“Um...hello? You okay?”
Yup, he was talking to me. What was I doing? Staring directly at him of course. “His eyes are so blue...no one’s eyes are like that,” I was thinking to myself, looking intently into the depths, “it’s the lights. I’m sure...we really need to get those fixed...”
“Are you okay?” he asked for the second time.
Uh oh. In about 2 seconds, I’m going to look really stupid. “Think, Alex, think...come on, you can be smart one time in your life.”
“Er, um, don’t I know you from somewhere? You look so familiar, I just can’t remember...” I said to him, putting on my most persuasive “confused” look.
The stranger grinned at me. “Well, unless you’re from Tulsa, Oklahoma, I don’t think so. I’ve never been to Oregon before,” he said, shifting his books from his right to his left arms and stuck out his hand, “I’m Taylor Hanson,” he introduced himself.
Woah, I get to touch him?
I smiled back at him and stuck out my hand. “Alexandria Cates. Welcome to Welming High.”
“Thanks,” he said, hesitantly looking around him, “is it always this weird around here?”
I grinned and looked around myself. To me, everything was normal. About 10 faculty members running errands in the huge school office was expected, and you usually saw a few students as office aids, or getting sent to the principals office. You could also hear the rumble of loud voices from the hallway outside...even if it wasn’t between bells. Yup, this was definitely a public high school.
“Yeah, you can call this just about normal...have you ever been to public school before?” I asked him, shifting my heavy backpack to my other shoulder.
“Ah, no, I’ve always done home-schooling actually,” Taylor said, getting more nervous by the minute.
My ears popped up from his answer. From birth till about 4th grade, my mother home-schooled myself and my 3 siblings. Usually, you don’t see a home schooler begin to attend a public high school as a Senior.
“Really? Well, honestly, it’s not that hard to get used to, I promise. And all the kids here are really nice...you shouldn’t have any problems.,” I told him, trying to put him at ease. I knew that I had a horrible time adjusting, but I would never tell him that.
He smiled again, “Well, thanks for telling me, that makes me feel a little better actually.”
I grinned back, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. His smile was so gorgeous. I could probably stare at him all day without giving up...but now wasn’t the time. Right now I had to play “tour guide.”
“Okay, well, let’s go show you to your locker, and I’ll show you your classrooms, okay?” I said to him, reaching out to grab some of his books off of the counter beside him. I started out of the crowded office, and he followed closely behind. As soon as we left the office, he fell into step right beside me.
“So do you have your schedule?” I asked him, slowing down so I could figure out where his locker was. I watched him fumble around in his books for awhile, and finally pull out a piece of paper with his classes and locker number on it.
“Do you have any idea what ‘Networking’ is?” he asked me, looking confused, “I’ve never even heard of it before, and I’m supposed to be taking it.”
I looked down at his schedule in my hand. ‘Networking-2th Period.’ “Yup, actually I have that same class with you. It’s really easy, it’s mostly about computers. We just play around and have a test at the end of the week,” I shrugged, looking over at him.
He nodded. “Cool, sounds easy.” He was looking into each classroom as we walked by. “There’s a lot of people who go here...man, this is going to bite.”
I smiled. “Dude, I told you...it isn’t that bad. Just be friendly to everyone, and they’ll love you. Just relax, okay?”
He looked over at me and grinned. “That’s easy for you to say, you’ve been in public school all your life, right?”
“Nope,” I replied, turning right into another hallway, “I home-schooled just like you until 4th grade. And yes, I admit, the first few days were tough, but it eventually got better.”
“Really? Cool...you know, you’re helping me a lot better than the stupid principal. I met him this morning. He was all like “I know it’ll be hard, but a young man of your stature will be able to handle the pressure.” Okay, how is thatsupposed to help me?” Taylor said, shaking his head.
I stopped dead in my tracks. Was I hearing him right? “Okay, hold up, did you just say ‘stupid?’”I asked him seriously.
He smirked. “Yeah, I did...why?”
My face was beginning to turn hot. I couldn’t believe he said that, but I kept on walking anyways. “You only met him for like 2 minutes, how could you judge him like that so quickly?” I asked him, turning into another small hallway, finally reaching his locker.
He shrugged. “I don’t know...I mean, he’s a principal. You know they say they want to help you, but all they really care about is their paycheck and their stupid power over everyone in the school. Not to mention the whole detention thing...”
After turning the lock on the purple metal door, I whipped my head around and stared him right in the eye. “Well, boy, you’re wrong this time...our Principal actually does care about us...kinda hard to believe isn’t it?” I took his books and practically threw them in his locker. I was mad...and he knew it. His eyes grew wide as I was talking.
But did he actually care that I was mad? Guess not...cause his face slowly turned into a smirk. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say that you were his daughter or something,” he told me, laughing.
When I didn’t laugh back and I placed my hands on my hips, his laughing slowly ceased. He shoved his hands into his jean pockets and looked very uncomfortable. “I guess I guessed right, huh?” he asked me.
I nodded. I was too mad to speak. Who did he think he was? He wasn’t even in a regular school for 15 minutes, and here he was, judging everybody he saw! He should’ve taken my advice to be friendly more seriously....
“Yup, I’m his daughter...” I finally answered him, “and not to mention, all of the students love my father. He doesn’t try to be anything else than a principal, whatever you may think.”
“Look, Alexandria, I’m...”
“No, no...” I interrupted him, “I have to go to class now. It shouldn’t be too hard finding your classes. Our lovely principal has written all of the room numbers and the times of your classes down. Woah, what a mean and horrible person?” And with that, I brisked past him, and cut down the wrong hallway, just so he didn’t have to watch me walk away. If I had to have his eyes on me for one more minute, I would’ve barfed. And it didn’t matter that they were the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen either...because for one brief second I had forgotten that the most gorgeous people, were most likely born to be jerks. ************************************************************************
The noise was almost deafening. Why did high-schoolers have to talk so much? And at such a high volume? I pondered over the same fact day after day after day...but who would blame me? The atmosphere in the cafeteria was always the same...loud, crowded, and hot. Not to mention the fact, the overwhelming quality of self-consciencness among my peers. Let’s just say that if you weren’t at the center table...you had a reason to be self conscience.
Speaking of the dreaded table, I glanced over. Just like I expected, the color purple sprang to my eyes. I still couldn’t pound into my brain that the jocks actually likedwearing purple letter jackets...but maybe the plain black football uniforms made up for the humiliation...
Hearing food trays clash against the wooden table, I looked away from the “popular” table. I glanced up at my group of friends who all had the last period class together : ‘Calculus’ with Mr. Herman...a.k.a. ‘meanest/hardest teacher in school.’ I never expect anything less than bickering and complaining from them when they get to our table...it’s a good thing our friendships are like steel, cause I would have retreated by now.
But oddly enough, Karen, Shannon, and Julie didn’t slam down their purses and backpacks and heave heavily into their seats. They actually sat down like decent human beings for a change. I nodded appreciatively.
“So...” I started, pushing back my food tray and staring at them, “I guess hell finally froze over, huh?”
Nothing. Nada. Not even a glance in my direction....what was wrong with me? I actually thought that that was kind of witty...
But thenI finally noticed where their eyes were glued to. Looking over my shoulder for the second time, I saw Taylor Hanson make his way over to the table I was intently looking at before. “Well, that’sa death sentence if I’ve ever seen one...” I thought to myself. What did he think he was doing? Did he actually think that the table of jocks and cheerleaders would accept him with open arms and...
“Oh...my...goodness...” I whispered outloud. Ryan Park actually stood up and slapped him on the back. And it was friendly. What was the world coming to? I watched in horror as the rest of the table greeted him.
I snapped my head around. “Can you believe this?!” I asked my friends, snapping my fingers in front of their faces to get them out of the little “world” they were in. Finally someone actually looked at me.
“Did you see his butt?” Karen asked me. I swear, the drool was just threatening to overflow...
I was appalled. Completely appalled. His butt?!? Thisis what these people actually cared about? Okay, well fine. His rear area was probably the first thing I ever noticed about his exterior, but so what? I was slowly realizing that my friends were incapable of intelligent human conversation at the moment.
“Alex, it was incredible,” Karen was busy telling me excitingly, “idiot Mr. Herman asked him to stand up and introduce himself...and let me to you, he is simply a doll!”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, so what, are we playing 50’s vocabulary now or something?”
Julie looked at me disgustingly. “You can not sit there in that chair and tell me that he isn’t the finest looking creature you have ever seen.”
I heaved a sigh and looked back at “Fabio.” He was now being seated in between Jennifer and Britney...two of the most unintelligent people I have ever met. I sighed again. Yeah, I could admit it. Taylor Hanson was definitenly attractive. Very attractive to be truthful, but did I forget our little “fight” this morning? Not a chance...and that in itself was enough to take, oh...about 5% off of his attractiveness.
“Yeah, actually I have seen someone more fine than he is...” I told them seriously, “Ricky Martin.”
My friends looked at each other. Then back at me. “Okay, fine, Alex, there’s onemore guy...but we’re talking about someone we can actually touch.”
I laughed. I knew it would work. Ricky Martin was always a soft spot for each of them...and *ahem*, me included.
I looked over at Shannon. For the one who usually talked about guys 24/7, she was sure being quiet. “Hey, Shannon, you like his butt too?”
She never looked at me once. “Let’s just say that he can shake his bonbon for me any time he wants to.”
I scrunched up my nose. “Now that was just uncalled for,” I retorted, picking up my possessions around me. I don’t think I could’ve sat there for another minute listening to the three of them go on and on about a blonde haired god. Besides, I had to go to the library and study for a big Marketing exam the next week.
“Well, it’s been fun girls, but I’m afraid I have to go,” I muttered, talking to the zombies seated in front of me.
“Bye,” all three responded, never looking up.
I shook my head, and headed to the hallway. Reaching it, I shut the door behind me and just basked in the feeling of silence. Sometimes, I tended to take no noise for granted...
On the way to the library, I had to stop by the teachers lounge to scrounge up the key to the locked library from my father. Usually, the library was only opened from certain times, beginning and after school, and for the benefit of studying, my father always gave me access on off hours. It was probably the only room in the whole school who’s walls wouldn’t be shaking from the vibration of loud voices.
Stepping into the crisp cool air, I didn’t even bother to turn on the lights. I simply walked over to my usual spot and plopped myself in a chair. Half of the library walls were made of windows overlooking the school atrium. Looking out from my spot, you could see all of it...a huge, square shaped, grassy hill, stocked with flowering plants and white benches to sit on. You could probably bet that birds and squirrels lived in the surrounding trees, that gave off mossy vines that covered most of the school walls. It was as if there was a medieval garden in the middle of our school area...and no one cared. Well, except me of course. You could probably pinpoint that to the fact that I love history. All of it. Call me a dweeb, but I actually look forward to History class every Tuesday and Thursday.
While I looked out over the garden, I heard the faint sound of the school bell. The bell didn’t sound in the library, due to the “quietness” factor, but I was still glad that I heard a bit of it. That told me that all the students were going to their classes, and no one would possibly need to share the library with me. I had ‘Independent Study’ 3th period, so I was free to spend the next hour there, which I usually did on Mondays on Wednesdays. I have block schedule, and am one of the lucky ones to only have a total of 5 classes left to take for graduation. Meaning, I only take 3 on 2 days, and 2 on 3 days. Kind of confusing, but it works for me.
“I wonder where ‘he’ is going now...” I wondered to myself. That morning, I didn’t get that good a look at his schedule.
If anything, I was honest with myself. I knew that he was the only person I had thought about all morning long. Why hide it? Well, except from my friends of course...they tend to overreact, and plus, I didn’t want to become a hormone driven zombie like they had already become. So what if he had a cute butt? I bet if you put him in a pair of leather pants, it wouldn’t be all that....
Leather pants.
Yeah, I had to go there. Just peachy. I’m fantasizing about his pant selection. Great.
“He wasn’t thatbig of a jerk this morning...” I remembered, placing my feet up on a chair beside me, and leaning back. I mean, yeah, he called my own father stupid. “But I’m pretty sure that every single other person at my school has thought the same thing one time or another.”
Yeah, I had to give him a break...wait. What was I thinking? He sat at the “popular” table on the first day of school. He hadto be something special. So why would he even spend time on a middle-classer like me? At the moment, he was probably lip-locked with Britney behind the bleachers...
The thought horrified me. It even hurt a little, which was incredibly weird. I had thought I had seen something in him that morning...something that I would probably never see again. Sincerity maybe? Maybe...who knows?
But the main thing that I had to realize and deal with, was the fact that I had fallen for the new kid. Sad, but true. Alexandria Cates never has crushes...never.
Except for Ricky Martin of course.
