Heading Home

Reputation

"Ella!! You better wake up it's your first day of school!!"

I lift my head groggily and stand up. I try to brush my hair but give up when the brush get stuck in it. Karolyn walks into my room and sighs.

"I have been calling you down for ten minutes." She slowly pulls the brush out of my hair and finishes brushing it. "Now come down and eat something."

I follow her down stairs to the kitchen. After I eat some eggs and a muffin I finish getting ready for school. Greg drives me to the front door.

"Have a good day!"

"You too."

"I'll pick you up here after school," he says. His voice almost sounds worried. I step out and wave back at him.

In front of me stands a gloomy building. It's like a prison. It even has the fence. Okay, so maybe no barbed wire but I could sure imagine it. One step at a time I become part of the mob of people heading for the front doors.

• • • •

After checking in at the office and getting my schedule I head to my first class, math. Maybe it will give me a chance for a nap. I yawn just thinking about it. I step into the class and everyone turns around in their seats to face me. I can feel my checks turn bright red. Some turn away already bored, well others keep starring. I gather up enough courage to walk to the front of the class and hand the teacher a slip. It says "new student". I feel like those words are paired across my forehead. The teacher points to a seat and continues with her lesson. I can tell no one is listening. Actually I think half the class is asleep.

"Hey, new girl."

I turn to look at the girl behind me. She smiles and I see that most of her teeth are yellow. First thing that pops into my head is that she smokes. My dad used to smoke, his teeth were the same only worse.

"Hello?" She waves a hand in front of my face. "I asked you a question."

"Sorry I didn't catch it."

"I said, what is you name?"

For some reason the words get caught in my throat. I finally manage to say my name before turning back around. How embarrassing. I couldn't even remember my own name.

"My name is Tracy." she says the teacher tells Tracy to be quiet but she keeps talking, "So do you want to sit with me at lunch?" The teacher yells her and makes her leave the classroom. As she leaves she calls the teacher a name that should never be repeated and hands me a letter.

I unfold it and read,

Me and my buddies are all meeting up behind the parking lot at lunch. You should come.

Tracy

A few seconds later the bell rings. Everyone stands up to leave. I follow the crowd to my next class.

The rest of the morning I think about the note. Should I go? I'm pretty sure that they are meeting up to smoke, and smoking makes me want to throw up. On the other hand, if I don't show what kind of impression would that leave her with. Probably that I am a goody goody. Right as the bell rings for lunch I decide I will go. For my reputation.

I walk out the lunch doors and across the parking lot. I can already smell smoke but I keep going anyway. I frond Tracy and her friends behind a couple of trees.

"Hey look who showed up." Tracy walks over and hands me a half empty beer bottle. "Hold this for a second." She says right before leaning over and throwing up on the dirt. I step back. How long have they been out here? I want to leave but Tracy keeps talking to me.

"This is...." I can tell she knows it but the alcohol is making her forget.

The guy she was pointing at stands up. "The names Ace." his pants sag and he looks really drunk a covert is also dangling from his mouth. Tracy tries to I introduce me to everyone else but gives up. She can barley talk yet she is still drinking. She hands me a bottle. I look at it nervously.

"Come on pussy..., it's..just...beerrr." Her words are slurred and hard to understand with that she falls over on the ground. She tries three times to stand up before I help her.

"Go....on...drunk it...I mean..uhhh drink it." She points to the bottle in my hand. I open the cap and take a small sip. I don't really wen joy the taste much so I set it down. I tell Tracy I have to got the bathroom and run inside. I find an empty table in the corner and sit down. What an interesting this has been. I quickly remind myself it's only half way over.

My next period is Language Arts. I love this class. It's the one class I actually pay attention in. The bell rings. I wish I could just stay in here the rest of the day. I force myself to stand up and walk out the door. After P.E. I head to a study hall. I sit and stare at the clock until it tells me I can go.

I walk out the front door and see Greg's car. I hop into the front seat.

"How was school?"

I tell him it was fine and tell him all about my day. I made sure to leave out lunch.

"I was wondering, they have an emergency at the shelter and wanted some volunteers to come help. Do you want to come?"