Mud Girl

Back to school

It was already Friday and it was time to go back to school. This time, Georgia set her alarm and didn't wait for someone to wake her up. She changed, put her things in her backpack and went downstairs. Her father and mother were in the kitchen. When Louise saw her, she looked away and started 'cleaning' the kitchen, trying to avoid conversation.

"Oh, sweety, we didn't expected you to be up so early" said Ted "Your sister will be here in a moments"

"Don't worry, tell her she can go back to sleep, I'll go to school alone" Georgia said and closed the door.

Her parents remained silent. Without looking back, she continued on her way to school. When she arrived, she sat down again next to the door, which was still a little time away from opening. She took out her diary and looked at the pages she had scratched with her pencil. Then, she sighed and opened a blank page. She began to write.

It is a cloudy day. I may look very calm, but inside I feel like I'm going to explode. I'm scared. I don't know how others will treat me. I don't know how the teachers I had problems with will treat me. I feel like crying. No. I'm not going to cry. I don't care what they think of me. Maybe I meant everything I said. I don't know, but in a way, I'm glad I said that.

The bell rang and the doors began to open. Georgia quickly stood up and went inside. She walked while looking down, avoiding eye contact with some of the teachers walking down the hallways. When she arrived, she sat in a seat on the back again. She stayed there. Thinking about everything that was happening and what was going to happen. Not long after, the bell rang and several children began to walk down the hallways and into the classroom. Like the first day, the room began to fill up more and more, the only difference was that now everyone noticed Georgia's presence and looked at her strangely and whispered to each other. The teacher arrived. During the whole class, Georgia kept silent, avoiding the teacher's call. She only wrote in her notebook what was written on the board. After two long and quiet hours, the bell rang indicating that the class was over. Georgia had survived the first part of the day. She was packing her things as quickly as she could.

"Georgia, can you come over for a while before you go?" Suddenly the teacher called her.

She was surprised when he called her, but that was to be expected.

"Please go to your break." Said the teacher to the few students left in the room. They turned to look at Georgia and left. She quietly approached the teacher's desk.

"Well... you were not present in the last math classes, therefore you missed some topics we have seen in class. If you can, ask one of your classmates for a notebook so you can copy their notes, so you don't get confused, ok?" Said the teacher, she seemed to be kind unlike the other two teachers.

"Oh...sure, no problem. Thank you." Georgia said, relieved.

"It's nothing, well I have a meeting, excuse me." Said the teacher and left the room.

Georgia was calmer. However, she realized she had to ask someone for a notebook. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She turned to look at the students' seats. Suddenly, she saw something on one of the desks. She walked over and saw that it was a math notebook. Without thinking, she quickly grabbed it and put it under her coat.

Before anyone discovered her, she left the classroom and headed for the tree where she sat on the first day of school. When he arrived, she sat down and began copying as fast as she could from the notebook. She had to return it before anyone noticed. Recess passed and the bell rang. She decided to finish copying during class, got up and ran inside the school. She had chemistry and when she got to the lab, there were desks for two. There was only one free seat. She had no choice, so she went to sit down and avoided contact with the person next to her, who was distracted talking to other students. He took his things out of his backpack and started copying quickly before the teacher arrived.

"Hey! Is that my book?" Said a voice.

"No" Georgia replied. She quickly closed the book and looked at the boy next to her.

"Nice try, mud girl, but my name is on the cover" Said the boy as he pointed to his written name.

"Wait, you're the guy who made me fall, right?" asked Georgia as she realized he called her "mud girl".

"Oh yeah, that. I haven't seen you since, were you too embarrassed to come back?"

"I got suspended"

"Oh, you fell asleep in class again?"

"Look, uhh" Georgia looks at his name in the notebook. "William, I don't have to explain myself to you, take your stupid book and leave me alone".

William rolled his eyes and began whispering to the students he had been talking to earlier. Georgia thought it was strange, but the teacher arrived so she tried to concentrate on the class.

When the class ended, Georgia stood up and looked at William, who was looking at her with a wicked grin. She put her backpack on her back, turned around and left. It was time for lunch. When she got to the cafeteria and picked up her lunch, it seemed everyone already had their groups of friends and their tables. All the seats were completely full. As usual, he carried his lunch tray and sat down on the tree. Apparently that was the established seat for her.

After lunch, he left his tray in the cafeteria and went to his locker to get some books for his next class. When she opened it, a bucket full of water fell on her head. All her clothes, her books and the floor were soaked. Suddenly, she heard people laughing loudly, turned around and saw William and his friends. Georgia got very angry, she grabbed the bucket and went to the bathroom. She tried to dry what she could of her clothes and books. Then, she filled the bucket with water again and left the bathroom. She went to where William was standing and she dumped the water all over him.