Brooklyn (A Paul Lahote Story)

Chapter Twelve

Okay, only white person here.. Be cool, be cool, be-

"Hey! You must be the new girl!" A tall, russet skinned girl with pin straight black hair says.

Today is my first day at a new school and the first thing I notice is how I stick out like a sore thumb. Let's just say, I'd much rather to blend in and follow the crowd but, in this case, I can't.

I smile softly, nodding as I tuck a stray piece of hair behind my ear. "That obvious?" I quietly ask, rubbing the bottom on my shoe on the cement.

She laughs softly, patting my arm. "I'm Kim." She says, reaching her hand out for me to shake.

I gently shake her hand, nerves kicking in before responding. "Danielle but everyone calls me Dani."

At the mention of my name, her eyes widen and sparkle with excitement, a huge smile spreading across her face.

"It's so nice to meet you!" Kim excitedly says, quickly pulling me towards the entrance to the huge school.

"First, we need to get your schedule from the front office!"

She's so....chirpy.. Especially for 6:45am.

"Hello Darla! This is our new student Danielle-" She pauses, looking at me.

"Uh, Hudson. Danielle Hudson." I stutter, my face getting hot from embarrassment.

"Okay, let me see... Ah, here we are Miss Hudson!" The lady behind the tall desk says, her glasses hanging on the bridge of her nose.

Quickly, she hands me my schedule and a sweatshirt that says 'Quiliete Tribal School' in bold white letters, the sweatshirt being a burgundy color.

"Please let me know if you need anything else! I'm always here to help." Darla smiles a comforting smile and my nerves ease up a little.

I take the items out of her hands, offering her a smile back as I cling them to my chest. "Thank you." I shyly say, turning around and exiting the office with Kim following behind.

"Locker 401..." I mumble quietly to myself, walking down the tiled hallway filled with red lockers.

Carefully, I watch the numbers on the lockers as I pass them by. My heels clicking against the flooring as I pass a bunch of students, eyeing me up and down.

It's going to be a long day...

~*~

"She's the new girl.."

"Why is she so...white?"

"I heard red heads come from hell.."

I hear people whisper as I pass them, making me roll my eyes and wish that I was tucked away in the safety of my bed.

Currently I am in gym class, looking for a seat, and I can't help but tune my ear in and listen to what people are actually saying about me. To say the least, I don't like it one bit.

The last bell rings, everyone rushing to their seats on the bleachers and I squeeze my eyes shut as several bodies rush past me. I sigh softly, slowly sitting down on an empty spot as I wait for the P.E. teacher to come in.

"Hello boys and girls, my name is Coach Meyers and I will be your P.E. teacher this year." A tall, dark skinned man says as he enters the white gym, wearing a sweatshirt and cap that represents the school.