Across the pond

New school, new trouble

Sam sat in his usual spot, the back passenger side. He stares out at the morning sunshine, watching the other kids walking to school, birds chirped and sang and butterfly's flutter passed. He chewed his lip nervously, fiddling with the hem of his shorts. He went into his satchel and started to squeeze the stress ball Elliot had gotten him, he had gotten him a bunch of things to help him relax and learn like stress balls and fidget toys, he even got him some chewable necklaces.

Diane looked at him and Nick in the rear view mirror "ok so I made sure you boys were in the same home room, Sammy why don't you stay with Nicky and his friends today?"

"Ok but uh.. it's gonna be intense" Nick looked at Sam "ok so Jay is kinda an animal, he's got no filter.. Andrew is a great guy he just.. doesn't show it. Jessi is cool, she's smart"

Sam nods along, listening. He looked out of the window again as they pulled into the drop off spot. There were about four other cars there, the building had more floors than Sam's other schools.

"Ok boys have a beautiful day, I'll be here to pick you up. Nicky make sure everyone is nice to your brother" Diane sang as the boys got out of the car.

Sam held onto his satchel strap tight as he stood on the pavement outside of the school. He chews his lip nervously as Diane pulled away, driving back home. He looked over at Nick who was waiting for him, Sam could tell Nick wanted to get inside so he started walking in the building, waiting for Nick to take the lead.

Nick follows and opened the door into a long hallway, blue lockers line the walls on either side. Students made their way to classes and lockers, talking to their friends. Sam stuffed his hand in his pockets, looking at the floor. He tries his hardest not to accidentally look at someone for too long, not wanting to cause any trouble.

"We're in Mrs Raths for home room, what's your locker number?" Nick asked looking at Sam

"483" Sam said, he had said the number over and over again the previous day so he won't forget

"Right that's near mine, over here" Nick shepherded Sam through the crowd of kids over to another wall full of lockers "you're four down from me, here. Ok put your combination in"

Sam turned the dial to the left the right and to the left again "two nine three five" he whispers under his breath, his locker opened and he smiled happy he had remembered the combination.

"Ok put your bag in, we don't have those in class" Nick said, texting

Sam put a pen in his pocket and his bag in his locker. There was a mirror stuck to the inside of the door and something that looked like a cup holder. Sam put his phone in his pocket and closed up his locker

"You can decorate your locker all you want" Nick explained "but you need to make it look like that again when you graduate"

Sam nodded "ok, that's cool. We didn't have lockers at my old school, we carried our bags everywhere"

"So there are no school lockers in England?" Nick asked opening his locker

"Well, some schools have them. One of the schools I went to did but year fours couldn't have them so.." Sam trailed off.

Nick and Sam chatted by the lockers for a while, Sam noticed a few students staring at him as they walked passed. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as the buzzing in his ears got louder. A rustling in the locker he was next to caught his attention, he looked at it closely before the door opened with a slam and Benji stepped out "Sammy! How's it going? Did I miss first lesson?" He asked standing next to him

"No, we still haven't been into our homeroom yet.. people are staring" Sam added the last part quieter

"If I had walked passed a hunk of a boy like you I'd stare too" Benji leaned on Sam's shoulder "let them stare, what are they going to do?"