1st 5 Pages May Workshop - Wyatt Rev 2

Name: Paige Wyatt

Genre: YA Contemporary

Title: Never, Sometimes

Pitch:

Fiona Pennington is just trying to survive high school. Her pink hair, love for punk rock, and plus size figure make her a target, but when she sneaks out to watch her crush’s band play, she thinks she’s finally found a group of friends that understands her. 

Until the knock down, drag out fight at Denny’s that ends with her friends in handcuffs and the rich and powerful Easton siblings who started it getting off without a slap on the wrist. 

It gets worse when Fiona’s mother forces her to join student council to keep her out of trouble, which leads her directly to Landon Easton, the boy with whom she shared her first kiss on the basketball court then ditched her when he chose popularity instead. Their time together drudges up love, hate, and everything in between, completely disrupting their opposite worlds.

Fiona struggles to balance feelings for Landon and loyalty to her friends. When one of her friends is charged with assaulting one of Landon’s, every encounter with him is betrayal. As tension builds between their two groups, Fiona and Landon have to stop the fighting before it goes too far and destroys more than relationships and reputations.

Final Revision:

Today was supposed to be a good day. I planned to spend my afternoon basking in the glory that is Brendan White, but here I am, avoiding Principal McKay’s x-ray glare instead. 

“Fiona, did you give Brendan a weapon?” Mr. McKay asks as he neatly folds his hands on his desk and, I shit you not, hunches over like he’s Mr. Burns from the Simpsons.

I’m sweating and my thighs are stuck to his pleather couch that’s supposed to look classy but really screams Walmart chic. I don’t want to end up in detention with all the other burnout degenerates of Middleton North High School, but I don’t like lying, either.

“Weapon?” I echo. It’s double standard bullshit anyway. McKay is only out for blood because tomorrow is the first night of football regionals and Connor Easton is the star quarterback who now, thanks to Brendan, has three broken fingers on his throwing hand. He didn’t give a shit when Connor snapped a picture of my ass and put a “Wide Load” banner over it, and nothing happened when Connor got the entire football team to moo at me when I had to run the mile in gym class.

But I walked into school today determined to feel good about myself despite all that. My mom finally let me dye my hair pink last night, I’m wearing the only outfit that makes me look hot, and Lily did my makeup this morning. I just wanted to get Brendan’s attention, not to aid and abet in the beat down of Connor Easton, but I couldn’t say no when Brendan asked for my help. 

Mr. McKay tosses a plastic bag onto his desk in disgust. Sealed inside is my wristband. The safety pins that were once clasped closed are open and there are chunks of bloody flesh on their sharp tips. “Several teachers confirmed this is yours.”

My face is expressionless despite my increased heartbeat. “It’s not.”

He leans in like he’s about to tell me something no one else knows, but I see through this act. Every adult I know has tried this on me at least once in the past year, but I spot the disingenuity like a turd in a punch bowl. “Fiona, you’re a bright young lady. Taking all honors classes.” He sighs and it’s unnecessarily loud. “But since your father died--”

I brace myself. I’d rather break every bone in both my hands and never play piano again than think about my dad right now.

“You’ve taken a turn down the wrong path.” He presses his mouth into a line as his eyes brush past my nose ring.  “First you quit the basketball team, and now this. I just don’t think you’re hanging around with a good crowd.” 

I look at the clock, trying to ignore the knot in my stomach. “I appreciate the concern, Mr. McKay, but I should be in Geometry.” 

After a few minutes of questions, he writes me a pass and I’m out of the office as fast as my Chucks can go. 

Lily is hunched over her phone outside the office, her thumbs flying as she leans against a locker. She should be in Geometry too, but of course she’s waiting for me because that’s what best friends do. “What did McKay want?” she asks without looking up.

We fall into step as we walk. “He asked about the wristband. I said I didn’t know anything.”

“Good. You can’t get expelled, too.”

“Expelled?” I stop so fast she almost crashes into me.

She leans in, her rainbow braids falling over her shoulders. “They’re expelling Brendan this time.”

Expelled means I won’t see Brendan on my way to English class, or stare at him in Geometry, or sit next to him at lunch and pretend I don’t notice our legs touching under the table. “Seriously?”

“I heard he’s out ten days while they decide if he’s expelled or not,” she explains as I try to compose myself.

“Have you talked to him?”

She looks down at her phone. “He hasn’t replied.”

“Damn.” I kick a locker and a teacher pokes her head out of her classroom. I ignore her warning to be quiet and curse again, but it comes out as a whisper. 

Lily squeezes my shoulder and her brown eyes meet mine. “Nothing we can do about it now. Except maybe get revenge.”

My stomach lurches at the look in her eyes, so I change the subject. “We should go,” I suggest as I check the time on my phone. “We’re already late thanks to McKay’s inquisition. The one thing I can control today is my A in Geometry.”

When we arrive, Landon Easton stares at me like I’m some undiscovered species. I learned a long time ago not to back down when people do this, so I stare back. Landon looks away first, thank God. Today has been a shitshow and I don’t need him making it worse. I slide into a seat in the back and immediately start working on the packet, hoping I can go unnoticed for the rest of this awful day. 

After class I’m headed out the door and thinking about texting Brendan when someone taps me on the back. I stop short and almost knock Landon over. He looks like he’s straight out of a Hollister commercial with his Captain America haircut and basketball t-shirt. Most of us have to stumble through high school with zits and crooked teeth, but Landon has looked disgustingly perfect since we were little kids. “Hey,” he says.

I haven’t had a real conversation with him since the end of basketball season last year, and I’m definitely not in the mood to rehash any of that right now. “What?”

He holds up a pencil. “You dropped this.”

I snatch it out of his hand as his cousin Evan rounds the corner. Evan is shaped like a gorilla except I’m pretty sure any gorilla is smarter than he is. You’d think with all their money, the Eastons could buy him a brain. “What’d your boyfriend do to my brother, hambeast?”

I don’t dare show how much the insult stings. “How creative. A fat joke.”

Evan tugs my hair like we’re in third grade. “You look like a fat clown with this hair, frogbeast.”

I try to stay as calm as possible even though I want to run away. “I bet Brendan can break your hand too if you want to keep running your mouth.”

Evan’s jaw clenches and he steps closer. “You better watch your back, bitch. We’re coming for you and all your freak friends.”

Landon inserts himself between us, which stops Evan because Landon is tall. Last year he was the only freshman to make the varsity basketball team. “Let’s go.” Landon keeps his hands on his cousin’s shoulders as they walk away. 

As much as I hate to admit it, Evan’s threat rattles me. Ever since Brendan started fighting back when the Eastons would mess with one of us, the whole school has been on edge. I watch the back of Landon’s head as he continues down the hallway toward the cafeteria. 

Lily appears, taking the spot to my right and following my gaze. “What’d he want?”

I keep my eyes on Landon and think about how Lily would stop being my friend if she knew the truth about him and me. “I think Brendan started something we’re going to have to finish.”