The Spoken Truth

Chapter Three: Chemistry

 Finally, school was starting up again. Everyone was out buying new pencils, erasers, and folders, while I stayed at home, because I had already bought mine. I was so excited for this day to come that I bought my supplies one week early. I went to the store any way with Kacie and Maggie to buy theirs.

“You really didn’t have to come with us,” Kacie insisted.

“I know, I really wanted to,” I replied. “So what else do we have to buy?”

“Umm…I still have to get three three-inch binders, two sets of dividers and five sets of paper coverers.” Maggie informed.

“Ok, I think I know where those are.” I walked down a familiar aisle.

“There they are, all the way at the top,” Kacie pronounced with a slight bit of annoyance in her tone.

“Do you need help with that?” came a deep voice from behind them. It was a boy who looked to be about our age. He was very handsome with his bright blue eyes and brilliant blond hair. He was pretty tall. Well tall for me, which isn’t much.

“Yes, please.” I tried to keep my voice from scratching. He climbed up on the shelf and grabbed four sets of dividers.

“Thanks,” Kacie said thankfully. I could tell that she was thinking the same thing.

         When we finished our list we went to my house to organize our binders. That is what I always do after back to school shopping. I loved to organize things; it kept me busy.

         The next few days went by quickly. They were filled with the beach and the new Blue Bird restaurant, which is now my favorite! I go there almost every day. I decided I need a job to start saving up for a new car. I looked a long time for an ice cream place to work on weekends. I applied for many different restaurants, but only one accepted me. That was the Blue Bird! I was thrilled when the acceptation came in the mail. 

         Finally the day had come. It was the day before the first day of school. I got this cute top with mom when we went back-to-school shopping. It had a beautiful lace on the edge and a scoop neck. I was going to wear that on the first day of my new school. I was very excited to get to know so many new people.

“Hey, Marcie. You need a ride?” Kacie asked as she pulled up beside me as I was walking to the bus stop. “No one rides the bus here.”

“OK, sure,” I replied as I hopped in the back seat of her red Honda.

“Let me see your schedule, I want to see if we have any classes together. I can help you get around better if I know where you’re going,” she insisted.

           I handed her my huge list of classes. I had nine periods in one day. My favorite was math, because there is always an exact answer.

“Oh yay!” she exclaimed with much excitement. “We have math together and also history and I can sit with you in lunch!”

         We pulled into the parking lot. It was exactly the same as I found it the first day I saw it. It had a big sign in the front that said: Welcome Back To School Kids! It didn’t really make me feel any more welcome. When we got out of the car I went straight to the front desk, just as my mother told me to do. The lady there was nice-looking, with a long nose and short black hair. She looked around thirty.

“Hi, you must be Marcella Oscar,” she said with a little too happy look on her face.

“Hello, I like to be called Marcie,” I corrected.

“OK, Marcie come right this way and we will get you all settled in.” She still had that creepy happy smile on her face. Her eyes were squinting she was smiling so hard.

         We came to a classroom with a sign on the door that said “Welcome Back to Language Arts!” I guessed this was my homeroom class. The lady told me that the first thing we do every day is go to homeroom and listen to announcements. My new homeroom teacher was named Mrs. Gage. She looked very nice; she also had short black hair.

         I got through my first couple of classes with no teasing or any jokes on the new girl. We finally went to lunch. The sophomores had the opportunity to have lunch at a restaurant. I wasn’t old enough to get my driver’s license yet so I had to get school food.

         I sat down next to Kacie and Maggie and their friends. I had seen some of them before, but could never remember their names. I know one of them had to be Rachel, but I still wasn’t positive.

“Hello I am Rachel.” I knew it! “I was not certain if you would remember me from two summers ago when we went to the Bay. You are Marcie. Am I correct?”

She made that greeting so formal, I felt very important.

“Yes,” I said trying to sound as official as she did. “I do remember some of that trip.”

“It was nice meeting you again.” She sounded sort of like a stuck-up, know-it-all.

“And you,” I replied.

         We all sat down at a free table sort of away from everyone else. I already got the vibe that there was a popular group here, and that they were all at an expensive restaurant. I told Kacie about the job application; she was happy for me and wanted a job too.

         After lunch I had geography, which is my second favorite class. I found an open seat in the middle of the room. The teacher for this class was a man with brownish gray hair. He had a beard and a very noticeable widow’s peak.

“Welcome to Chemistry, just grab a seat anywhere you’d like.” He seemed very laid back.

         I heard the sound of footsteps coming my way, so I looked down pretending to write in my large agenda.

“May I sit here?” came a recognizable deep voice from behind me. I tried to figure out who it was.

“Sure,” I said still not looking up.

“Thanks. I’m Clyde.”  Then I decided to sit up and look at him. He was the guy who helped us at the store the other day!

“Hi.” I tried to keep my voice steady. “I’m Marcie.”

         He stared at me throughout most of the lesson. I tried not to stare back. He had deep blue eyes and dark blonde hair. He was very attractive, but not very articulate. His seemed very nice, well he looked to be that way.

“So…” Oh no, I wasn’t paying attention. “I think we are supposed to pour this into this beaker here”

“Uhum.”  I played along.

“So do you want to do the next part?”

“Oh, no thanks. I already did this experiment in my old school.” I said truthfully, realizing what we are doing. I actually did already do this.

“OK, if you insist.” He said cheerfully.

         He worked in silence the rest of the period. It was really awkward. He worked fast and moved swiftly along the table as I watched from a respectful distance. I hoped I wasn’t bothering him. Well, he did choose to sit here and that’s not my fault. When, finally, the period was over, I checked my schedule and discovered that that was my second to last period! I was so excited to go home and get some sleep.

“Hey where are you going next, maybe I could help,” came Clyde’s voice.

“Ummm.” I was surprised he would even talk to me nevertheless help me. “I have mathematics next, with Mrs. Kimins.”

“You know we call it ‘math’ here,” he said chuckling. Everything about him is attractive! Even he’s freaking laugh!