Hold Me Close (Edited Version)

Chapter 3

It was taking my dad forever to get everything settled with all of my classes and my new locker and such, and I sighed in annoyance. It was a two building school, but I lucked out. All of my classes, except for one, were in the same building. I heard the bell ring and glanced out the window into the courtyard. A minute later, kids started passing between the buildings to get to new classes. There was nothing more boring and humiliating than sitting in the principal's office of a new school with my arms crossed as my dad and the principal went over my schedule. The windows were wide open for all to see as students passed by, gawking at me through the glass like I was some stuffed exhibit on display.

At least that meant I was important enough to be interesting. I frowned and rolled my eyes at how unimportant each of them was. All of them were just like ants. Non-unique, boring, and just one of millions.

"Jacob?" My dad's voice drew my attention away from the window and I looked at him. He held out my schedule. "Ready?" he asked.

I stood and took the schedule. "Yeah," I said.

We walked out into the hall and my dad shook hands with the principal. Then he turned to me seriously. "I have to get to work. Can you find your classes?"

"Yeah," I said. I moved my backpack to my other shoulder and started walking away.

With little interest, I walked slowly to my next class. The period had already started and I'd be late anyways, so there was no need to rush. When I arrived I was about twenty minutes late, but I opened the door without hesitation. All eyes turned to me as I stood in the doorway. A slight chill ran down my spine at how interested in me they all looked, but I held my head high and walked to the back of the room to an empty seat in the far corner. Everyone was still watching me, but I ignored them and pulled out my books. The teacher also seemed surprised by my sudden entrance and was silently frowning in my direction, book still in her hand.

When the lesson still didn't continue, even when I had finished pulling out my books and pencil, I sighed. "Don't mind me," I said, sarcastically polite. "I'm just the extremely interesting new kid."

Everyone immediately looked away and the teacher cleared her thoat. "Oh, yes," she said, and continued her lesson. "I was just asking if anyone remembers what the Romans did for fun back in the days..."

I tuned her out shortly after she began speaking and turned to stared at a poster on the wall of a play the school's theatre club was putting on. I didn't need to know what the Romans did for fun. It wasn't like I'd go out naked and throw disks around a field.

The day passed at the pace of a snail. I wished I could sleep. I'd rather sleep then be there, but I guess that goes for anyone. By the time my last class came, I was bored out of my skull and ready to happily tell the my teacher no the next time I was asked to introduce myself. I considered going home, but I decided starting off at a new school with a skipping record probably wasn't the best idea.

With hurried steps, I walked through the courtyard, wanting to get to my last class as soon as possible so I could continue sulking in the back corner to ward off an passing students considering asking my name. When I reached my classroom, I stepped in and found I was the first one. I sat down in the back and slumped into my seat, closing my eyes. A few minutes of silence passed and I felt my nerves relaxing and melting into an easy mood. Then the moment was ruined by the door opening. I opened one eye to watch another kid walk in, faintly wondering where I'd seen him before.

Then he looked at me and his eyebrows shot up. "Hey, it's you," he said. "From the park."

I opened my other eye to frown at him. I remembered now, he was the boy who trampled me the day before when I was sitting on the swings. With narrowed eyes of distrust, I crossed my arms and looked away. This was just great. I wasn't entirely surprised that we would run into each other at school, especially since we lived in the same neighborhood now, but I silently hoped never to see his face again.