A/N: Hey everyone. This is my first story, so hopefully someone opted to open it up and give it a chance. It is a high school fic, and I know it's a bit cliché, but I'll see what I can do. It will be told from third person, but with an equal look at the character's points of view. Hopefully you'll enjoy it and want to continue reading! Let me know what you thought, thanks for reading and/or reviewing.
Chapter One- First Impressions
It was the day before school, the last day of summer. The day were all freedom melted away, where worries washed over people like a tsunami. Students drove themselves crazy, coming to the realization that they actually had to go back to the hellish place they called "High School".
This was no exception for the school office employees, who worked vigorously to enter the school's information into the large, bulky computers they'd been issued by the district. It was 1998, after all. Only the latest, top notch equipment was used.
"Bartowski, Chuck." Barbara Dunham, the secretary read aloud.
A few heads turned from their downward position, sorting papers. "Is he the one who lives with his sister?"
"Mhmm." Barbara nodded, thoughtfully. "He moved from Burbank. Lives with his sister…..a doctor." She rose a brow, impressed, reading off his file. "Senior year….tough place to be."
"I'll say." Another agreed.
"Put him in with the welcoming committee." One suggested brightly. "He'd love that."
"Well, I guess we'll find out tomorrow morning." Barbara shrugged, entering it onto his schedule.
James Buchanan High was a small school, and San Diego was the place to be. Beach side bonfires, UCSD was not a long drive at all, and you could just picture yourself at one of their keggers. If you were a senior, you could even be invited to one ahead of time.
Hours later, they were still entering names, simply because the computers took minutes and minutes on each student.
"Walker, Sarah." Barbara mused out loud. "Honors, straight A's, soccer player, and a senior…..looks like she's got a bright future…..I'll have her as a guide on the welcoming committee." She shrugged. "She meets the requirements ten fold."
And that pairing, the one Barbara simply decided to make, changed the lives of two very interesting students.
-0-
"Chuck…." Ellie sighed the following morning, sitting beside her brother on his bed. She watched as he lay prone under the covers. "It's a new school."
"El, Morgan's not even going to be there…." Chuck sighed. "It's going to be hell all over again."
"It is what you make it." Ellie said sagely. Slapping his covered leg, she stood. "Get up Chuck, I'm going to be late for work…and I'm new, and very expendable."
"Good luck, Ellie." Chuck rose, running a hand through his curls.
Ellie smiled, hugging him. "Please Chuck…..try to make some friends, okay?"
Chuck nodded, letting her leave. He had to get ready.
Hitting his music on, the only thing that kept him calm, he began to get ready. Throwing on some casual jeans and a t-shirt, he thought of Ellie's words.
Chuck glanced in the mirror, seeing his same, slightly forlorn self. His dad left him this way. Chuck clenched his fists. He decided that this year, his senior year, would be different. It was his choice to make, and he was sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Tossing his back pack over his shoulder, he headed to the kitchen. He smiled when he saw Ellie had left him a small tray of breakfast. Where would he be without her? Feeling better about the day, he ate up and set out, ready to take on the world.
-0-
Sarah pulled up in front the school, in her Porsche 911. Grinning, she revved the engine one more time before turning it off. It was a beauty, much like it's driver. She'd conquered the school easily. She was beautiful, funny, smart, athletic…..it was a breeze, and complete luck.
Sarah had a bounce in her step as she took off her sunglasses, stepping into the office.
"Hey Barbara." Sarah smiled, picking up her schedule. This was her year.
"Morning Sarah." Barbara replied, waving.
Sarah darted out, happy to go meet her friends. Leaning against the wall, she quickly read over her schedule. The very first thing was a mistake.
"Welcoming Committee!" Sarah cried. "I didn't sign up for that….." Turning, she ran back into the building.
There, she froze. She saw a tall, curly haired guy about her age, talking to Barbara kindly. She'd never seen him before….and she knew everybody. Deducing that he was new, she quietly listened to their conversation.
"Chuck, is it?" Barbara smiled kindly. "We're glad to have such a fine student like you here, Chuck."
"Thank you, ah…" Chuck's eyes fell to her name plate on her desk. "Mrs. Dunham…." He corrected himself quickly.
"oh, Sarah!" Mrs. Dunham called, causing Chuck to wheel around.
Seeming frozen in place, he stared at the beautiful blonde.
"Chuck, this is Sarah Walker, your personal guide." She laughed, remembering yesterday's computer entry. "Ask her for anything." She ushered the two out of the building, Chuck still a little shocked.
Sarah cleared her throat. "Hey Chuck, nice to meet you…" she offered her hand.
"Yeah, I'm Chuck…." He tried, and failed. "But ah, you already knew that, so ….." he rambled cutely.
Sarah laughed, finding it adorable. "Yeah, but now I won't forget…" she smiled.
Chuck sighed gratefully. She was kind.
"You're a senior right? Let me see your schedule…"
Chuck handed it to her. "I'm completely lost." He admitted, handing her the slip.
Smiling Sarah assured him, "We'll fix that. Oh, wow, we've got four classes together!"
Chuck actually smiled, making her cheeks go red for some reason. "That's good….."
"You know what, the only classes we don't have together are fifth and sixth period…..why don't you hang out with me for lunch, and we can find some friends who can help you out."
"That actually sounds great." Chuck grinned, relieved.
"Walker, not too shabby." Another beautiful girl, a red head this time, approached them. "Can I have him?"
"Thanks, that makes me feel so much better." A different guy came out behind them, looking very confident and happy. "Hey Walker." He added with a grin.
"Hey guys." Sarah smiled. "This is Chuck; he's the new kid here."
"Hey Chuck." Bryce and Carina chorused, shaking his hand each.
"Hey…" Chuck smiled, slightly shy. He felt like the loser compared to all these cool people.
"Chuck, that's Bryce Larkin, and he's dating Carina Miller….the very….forward…one." Sarah nodded to them. "These two are my closest friends."
Chuck nodded.
"So, you trying out for the football team?" Bryce asked, smiling in a friendly way towards Chuck.
"As you can see, I'm probably not football material." Chuck laughed. "Or…any sport, for that matter."
"That's cool." Bryce smiled. "The quarterback is a dick anyway…..literally."
The girls laughed, but Chuck was unsure. "Um….what?"
"Oh shoot, sorry man." Bryce regained his composure. "His name is Dick Duffy."
He pointed to a far away standing guy, who looked tall and buff, and honestly a little stupid. "His name says it all."
"I see…." Chuck nodded, happy to have a little insight as to who and what to avoid.
"He's been after our Sarah for a while now." Carina commented with a smirk.
"After her….like….dating?" Chuck asked, somewhat confused. He could see why anyone would be after her.
"Or sex." Carina shrugged, while Chuck rose a brow. Sarah hit her on the arm, for some reason wanting to make a good first impression with Chuck.
"Not that I'd give him the time of day in a million years…." Sarah corrected, Carina smirking. "Plus, see the garden gnome to his right?"
Chuck nodded, seeing a short, tan girl in a cheer outfit.
"That's Heather Chandler, his girlfriend." Sarah told him. "It's sick, the way he goes after as many girls as he can."
Chuck nodded, trying to absorb all the information he could on the peculiar student body.
"That's also Sarah's arch rival to the throne." Carina smirked, Bryce laughing.
"Throne….like prom queen?" he suddenly remembered that this was prom year. Just another brick in the wall, anyway.
"No, I'm not going to be nominated."
"Why not?" Chuck asked kindly.
"No boyfriend….." Sarah shrugged. "Ergo, no prom king."
"Oh…." Chuck nodded, though for some odd reason, he was actually relieved that she didn't have a boyfriend. It was strange.
"How about you Chuck?" Sarah mustered up some courage to ask. "Anyone really important in your life? Girlfriend, maybe?"
"Hmm, uh…..no." He admitted. "I'm not really-"
"-you're into boys?" Carina suggested, teasing him.
"What? No! I mean, that's fine, but I'm not…" He assured them. "I'm just…..not too interesting." He shrugged. Maybe it was too early to tell them that since his father left, he really only spoke to Morgan and Ellie.
"I seriously doubt that." Sarah found his chocolate eyes, freezing up for a moment. "Ah….uh, oh look, there's the bell."
Chuck snapped out of his daze to realize that it was indeed ringing.
"We should get going…." Sarah smiled, subconsciously taking his hand. She immediately let it go, feeling some spark shoot through her. Heart beating rapidly, she took a breath.
"Oh, sorry…" her voice was calm, though it seemed shaky in her head. "Force of habit…"
Chuck, having experienced the exact same feeling, gave her a heartwarming smile, his first in months. "No, it's totally alright."
Sarah had no idea what was going on with her.
A/N: So it will be pretty light and romantic, in case you were wondering still. Anyway, let me know how I did. To clear things up, I am NOT LLC, but I love their work. I am a friend, so that's why the account may have caused some confusion. Anyway, thanks for reading!