There were people everywhere and there were so many hallways. There was no way that I was going to find all my classes by myself. I didn't want to talk to anybody and I sure as hell didn't want any help from that stupid counselor. I reached in my pocket and grabbed schedule. Biology was first class. The bell rung and people scattered into the classrooms.
"Great." I said to myself, "I'm late on the first day." I stuffed my schedule in my pocket and sat on the bench in front of the counselors office. A tall young woman stepped out of the office. The name tag on her shirt said Ms.Julie Chesterfield High School Counsler. I had expected her to be much older like most counslers. Her hair was a natural blonde color and it went to her shoulders. She wore glasses and a lot of makeup just like my mom. Maybe that's why she looks so young I thought to myself.
"Hello, you must be umm, hold on sweetie." she ruffled through a stack of papers that was in her hand. "Oh here it is, Madelline Cocker right?" I quickly stood up from the bench.
"Mandy." I said aggravated. " I go by Mandy." I only let my dad call me Madelline. It never sounded right when other people called me that it only sounded right when my dad did.
"Oh I'm sorry Mad..." She paused. " I mean Mandy. I didn't know." She pushed her glasses up from where they had slide down on her nose and straightened her suit. "Well I'm Ms.Julie and I'm the counselor here at Chesterfield High and I'll be helping you find your classes today." She looked at me and smiled like I was a five year old or something. I rolled my eyes and sighed.
"Whatever." I said. She frowned.
"Now Madelline I..."
"Mandy." I said cutting her off.
" Mandy I mean. I know it can be hard being the new kid at school especially at a school like this, but if you let me help you then I'm sure that you'll enjoy it here." She waited for me to respond but I just crossed my arms and starred at my rain boots. "Trust me Mandy."
"Just take me to class, I'm already late." She ruffled through her papers and pulled out a sheet.
"I have a copy of your schedule so that I know where to find you. Let's see, you have biology first period and that would be Mrs.Jacob." She closed her office door and straighten her papers. "Follow me Mandy." I followed her down the hallway and up the stairs. She stopped at a door at a door at the end of the hallway. "Here we are Mandy biology class. Now Mrs.Jacob is a little hard on his students but since your new here I'm sure that he'll try and make it easy on you." Like that was going to make me feel any better. She opened the door and walked in. I stood in the hallway until she gestured me to come in. The classroom was huge. There about thirty people In there and they were all looking at me. I looked at the chalkboard so that I couldn't see them staring at me.
"Hello Ms.Julie, who have you brought with you?" Said Mrs.Jacob.
"This is Mandy Cocker and she is new here at Chesterfield I would like everyone here to make her feel welcome." Great the last thing I need is a bunch of idiots crowded around me telling me welcome and am I having a nice day and shit. Mrs.Jacob looked my way and smiled at me.
"Welcome Mandy, I'm glad to have you here. Please take any empty seat that you like and one of my students would be glad to help you with your work." I walked to the empty seat that was at the back of the class where nobody could bother me.
"Mandy." Ms.Julie said. "If you need me I'll be in my office." She smiled at me one last time and walked at the door.
"Alright class continue with your work, and try not to be so loud. There are to many of you in here." The class went from silent to loud and people started switching seat's. I layed my head on my desk and tryed to drown everyone else's voices out of my head. I thought about what my dad said to me before I left to go with mom. I was in my room on my bed and I was packing the last of my stuff when he came in.
"Hey Madelline. Can I come in?"
"Yeah." I said moving the box over so he could sit down. He had grown a beard on his face and the hair on his head was wild. He was so stressed but I never said anything about to him. I didn't want him to see what the divorce was doing to him.
"So kiddo. How are you feeling. You know. About the move." He looked at me with a half smile in his face but it was hard to tell because of his beard.
"I hate it dad. I hate the whole thing." My eyes started to water and the room became blurry. Hot tears ran down my cheek. He put his hands on my face and wiped away my tears. The touch of his skin made me cry even more.
"Madelline everything will be ok." He said to me.
"No dad it won't! I want to be with you please I'll do anything daddy just..." I paused to catch my breath. " Just don't let them take me. Please"I laid my head on his shoulder and he kissed me on my forehead.
"Madelline if it was up to me the you would be with me and the both of us would be happy but that's not the way that it works." He sighed. "Just know that I will always love you." That was the last day that I saw him. I took my head off the desk and checked my phone.
New message from Mom
I sighed and read it.
"How is school so far. Is counselor helping you at all???"
I closed my phone without replying to her. I decided to give her the silent treatment for the rest of the day.
"Ummm, hi Mandy, I'm Jessica." I looked up from my desk to find a skinny pale girl standing in front of my desk. She had short black hair and wore dark eyeliner, lots of it. She looked like some weird science fair project. "Can I have a seat, or whatever?"
"Sure." I said. She pulled a desk next to mines and sat down.
"Sucks being the new kid huh?"
"Yeah. You could say that." I wasn't the type to make friends on the first day but Jessica was kind of cool.
"I hate to break it to you but Cloverfieid High is a real living hell hole." She said nodding her head.
"Isn't every high school." I said. We both laughed. "So your names Jessica?"
"People call me Jess for short. I don't like going by my real name."
"Neither do I." I said. Its about time I met somebody like me in this shitty town.
"What's your real name?"
"Madelline."
"Not bad." She said picking at her nails. "So Mandy, why did you move to Cloverfield? No wait let me guess, parents got a divorce?" I jumped forward in my seat startled that she guessed it right.
"How did you know? Did that stupid counselor tell you? Is she spreading my fucking personal life business around the school now?" Jessica's eyes grew big.
"Whoa, no way man. Calm down it was just a lucky guess." I took a breath and sat back in my seat. Jessica laughed. " Is this how you make friends?" She said joking with me.
"I'm sorry." I said. "I've had a long morning and I just need a break you know."
"Yeah I know what you mean, but I know what would make you feel better."
"What?" I said.
" Lover boy down there has been giving you the goggeley eyes ever since you walked in the classroom." I looked towards the front of the classroom and saw a tall handsome boy sitting at his desk looking straight at me. He looked very familiar. Went I leaned forward on my desk to get a better look at him he turned around and opened his book.
"Hey Jess what's his name?"
"I don't know I can never remember that kids name."
"He looks familiar." I said trying to remember where I had seen him from. How could I forget a face so cute like his? The bell rung and he was the first one out of the classroom. I grabbed my bag and my book and headed for the door.
"Whoa Mandy slow down." Jess said trailing behind me. "I thought you needed a break." She laughed.
"Yeah but I need to find that boy." I thought that maybe if I got a closer look then I would remember where I saw him from. I had to find him. I don't know why, I just did.
