Beryl was there waiting for me where the bus drops us off. She smiled in silence as I treaded [shuffled?} my feet down the steps. “Good morning Beryl” I sighed. She said something to low to hear then cleared her throat.
“G-g-good morning M-May,” she replied. She was shivering from the below freezing [sub-zero?] air. “How was your weekend?” I handed her my sweat shirt, I had body fat so I would be okay.
“Same old, same old, I finished my new book,” I yawned. Reading was kind of my thing. I never actually seemed to remember much of the books I read after I started another. I couldn’t quote from Romeo and Juliet, and I couldn’t tell you what happens in the 10th chapter of Catcher and the Rye even though I’ve read them only read them a gazillion times. It makes me feel stupid.
Class doesn’t start for 20 minutes so most students just hang out by their cars and smoke pot, cigarettes, and whatever else is cool these days. I’m not one of them though. Maybe I would be if they liked me. Who am I kidding, I would be. I’m 17 years old and I have never had a boyfriend. I’ve never even had a truth or dare kiss for Christ sake. There was one party in 5th grade I almost did, but the other boy made a fuss so I quickly tried to gather the same feeling and acted like I was appalled. Really I wasn’t. Jenny knew I liked him. She was the one who dared him. I miss Jenny. She basically all together abandoned me after she grew boobs and started hanging out with older guys. She’s pregnant and a drop out though now. Maybe we could have been friends again if she went to school.
My school is not big. There are around 500 students. There would be more but everyone seems to be getting pregnant these days and dropping out. How can they come this far and then just give up? At least finish the damn 2 years and then you don’t have to go back. I mean it’s not like you need to go to college after words. I always think about college. It’s the future, and I want to be away from this time I’m in. Not that I have my future set ahead of me. I can’t see myself doing anything right. I’ll most likely just become some public librarian for children. Die old, alone, and with 26 cats. Maybe 27.
The bell rang and everyone scattered in different directions. I pulled out my schedule to read again. I had looked over it a few times. The first class on the list was Mr. Many. He is ancient. I’m surprised he doesn’t have Alzheimer’s or blindness. I entered the door and turned to say goodbye to Beryl but she was already gone. Kids were held up by my action and I quickly headed to the back of the class. The girls settled in with their lip gloss shining and clicking of French nails on cell phones.
“Welcome to the exciting world of geometry,” Mr. Many sighed,” For many of you this is your first time in here, but I see a few former students.” He shifted his glance toward me and I sank down in my chair. I failed this class last semester. I was turned on to a delicious substance called coffee since then. I can actually pay attention. The rest of my classes were new at least.
The entire class was consumed by curriculum and useless nonsense that everyone already knew. It ended very fast. I walked with the flow of students out the door. A boy in the hall smiled at me. I had never even seen him before. He had long brown hair, a few inches taller then me, a crooked smile, and piercing eyes. It took me by surprise. I stumble for a second. I think he noticed because his smirk turned into a grin. I blushed and continued walking. He was most likely looking at some other girl anyways. “Some other girl” I reassured myself.
Periods went by the same exact way. Boring curriculums and expectations are the norm for the first day. Forth period was different though. The boy that I seen in the hall was also in the class. I read the teachers assigned seating chart and I was in the back row to the far left. I shuffled my binder in my hand and sat down. He came and sat next to me. I tried not to get nervous and fiddled with a paper in pen.
“Hey, m’ names Charlie” he said. I looked over at him to see who he was talking to, and had to double take to notice he was speaking to me.
“Oh.. I’m May, nice to meet you.” My words were choked and quiet. I probably sounded like a mouse; my voice is pretty high and soft. It doesn’t help when I have to clear my throat.
“I’m new to the school, you look like someone I could talk to.” He gave me the same smirk he made before. It made me uneasy. I was not used to boys talking to me.
“I’ve lived here my entire life”, I didn’t know what to say. It was a stupid response. “I was born here.”
“Cool.” He had to have already lost interest. One word responses eat at me. I always want the conversation to go on, but I’m never good at saying what people want to hear. I wonder if what the want to hear, is just me not talking. Not the most interesting person to talk to. The highlight of my life is my father’s death, once you learn that, what else is there that’s cool.
Curtis:
I really like where this story is going. I like the strong character development, and the quirks, like her random introspection that reveals a rejected person resigned to her outcast status, but also her fears and sense of humor about it... It's good work! And the last paragraph has some of the best stuff this time. Keep at it.
