Sanctuary

Chapter 2.

After trying to find my class in a crowd of helpless freshmen, I ended up in my geography class, my head down as I stare at the board. "Learning about latitude and longitude again.." I sigh, looking up. "Great.. Cause I haven't learned that every year.."

As I heard the doorknob turn within the other students in the class rambling on to each other, I watched the teacher walk in.

I could have sworn I have seen her face before; or it was just very relatable to others. Maybe it was Katy Perry, or some other famous person. I shake the thought away.

She walked to the front of the class, smiling softly. The teacher cleared her throat before speaking.

"Good morning class," she said cheerfully. "I'm glad I could get in today! Im your new geography teacher, Mrs. Blaine." She motioned towards all of us. "After the pledge and announcements, I'll go over our class rules."

I gave a sigh as I buried my head into my elbow, hoping that people would just think I'm invisible. I felt a poke in my side and I lifted my head and glanced over. A girl in a Twenty One Pilots shirt was staring at me.

"Uh.. We're not playing heads up seven up, are we?" She asked. I just had to guess she was a freshman.

"No no.." I said tiredly. "Im just tired is all." I smiled softly. She gave a determined nod before the tall guy behind her tugged on her shirt, laughing.

"Don't worry, Aspen. I'll make sure Taylor doesn't bother you anymore." He grinned.

"Aaalrighty.." I gave a polite smile before putting my head back down. Shorty after, the pledge and announcements came up, and then Mrs. Blaine began to say the same old rules. My eyes fluttered a bit before I shook my head.

I signed as I looked out the window. It seemed like time passed for hours as the rules were told. I spaced out before someone tapped my shoulder, a shaggy looking girl nodded to the front. Mrs. Blaine frowned to me.

"Aspen, is everything alright? You look quite pale. Do you need to go to the
Nurse?" She said gently.

"No no." I gave a soft smile as I moved my bangs out of my face. "I'm just tired, y'know?"

Mrs. Blaine nods. "Please pay attention then." And then she went back to teaching the class. I sighed a bit as I began writing the notes down for the basic schedule for the semester. Soon the bell rang and I packed up my things and left the room with my bag.

"Well that's one class down." I mumble to myself as I head off to geometry, turning down the senior hall and into the class. I glanced around at the class and saw multiple sophomores already getting their stuff out. We've heard of this teacher and having to take notes and have homework on the first day from plenty of juniors and seniors.

I huff as I lift my binder from inside my backpack, taking some paper out and a pencil. I look to the door as it freaks open. A tall and lanky elderly man walks in as he nods with a soft smile to the class.

"Sorry everyone." He said as the bell rang. "It seems Mr. Hallows is taking an extended vacation." Multiple kids groaned at this as I heard bits and pieces of short conversations.

"Every year..."

"Really..? Humbug.."

"That's stupid..."

I shook the voices away as the man introduced himself.

"Hello class, my name is Mr. Johnson. I'll be your substitute until next week." He said plainly. I sighed a bit. This man has gotten on the wrong foot with me since 8th grade when he was a new sub at my school. I have a tendency to get scared by random things, and at the most tense times. Before I walked into my English class two years ago these kids devised a plan to scare me in the middle of reading The Outsiders. As a student was reading, they decided to put a fake spider on my desk, or some insect. I don't really remember. I had my face in my book until someone pointed it out softly to me. As soon as I saw it.. Let's just say I jumped out of my chair and squealed a bit. He yelled some incoherent words at me and then sent me to the office after that for disrupting the class and making a scene. Never really was the same. The kids teased me for a few years and this year it seems to have died out.

He pointed out some of the usual rules that I would be hearing for the rest of the day and put my head on my hand, yawning boredly. It seemed like time passed quick before all of my periods were over and I was on the bus home. Sierra always jogged home to get her exercise while Mireille forced her mother to pick her up since there was always more kids in the afternoon. Even with most of the other kids driving, there were still a lot of kids and it was packed. I mumbled as I held my backpack close, watching the cornfields go by as we rode on the bus to home. Soon, it was my stop and I gathered my things, heading off after giving a farewell to the bus driver. I walked up the driveway and into the house, noticing the door was unlocked.

"Grandma?" I called out as I walked through the hall and into the living room. A short, white haired old lady was sitting in a lazy boy with Sorrel in her lap, watching Americas Funniest Home Videos.

"How was school, Sorrel?" She croaked sweetly.

"It was fine, Grandma. I'll be up in my room!"

"Alrighty.." She said as I walked off, soon shutting the door behind me and throwing my backpack onto the floor as I hopped in bed, curling up.

"I forgot how much I hated it there.."