Core Four: Freshman Year

Firsts

The house was eerily quiet as I slowly got myself ready for the first day of school.  My face, tanned from the basketball I'd been playing, still had a swollen lip from the wasp sting.  I was able to hide it with a lip pencil Debbie had left in my bathroom.  I stared at myself with bright red lips and thought I looked like a combination of a clown and a little girl playing with her mom's makeup.  I was never into makeup.  It didn't work well with being athletic and sweating, but today's lip situation required it.  I threw the lip pencil in my backpack to reapply later.

"Good morning, sunshine!" Debbie chirped at me from the kitchen. I hadn't even heard her wake up.  Debbie moved mysteriously through her home.

"Good morning!  Whoa, are you cooking breakfast?" 

"Of course! I try to every day.  We should both start the day with eggs. Protein is good for the brain!" Debbie was cheerfully whipping eggs in a bowl.

I don't know if Debbie could tell how surprised I was, but no one in my previous household had cooked us meals.  I was in charge of setting the alarm, and dressing my brother and I.  My realization hit me hard.  This would be a first day of school without my little brother in tow.  Before I could continue to spiral in those thoughts, Debbie was next to me.

"Here are your eggs, Kiana. Oooh, the lips look great with that shade of red," Debbie said excitedly as she winked at me.  I could tell she was trying hard to be my mom, and although I was quiet about it, her efforts were appreciated.

"Thank you," I said quickly while hurriedly eating the eggs.   I read the kitchen clock and realized I needed to be at the bus stop soon.  I was brushing my teeth with force and speed never before seen when Debbie poked her head in the bathroom. 

"How about I give you a ride?  The first day of school calls for special treatment."

I was surprised and murmured "Yeah, great!" with toothpaste and water pouring out of my mouth.  This was the first time in my life that an adult was trying to make my life better.  Normally, my mom would remain in bed while I rushed my little brother to his bus stop, and then ran to mine.  There were many days I had missed the bus because I put my brother first.  My parents didn't.  They remained in bed for many hours of the day, worrying only about their next "fix".

Debbie was considerate during drop off as well.  She decided to turn around in the middle of the school parking lot and let me walk to the Kona High area.  "I know you need your independence!" She said as she waved goodbye.  "Go get 'em, Kiana." Debbie cheered as she drove away.

I began my accent to the Kona High roundabout when I saw a familiar face.  Except she also looked very different. "Shasta? Is that you?"  

"Yes! I am shocked you recognized me!" Shasta said as she twirled, her brunette waist-length hair was spinning with her.  "Do you like the look?"  Shasta wore a small skirt, tight top, and three-inch platform heels.  I certainly looked like a tomboy in my t-shirt and shorts.

"I could never walk in those shoes!" I declared. 

"Good thing they're mine.  Now, why haven't you responded to my texts? It seems like you dropped off the face of the Earth after your pool party." 

The pool party.  In all the events that had taken place the past three weeks, the pool party was the day before my family fell apart. "Oh, my phone, well it fell in the pool," I fumbled to say.  How do I lightly mention it was being held for a case against my family?  It was the same phone with the video proof of what happened to my brother. I was never going to see that phone again.

"Ok, well, let me see your class schedule," Shasta ordered. 

I conjured it from my backpack and watched Shasta's face brighten up.  "Yay! We have first period together." Shasta threw my schedule back in my face, and only then did I notice her face that was caked with make-up. A bright, pink lipstick with loads of foundation and powder covered her skin. Her green eyes were shadowed with purple, which made them appear larger than usual.  

"Oh Kiana, I love the make-up attempt with the lipstick! Did you get lip filler?" Shasta inquired while studying my mouth.  

"No, just a wasp sting," I admitted while shrugging my shoulders. 

"Oh my gosh, you always make me laugh!!" Shasta exclaimed between her screams.  Her laughing resembled that of a hyena- loud and more like a whine.  

"Yeah, you never know what I'm up to," I said while laughing, too.

A shrill, loud bell rang and I screamed "We have to go to class!" The anxiety of the bell coupled with all the changes in my life seemed to get the best of me.  

Shasta grabbed my hand and said "Let's go!" She didn't question my reaction, nor did she hold it against me. Being a freshmen in high school fueled both our anxiety levels. We ran to Honors' English class.

"I can't take Honors' English!  There is nothing honorable about me!" A familiar voice rang out from the Honors' English classroom.  I knew it was the neighbor boy.  He continued to ramble on about not completing classwork and belonging in a normal class.

"Look, we are going to try this out and see how it goes," a patient teacher's voice said soothingly.

"Ugh! Ok," Elijah acquiesced. He ran to a desk and plopped down dramatically.

I stared at a slumped Elijah as I passed him in class.  His eyes grew huge, and suddenly his body posture improved.  I shot him a small smile, and he looked away.  Almost as though he was ashamed of his behavior.

"Good morning my honorable students!  So, who did the summer reading?" The teacher asked the class.  I watched hands shoot up, and realized I knew many of my classmates.  Some girls I played basketball with, and others I went to middle school with.  

"Well, you already know I didn't do it. I'm a natural born slacker!" Elijah declared.  The class laughed, and Elijah's face turned a bright red.  Shasta had been seated next to him, and although she was usually competitive, suddenly she was helpful. 

"You can borrow my books," Shasta offered.  Elijah looked a bit relieved, but I felt a tinge of jealousy.  I was seated across the room from Elijah, and I wanted to be the one to talk with him.

The teacher was suddenly in my face.  "So, what book would you like to discuss with the class?" I had only read one, as the others were covered in blood at the crime scene in my house.  

My heart raced, there was nothing I felt like discussing, except that I missed my brother. "The Catcher in the Rye," I mumbled.  That was the only book that had stuck with me over the summer.  I felt somewhat like Holden, lost in my thoughts daily.

"Ok, well we will discuss that book tomorrow.  So be ready to tell us about it then!" The teacher ordered.

"You got it!" While I did not love public speaking, there was a soft spot in my heart for that book.  I could easily discuss my thoughts on it.

"Well, I won't be ready for weeks!" Elijah told the teacher.  

"You have two days, Mr. Mottler.  Perhaps, you should plan a time to meet with Kiana and you two can present together." There was the universe, throwing Elijah and I together yet again. Judging by the smile stretched across Elijah's face, he didn't mind being grouped with me.