The New Student

Moving

"Mari! Take a selfie with me!" Susana, my best friend, called out to me, holding out her phone. I eagerly jumped in the photo, holding up a peace sign near my smiling face. "Mari, why are you so pretty? I'm so jealous!"

I laughed. Susana was pretty enough to be a celebrity. I was merely a stick and had straight black hair with thin bangs and a small face while she had the chocolate brown hair, big lips, a curvy body, and the ability to win over anyone's mind with her strong voice.

We walked down the hallway, on our way to the classroom. I brushed my uniform down and tucked a stray strand of black hair behind my ear.

"Hey Mari." Voices called out my name and I happily waved. We had just received our ranks and after my fellow peers realized that I was number 1, I suddenly became famous.

"Hey Mari, can I get your number? I need some help with homework."

"Sure," I replied, smiling and tapping my number in her phone.

I dragged Susana along, who was furiously dealing with something on her phone. "Hey man, we're going to be late for class."

"Ugh, I don't really feel like listening to Mr. Shaw's lousy lectures today." She whined and pouted.

I crossed my arms and looked at her flatly, tapping my shoe. She rolled her eyes and started walking to class.

~~~~~~

Yawning and stretching, I stood up from her desk and walked over to Susana, who was sleeping with her earbuds blaring hard rock music.

"Susana get up, lets go get ice cream or something." I placed my bag on my shoulder, impatiently tapping my foot. "Susana!" I ripped her earbuds out.

"Wh-what? Did I miss something?" Her eyelids fluttered and she sighed, tired.

"No, you just missed the entire class lecture. We're going to go get ice cream and study."

"Ooh!" She squealed happily, awake. "It's on you?"

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Of course, when has it not?"

~~~~~~

"I'm home!" I slipped my shoes off and walked into my house. An hour ago, Susana and I had gotten into a heated debate about politics, causing us to get kicked out of the ice cream parlor. Sadly, I had never gotten the chance to finish my mango sorbet, and Susana and I had merely laughed at our banishment.

"Oh honey, get washed up so we can have dinner. Your dad and I have something important to tell you."

Well, that was a first. I threw my bag on the floor of my bedroom and changed into sweats and a t-shirt, tying my long hair into a high ponytail. A delicious aroma of ribs floated into my room and following my nose, I walked into the dining room.

Ribs, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Delicious.

"So Mari, did you finish all your school work today?" Dad sat at the head of the table, munching on green beans.

"Yes, Susana and I finished together and afterwards we had a serious conversation about politics."

"Mmm, that's nice to hear. I think Susana would be a really good lawyer someday."

I agreed. She could probably make it to Harvard Law School if she just paid attention in class.

"So Mari, we have something to say."

My father cleared his throat. "Recently, I just got promoted and my job location was moved."

I turned sheet white. That could only mean...

"We're moving. I already enrolled you in a prestigious school there and your mom got a new job. It's only to another part of San Francisco, so on weekends I'm sure you could visit Susana and your other friends back here."