Umbra (Full Shadow)

(A)

ALGEBRA is a subject you do not want to interfere especially when the teacher is very boring and gives you very difficult seatwork. Toralie is beside me, drooling on her papers and in the front I see my best friend/slash/neighbor, Arthur Harrington. Arthur Harrington is the first string soccer player in the school team. He's got that messy black hair and a pair of mysterious dark eyes that you want to stare. Almost every girl in school would fall for him and his cute older brother, Brylle, except for me. I see nothing that can captivate me. All the other girls are like 'Hey Autumn, why won't you hit the strike and date him!' and what in the world of mid-west galaxy are they thinking?! I just have to shrug them all off because there are certain reasons: 

1. I never really liked him. 

2. He doesn't feel the same way. 

3. I don't want to ruin our relationship as best friends plus this will be an endless list and I don't want to waste space.

See? Absence is present. I am not even thinking about how these things that are filling my head related to Rational Expressions. Like what Ms. George and all the other teachers say, 'You may be physically present but you are mentally absent'. Well who wouldn't be? But on this certain day things, mostly the class, changed when the principal knocked on the door. Wonder why we can recognize it's her? She's got his specialty knock. Going back, so I see the principal is not alone for I see a silhouette of another person on the other side of the room.

"Okay class, we have this new student from Los Angeles. Her family moved here a week ago. Her name is Jennifer Dean. She has a brother here top. He's Lawrence, just a year older and just across the hall of this room." the principal said.

Okay so I hear murmurs from the girls saying 'I hope his brother is hot.' and the guys were like 'Man, if he's brother's hot, I do hope she's smoking hot.' and with all the chatter the principal shushed them all. I mean geez; these students (some in particular) are pretty much after the looks, popularity and well, cash when they hear the word new or friendship. I guess that for them, there is no sense in the word friend if they call the person that. I should prefer the word 'Acquaintance', 'Company', or label them "Foxtrot India Uniform Oscar /FIUO/ For Important Use Only". Well the principal will speak now so I should get back to listening.

"Come in dear and introduce yourself." the principal said.

On a rainy day in a normal classroom, I smell the oak tables, out-of-this-world perfume, hairspray, and gum beneath tables. I can hear buzzes of gossip, soft hums of the music maniacs, the robotic sound of a calculator, and the scratches of the pens to the papers. Yet, I see a girl with almond brown hair and dazzling blue eyes. She as I have observed is beautiful. I know that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and I behold here beauty. As she walks in at the front she starts to talk.

"Good Morning, my name is Jennifer Dean. As what the principal said, I am from LA and moved here with my family a week ago."

"Pull a seat then dear. It's nice to have someone new in class." Ms. George replied and after that the principal leaved.

It felt pretty awkward when there is (was) an empty seat beside me and the guys who would want the new gorgeous girl to sit beside them got all feisty -looking and have that power hungry look of wanting to kill me or be me. I smell envy in the atmosphere for the wannabees who well, wannabee her friend because she's from LA and all. So here she comes, dragging that old chair that is probably older than us and sat on it. I think she'll like talk to me in 3, 2, 1...

"Hi.", Jennifer said. As I predicted I replied.

"Hey."

"So I'm ..."

"I have ears you know. I've heard."

"Yeah but I was trying to say something else."

"You want a quick tour? Here, let me say a few short facts... I am not the girl you want to spend your social life with. I'm boring, I'm awkward and people do not understand me minus my two best friends and his brother. So we'll just talk when it's about homework, projects and pop quizzes. Get it?"

"Seriously, I mean you no harm. I know that your first impression with me is like I'm a mean girl or something but for the record, I am positively sure that I love company that are definitely not magnets to the new comers. I find them pretty annoying."

"If you insist then; So do you have any idea what society norms here are like?"

"I'd rather not but I've got a question for you."

"What is it then?"

"So we're having an in depth conversation here and I certainly don't know your identity. I ask you to please end my agony and tell me the name of thee"

"Stop the Jane Austen talk. I know you can speak 20th century and the name's Autumn; Autumn Dawson. And I know that is a sort of line of Mr. Darcy. If ever, if, we will become friends; I will not have any cases of fights and technical difficulties."

"Then friends shall we become!"

"Okay, okay. But we technically need to listen to Ms. George and we certainly do not want a lot of eyes watching the fresh bait go to the old fish."

"Yeah sure;"

"Certainly Jennifer;"

"Please, call me Jenny."

"Mmmm, k."   

After class, I jammed through the hallways and just blended in. well, Jennifer, I mean Jenny, stood out the most. She caught more attention than the "Triple Papa /3P/ Popular, Pretty People" and that is what you called an achievement for a first impression as a new student. This school year, as I will predict, will be once again full of drama, rivalry and unusual term of events.

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