Unintended Influence: Taming the Bad Boy

CHAPTER 3: A BUDDY

"I see, your complete name is Kimberley Anne Sierra Bernal. Welcome to Maine Central School," Mrs. Moore said as she reviewed my registration form. "I mean, you know what to do, right?" She was referring to the customary introduction process, and I was well aware of it. However, my nerves got the best of me, and I smiled awkwardly while nodding. "Yes," I replied.

Mrs. Moore moved aside to give me a path into the classroom. As I entered, she closed the door and walked beside me toward the front of the class. I couldn't help but gulp uncontrollably. Mrs. Moore patted me on the back and signaled for me to start my introduction. I looked at her and saw that she was smiling, which gave me a bit of encouragement. I nodded and turned my attention to my new classmates.

"Hello, I'm Kimberley Anne Bernal, but you can just call me Kim. Let's be friends," I said, my hands nervously intertwined. "Can you tell us where you're from and share some of your favorites?" I nodded, gathering my thoughts.

"I'm from the Philippines, and my favorite color is blue. As for my favorite foods, I love adobo and lumpiang Shanghai. Oh, they're Filipino dishes," I added.

"Wow, I've tasted those two when your auntie gave me some on Christmas, and they were delicious. I ate ten lumpiang Shanghai and had it with rice," Mrs. Moore chimed in, laughing. I chuckled along with her.

"Yeah, they're common dishes in the Philippines, especially during birthday parties," I explained, feeling a bit more at ease as the conversation flowed.

I could hear my classmates chatting amongst themselves, one sharing a story about learning to make lumpiang Shanghai online and falling in love with the taste.

Mrs. Moore chuckled and said, "After eating it, I searched how to make it online, and when I learned how to do it, I started making it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was like an amazing taste that I never got tired of."

I nodded at her, acknowledging her enthusiasm for Filipino cuisine.

"Anyway, this is your room, and these are your classmates," Mrs. Moore continued. I glanced at my new classmates, who were all looking at me with curiosity.

"Your chair is in the back," she added. "You see the two empty chairs there? Since Damon is absent again, he's your seatmate. Damon usually sits beside the window, and you can sit on the aisle chair, alright?"

I smiled and nodded, feeling grateful for her guidance. "Thank you, Mrs. Moore," I said before making my way to the back of the classroom. My classmates continued to watch my every move as I took my seat and placed my bag on the chair. Mrs. Moore resumed her class, she teach history. I tried to settle in and focus on my first day at Maine Central School.

As the class came to an end, many of my classmates began chatting with each other, and some even left the room. I started doodling in the back of my notebook, trying to occupy myself.

Two girls approached me, and I looked up at them. They were smiling and seemed friendly. "Hello, Kim," one of them greeted me.

"Hi," I replied, not yet knowing their names. The girl who spoke continued, "Ah, my name is Jenny, and this is Veronica. You can call her Vero." Veronica waved at me.

"Nice to meet you both," I said, trying to be friendly. Jenny smiled a little and admitted, "Well, not to be rude, at first we thought we'd have a language barrier, so we didn't approach you earlier."

I smiled and understood her concern. "I'm still learning, but I can understand and speak English fairly well. So, feel free to talk to me anytime," I reassured them.

"That's nice to hear. Did you meet Damon already?" Jenny asked. "He's half Chinese and half American. You're so lucky. He's always absent, and when he does attend school, he doesn't talk to us. He only talks to Drake or Candace, which a lot of girls think they have a thing going on"