Chapter 1
I remember the hardest years of my life were in high school. I had walked through the double doors and immediately felt sick to my stomach. Probably because a big huge guy ran into me and I toppled backward, my books landing hard on my stomach, hitting me in the gut. I managed to scoop up my stuff and get up.
As I pushed through the giant, smelly clump of football players, shoving each other and hogging the whole hall, I then came across another clump, this time of giggling girls. Ugh. Then I had to push through a swarm of popular kids, other average, normal kids practically bowing and kissing their feet, worshipping them. This one dude had actually bowed so low, I could see his backside. I then avoided that area at all costs. I squirmed through, and...
BAM! I ran into someone right around the corner. I couldn't see her, because I fell and dropped my stuff again. trying to scramble and pick everything up, I mumbled, "Sorry," under my breath at the same time she said the same thing. She bent down and picked up my stuff for me in one swift scoop. I did not get a chance to look at her and say thanks before she was gone.
I charged over to my locker, flustered. I got my stuff and embarked on another dangerous journey to room 505. Along the way, I came across five big Burly football players (carrying a bag of something I did not want to know what was), 16 annoying giggling girls on their phones, coming out of the bathroom, and three teachers shooing everyone away so they could get to homeroom. I also found it bloody Bandaid on the floor, a broken vase on the windowsill, and a pair of underwear sticking out of a locker.
I finally made it to room 505 and put my backpack on the wall. I started looking for an empty seat and discovered three. One seat was in the middle next to one of the giggling girls whose name I had cleverly deduced was Tanya, another seat was in the front, next to two boys, one boy I recognized with Cameron, and lastly, an empty seat in the very back next to a fidgety red-haired boy with glasses and a very troubled expression on his face.
I sat next to the red-headed boy and stuffed my stuff in my desk. My teacher walked up to the front of the classroom, wrote his name on the chalkboard, and said, "I and Mr Smith, and I am not going to make you do any work today-" He was interrupted by loud cheers, clapping of hands, and dancing and saying sewey. "-Don't make me change my mind," he added raising his voice until the class quieted down.
"We are going to get to know each other a little bit. When I call you, you will say your name, something about you, and something you're looking forward to this year. Cameron, please begin." The boy called Cameron started to say, "Yeah, uh, I'm Cameron, and uh, I'm our school football team's quarterback." at this, people started whooping and clapping. "And," He said with an arrogant smile, "I look forward to winning the tournament." More clapping and whooping. So loud that Mr Smith had to whistle. That shut them up.
We went through several more people after that.
"Hi! I'm Melissa, and I'm obviously the most attractive person in the school. I look forward to going out on more dates."
"Sup, I'm Drew and I always get the most touchdowns. I guess I look forward to getting even more."
"Hey, I'm Grace. I'm pretty, and I look forward to impressing... people." Once Grace sat down, she and some other girl burst into a fit of giggles. By 'people' she obviously meant a specific someone.
Wait a second. Why is everyone staring at me? Did I say that out loud? Oh- it's my turn.
"Uh, yeah, I'm James," I sputtered hurriedly, "I-I don't- I...I like chocolate and stuff." Silent laughter from everyone else. "I look forward to learning." That was a stupid answer, I thought. I buried my face in my hands. The last one was the boy next to me. He also looked up in suprise when everyone else stared at him. Then, he sank low, low, low into his seat where nobody could see him.
"I'm Arnold," he muttered, almost whispering.
The bell rang, and I felt like high school was actually a live action version of Crossy Road. Except the floor is lava and you have to hold your breath the whole way because that locker room is STANKY. And don't forget about how there's also a time limit because you have to get there in time.
At lunchtime, I had pretty much completely forgotten the fact that I had no friends to sit with at lunchtime. There were six tables plus a mini table the peanut free kids. At the peanut Free table sat Arnold and the other kids that either had a peanut Free allergy or had no friends. At another table was Grace and the Giggling Girls. At another sat Cameron and the football players. At another sat Melissa and the material Girls. At yet another was that Alex boy all the girls are talking about with all the other popular boys. Another table have the bullies, and the last one was empty.
I carried my lunch tray over to the empty table and sat down to start eating. I only looked up when I heard a gasp, and then I saw the eyes.
The eyes of everyone in the cafeteria staring into the murky depths of my soul.
PLOP! Another lunch tray landed beside mine. A gasp and an ooooh filled the room. I looked up. A girl with her hands on her hips was glaring at everyone else.
"Oh yeah?" She said, "What did we do wrong? All we did was find a place to sit. We're trying to eat, so do you mind? Please stare into your own souls. And you," she pointed a finger at Cameron, "Your finger does not belong in your nose. You're welcome to pick your nose when it's not in my business." She sat down and there was a long silence.
"Go back to what you were doing," She said, "Shoo." Gradually, they started whispering, then talking, and then it was like nothing ever happened.
We ate in silence for a while, and eventually, she said without looking up, "I'm Ariana. What's your name?" Suddenly I recognized her. I flashed back to when I had bumped into her in the hall, and she said sorry. That voice- he recognized it.
"I-I'm James," I stuttered. She looked up with a smile.
"Cool," she said.
And I saw her eyes for the first time.
