Hallucinations

Chapter 2 {outfits and posh people}

The next day, I decide I'm done with Lake and decide to focus on my first day of school. Lake's clearly started a new life without me, and it's time for me to do the same.

I stand in front of my mirror after getting ready for the morning. I'm happy with the simple outfit I've chosen, blue jeans and a black and white striped shirt, with converse and a black cardigan.

I mess with my red hair and put it in a bun. I pack up my new backpack with the school supplies I was supposed to buy. I look at myself in the mirror once more before spritzing some perfume and I walk out of my bedroom.

"Amanda," my grandma says softly as I walk out of the house, "have a great first day of school," she says before adding, "I'm so proud of you, sweetie."

"Thanks grandma," I relpy.

"Bus 6813, right?" She asks.

"Huh?" I respond confused; my mind already wandering. Oh. The bus. "I won't forget!" I laugh.

I rush out the door, cautious of the time. I check my phone, its 8:05, the time the bus is supposed to come; I look up and see that the bus already came and is driving away. Crap.

I try running after the bus with no luck. Guess that only works in the movies. I see kids on the bus laughing at me as I come to a stop.

"I can't believe I missed the bus on my first day!!!" I scream in rage, throwing my cardigan down. I start breathing heavily and see from the corner of my eye a figure huddling towards me. I turn my head to see grandma.

She looks at me, shocked as tears stream down my face. She picks up my cardigan and silently leads me to the car. Somehow she knows I'm not in the mood to talk.

I stop crying and explain to grandma what happened as she drives me to the school.

"I should have just driven you myself," she says, shaking her head, "it's all my fault."

"Granny, you know it's not," I say, shocked. I'm the one that should be blamed.

We're both silent until we approach the school and Granny goes to talk to the school. She comes back after fifteen minutes and drops me off.

"Have a great day," she says as I walk away. I don't look back.

I follow the signs at the school to the office and open the door. I open my mouth to tell the lady at the front desk that I'm a new student, but she holds up her finger to tell me to wait as she answers a phone call.

"Gracewell School of the Fine Arts, how can I help you?" She says in a tacky, infomercial-like voice.

I drain out her voice and look around the smallish office. It has some students' paintings hung up that aren't half bad. There's a couple chairs, but I don't sit in them, thinking this phone call won't last long.

"Ok, bye now," the lady at the desk says to the person on the phone.

"Um, I'm a new student," I say awkwardly to the lady.

"Name?" she asks rudely.

"Amanda Eva Cobb," I say politely.

"And why are you late?"

"I missed the bus," I answer. Talk about snooty.

"I'll get your schedule," She says, walking to a back room.

I wait a couple of minutes, just standing around, not expecting the lady to take long. I sit down, wondering why it's taking so long, and process everything that has just happened, not just today, but recently. 

I've suddenly moved to a completely new country, a country that I've only visited before, and back then, only because of family.I've started in a brand new school, in the middle of the semester. Why did we move now? How am I ever going to catch up? Or make friends?

I burrow my face in my hands, reevaluating this entire change. How come I never realized Lake was just waiting for her opportunity to become the "IT girl" in school. Quentin always seemed closer to Lake than me, and last time I checked, he always took Lake's side.

I wait some more and open my phone out of boredom. I decide to text Lake, but I remember that I don't have any data here yet and shake my head. 

Before I can finish my thought, the lady comes back from the room she was in, red in the face.

"I'm afraid we can't locate your schedule," the lady says, trying to maintain a fake smile even though she's squirming.

"What do you mean, you can't locate my schedule?" I say fuming.

"I'm afraid we may have," she pauses and coughs,"forgotten about your arrival," she says, somehow remaining rude, even throughout her own embarrassment.

"What am I supposed to do? Just sit here?" I ask her, not wanting an answer. "Is this what schools here are like? They just, I don't know, FORGET about people?" I practically scream. I see people peeking out of back rooms to see what's the ruckus.

"I'm afraid, it's just a mistake..." The lady goes on blabbering, making up excuses, not even trying to fake a smile anymore, now that her coworkers are listening in.

What am I going to do? They probably don't have grandma's phone number, and my phone isn't working yet, and... I panicked, inside my own head. How am I going to get home? I thought everything was ready here for me?

I start to feel dizzy; the room is spinning and suddenly more faces appear, except there's more than one of each... What's happening?

And then it goes black.

~

Thank you for reading this chapter and be sure to vote and leave a comment on what you think! More chapters to come!

-Taika