Color My Heart

Chapter 2

Panorama high school was even bigger than Mackenzie thought it would be, and that was saying something. On their way to orientation she had counted one football field, one soccer field, two swimming pools, three libraries, and three gyms. Her family shouldn't have been able to afford a private school like this, but her fathers company was paying for the tuition. Mackenzie just hoped that it wasn't full of stuck up ignoramuses.

She and her mother entered the auditorium (yes auditorium), to find a huge mass of students all swarming around looking for a place to sit. Mackenzie clutched onto her mothers arm instinctively. She wasn't particularly fond of big crowds, especially on the first day of school.

A plump bearded man at the front of the stage began to speak.

"Okay how about we get this started? Students in the front of the auditorium, parents in the back. We're gonna make this a really awesome year."

Reluctantly, Mackenzie let go of her mothers arm and looked around for a place to sit. Just as she was about to sit down between two guys she didn't know, a cute girl with tightly coiled brown hair bounced up next to her.

"Hi you must be new. I'm Olivia. How do you like it here so far? Come on let's go find you a seat, I'll take you over to my friends." She spoke like her mind was scattered all over the place, but Mackenzie was truly grateful.

Olivia grabbed her arm and walked her over to the place where all her friends sat. Quietly whispering (the man at the front had begun speaking again), Olivia introduced Mackenzie to her small group of friends. Shay, a dark skinned bubbly brunette, Lexi, a blonde somewhat more reserved girl, Theo, a sweet looking boy with a Bieber cut, and Caden, who despite his good looks, immediately struck Mackenzie as one of those self absorbed ignoramuses she had been thinking about earlier. She didn't say that to him of course. Instead, she whispered to all of them,

"Nice to meet you, I'm Mackenzie."

A quiet chorus of nice to meet you's went around and Mackenzie mustered up a convincing smile before proceeding to turn back to Olivia.

"So who is that?" She asked, pointing to the front of the auditorium at the man who was still giving the speech she wasn't listening to.

"Oh that's our schools principal, Principal Wilson," Olivia replied. "Don't worry he makes the same speech every year, just about welcoming the new year and new classes and new students and such."

"Oh okay."

Mackenzie listened to Principal Wilson drone on and on about how the school was a community, a band of brothers and sisters who were always there for each other. She wondered if he genuinely believed that the entire grade got along, or if he was just forced to say things like that.

When he was done, the entire auditorium applauded. Mackenzie did too, even though she really didn't feel like it.

"And now," he said. "Please welcome Katie Turner, who will be giving this years student speech." Mackenzie clapped along with everybody else, as a pretty girl with wavy blonde hair and green eyes stepped up to the front of the auditorium. Next to her, Olivia and Shay made gagging noises.

"What do you not like her?" Mackenzie asked.

"Oh she's wonderful if you're into fake bitches and queen bees," Shay said sarcastically.

"And sluts." Olivia added. "Look at what she's wearing."

Mackenzie looked over at the girls' slightly shorter than average skirt. Saying that felt kind of unfair and disrespectful to women everywhere.