Ulysses G. High School: Broken Friendships, Broken Hearts, Broken Bones

Spray-paint, SPS, and Secrets

*Taylor’s POV*

While walking into school, I am met with hateful glances. Although this does not surprise me, it still hurts me. Dating someone as popular as Bradley was a mistake, and I should have known that immediately. He blinded me with his beauty, woke me up with his violence, and now I am here, friendless again.

When I get to my locker, Kailyn and Alicia are leaning on it and talking to each other. Their conversation ends immediately and they turn their heads to face me.

“Can we help you?” asks Alicia.

“Moving from my locker could be a start,” I respond sarcastically.

They both sneer but hesitantly move to their left. After they reposition themselves, I notice that a word is spray-painted onto my locker. Sighing, I get a closer look and see that it says “Slut”.

“Not again with this. Really guys?” I ask the two girls.

“I swear we didn’t put that there. We saw it and that’s what we were talking about. Trust me, we wouldn’t be anywhere near your things unless we had a reason to,” Kailyn explains.

Unwilling to argue with her, I decide to believe her claim. Kailyn and Alicia proceed to gossip, and I proceed to shove books into my locker.

*Scarlet’s POV*

Avery, Damon, and I talk about our Thanksgiving break in homeroom. Interrupting my sentence, the PA system comes on.

“Avery Axton and Scarlet Everston, please report to SPS. Avery Axton and Scarlet Everston, please report to SPS,” commands the voice. As Avery and I rise to go to SPS, many immature ‘ooh’s and ‘ahh’s are exclaimed by our classmates. Avery and I roll our eyes and keep moving.

As we make our way down the hallway, Avery asks me, “Do you think we’re in trouble?”

I shake my head. “What would we be in trouble for? We’re good kids. The principal’s probably just gonna tell us we made honor roll or something.”

“I don’t make honor roll,” Avery tells me. “I’m not a genius student like you.”

Before I can protest, we enter SPS. The vice principal is sitting at his desk with Evan standing on his left and a tall African-American girl on his right.

“Good morning ladies. As you know, our school has a policy where we assign one ‘buddy’ to a new student. Each of you will be assigned to one of these students standing next to me. Show them to their classes, give them a place to sit at lunch, and be nice to them,” the vice principal directs us.

It amazes me that I am able to comprehend what he is saying, since Evan keeps winking at me.

The vice principal examines a paper on his clipboard. “Avery, you will be assigned to…”

“Please be Evan, please be Evan, please be Evan…” murmurs Avery.

“…Jewel,” finishes Vice Principal Zimmerman. The tall girl makes her way over to Avery and introduces herself to her. They exit, and only the vice principal, Evan, and I remain in the room.

“Scarlet, you will be Evan’s welcoming committee,” Zimmerman tells me. Evan walks up to me and smiles a charming smile at me. As we exit, I take a look at his schedule and see that his homeroom class is the same as mine. I lead him back to the class.

“Kind and pretty, what a nice combination,” Evan tells me. I try my hardest not to blush. Suddenly, I stop walking and so does he. I turn to face him.

“Me being your welcoming committee wasn’t an accident, was it?” I ask him. With a playful smirk, he shakes his head.

“Nope. My dad’s the principal, so I can basically do whatever I want. I told him to make you my welcomer,” he explains.

“Well I’m very flattered,” I begin, “but I have a boyfriend.”

This information sparks no reaction in him whatsoever. “Summer clothes,” he states.

I fail to understand how that relates to anything. “What?” I ask.

He looks at me and calmly declares, “Sorry, I thought we were naming things we wouldn’t have to worry about by the end of the semester.”

*Jewel’s POV*

Avery and I walk down the hallway back to homeroom as she explains my schedule to me. I am hardly listening, however.

Suddenly, interrupting her sentence, I ask, “Are you a lesbian?”

Her eyes widen at the question, and then she says, “I’m bisexual. Is it that obvious?”

Chuckling, I shake my head. “Not at all, actually. I have this weird talent where I can just pick out a person that likes the opposite sex. It’s kind of a curse. Don’t worry though, I’m a lesbian,” I tell Avery.

It is evident that she is unsure of how to respond, because she just nods nervously. We walk silently back to homeroom.

Clearly, I’m just awesome at this whole ‘making friends’ thing.

*Harvey’s POV*

Sitting next to my only friends Kelly and Vineet, I listen to the morning announcements.

“Auditions for the school play will be held this afternoon in the auditorium. Actors and backstage workers are needed, as well as a writer who will also direct the play,” announces the distorted voice on the PA system.

I turn to Kelly excitedly. “I’m gonna try out for the role of writer and director,” I tell her.

“Really? So am I.”

Turning around, I see Carson, a goth kid that I do not usually talk to. He was the one who stated that he was trying out for writer and director.

“Oh, cool,” I reply, not really caring.

“Best of luck,” Carson says to me. Unsure if he is being genuine or snooty, I just nod and then turn back around.

Competition and socializing are by far the two things that I am worst at.

*Kailyn’s POV*

The day goes by slowly and uneventfully. Before lunch, I wait for Tessa by her locker. When she comes, I share my urgent news with her.

“Tessa! Do you know what today is?” I ask forcefully. She thinks about it briefly and then shakes her head. “Today marks three days after I was due to have my period,” I mutter.

Tessa looks at me sternly. “Are you sure?” she asks. I nod frantically.

“I’ve been one or two days late before, but never three!” I exclaim.

“Well calm down,” Tessa says. “You did have a lot to drink that one night, maybe it’s the alcohol?”

“You think I’m not having my period because I drank too much five days ago?!” I question in an intense whisper. She shrugs.

“I don’t know, it was just a thought,” she whispers back.

“Tessa, you don’t think…” I begin. She just looks at me with giant innocent eyes.

“Well, when I found you, you were on a bed with your dress on backwards…” she says to me. I immediately shut my eyes and cover my ears.

“Eww, okay, stop. But I don’t remember doing it with anyone…” I continue.

“That doesn’t mean it never happened,” Tessa reminds me.

Because of this statement, I am on the verge of tears. Tessa instantly notices. “Okay, look,” she begins, “it’s only three days. That’s still pretty normal. And besides, what’re the odds that the first time you… did it… is the first time you get pregnant?”

Silence is my response since I cannot bear to talk about this any longer.