Serendipity

Sydney like the city

You could say I'm nervous. And you wouldn't be wrong.

But, the thing is, if you were everyone else at my new school— you wouldn't be saying that.

Because I make sure that everyone's first impression of me is as good as I can get it.

I smile at the kids in the hallway, greet the teachers, and nod my head at the guys that notice me. It's really a very strange experience for me, since I feel like this is something that would only happen in one of those cheesy movies I used to watch as a kid. Or maybe it's just my lack of previous experience that makes everything feel surreal.

"Yo, new kid," One guy calls, striding confidently out of the men's bathroom. "What's up?" He extends a hand for a fist-bump.

"Ey, mate," I grin, knocking knuckles with him. "I'm Timothy."

"Cam," He nods. "Where're you headed?"

"First class," I say, then inwardly wince. What kind of answer was that? "You?"

"Same."

I nod, and then continue on my route. After a moment, Cam turns and goes in the opposite direction.

I walk quickly, so I don't have to linger in the unfamiliar halls. As confident I may seem, I can't help but feel like the walls are pressing in on me.

I shake my head to clear it.

My first class is history, with....

"Mr. Davidson?" I say, peeking my head through the open doorway.

A tall man with a kind face and short chocolate brown hair smiles up at me from his desk.

"Timothy?" He asks, and when I nod he waves his arm at the room. "Come on in."

"How's it going?" I ask, sliding over to a chair in the corner. I notice that each desk is twice the normal size, and each one has two chairs side-by-side. This isn't what I remember seeing in the movies... but I wonder who'll end up sitting next to me.

"It's going alright," He moves some stuff from his desk to the floor beneath it. His blue eyes stand out from his skin— which is a soft brown to match his hair— and they glow at me brightly. "It's nice to have someone like you talking to me, though."

"Of course, sir," I smile.

Movement from the doorway catches my attention, and my eyes land on a boy with naturally tanned skin and dark hair. His gray hoodie and black pants seem like they were draped over the idea of a person, and the way he shelps around doesn't help his case.

"Ah, Sydney," Mr. Davidson nods politely. "Why don't you go sit over by Timothy?"

Sydney doesn't make much of an effort to respond, instead grunting softly and walking over to the desk where I'm sitting. He sits down heavily next to me, even though he can't be more than a hundred pounds. He slides his head down onto the desk, resting it on his arms.

"Hey," I say cautiously, extending a hand to shake. I don't remember seeing him before, but then again, I haven't been here long enough to really say that as if I know everyone. "I'm Timothy."

"Hm?" Sydney turns his head and looks at me from the eye above his arm. His eye lands on my hand, but he doesn't move as if he's going to take it, so I pull it back awkwardly.

"I'm Timothy," I say again. "Though I'm sure you already knew that."

"I'm Sydney," He replies.

"Yeah."

I glance out the window, clenching my teeth. Why does he have to be so hard to talk to? I mean, compared to some other people, he just seems really closed-off.

"Uhm," I try again, turning to face him. His eye hasn't left me, nor have I seen it blink yet. It kinda freaks me out, but I don't say anything about it. "So... Sydney, huh?"

He sighs, as if this is something that happens too often for his liking. "Yeah. Sydney like the city in Australia. Sydney like the girl name. I don't like it either."

"What?" I shake my head, scrambling to correct him. When was that ever implied? "No, I like it!"

"Hm?" Sydney raises his eyebrow. Or eyebrows. I can't tell. "What'd you say?"

"I like it," I repeat. "I think it's pretty." Then I cough. "Wait, not pretty like girly— pretty like—"

"It's fine," He shakes his head slightly, then lifts it up so he's sitting upright. "I just wasn't expecting that."

"Sorry," I wince. So much for everyone getting a good impression of me.

He smacks his lips, as if suddenly thirsty, and looks around the room, where a few more students now shuffle into their seats.

Sydney and I don't end up talking much more than that, but when the class ends I offer to walk with him, since we both have math together. He doesn't decline, which I count as a win.

After math class, Sydney and I go our separate ways, since we have different classes until the last two periods, which I found out by asking while we walked from history to math.

As I sit in my chair in biology, the guy I talked to a while ago- Cam?- pulls up a chair next to me.

"Hey, Tam," He says. Tam? I frown.

"Timothy," I correct.

"Tam," He repeats, shrugging. I sigh and shrug as well. I guess it doesn't really matter.

"What's up?"

"I saw you walking around with Sydney," He says casually.

"And?"

"Just wanted to let you know—" He drops his voice slightly. "He's gay."

"Okay...?" I chew on my lip. "What about it?"

"Just wanted you to know," He nods, as if he's just saved me from some sort of deadly disease. "Since you're new 'n all."

"I... thanks," I wince as I tear some skin from my lip. I taste blood and suck my cheeks in to keep from biting my lip again.

"Yeah, no prob," Cam nods and scoots his chair back to his own desk. "I like you, Tam."

"Thanks," I nod, still not entirely sure about the nickname.

Our teacher taps her ruler against her desk (why does she have a ruler? Who gave old scary buff lady a ruler?) and the room quiets.

Biology is mostly uneventful, for which I'm grateful (I was honestly scared Mrs. Taylor was going to smack someone with the ruler that never left her hand).

As I trot outside to eat lunch, I spot Sydney sitting with some Asian kid wearing a beanie, and decide it wouldn't be a good idea to crash with them, since they seem pretty close. As much a I'd like to talk with Sydney more, I don't want to interrupt them.

Cam waves me over to his group of sporty dudes, and I oblige. But not before casting one last glance at Sydney.