It's in the accent (Chris's story pt1)

We got our Sandy

Home room I felt like a goldfish in a bowl when the teacher made me introduce myself. The guy that had opened the door was sitting in the back of the class chewing gum with a hanger on either side of him whispering across him.

He started to smirk at something one of them said before draping his arm round her shoulders. The teacher pointed me to a seat to the side and carried on talking about announcements. I was in hell. I could feel eyes burning into the back of my head I wanted so much to turn round but I remembered my cousin's advice when he found out I was coming her. 'First day keep your mouth shut and the razor tongue you have inside your damn head'

 I took a deep breath and went back to trying to work out where the hell I was going for biology next. The bell rang and the class all seemed to pile through the door all at the same time, I leant on the wall waiting for the crush to subside a little.

"A little far from the Midwest aren't you?" one of the hangers on smiled a sweet sickly smile at me

"A little but I get to come here and see how a big school works" I put on my best Wisconsin accent making her recoil like I'd poured acid on her.

'Oh jeez you talk funny" she wrinkled her nose.

"Yeah well you look funny" I shrugged in my normal voice "we're all screwed in some way" I heard someone start laughing as the girl stood there with her mouth hanging open as if to say something but she could quite figure out what.

"Yeah well the packers suck" she called after me I turned round and walked backwards and held out my arms. "I know... but then again so does most football" I turned round and walked into someone. "Sorry" I held up my hands as their books crashed to the floor.

"Its okay" the girl looked up at me "You're Christine right"

"Chris" I corrected I only got called Christine normally if I'd done something wrong

"I'm Miranda" she pulled her books together and stood up. "Mr. Sorenson sent me to find you"

"Found a friend Mir" the girl I'd had words with said pulling a face as she walked past with the guy from earlier

"Shut up Reba" Miranda muttered under her breath.

"Now now" the guy tapped her chin she slapped his hand away and glared at him. Great 8am and already the bitchiness begins

"Jackson come on" Reba whined her overly blonde hair swinging in the high ponytail it was scrapped into. I watched as they walked down the hallway his hand on her ass.

"Okay I have a few questions" I mused as I followed Miranda

"Shoot" she sighed trying to arrange the books and papers in her arms.

"Okay who's Mr. Sorenson and why did he send you to find me?"

"Oh he's the musical director and he got your transcripts from your old school and he wants you for the lead in Grease" she shrugged. "He's got you out of your next class so you can audition for him" she smiled as her papers were finally neat again "you must be good"

"I'm embarrassed if Miss Doyle sent the DVD from the last show" I groaned.

"Who's Miss. Doyle?" Miranda asked looking at me

"My old music teacher" I smiled remembering the blast we'd had in spring putting on West side story I hung my head that homesick feeling was washing back over me again. Suck it up Chris you're not going back north till you graduate I said in my head.

"Okay so what other questions do you have?" Miranda brought my thoughts back from East High to River View High.

"Who was the blond?"

"Rebecca Lawson... Reba" she moaned "Head Cheerleader, captain of the dance team and all round school slut" Miranda giggled evilly. "But don't cross her she can make your life hell"

"I get it... so who was the jock?"

"That would be Jackson Williams, Lacrosse captain and Basketball captain" she shrugged "Reba's on again off again lets get horny in the back of your truck boyfriend" she pushed open a door the sound of music flooded out. "Oh and my twin brother" she turned away from me "I got Sandy" she laughed calling across the room; twenty sets of eyes turned round to look at me.

"Ahhh Miss Sommers" an obviously over dramatic gay man stepped from behind a piano wearing a red shirt with jeans and a huge green bow tie. I was so far from Wisconsin now I think forgot how to spell it "Come sit... sit" he patted the vacant piano stool "Miss Doyle spoke to me for 30 minutes about you this very morn" he wiped his forehead with a large white handkerchief "You are my new muse; and these sweet people here" he swept his arm out to the rest of the students in the room "agree with me after witnessing the wonderful job you did as Maria"

"Er... Thanks" was all I could thing to say as I shifted a little uncomfortably from one foot to another 

"So my darling; you must play for us" he pushed up the cover that was over the keys "Play and swing something for us" Oh great nothing like being put on the spot and all the songs I could think of we're all Nickelback ones; every show tune I knew had up and left my mind and gone on vacation as I stared at the keys on the piano.

The room was deftly silent. I took a deep breath and started to play 'Far away' the music sends me to a totally different place as my fingers ran over the keys and I started to sing. The words ran through my head; as I remembered singing it when I last went camping with all my friends before we moved. I came to the end of the song and opened my eyes. 

"Wow that wasn't a song I was expecting but..." everyone else was on their feet in the room clapping and whistling. "I think Miranda you need to go get coach Jones down here we've found the girl to sing the anthem at Friday nights game and we've found our Sandy" MR. Sorenson wiped away imaginary tears as Miranda got to her feet

"You know Boss; I'm ain't a gopher" she grinned

"Honey I know that" he laughed snapping his fingers and bobbing his head "but I know what you get like when you see a certain football player who right now has practice" Miranda blushed beet red and scurried from the room as I got swamped by people all chatting to me. Finally a place with no bitchiness.