As Lexi and Jordan stepped out of the main office, Keisha and Carmen led the way through the wide, echoing hallways of Southside High. The walls were lined with chipped lockers, colorful posters advertising student events, and bulletin boards layered with announcements for bake sales and tutoring sessions. The school’s age was evident in the scuffed floors and worn wooden doors, but the energy within its halls was vibrant and undeniable. Students leaned against lockers, laughing and chatting, while others rushed past with books clutched tightly in their arms.
Lexi glanced around, her eyes flicking over the groups of students with a mixture of curiosity and discomfort. “So... this is it?” she muttered, her voice low enough for only Jordan to hear.
Jordan’s eyes lingered on a group of kids laughing by a row of lockers, their streetwear starkly different from the designer threads he and Lexi wore. “Yeah. This is it,” he replied, adjusting the strap of his backpack.
“Over here,” Keisha said cheerfully, leading them toward a set of lockers near the center of the hallway. “These are yours. Lucky you—they’re close to the main entrance and not too far from the cafeteria. Prime real estate, honey.”
Carmen leaned against one of the lockers, her perfectly manicured nails tapping lightly on the metal. “Not bad, right? You could’ve ended up by the gym. Trust me, you don’t want to smell sweat all day.”
As Lexi fumbled with the combination lock, Carmen’s attention drifted. Her eyes lit up as she spotted someone down the hall. “Liam! Yo, Liam!” she called out, waving him over.
Lexi and Jordan both turned to see a tall, mixed-race boy strolling toward them with an easy, confident gait. His curly hair was slightly messy in an effortless way, and he wore a black leather jacket over a vintage T-shirt. His piercing green eyes scanned the group as he approached, a crooked smile playing on his lips.
“What’s up, Carmen?” Liam asked, his deep voice smooth and laid-back.
“This is Lexi and Jordan,” Carmen said, gesturing toward the twins. “They’re new here. Fresh imports from New York.”
Liam raised an eyebrow, giving them an appraising look. “New York, huh? That explains the vibes.”
Lexi frowned slightly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“Relax, it’s a compliment,” Liam said with a grin. “You both look like you stepped out of a magazine ad. Trust me, that’s rare around here.”
Jordan, noticing the football letterman jacket slung casually over Liam’s shoulder, nodded toward it. “You play?”
“Quarterback,” Liam replied. “Why? You interested in football?”
Jordan shook his head. “Not exactly. We’re hockey players.”
“Hockey?” Liam repeated, his grin widening. “Man, I don’t think I’ve ever met a hockey player in person. I thought y’all only existed on ESPN.”
Keisha laughed and nudged Liam. “Don’t be rude, Liam. Actually, we do have a hockey team now. It’s new this year.”
Lexi and Jordan exchanged surprised looks. “Seriously?” Jordan asked. “You guys have a team?”
“Yup,” Keisha confirmed, flipping her braids over her shoulder. “Some local billionaire donated a state-of-the-art rink to the school last year. It’s shiny, brand new, and probably the fanciest thing we’ve got around here. The hockey team’s still getting off the ground, though.”
Carmen chimed in. “Tryouts are coming up soon. We can take you to see the rink after school, if you want. And introduce you to Coach Howard.”
“That’d be great,” Jordan said, a glimmer of hope flashing in his blue eyes.
Before the conversation could go any further, two more students approached. One was a tall Black boy with an infectious smile and an easy swagger, and the other was a shorter, stockier Hispanic boy with a mischievous glint in his eye.
“Yo, Liam, who’s the new crew?” the taller boy asked, eyeing Lexi and Jordan with interest.
“Dante, Marco—meet Lexi and Jordan,” Liam said. “Fresh from New York.”
Dante, the Black student, gave a low whistle. “New York, huh? You two must be feeling some serious culture shock right about now.”
Jordan smirked. “You could say that.”
Marco, the Hispanic boy, folded his arms and tilted his head. “Wait, wait. Did I hear right? Y’all play hockey?”
“Yeah,” Lexi said, her tone defensive.
Marco snorted. “Man, good luck with that. You’re not exactly in Rangers territory anymore. This is the South. We play football, basketball, maybe a little baseball. But hockey? I don’t know…”
Jordan stepped forward, his eyes narrowing slightly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you better be good,” Marco replied with a shrug. “Nobody’s expecting much from a hockey team down here.”
“Marco,” Keisha interjected, rolling her eyes. “Stop being a hater. The team’s brand new—of course they’re going to need good players. And who knows? Maybe these two are exactly what the team needs.”
Lexi crossed her arms, her blue eyes glinting with determination. “Guess we’ll just have to prove it, then.”
Dante chuckled, clapping Jordan on the shoulder. “I like this one. Welcome to Southside High, man. And good luck.”
As the group walked down the hall together, the cultural divide was clear. Lexi and Jordan’s polished, Upper East Side confidence clashed with the laid-back, rough-around-the-edges vibe of their new classmates. But for the first time since they’d arrived, they felt a spark of possibility. Maybe, just maybe, Atlanta wasn’t going to be a total disaster after all.