The class picture (NH)

Chapter 2: 7th 3

1 September 2004, Mullingar (Ireland)

Niall POV

I mustn't show that I'm a bit shy, if I start to stutter or get embarrassed, I'll miss my year again. The girls are nice so good, as long as I quickly find people to stay with. Normally I would be in the music options class, according to min brother's indications, I hope one of them will be too. Afterwards, I have to take care of my image, so I have to meet other boys too. This morning I left with a lump in my stomach but now I'm feeling better, I hope I'll have a good schedule and not the teachers that my brother defined me as horrible. I really want to do well in college because I'm becoming a teenager.

I guide the little troupe by taking a quick look at my phone where the map my family sent me was. I wouldn't want to lose the girls on the first day. We arrive in the second courtyard of the school, without any problems, and the four of us are placed under the courtyard. We are surrounded by a lot of pupils, I stare at them thinking that they are all likely to be in my future class or to be my future friends. I love imagining the character of people and then comparing them a month later, once I get to know them. Most of the time my premeditations are good, that looks and behaviour reflect the state of mind.

Clem POV

Lucy keeps looking at me and then at Niall and then at me over and over again. My girlfriends are definitely interested in boys this year, probably for popularity, it always feels good to have a boyfriend. I feel that they have changed a lot this summer... The director arrives and starts to give a welcome speech. He talks about the programme, the options, the teachers... That's it, now I see that I'm no longer in primary school, I'm in the big league. Then he takes a list out of his pocket and starts calling the pupils one by one, in alphabetical order, to assign them to their class. I listen to the names scrolling by trying to remember as many as possible, I think my brain has stopped ingesting information as soon as the letters A and B end. With the girls, we don't know at all if we'll be in the same class because we haven't taken the same options, I admit that the idea of being alone scares me a bit. Lucy took theatre, Erin art, me music.

Niall, what did you actually take as an option?" I asked him.

- Clem, right? I've taken music, I love singing, I play the piano and I've already met the music teacher who told me that I could learn to play the guitar this year! What about you?

- That's right," I replied with a wink, "and I'm in music too. I sing and I play the guitar!

- But that's great, we'll probably be in the same class then! »

Lucy's name resounds in the loudspeaker, she looks at us with a smile and joins the pupils of her class called previously. Then comes Tom's turn, he goes to the row of the 6th 3. I continue to talk about music with Niall, besides I have to learn to relax when I talk to new people, the wink of an eye was not possible. When the list arrives in the letter H, my interlocutor is called: 7th 3 too. Then comes my turn, I'm in the same class as him, that's great because even though I'm not in the same class as Lucy and Erin, who was called early for the 7th 7, I already know 2 people.

I go to my new class with Tom and Niall and we start a 3 way conversation until the head teacher asks us to be quiet. She tells us about the school, the timetable and all the administrative stuff. Recess rings and I rush outside to meet my classmates. We tell each other about all the new changes and compare our schedules. Tom and Niall join us a little later after getting to know the other boys in the class. 15 minutes later it's time for options. The music class goes by quickly, as does the day, I'm really not disappointed that I chose it and I think the boys aren't disappointed either. Niall makes me laugh too much when he tries the guitar. He makes one of those cacophonies, my ears still hurt. Tom just compliments me on my voice, I think I sound like a tomato now.

At 5pm the day finally ends. We all say goodbye and everyone goes back to their bus. I go home exhausted. I tell my parents about my day and then go up to my room. I start looking for gift ideas for my birthday as it's 13 days away, turning 11 officially marks the beginning of adolescence and according to Erin, it's the obligatory passage to gain credibility in front of others. Later, I go downstairs to eat. The subject of my birthday is brought up and my mother comes home and asks me if I want to organise a party for my birthday as (to use her words) "now I'm grown up". I admit that I hadn't thought about it but I'd like to, I have to think about who to invite...