CHAPTER 1
XANDER
The first day of a new school year! I was kinda scared, nervous, and all those typical emotions of a kid starting at a new school. But this time, I had a good feeling about it. I’d always been considered the odd duck in my previous schools. I always wondered why—maybe it’s just normal—but this was a new beginning, a new day. Maybe I would actually find friends, maybe I’d finally fit in, maybe I wouldn’t be the odd one anymore.
I walked into the corridors of my new school. I’d seen it all before, but attending felt completely different. Now I wasn’t a stranger or an outsider; I was part of it. Post-pandemic, things were still a bit all over the place, but we were starting to settle again. I was glad to have this fresh, renewed sense. It was the beginning of high school for me and the start of a new chapter. I could be a different person; I could be better.
And I would never take this opportunity for granted, that’s for sure. After a long walk through the eerily silent corridors, I made it to my classroom: 9B. This was it. I was here. I stood facing the old door, its brown paint aging and scraping off at the edges. I took a deep breath. I could do this. Yes, I could. But I wasn’t sure what to do—should I knock? Open the door and then knock? I ended up knocking and waiting patiently outside the door for the teacher. After about 10 seconds that felt like an eternity, a gentle-looking lady opened the door with a bright smile on her face. She had light brown hair held up in a tight ponytail and wore glasses with thick black borders—a kind voice that only belonged to a motherly figure. She opened the door wider to let me in.
“Hi, you must be Santiago. I’m Miss Jennie,” she said.
“Hey, that’s me. Nice to meet you,” I replied in a hushed voice, too nervous to be louder.
She let me into the classroom and guided me to the center where the stark whiteboard was located. This was probably the part I hated most about new schools—the introductions. I hated it more than I hated mushrooms. But I put on a wide, happy, and sympathetic smile because I was determined to make friends. After my short moment of panic, I finally took the time to look around the room at the heads that filled it. The many students sat docile and innocent in their chairs, observing me like I might have been the Mona Lisa itself under their strong gaze. It made me nervous and overly self-conscious. So many different girls, boys, eyes, and looks.
“Class, this is your new classmate, Santiago. Santiago, this is class 6B,” Miss Jennie’s sharp voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I didn’t know what to do, so I smiled and waved, trying to appear friendly. The other students chanted a short “hello,” “hi,” and “hey” in unison.
Miss Jennie put her hand on my shoulder and told me to take the empty seat in the back corner of the classroom, next to a good-looking boy with soft dark brown hair, the color of chocolate, and eyes just as brown. I walked slowly towards the seat and sat down next to him, his vibrant energy cocooning us in the moment. I don’t know how to explain it, but I felt different around him. I felt safe. It felt like some sort of weird connection, or maybe I was overanalyzing it.
But there was something.
