all the stars

~ one ~

✰ Asteria's P.O.V. ✰

I drove into the parking lot of the smallest school I had ever seen. I was used to L.A. Huge, glamorous, too many people to keep track of. This was small and simple. Students here and there. I shut off my Subaru and shoved the keys into my pocket. I got out of the car and grabbed my backpack from the back seat, swinging it over my shoulder as I took in the view. I breathed in the clean air and exhaled as I looked again to the doors of Lake Champlain Union High School. I looked to the left to the football field where some guys were doing warm ups. To my right were woods that opened up to the great body of water that made up Lake Champlain. I checked my phone. 8:05.

I pocketed it and walked through the doors of the small school, taking in my surroundings. There were benches by windows that viewed the parking lot and in front of me were offices. The principal, vice principal, etc. To my left and right stretched a hallway with marble floors and white walls. The left went to the lower half of the building into the cafeteria, and the gym, while the right went to all of the classrooms. Students were walking in every direction, trying to figure out where their semester schedules were trying to take them. Some girls lounging in the hallway eyed me as I tried to find the person in charge of scheduling. I never received mine in the mail, so I kind of need it, like, now.

I walked into the collection of offices before me, deciding I would just ask someone random about it. I located a desk that was marked "Guidance Counselor" and decided that would have to do. I did need guidance after all, didn't I? A man with glasses that were too small for his head was talking to someone on the phone and just stared at me as if I was currently the most annoying thing in the world. I could see him wishing I was a fly so he could swat me away. Wasn't he pleasant.

When he finally finished up his conversation with, whom I believe to be a concerned mother (due to bits and pieces I heard of the conversation) he stared down at some papers in front of him and said, "Yes?" I made sure to hurry this up.

"Hi, I, um, was wondering if I could pick up a copy of this semester's schedule?" I tried to sound as sweet and innocent as possible. He just looked up at me lazily through his glasses.

"Name?"

Ugh, always the worst part of introducing myself.

"Asteria Kensington. My family just-."

"Just moved here. So you're the new girl. Don't you have a sister too?" He said, probably more so just to ask rather than out of actual curiosity.

"Uh, yeah. I do. She doesn't have any classes until third period, though." Lucky seniors.

"Mhm," he sighed uninterestedly, never taking his eyes off the papers. Finally, after two minutes that had seemed like two decades, he pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to me.

"Here, now get going before the bell rings." And that was the last thing he said to me. I hurried out of the office, ready to be out of there. I hoped I wouldn't need anymore "guidance" soon. I looked down at the sheet of paper that I clutched in my hands as if it were the most important thing in the world. It listed my name, grade, locker number and combination, student ID, and class schedule. I searched through the list of classes to figure out what was happening at what time. My old school transferred all of my credits and grades to this one, so I hoped everything was accurate. I don't want to have to repeat anything.

I started walking down the long, busy hallway as the first bell rang and everyone was in a frenzy. I stared at the paper to find that AP Psychology was the first on my list. What a nice class to wake up and come to every morning. I rolled my eyes at myself. I searched for room 215 and quickly discovered that the classes in the 100s are on the first floor and the 200s are on the second. I raced up the stairwell as casually as possible and began to search the room numbers. 209, 211, 212, 215. I calmly breathed out and walked through the doorway into the classroom.