Bloodlines

Introductions and Backstories

"So everyone please treat her fairly, alright?" Mr. Kenais finished awkwardly. I got tired of standing up in front of the class like a freak on display at a circus so I thanked the teacher quietly and went to the back of the classroom to an empty desk and sat with my chin on my clasped hands to wait for the torrent of whispers and gossiping to start.

"I heard her dad committed suicide and her mom dragged her here to keep her from getting any ideas about herself." Ahh, there's one.

"Really? I thought it was the witness protection program." Now that's one I haven't heard before.

" 'C- can you hear me? ' "

Wait a minute, that didn't sound like the typical gossiping gits who usually whispered among themselves too loudly. I sat up and casually glanced around, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible.
" ' Oh thank god, there's finally someone else.' "

There it was again! My eyes skimmed over the crowd of overly bored students- was it the girl with the strange dark green braids? No, she was scribbling too intently in a notebook. What about the guy in the bright blue aerosmith t-shirt? No, not him either; I could hear the music from his headphones.

" 'Since you can understand me, are you able to reply?' " the voice asked.

I shook my head slightly, hoping they'd notice.

" 'Hmm, that's odd,' "— Yeah, no kidding.— " 'Usually people learn to respond back within a few messages.' "

I scowled, but stopped when I heard a quiet, almost imperceptible chuckle. I searched again for the person responsible, and my frown grew even deeper when my eyes landed on the only one wearing a smirk— and a dark red hoodie.

His eyes were dancing merrily and he had a Cheshire cat grin from ear to ear.

" 'Ah, I've been spotted.' "

'What's the deal with running me over like a Mac truck in the hall earlier?' I tried to imagine flinging my livid thought at his face. I could have sworn he flinched, so I think he got the message.

" 'You didn't have to shout at me,' " he whined piteously.

'And you didn't have to barrel me over,' I shot back. 'Anyway, answer the question,' I demanded.
He sighed audibly and shook his head. " 'Women,' " he muttered. " 'I just had to get somewhere fast, alright?' "

" 'Yeah, whatever,' " I growled. " 'Would you mind telling me your name since you're so vague on everything else?' "

" 'I have my friends call me Max because my dad had the great idea of naming me Maximilian II.' "

I shuddered" 'I know what that feels like; my mom wanted to name me after the half-priced hooker who sets up shop by the local Walmart. So I decided to improvise with Sage.' "

I saw him nod understandably. " 'Great substitution skills.' " There was a slight zest of sarcasm determinable from this one. The bell rang then, keeping me from replying.

While all the other kids raced to gather their stuff and be the first out the door, I stayed where I was and waited as Max strolled calmly back towards me desk. "So I've heard tell that I'm supposed to be a student guide for a Serenity Ashford?" He said casually.

I groaned. "This is what they could spare for me? A rude, impatient, egotistical student who probably pulls a D average," I scoffed.

"Hey!" Max cried indignantly. "It's only one D!"

'Exactly,' I thought to myself.

Max sighed, "Anyway, what's your next class? The tardy bell's about to ring."

I dug my folded up schedule out of my pocket, "Ms.Anderson's Biology, room B173."

He nodded, "Fine then. Follow me."

× ~ • × • ~ × ° × ~ • × • ~ ×

As we meandered through the dingy halls, Max was the one to fill the conversation with particularly uninteresting chatter. "So there're definitely some cliques you wanna stay away from: The cheerleaders are obvious, then the techies and the druggies, too. Why techies? Because they're all stuck up and egotistical about their high IQs. I mean, honestly, it's not that much to brag about; your intelligence quotient only states how quickly you are able to comprehend information, not how "smart" you are."

I tried to appear as if I was paying attention by nodding every now and then while randomly giving small smiles.

"But I digress," Max continued. "The head of the cheerleaders is Alexandria Andrews; a-k-a Alexis. Surprisingly, she's also a volunteer for the library− though I'll never set foot in there− and she enters poems to state-wide competitions. I heard that she's even gone to nationals with some of the stuff she wrote!"

I think it took me a while to realize he'd stopped yammering on like a toddler listening to themselves talk; we'd stopped in front of a door that had Mrs. Anderson slapped over it in a garish mixture of pink and orange construction paper. "And here we have arrived," Max announced grandly. "Do you need me to escort you inside, as well? Or can you handle that all by your lonesome?" He teased. My only response was to roll my eyes and shove my way past him to place my hand on the door knob. I sighed heavily as I gathered the initiative to turn it and walk inside.

'Maybe if I sigh hard enough, all my problems will go away,' I think sarcastically to myself before I finally push the door open.

Since the hinges protested their movement loudly, all of the heads in the room immediately spun in my direction. While maintaining physical possibility, though.
Sadly, Mrs. Anderson's room did not contain any owls or The Exorcist characters. Honestly. Step up your game, lady.

With that thought distracting me from the many eyes boring into my skull, I walked slowly to the middle of the front of the room. Mrs. Anderson soon joined me after scrambling from behind her desk; she looked at me then regarded the class. "I do believe this is our new transfer student, Serenity!" she chirped with a sickeningly sweet smile. "Why don't you share something about yourself, hmm?" Mrs. Anderson turned to me.

I clutched my sketchbook and pencils closer to my chest as I nodded my head. Looking out over the sea of students, I received dead stares and bored expressions. I smirk and lower my arms.

"My mom forced me to attend public school, even though I may or may not survive after my next operating room visit. I enjoy reading and drawing in my spare time, and please call me Sage."

The silence that greeted me was awkward; I loved it.