A Not So Cinderella Story...

High School

Completely overwhelmed and all of a sudden alone, crap! I searched frantically for Toby, but even his tall dirty brown head was completely lost in the sea of students. I feel small enough to step on, and then I was. "Ow!"

"Oh shit! My bad, sorry!" I looked up to meet a pair of green eyes, a new guy. "Hey, I'm new sorry, my name is Mike."

"Hey," he had striking features, which were hard, but he had a softness to his jet black hair and his eyes, "I am Jacee, Jay for short, uh, well I gotta jet, see you around." And I ran off to find my locker. 133, I put my combo in 39-11-01, my lunch looked lonely in there. Then I closed it and ran off to find my first period, Biology.

I found it with time to spare and plopped down at a table in the back where I was joined quickly by a pretty girl with straight black hair, "Crap don't you just hate school? Gosh I wish we could just be done with it already?" She smiled at me.

"Are...are...uh yea, I do. Who are you? I mean, like, what's your name?" I felt so stupid, the only girl I could have as a real friend and I already messed it up.

She laughed, "No it's cool, I am Maggie, well Margeret, but that name is so boring you know?" She pulled some gum out from her little bag, "Want some?" she said popping one in her mouth.

"No I'm good, so you're new?"

"Is it that obvious? Yea I am, me and my mom and my twin brother moved here just a month ago.

"Your twin brother?"

"Yea, Mike, he has like "flippy" hair, black like mine, and he has green eyes."

"Oh yea, I, uh, met him already," I chuckled. "He stepped on my foot and then we talked and then I had to go try and find my locker."

"Oh, yea he's pretty clumsy," she shook her head. "So look I know this is like totally kindergarten, but you like wanna be friends? Cause I don't know anyone and then you probably know like a lot of people right?"

I couldn't help but laugh, "Yea right, I am called a tramp because the only people I hang out with are guys." I thought of how easy this was, having a friend who was an actual girl.

"I don't mind, I hung out with a lot of guys back at my old school too because of all my brothers friends." Then the bell rang. Ms. Doe, a new teacher this year, was tall slender woman with a blonde pizie haircut wrote her name on the whiteboard in a purple marker. Her voice was high and happy, how like a new teacher to her new students. She handed out books and I thought about my lunch and how it would now have a friend.

Next was my photography class, Mr. Ben was a sarcastic man who new what he was talking about, I liked him, he was funny. Then it was History, I had Mike in that class, and Jasper. I took a seat next to him which also happened to be next to Mike.

"Why didn't you tell me you were ditching me for our first ride?"

"Sorry Jay, I didn't think you would mind," he looked upset.

"Damn right I would mind Jasper," I shook my head.

"Hey Jacee," Mike said from my other side, his smile was bright and took my attention away from Jasper who was texting Farrah.

"Hey Mike, I met your sister, Maggie."

He smiled, "She's something, huh? Don't tell her I said that she'll kick my ass." He laughed, I joined him but then we were shushed by the teacher Mrs. Finn who told us to settle down. She was wrinkley and harsh looking. In the middle of class a folded peice of paper landed on my desk. I knew his handwriting by heart, "Jay" was scribbled in cursive on the notebook paper:

"Hey Jay I am sorry, Farrah really wanted me to go to school with her and she didn't wanna be seen in Toby's car, and I felt bad saying no. Please forgive me. -Jasp."

How could I not forgive him, this was my best friend from kindergarten here, this was the guy I would always forgive:

"Yes I forgive you, but you promised friends forever, and that no one would come between us. -Jay"

After that I just focused on not letting my stomach growl.Lunch was even scarier than the beginning of school. Everyone was finding everyone and I felt lost, then I felt a bony arm loop through mine, shocked I looked next to me.

"Hey Jacee, so where are we gonna sit? I brought my lunch too!" Maggie's voice was hard to hear even though she was so close.

"Um, follow me," I said when I spotted Toby, "You won't mind sitting with guys?" I said pulling her along. She elbowed me, hard.

"Who is that?" She said a smile spreading across her face, I followed her eyes and saw... Jasper. Crap, no this can not be happening what do I do? Do I admit I like him and say back off or would that be to harsh?

"Oh that's Jasper, my best friend, we have been friends for like ever," I didn't want to be to possessive.

"Oh I see off limits, bummer he's cute," She shrugged it off and looked around, probably for other boys.

"Jay!" I looked toward the voice and saw Toby waving, I pulled Maggie away from her hunt.

"Hey boys," I said stealing one of Toby's chips.

"So how are your classes this year?" Toby said smiling and taking a bite of his apple.

"They are good so far," I laughed and pulled out my apple, and took a big bite. I glanced over at Maggie who was calling over Mike. "Oh Toby this is Maggie, and this is Mike" I said when Mike showed up.

"Wow your first friend that's a girl, congrats Jay," He said smiling.

"Shut up," I said and then our little conversation switched topics and became a group conversation. I didn't even notice Jasper leave and go sit with Farrah."You did pretty good with my guys," I said laughing to Maggie later at our last period, Spanish, Ms. Summer.

"I told you I had some practice before, I like it here, it is so close and, and fun. A lot better than the stoners and emos and not to mention the wanna -be-performers. In New York things are a lot different."

"You lived in New York?" my mouth opened a bit, "I think you are lucky, my sister lives there with her fiance, she's a singer and hes a bartender."

"There is nothing lucky about it, me and Michael did not even fit in there, that is why I like it so much here, it is real here."

Toby gave me a ride home, and he even waited until I got into the kitchen and waved before he left, I thought about the day while letting Ruby out in our big backyard complete with pond and pool, she chaced a squirrel and then brought her old ball for me to throw. After about twenty minutes of that I had to go inside to avoid injury, plus Ruby needed water. I was about to sit on the couch when my phone buzzed on the counter. I got it and I had four texts. One from Maggie, one from Mike, and two from Jasper. I completely forgot they got my number at lunch, and Maggie even went through and put her name and Mike's in my contacts.

Maggie: Hey girly, you wanna hang out this weekend? Me: Yea sure, text me the details later.

Mike: Hey Jacee, you okay? You looked upset when you left school. Me: Yea I'm fine just some drama.

Jasper: Hey Jacee. Jasper: Can I call you tonight at 6? Please I wanna talk to you. Me: Call me and maybe I will answer

But I knew I would, I would always alswer for him.