I Keep on Fallin

“Have fun on your first day!” my mom yells from the kitchen.

“Thanks” I reply with a smile.

It's been about a week since my family and I have moved back to Kansas city. I thought being back here would spark some memories of my childhood, but I lost hope on the third day. For some odd reason, memories from before the move to California, at age seven, are foggy or just not there.

Anyways, my mom does not know how nervous I am for the first day at Mountain-Ridge High. Plus, who even has fun at school?

I arrive at school and walk through the hallways. The hallways are filled with students chattering among each other. The school looks like a typical public high school. The cliche groups, the maroon colored lockers and even the old cafeteria smell that can some how reach it’s odor from across the school.

I make a right turn in the crowded hallways. I think I’m lost. The email said the principle’s office would be near the nurses office, but I don’t know where that is. I was going to ask someone for directions but then I decide against it because I feel as though I would embarrass myself in some way.

After going in circles for what felt like a hundred times, I finally find the the principles office. I grab the door knob and and slowly twist it. I notice two people arguing, one being a boy my age and the other being the principle. I close the door slowly.

I should have knocked!

I take a seat on one of the chairs that are lined up against the wall, and wait patiently. My leg starts to do that weird ‘leg thing’, making small shakes up and down. Before my mind wonders someplace else, the door to the principles office swings open violently. The boy that I had seen in the office walks out. He looks flustered. He seems familiar, as though I know him from somewhere. I must have stared at him for too long because his green eyes met mine. I quickly dropped my gaze towards the floor and started fidgeting with the papers I held.

The boy continues to stare at me for what seems like forever. When he finally walks the other way, I slowly get up and walk into the principles office to get my locker number and schedule.

The school seems acceptable except for the fact that everyone is always staring at me as I walk through the hallway. It is uncomfortable. I see a few familiar faces, but none really spark a memory. To ignore the stares, I let my mind wander to memories in California.

It was fun to live in California, but when my parents told me we were moving back to Kansas City, an odd sense of joy took over my body. I feel as though I’ve been missing something in my life, and being back here has somewhat filled that missing piece. It’s hard to explain.

Suddenly, out of no where, a hand grabs my shoulder and pushes me into a small room.

From the odd smell of chlorine and dirty socks, I can be in a chemistry room but the room is too small to be a classroom. The room was dark so I can’t tell where I am. I can hear the sound of two people breathing, one calmly and the other rapidly. I realized that I am the one breathing rapidly.

“Hey” a husky voice finally says.

“Excuse me?” I ask as I try to remain calm.

There is complete silence. The person does not reply to my ‘excuse me’ and we just stand there in the dark

Then, the necklace I wear everyday starts to glow a bright green. Simultaneously, the necklace that the mysterious man is wearing starts to glow the same color.

What in the world is going on?

The person seems confused too because he moves his hand to turn on the light.

I blink multiple times to adjust my eyes to the new found brightness.

I look around and realize that this small space with the funky smell is the janitor’s closet. Then, my eyes fall on to the 6′1 boy standing right in front of me. The person who shoved me in here is the same person that I saw in the principle’s office.

The boy’s eye widen as he slaps his forehead.

“I’m so sorry, I thought you were someone else” he manages to utter.

Wow. He really said that.

I don’t know why, but those words sting.

I just form and ‘O’ with my mouth and make my way towards the door.

The boy steps in front of me and the door before I could reach the door knob.

“I’m Conner,” He says holding his hand out.

I honestly don’t know why we are still having this conversation. He thought I was another girl. That just makes things so much more awkward.

“Okay. Nice to me you, Conner” I shyly reply shaking his hand.

“Aren’t you going to give me your name?” he asks.

“No. I don’t know you well enough to tell you, sorry” I say feeling like a complete idiot after.

Who the heck says that? You obviously give your name to someone to be acquainted with them. I feel so stupid!

Conner let out a chuckle and steps away from the door.

“Okay ‘no name’. You should probably get to class. Don’t wanna be late on your first day” he replies with a large smile on his face.


I roll my eyes as I open the door and walk away, but not without looking back one last time.

There he is. Standing right outside the janitor’s closet door, looking right back at me with those green eyes of his.