My Wonderfully Peculiar Life

The Beginning of Doom

"Honey, did you get your lunch?" my mom called from her bedroom. 

"Yep, I got it. Thanks, " I shouted back. 
          Today is my first day at Washington Junior high as a seventh grader. It's a big day for me, but my mom is more excited than I am. She woke me up extra early at five thirty in the morning to fix my hair and find an outfit.  That may sound like a normal first day of school to you, but really it's a lot more than you think. You see, my family is cursed with weirdness, and I'm not exaggerating. My mom went shopping to buy a coat once, and it looked fine hanging on the shelf, but when my mom tried it on it shrank at least three sizes. She took it off and it was totally normal again. You probably can imagine the sneers and stares I get at school. However, I've found a way to deal with my peculiar ways. I simply ignore them. 
        Now here I sporting a mullet and a polka-dotted poodle skirt with a purple tank top ready to be humiliated by kids at school. I could already tell that today was going to be INSANE. I kissed my mom goodbye as I made my way out the door careful not to ruin my "fabulous" hairdo. 

        My assumptions about today's sucess seemed to be proved true as I watched as Lanie and her friends snickered at me as I was walking to school. Lanie and I've been friends on and off. Sometimes she talks to me, other times she's off talking to her other friends Jane and Kate which is most of the time. I think she's embarassed by me, like I'm some kind of plaque and if she gets caught assoiciating with me her reputation is ruined. She's the only friend I have, fake or real. Everyone else treated me as an Ebola patient, not the one to be around or be talked to. However, I'm used to being alone. At lunch I usually just bring a book.

        I snap my mind back to the present. There in front of me is my new future, the place that I'd be spending the next three years in. I inhaled a gigantic sigh of anxiety mixed with contentment. This was it. This was the moment. Kids were EVERYWHERE. Chatttering on and on. Some were discussing the latest football stats or exchanging schedules. Others were hunched over their phones furiously texting. I grimaced as I observed a couple mashing near the water fountain. i glanced at my schedule. My first class was English room 104. Easy enough. I thought. My locker was locker number 54. I huffed as I weaved through a crowd of ninth graders to my locker. I looked at the combination. 10-04-48. I tried the combination once. Nothing happened. I tried to open one more time, and again nothing. I kicked the locker in frustration gritting my teeth. This was not supposed to happen. This was not the perfect vision I'd been imagining all these years. I sighed and tried again only to have nothing happen again. 

"Having trouble?" I whipped my head around to see a real cutie behind me. He had deep brown skin and brown eyes. He teeth glinted in the light as he smiled. The one thing that always got me through the school days were cute guys. And here was one standing right next to me. My heart fluttered. I must have answered him because he asked," You okay?"

"Uh yeah," I replied trying to regain my sanity. 

"Here, what the combo?" he asked. 

"10-04-48," I recited. I watched in amazement as the locker popped right open. "Thanks," I said. 

"My names Peter Jacobs," he introduced. "And you are...."

"Apple," I finished. He nodded in acknoweldgement. "Hmm, Apple, that's an interesting name," he scrathed his chin. And that is a very interesting outfit." I blushed. I'd almost forgotten what I was wearing. A storm of terror rose over me. "See you later, Apple," Peter said rather flirtatiously. I waved back as I watched him disappear down the hall. Already something good has happened. 

        I scrambled to get my books and supplies and shuffle to first hour.