A Second Chance At Life

Strange

     When the bell rang for lunch to end, I stood, smoothed my skirt down, and purposefully ignored the looks I got. Even after a month, a new student was a novelty.

     I tilted my chin up and made my way to Spanish 4. At least the teacher was fun. She understood most of my references.

     "How goes the PowerPoint making?" I teased. She bought most of her presentations from other teachers online.

     Ms. Zimmer pushed her hair back and looked up, confused, as though she had other students with strange accents. She grinned. "Great, I didn't even have to pay for this one!"

     I set my books down and slid into my desk in the front row. "You made one?" I asked, feigning shock.

     She chuckled. "Nah, I had this one from last year," she said, going back to her work.

     At that point, other students began filing in, and the smile left my face as quickly as it had come. I opened my notebook and lowered my eyes.

     Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the chair at the desk adjacent to mine move.

     "May I?" I heard someone say, in a voice that was somehow familiar.

     I looked up into deep blue and a pouty smirk framed by long blonde waves.

     "I mean, if no one else is sitting here," Ella continued, embarrassed.

     I felt my face grow hot. "No, no, of course you can," I said quickly.

     No one had sat next to me in class - in any of my classes for that matter - since I had arrived. I figured it was out of fear of the unknown. You don't really want to poke the flames too much, in case you get burned.

     I looked up at the SmartBoard, trying to ignore the heat on my face and her hair brushing my arm. What's the nosotros form of ser again? I thought desperately to myself. I had to find a distraction.