Survivors

Chapter Three: First Day

Whoopee. First day back at school: it's full of learning, homework, and annoying people, teachers and students alike. Summer break was hardly a vacation at all what with waking up early and always worrying about the war.

"At least I get to hang out with Liora and Ali," I thought as my new homeroom teacher, Ms. Rios, rambled on about following school rules and detentions as consequences and everything else teachers talk about on the first day on school. Everyone was lined up against the back of the room while Ms. Rios started picking our seats.

"Sierra!" Ms. Rios said and pointed at a seat next to an already seated Adrian. He started talking to me immediately as soon as I sat down with all my stuff in my hands. Once I dumped the stuff on the desk, I showed him my middle finger and he gasped and looked away mouth still opened. He pointed at me as to show everyone in the back while Ms. Rios's back was still turned. "Tyler!" who was seated right in front of me. In my mind, I screamed. Ali was seated towards the front and Liora's desk was next to the window on the left of the classroom.

I hardly heard what Ms. Rios said, due to my fantasizing, until she called my name again, louder. "What?" I asked blankly. Everyone laughed. "What?"

"Sierra, were you even paying attention?" Ms. Rios questioned.

"Yeah, to the hot ass on my binder." Everyone laughed yet again.

"DETENTION! SIERRA!" Ms. Rios screamed at me. "And unless you're looking for a suspension, I suggest you stop talking!" she finished with an air that spelled certain doom had I not listened. Adrian laughed at my face until Ms. Rios turned around again and I showed him my middle finger again.

Once we walked out of that class, I pinned him to the wall where other students surrounded us so the teachers wouldn't notice us. "You think you're so funny? Try that shit again and I will destroy you!" I threatened him. I walked away like nothing had happened.

"What happened to you?" Adrian called out but I never answered.

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I walked into Math class and waited for my Math teacher, Mr. Valadez to assign seats. I've had to out up with his math lessons for two years already and algebra class with him wasn't about to get any better. He always tries to come up with shitty ways to apply his math to real life; news flash: NO ONE CARES! And what a big surprise it is....

"Ali," Mr. Valadez said as he pointed to what I guessed was Table Six. "Liora," was placed right across from Ali. Luckies... I thought. "Tyler!" Valadez called and pointed right at the second head of the table. Really luckies... I thought again. "Sierra!" he called out my name and, brilliant stroke of luck that was completely unbelievable, I was placed right next to Tyler at the other had of Table Six! Mr. Valadez's seating style is normally to have students in groups so that we could "help each other out," but it's completely not in our nature to do that. Normal teachers would realize that putting Eighth Graders like us in groups would lead to a lot of talking and little teaching. But hey, if things change this year, I give you permission to slap me in the face ONCE. I don't want multiple red marks all over my face, it's ugly enough. Though this new seating just might be my new stroke of luck in what is often drab and boring; it's called school.