A Goth, A Geek, and a Ghost

Chapter II: Introductions

     Surprisingly, your day went rather smoothly after your little "incident" with the English teacher in the hallway. You had found a decent spot in the lunchroom, off to the side where you could sit and contemplate how you were going to explain first-day detention to your parents. You could always tell them that it had just been jitters, or that the teacher had a reputation for being merciless. Chances are, they would see straight through that facade. They knew you; they knew how sharp-tongued you could be.

     You had been aimlessly picking at your food when a familiar jumble of voices passed you by. Lifting your head, you silently watched as the three kids from earlier sat at a nearby table, deep in conversation.

     You shouldn't stare...you really shouldn't.

     You couldn't help it. You had always been drawn to things that you found interesting; and this trio? They were interesting. You contemplated the idea of trying to make friends, but swiftly shot it down.

     They probably thought you were some nosey creep. No point in proving them right.

     You had always excelled at making friends, even in the awkward experience that was middle school a few years prior. Yet, Casper High was different. There was a rhythm to things. A code, if you will. You felt that, should you overstep or infringe on the status quo, you'd be outcast forever.

     No. You would wait for a friend to come to you.

     And come to you she did. Rather suddenly, in fact. You felt a tinge of guilt and panic as the goth from the hallway settled into the seat across from you, giving you a silent once-over to determine if she was making the right decision or not. You weren't sure how to react to what she said next.

     "My friends think you're cute," she stated bluntly, eyeing you to see your reaction. Your face paled as it scrunched in confusion.

     "Excuse me?"

     "My friends: the two boys over there," she nodded her head to the table she had previously been sitting at. "They think you're cute."

     Don't blow it, Driscoll.

     "Uhh...thanks?" It sounded more like a question than an actual thank you, but then again, this wasn't exactly how you had thought "making friends" was going to go.

     "What's your name?" She asked.

     Like she didn't already know. Word travels fast in a place like this. You had accidentally cussed out a teacher...there was no way she hadn't heard your name mentioned around school at least once.

     "(Y/n) Driscoll," you smiled, "and you?"

     "Sam. Do you want to sit with us?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. You stuttered over a response, trying to figure out if this would lead to you making a bigger fool of yourself.

     "I mean...I-"

     "Don't worry," she said. "They didn't send me over here to set you up or anything; get your number; all that jazz. As far as they know, I'm just asking you where you're from."

     Ah. She must be the most confident out of the three.

     You relaxed a bit as you began to reconnect with your normal, self-assured self, the pressure of having to reject two people on your first day beginning to dwindle.

     "Sure, I'll join," you chimed. "Sounds more fun than wasting away over here."

     She gave you a lopsided smile as she rose from her seat, waiting for you to gather your things and follow her to where two teenage boys sat at a rectangular table. You fought back the little bit of nervousness that had begun clawing at your throat, letting your level-headed personality take over as you approached.