Black Light

I don’t mean to be harsh because of, you know, Canada, freedom, world peace, or whatever. However, that compared to celebrity hang-out spots, celebrity homes, hot beaches, gorgeous tans, my friends and family. It has no right to be above Cali to me. It never will be either, because those memories just can’t be replaced.

So now I’m forced to go to a new school and start my life all over again. That’s the worst thing to ever happen in life. Leaving everything behind and having to restart your life without having a single say in it. It’s like your rights have been stripped away from you, just like this school uniform I used to wear. I mean it has a lot of different articles to wear so it is not as strict as other schools, but it was still annoying because of the heat. I guess that’s the only good thing about this move, this school doesn’t have a uniform.

Upon first glance, the school looks like every other school in existence. Just a copy and pasted building with red-brown bricks lining from the blotted grass to the length of their flag pole. Of course, it’s one of those flag poles that stretch to about the height of 10 average height students standing on each other’s shoulders, like those dumb circus tricks you see online. It is always like the schools are screaming We love our country! Even though the flag is torn in 10 places and looks like it’s been flown through all the world wars. The windows are also the large torso to 4-foot-high window nobody ever cleans unless it is parent-teacher interviews

I bet the inside was the same beige or white walls, painted decades ago, peeling at every edge and corner, with bubbles trapped begging to be opened by the next student who finds them while decorating the wall with their “tag”. I was about to see if my assumption was correct when a figure interrupted my thought process.

“Hi! You must be new here!” A peppy lady said as she added a little hop to her stride towards me.

I know I shouldn’t come off as rude to a stranger, especially on my first day but I hate when people state obvious things. “What made you think that? Is it the lost look on my face? The empty backpack? Or, perhaps, it is the fact I’m showing up halfway throughout the year when all the cliques have already been formed so I don’t fit in yet.”

“I was going to say the gorgeous authentic tan you got going on, but all of the above would work too.” She laughed at her joke, but I feel like she was also laughing at my response. “Nobody here will ever have an authentic tan like yours. If you see one, it’s spray tan. Make sure to splash some water on them to watch them melt, you know, like the witch in Wizard of Oz. I mean once you get to know the girls here, you’ll know that most are identical to the witch, especially appearance-wise. But not to be mean I’m just joking. Well, half-joking…”

She seemed to talk my ear off like she had to tell me everything going on within the school within the next five minutes, or else a hidden sniper was going to shoot her down. I mean at least she’d blend in with the grass on the front lawn, dead. I knew I had to get her to hush sooner or later, or else I would never leave this corner of the sidewalk right in front of the school bus I had just gotten off of.

“Thanks for letting me know, I will keep an eye out for them. I should get going now. You know, being new and all.” Find an excuse now! Find a way to leave! “I mean, I have no clue where my classes are, so I should go find them and get used to the schedule and stuff.” Bravo! That was a perfect excuse. Nothing can go wrong, we will be free from her voice’s grasp!

I take a few steps and turn around feeling ever so confident in myself, Only to hear-

“Oh my gosh. You are so right. I can show you around. I have been here since freshman year. Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. You ever need a fun girl’s night out, hit me up. Say have you-” She was cut off by walking into a girl’s back and falling to the floor.

The five-foot-seven brunette only turned around to look at the girl. Once she saw who the culprit was that made her lipstick smudge across her cheek, she only sighed and rolled her eyes before trying to find the right words to say. She ended up going for, “Again? This is the sixth time this week Blossom.” She grabbed the girl’s arm [who I am guessing is named Blossom] and pulled her to her feet as if she didn’t care about the huge red streak painting her face.

“Sorry Lucky.” I laugh to myself at the name Blossom had called her under my breath. At least, that’s what I thought I did. I didn’t laugh quietly enough as I was met with two judging stares. As if in unison they both said, “What are you laughing at?”

Now that the brunette [Lucky] and the redhead [definitely a hair dye success, in a hairdresser’s POV] is looking straight at me, I notice they both have matching hair color strands. Even though they had different hair colors, they had sections of white hair in their style. ‘Lucky’ had platinum blonde bangs with single streaks stringing down from the top of her head to the length below both her ears. Blossom had her hair parted by her temple, revealing more of the dispersed white streaks throughout her hair. With it down you may never actually see the streaks, but the style flaunted it. I envied them for a moment.

“Hello?” Lucky had repeated for about the third time [My brain loves to not register things until seconds or moments later]. She waved her hand in front of my face as if I had suddenly gone blind, or maybe died and rigor mortise set in a lot faster than humanly allowed, causing me to freeze while staring at these two beautiful women.

“Sorry what?” It stumbled out of my mouth even though I knew what they wanted from me already. I could have let them repeat themselves but I don’t think that would go too well. I’d probably annoy them. I mean, it would annoy me. “Oh uh. I just laughed because you call her Lucky, but it looks to me as if she’s anything but lucky.”

There was a pause of silence as I said filled their ears and formed the jumble of words into sentences. Then, there came a bit of laughter from them both. Honestly, it was a relief. I did not want to cause issues for myself on the first day of school. I had no idea if the people in Canada were too nice to take a joke or were too sensitive. I mean, are Canadians nice or is it just an act or rumor some dumb American made up?

“So let me guess this nitwit was trying to bring you to class. Did she try to chat your ear off?” I of course laughed because that was exactly what was happening and she knew her friend well. I mean, this is just proof that this isn’t the first time this has happened.

I would have laughed more at the fact Blossom’s cheeks were color matching the school’s brick walls, but I realized the students were now rushing inside. It must mean class was about to start and I still don’t even know where my homeroom was. I guess the girls could tell I was bothered by my mood switch so they stopped talking and looked at the entrance.

Lucky swept her arm around my waist and guided me towards the doors. “So, what room is yours? I will show you. Blossom has been here her whole life and she still sometimes gets lost.” Luck tries to protest, but when she opens her mouth she realized the other was right and closed her mouth again. “So, I will walk you to every class after every period. I will be right outside the class waiting for yours to end.”

I was amazed by how nice Lucky was. She had an alternative sense of style, not emo, and not grunge, but more between witchy and goth. She would look a bit intimidating, to be honest. I suddenly knew that these people could very much be my new friends. Maybe this move wasn’t so bad after all. Still no celebrities yet, but there’s still time.

I showed her the paper gripped between my fingers and she sighed. “Ugh… You have such bad luck my guy!” Her brows burrowed into her airline as her face displayed her worry and disappointment. “You have chemistry first period. Man, you should get your schedule changed. I would kill myself if I had Chem first period. My brain can’t work at 8 am and that would mean I would fail immediately.” She quickly stepped to the left to avoid a kid running with a massive backpack, pushing and bumping into kids to get to class.

Thankfully I followed her footsteps just in time to just barely be scraped by the strap as he raced down the gray and gloomy hall and out of view. “I don’t mind chemistry that much. I don’t know. I don’t mean to brag but I am kinda a geek. So…” I halted to an abrupt stop after we passed through the double doors painted a bright blue. As if to add some color to this dreary building. This is when I noticed that Blossom was missing.

“Ok so here’s your magical land of potions and spells nerd.” She raised her hand and showed him a light oak wooden door propped open by the book Death of a Salesman shoved under the crack to keep it open. Why do I feel like this is some act to anger an English teacher the professor argued with prior? “By the way. What’s your name?”

I didn’t realize until right now that I had never introduced myself to the girls. I had just been laughing, joking, and conversing with them without proper introductions. “Oh, sorry about that. My name is Carrie and I’m from California.”

“Why did that sound like some introduction you practiced at a group addiction therapy meeting?” She smiled showing her pearly whites. “Carrie huh?” My nod seems to confirm the name is in fact mine, and she is content with my answer. “Sounds like you are gonna kill me while drenched in pig’s blood.” She adds.

Without a thought behind my words, I blurt out, “Only if you are into that.” And I immediately feel a blush creep across my cheeks knowing I just flirted with a girl I just met. I hope he knows I was only joking.

A smile slipped onto her face even wider this time around. “Damn, ok. I see how it is. Gotta get Blossom’s approval though. Can’t date without her approval of course.” She laughs and I can breathe now, knowing she took it as the intended joke.

I rummage through my black puma branded backpack and pull out a set of pocket kleenex. I usually get very runny noses around fall so I carry them around on me at all times. I handed her one with a slight head nod towards her lips. “You still got the makeup smudged.”

One quick blink and her hand had snatched the kleenex out of my palm and wiped her face. “Oh my God, you are a lifesaver. I forgot about it. I would have probably gotten till lunch without noticing.”

I was going to say ‘No problem I got you fam’, or whatever my brain spit out in mere seconds, but I was shoved to my knees by a tall, slim boy wearing a jean jacket and a beanie propped on his head. He just looks back a second and catches my eye before saying, “Watch it bitch. Get out of the fucking doorway before you make everyone late for class.” With those lovely words leaving his mouth he turns back around and heads into class. My class.

A hand stretches down towards my face and I look back up at Lucky. “Thanks.” I grip her forearm and use her to pull myself back onto my feet. Dusting my pants off from the dusty floor, I shot the boy one last look even though I could only see his back for a moment before he turned the corner to sit at his desk, I assume that is what he is doing anyway.

“Well, you’ve met Eric Benjamin. Congrats, I guess. Just hope you aren’t his seating partner. If you aren’t, everything would be alright.” She tries to assure me that this year will be fine, and it may just be one class with that loser. But I have a feeling that she might have just jinxed me.

“Thanks.” I nod and turn around walking into the classroom. Just one period. That’s all. I can’t be too bad. I mean, I am new so most of the work will be light till they know what level I am at. Wait, There I go, I jinxed myself again. This will be one… fun period.