Mia

Late

"Mia! Your alarm has been going off for five minutes. You know it annoys the hell out of me. It's actually time to wake up." Dad says, peeking his head into my room. "You have a bagel on the counter, it'll get cold."
I don't want to say I'm not excited for the first day of high school, but why the uniform? I guess it makes my life easier, and it doesn't look that bad. The more I look at it the less amount of bad will I have against it. Dammit, it's kinda cool.
Shower, teeth, hair, uniform, the whole shabang. Now the delicious onion bagel with plain cream cheese between as I follow Dad out the door a few too many minutes behind schedule.
It's a longer drive compared to the public high school, but mine is closer to the police station. That's why I chose it. I like having lunch with Charles and Jerry, with Dad of course. It's honestly like I have 3 dads, except I get away with way more bullshit than I should with Charles and Jerry. Charles treats me like an adult and Jerry is the reason I got drunk as a toddler one time. Dad was so pissed. I heard it was hilarious.

The car pulls to a halt a few sidewalk squares in front of the large building.

"Bye Mia. Don't make too many friends. I don't want to cauter to 20 kids your age ever again." He widens his eyes and his face goes a little bit pale.

"Don't worry. I'll try not to be too cool." I step out of the car and we chuckle for a moment, we say goodbye, we wave, he drives off.

I'm "fashionably" late like for most things so there isn't a crowd of people funneling into the two front doors like I'd imagined. Of course there are a few strays coming from every direction like myself. There is also a girl standing at the top of the walkway steps and I see her eyes arrow in on me.

"What did you do with your uniform?" She looks me up and down, surprisingly shocked for something as inconsequential as how well my shirt is tucked.

"I'm wearing it. I don't know what you mean."

"You have to wear it properly. I don't want to call this school prestigious, but you took the entrance exams. It's not weird to respect an institution."

"They were tough, sure. But I made it in and paid for this shirt. I can wear it however I like."

"You have a point, but please tuck it in neatly and button your vest. I won't even make you tighten your tie because I know how annoying they can be."

"Wow. I'm honored." I breathe while fully tucking my shirt.

"Vest too please."

"Mm. Got it." I start walking away as I button the vest.

"Name please." She calls after me.

"Mia Simmons. Dress coding me?"

"No. Taking down the names of late students. It's my job."

Great. I'm already being too cool. But it doesn't stop there. It never does.
I walk into my home room, number 405, to see a packed room full of other 14 - 15 year olds just like me. My entrance attracts some eyes but many are too busy wallowing in their own self consciousness of the new school year to hear me.

"Mia Simmons correct?" the teacher turns to me expectantly.

"Oh," I'm caught by surprise. People are usually annoyed when I'm late, and it happens quite often. "Yeah, I'm Mia. And you must be Mr. Briggum."

"Why yes. I do happen to be." The twinkle in his eyes is like nothing I've ever seen before. He looks happy to talk to me, he looks happy to be here. In a high school full of loud freashman. It's a good kind of weird.