The Rooftoppers: SHINE IN THE DARK

Fresh Start

After Alex parked the car, we got off the truck and I put my hood up.

It was pouring rain.

We walked towards the school building. It was an average-looking school built with a mixture of red and brown bricks and wired fences. It was two stories. The roof was run over by pigeons. They are yelling at us to go to class, or maybe they are just hungry, maybe both.

Below the pigeons was a rusty sign:

Oakmont High School

(Since 1979)

Huh. Old school.

There were still lots of people just arriving and parking their cars.

Huh. And I thought we were gonna be late.

Me and Alex kept walking until we reached the building. Along the way we've gotten glares from a bunch of jocks ; cheerleaders eyeing us up and down in disgust ; nerdy-looking boys staring at me like I was a new species of animal that they were ready to dissect and whispers from a couple of gossiping girls. So as you can tell, the school had a variety of clichès. 

Ding!

I've got a text from my best friend Leo:

Hey, we're by the big oak tree

Where r u ?

I replied to him:

By the entry doors

Twenty seconds later, I saw a tall blond boy and a girl with similar features running up the steps to us. He rushed up to me to hug me while grinning. I patted his back and then he released me. Ella stood there rolling her eyes.

I took a look at Leo and I immediately noticed how his blonde hair was sticking out weirdly in different directions so I'm pretty sure he hadn't bothered to do anything to it this morning. He was wearing a plain blue t-shirt that said Tony Hawk. I recalled him spray painting the words himself with graffiti paint that he bought from Target over the summer.

I kept a mental note for myself to remember to stay a good two metres away from him as I know for a fact that he has not washed the shirt ever since he sprayed it. He told me that the paint would "disappear" if he did but I honestly didn't care what happens to the shirt as long as he doesn't stink.

"Hi Sades," he said grinning.

"Hey dork," I teased and elbowed him in the ribs playfully.

"Owwww."

"UGH! Stop being a baby! It's time for class, let's go," Ella pulled his ear and dragged him inside. It looked painful.

Yep, that's Ella.

Where do I even start with Ella? Should I start saying what a self-absorbed Barbie she is or that her ugly personality will never match the face she spends two and a half hours on every day?

"Hey...do you know where the toilet is?"

Ella twirled her hair in a flirty way and giggled when a muscular jock passed by to ask her where the toilet was. Her grip loosened from Leo's reddening ear and he quickly manoeuvred the beautifully manicured fingers away.

"OW Ow ow," he cupped his burning ear. I rolled my eyes at him.

After Alex waved goodbye to me as he headed to find his junior year friends, me and Leo began to look for our class. Ella took off with her friends.

"Ok, we have 3 minutes to find our class," I announced.

Right...Where is our homeroom?

I did a quick scan across the hallway for other sophomores. I noticed there were three sophomores a few feet ahead of us so I signalled for Leo to follow me as I pushed through the crowd to go behind them.

After many grunts and shoves, we eventually appeared behind them.

"Tilda, I like your earrings," commented the girl with a slick brown ponytail. She had a deep and clear voice and a pair of crystal stud earrings that contrasted to her eyes. She had a silver necklace with the name Abby in swirly handwriting around her neck- which her white turtle neck jumper was covering. She was wearing beige flare pants which made her look even taller than she already was. She was like 5.5 foot and I'm like 5.3 foot.

"Thanks Abby," replied the girl named Tilda. She had curly middle-length blond hair with a fringe above her eyebrows. Her hair was in a half up half down hairstyle. She had hooped earrings that suited her radiant beam. She was wearing a pale pink crop top and jean shorts.

"Hey guys, I think our homeroom is at the end of this corridor. According to this map anyways," stated the freckled boy with curly brown hair next to Tilda. He pushed his glasses up to his nose. His eyes were so close to the map that he was holding that he would've slipped over a piece of mouldy salami if Abby hadn't yelled "WATCH OUT '' at the top of her lungs.

"Phew! Thanks," map boy nodded gratefully at Abby before he nearly stepped on the cold salami.

"Whatever," Abby smirked and rolled her eyes.

There weren't only random pieces of salami lying on the ground. There were little cartons of half finished orange juice, sandwich crumbs, whole sandwiches, gum wrappers, bits of ripped papers which I am pretty sure were failed test papers and so many other things that I can't even identify.

There were more and more people in the hallway. I felt really hot and dizzy.

I didn't take much notice as it stopped after a little while. Probably because of lack of sleep.

Suddenly the lights seemed too bright and the room was spinning. I was being squashed by the people in the hallway.

I tried to yank Leo's shirt but he was busy talking to the sophomores in front of us so he batted my hand away without looking at me.

I suddenly had a rush in my head.

My head hurts.

No- not here. I can't pass out in the middle of a hallway.

Ow. I clutch the sides of my head and focus on my breathing. It helps sometimes.

I screamed but no sound came out. My head hurts like someone was drumming inside.

Oh no.

I feel like I am going to faint.

" Leo-"

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(1008 words)