Terra

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!" A shrill scream erupted throughout my room. I flopped out of bed waving my arms about half asleep.

"You guys, oh my goodness, you didn't have to do this."

I finally unraveled myself from my blankets to see Gwen standing at our door holding her hands to her face.

"You REALLY didn't." I grumbled pulling myself up

Gwen turned around and have me her nasty squinty glare. She looked back at her friends holding a giant card. They smiled and talked quietly amongst each other.

I went to our bathroom to change into my skinny Jean's, pairing it with a grey tshirt and a black and green button over shirt. I wore my black beanie to pull it all together.

I didn't like that out of all the people I could have shared rooms with I was stuck with Gwen. The stubborn and obnoxious know-it-all. Even when she was wrong and she knew it she refused to give in.

The place we lived, Black Rock, was sort of a group home slash boarding school. No one here had parents, at least none that could take care of them.

I took one last look in the mirror before leaving. My face was round and chubby with copper colored skin, my long black hair was a little lower than my shoulders with frayed dead ends. My hips were round and my breasts were large but no matter how I tried to stand on my toes to see my whole figure I couldn't quite get a good look at myself. Being under 5 feet is hard.

The room was now empty, thankfully. I grabbed my worn out little backpack and left for the cafeteria.

It was crowded, as I expected. Boys in football uniforms circled one table. They pushed each other around laughing and yelling. Some cheerleaders were trying to join in. The school was trying to build a name for itself. They had a small team that practiced sometimes and cheerleaders that would attend every practice but did not yet have a school to rival with.

At another table some kids were studying together while making faces at the crowded table. Gwen and her friends had taken two tables. All the other students talked quietly to themselves or tried to find a place to sit. The last table had just one guy sitting alone. He had long blonde hair that fell to his shoulders and a smile that made my heart melt. He waved to me as he kicked his feet up on an empty chair.

I pulled up another empty chair and sat down.

“He-ey, Terra! How’s it goin’?” He asked with a laugh

“I found out this morning, in the worst way, that it’s Gwen’s birthday…” I stopped talking. Simon did that stupid thing again. As soon as I mentioned Gwen he became dazed and stopped listening.

I looked over at her just in time to see her flick a spoon full of egg right at me. It landed in my hair and fell down my shirt. She laughed and looked away toward her friends.

“That’s it,” I said calmly settling on a new decision “I’m going to kick her as-”

“Whoa, whoa!” This caught Simon’s attention. His feet fell off the chair and he leaned forward “Terra, don’t do that.”

“Why not? You know I could take her.”

It was true. As short and weak as I looked I was actually really heavy and strong. He knew if I attacked her there was nothing that would stop me. Only last year when Delia tried to fight me Simon tried to hold me back and found that he couldn’t even hold me.

"It's not worth it, Ter."

I quietly combed egg out of my hair while I thought about his words. It was a weak excuse but so true at the same time.

"Good morning, everyone!" Principal Adam's said brightly standing in front of the room "I have a few new announcements for you."

He smiled at the room. I couldn't figure out what he could be waiting for.

"Pencil shortage." Simon whispered

"One of the toilets are clogged again."

"Someone has a crush on someone else."

We quietly laughed at each other. These were just some examples of past announcements Principal Adams had made before. They were always useless and never pertained to us.

"I am sad to announce that Nurse Rosemary will be retiring and today is her last day…" he nodded his head in this mock sad way to everyone.

My mouth fell open. Nurse Rosemary couldn't go. She couldn't leave.

"No…no no no…" I looked at Simon with an open mouth

"Terra, I'm sorry. I'm not really surprised. She had to retire sometime."

"But-"

"Now for some good news. I want to welcome Beatrice Dair. She comes from the foster system to join us. Please make her feel welcomed here at Black Rock."

A girl stepped up next to Principal Adams. She came up to his shoulder. She had deep black smokey eye shadow on and had dyed her hair a silvery color. Her Jeans were ripped and she wore a tight tank top. All the boys were oggling her with slack jaws. Even Simon. That really shouldn't have been a surprise. He ogled every girl…except me.