Eyes of Blue Flame

Chapter 2 - Flunking

Chapter 2 - Flunking

My phone buzzed, waking me up at six-thirty. School started at eight, giving me enough time to get ready and eat breakfast. My first day at Salt Lake Boarding High School would start in an hour and a half.  I sat alone, but didn't mind it at all. 

In fact, I loved it. It was the first lunch I'd had without getting picked on in two years. The twenty minutes I had after that was checking out where my classes would be before racing to my first class as the warning bell rang, officially beginning my first day of my junior year at my new school.

I slowed and walked into my first class, which was Art I. Half of the seats were filled, and more were quickly being snatched away. People starting talking, clearly knowing one another well enough. For a moment, I stood there by the door.

Someone bumped my shoulder as they hurried past to snatch the seat next to their friend. It knocked me back into reality. I took a deep breath and headed for the back of the classroom, where there was a large section of free seats. I took the seat by the window in the second to last row.

I heard a chair's feet scratch against the tile floor, and saw from the corner of my eye the chair next to me move. I looked up to see who the heck would want to sit next to me.

"Long time no see."

He-Oh, God, what's his name?! ...Ash! Wow, Kate, that's not creepy at all that you remember his name.

He was the one with dark wavy hair and beautiful, bright blue eyes as overwhelming as the ocean's tide. One of the three that saved my butt from the last group of bullies chasing me before I left home-well, what was home.

Why does he have to go to this school? 

I looked away instantly, realizing just how eerie he was probably finding me.

What if he thinks I'm stalking him or something? God, leave it, Kate! As long as you know the truth, everything will be alright. Who cares what he thinks? You do not! ...Just act like you don't remember him and think you don't know who he is...Would it be too suspicious to introduce myself or would it be less suspicious? Dear Lord, who thought one simple introduction could be so complicated!

I bit my nails as I kept my eyes either on the teacher or out the window. Neither of us said a word the entire class period. I was freaking out inside, and hoped I looked as calm as he looked on the outside. Once or twice I tried stealing a glance of Ash, but never did my gaze land on him for more than one full second.

I felt amazing relief surge through me when the bell rang. When I stood up, Ash had disappeared.

Wow, he really is fast. Thank God!

~

I had English as second period, next calculus, followed by French, then physics, and finally PE.

I changed in the girls' locker room, and walked out into the gym. The other students in their gym uniforms gathered there. They talked with their friends just like they did in all my other classes, leaving me out. It was better than getting bullied. I'd come to love receiving no attention rather than the bad attention I used to get.

I looked around at the chattering crowd. Most of the girls wore Spandex three sizes too small, though some, including myself, wore sweats. The boys wore either basketball shorts or sweats. We all had white t-shirts reading 'SLBHS' in blue and orange.

An older man in his early forties blew the whistle. "Alright! Shut up and gather around the campfire! I am Coach Hector! You will-"

The boys' locker room door open, and everyone looked back. My heart fell into my stomach. Ash was in my art class along with PE.

Coach Hector sighed in annoyance. "You will be on time. Ash?" 

"Yep?" asked Ash innocently as he walked over to the group staring at him. He didn't seem fazed by all the beady eyes boring into him.

"Just because you have the same name as a Pokémon character, does not mean you can be as cool as him," said the coach with dry humor, gaining some laughs from the peanut gallery of students.

"Sorry, Pikachu, he's just too attached to all this," joked Ash, and he motioned to all over himself. "He doesn't listen and gets mad when I have to go. He doesn't understand just how much I cherish this PE class."

"Uh-huh," grunted Coach. "Just be on time, smart-alec, and behave. I may be a coach, and hate substituting for classes, but I love finding ways to send your butts to the scary dean!" Everyone laughed, and Ash sat down a ways from me.

Maybe PE won't turn out as bad as Art I.

~