you?

She quickly went back to looking at her nails, pretending that she didn’t see the note. Alex sighed as he realized she was ignoring him and swiftly sent another note down to her.

I’m Alex. I saw you at lunch. You sit with that group Jack told me about called the Anklebiters, right? What’s your name? :)

She scoffed and stopped looking at her nails. She spun to Alex sitting at the end of the table, seeing that he was staring at her with his big brown orbs. “Is that the only way you converse with a person?” She spat.

“Hayley!” Mr. Brenn called from the front of the room. “Pay attention!”

She sat back in her seat with a huff, hearing Jack’s snickers in the back. “Yes, Mr. Brenn …”

A few moments later, another note was sent down.

So it’s Hayley, right?

She sighed. This was going to be a long term.

---

“Please, tell me Jack didn’t bother you,” Hayley muttered as her and Tay walked out of Chem together. Thankfully, that class had gone fast and they were off to History. They didn’t have that class with any of Jack and his clique, to Hayley’s enjoyment.

“No, surprisingly,” Tay replied as she grabbed her History books from her bag.

Hayley let out a sigh of relief. “Good, because if he did―”

“Hayley!”

She turned at the familiar call of her name, seeing Alex running to catch up with her as she heard Jack mocking in the background, “And lover boy beckons!”

She groaned as Alex approached, slinging his backpack around his shoulder with a sheepish grin as he caught up to her. “What do you want, Alex?”

“Where are you off to?” He asked, and Hayley noticed how raspy his voice sounded when he wasn’t so quiet.

“Me and Tay are off to History,” she answered, wondering if Alex got the point. “Me and Tay. That’s it.”

“History with Mrs. Conwell?” He questioned, and Hayley nodded hesitantly. “So do I! Mind if I walk with you?”

“Actually, ye―”

“Great!” He beamed as they made their way to Mrs. Conwell’s room on the other side of the school. Alex put out his hand to Tay. “Hey, I’m Alex.”

Tay threw him a small smile as she saw Hayley groaning at his presence. “Tay Jardine,” she introduced, shaking his hand.

“Are you part of the Anklebiters also?”

Hayley stopped all of their walking and put her hands on her hips as she faced Alex. “Alright, what are you doing? Did Jack ask you to pester us?”

Alex shifted the books in his arms and looked around awkwardly. “Sorry, I just … I wanted to make some friends besides Jack and the guys.”

She felt almost bad for snapping at him, and being the so called “Nice Anklebiter” she was, she caressed her hand up and down his arm. “That’s sweet, Alex,” she gave him a warm smile, “but we’re from two different groups. Because of our leader, Taylor, we’re supposed to hate anyone who hangs with Jack and his crew. But I’m letting you slide because you’re the new kid. Just don’t let Taylor see us talking with you much, or she’ll have a fit.”

He nodded. “I get it.”

“Do you?” She suddenly grabbed for his collar, meeting him eye to eye. “Be aware, Alex, there’s one rule with this school: never, ever, mess with an Anklebiter.” She released her grip on him, making him stumble a little on his feet and stand there in shock as the two girls walked away.

Hayley swallowed hard at what she did; she was never usually like that. “Are you sure you should’ve done that?” Tay asked. “I feel kind of bad.”

Hayley shrugged, glancing back at him for a second. “Lost the battle, win the war.”

Tay knew that saying, of course. She knew the Anklebiters’ motto well. The group would say it if they lost anything to anyone and knew they’d win the next battle, whatever it may be. No one in the school knew what it meant, and neither did they really. All they knew was it was their weird way of saying, “We got each other’s back, even through the lost battles.”

The brunette nodded, repeating under her breath, “Lost the battle, win the war.”

Back where Alex was standing, he was still staring at the Anklebiters, wondering how they worked. Were these girls like robots that were wired? What made them tick? What made them set off? Never once at his other schools had Alex faced a group as odd as them. Mean girls were one thing, but the Anklebiters were a totally different story.

He felt an arm sling around his shoulders, and he looked up at none other than Jack Barakat. “I’m guessing you set her off, bro?”

“Yeah,” Alex scratched his head, “and I don’t know how.”

“They’re the Anklebiters, no one knows how. They’re just made that way.” Jack shrugged while walking with him down the hall. “Tay’s the new one and the only nice one, in my opinion. I told you not to get involved with them, especially Hayley.”

“I couldn’t help it.” Alex said, trying to hide his smile.

Jack furrowed his brow. “Why?”

“Because she’s hot.”

Notes

I am so obsessed with Mayday Parade lately gaaaaaaaah<3
And, welp.. second chapter.. I PROMISE IT WILL GET GOOD! I KNOW IT'S BORING AT THE MOMENT, BUT IT WILL GET BETTER
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Rock on \m/