Between You and Me

~~3~~

Shilo offered to drive me to school on the first day in her black 2010 Jeep. I, not wanting to take the smelly bus, agreed. She arrived at the apartment at 7:45.

"Morning!" She smiles at me from the driver's seat while I climb in on the other side. She's wearing a pair of jean capris and a grey off the shoulder tee shirt.
"Hey! Ready?" I put my backpack on my lap and attach the seat belt at my hip.
"Of course." She pulls away from the curb and we start the drive to school, "What classes do you have today?"
"Math, French, outdoor ed and geography. What about you?"
"Math, English, outdoor ed and chemistry. At least we have two classes together." She smiles at me before looking back at the road.

I'm happy that I know someone in two of my classes. I won't be too much of a loser at this new school.

I'm still nervous, though. I'm not sure how people are going to see me. I wore a pair of black tight jeans and a sky blue tank top tucked in at the front. I also have a pair of black vans on my feet. My hair is half up, half down, but I brought a hair elastic and a change of clothes for my outdoor class.

"Hey don't worry about what people are going to think about you." Shilo smiles at me again, "Most of the people here are jerks anyways."
"Thanks. It's nerve wracking."

Shilo turns up the radio to a pop station for the last few minutes of our drive to school.

Once we arrive, she finds a parking spot in the back row of the lot. She says that she doesn't mind walking all the way.

The school wasn't the most ugly looking building, but it looked like it could use some work. I know that this year is going to be the hardest I'll face so far, but I cant and I wont sit back while I watch others get accepted at school.  I'll be one of them too.

"Lets head to class early.  Mr. Peters isn't going to be nice to you if you show up to his class late on the first day." Shilo starts to head to the main doors of the grey brick building.

On either side of the doors are two tall flower bushes, they add some colour to the building along with the healthy green grass on its outskirts.

Inside the building are rows of black lockers in between grey wooden doors with square windows on the top half. It would be a dreary place to be all day if it weren't for the colourful mural that is the tile floor.

"Don't worry about heading to the office. It's a waste of time." Shilo nods to the room on our right, "Our class is this way."

We turn left and weave our way through the different cliques of students. Shilo looks behind her to check that I'm still there every few seconds, and I understand why. It seems that the number of students is too much for the school's walls to hold. I would get lost for sure if I were alone.  There are too many people enrolled in this school for the number of classrooms and lockers.

I can see every type of student here. They all look like they belong in one situation or another. This makes me a little less nervous. If a band nerd or a Star Wars geek can belong in a clique of kids that are interested in the same things as them, then there's hope for me, too. 

"Here we are." Shilo smiles at me from just inside a simple looking class with cream walls and chocolate brown accents around the two windows at the back of the room, "Why don't we sit off to the side near the windows, its less awkward over there."

We both head over to the windows and sit in the second row from the front.  On the way over we pass two boys sitting in the front. They both look up at us through their glasses. I smile lightly and wave my hand at them before taking a seat directly beside the window.  Shilo thought I'd get teased less if I took shelter beside her and the wall.  I might have just met her the other day, but I really appreciate how intense she's being in making sure I don't drown in this new environment all by myself.  She's definitely someone I can count on in this new situation.

"That's Mr. Peters there.  He's a pretty good teacher so you should be fine if you do all the homework.  Oh," Shilo points a finger to my nose and glares at me, "Whatever you do, don't ask why we're learning these topics.  He gets really frustrated when people ask him those types of questions."
"Sounds fine to me. I would be frustrated if someone questioned what I dedicate my life to as well." I smile at her before I grab my pencil case from my backpack.

Mr. Peters is a nice enough looking person.  He wears khaki pants and a grey long sleeve shirt underneath a navy blue windbreaker.  He looks like the typical math teacher with a balding head and glasses that seem to be continuously falling down his nose.  When his grey eyes find mine, he smiles and tosses his brown book bag on his desk while the last load of late students file noisily into the classroom.

And so my first day of school begins...

~~~~~~~~~~

Its been quite a while since I started at Dan's place.  I have a new system: once school finishes I head straight to work at the bar.  I've been here for three hours already, and I still have one more to go.  I feel like my feet are going to fall off any time now, and that isn't natural. It was pretty busy in here today, Even for a Thursday. I've had so many tables I don't think I could count them all. I'm currently dealing with a table full of popular students from my school, which is the most infuriating group I could ever dream up.

The table sits two of the most self cantered people I have ever interacted with: Oliver Barnett and Sophia Samuels.  The two of them combine for the most annoying jokes, shallow complaints and rude voices I have ever had to endure.  They weren't originally sitting at one of my tables.  My co-worker who was dealing with them had to leave because her shift ended... That's how long they've been here.

"Hey you there, little waitress, are you going to refill my glass or what?" Sophia waves her hand like the Queen from the head of the long table where she sits with the other high maintenance sunshine list kids.
"Oh of course." I head right over and grab her glass from the table.

I've had to reach between her and Oliver Barnett, the school's superstar quarterback, ever since I took over their table. I'm just waiting for her to accuse me of moving in on her boyfriend.

Once I refill her water with lemon I make my way back to the end of the large dark wooden table to put Sophia's glass back where I picked it up. By the time I get there, Oliver Barnett's seat is empty, which means he most likely went to pay for everyone's food.

On Thursdays at the bar, Dan has an offer to anyone who thinks they have a good throwing arm.  In the main entrance of the dining room, separate from where people sit to eat is a basketball net in the end right beside the cash register.  If the customer can make the pass from the front door with a football, then their dinner and the dinner of those they sat with would be free.  It was pretty easy for people to miss because they were often tipsy after watching the game.  But if you were sober, the throw was decently simple.  I could make it if I tried. 

Standing just in front of the entrance to the bar is Oliver Barnett with the bar's football in his hands.

Oliver Barnett is your typical perfect specimen, although I would never admit that out loud.  His large hands are rough from throwing perfect spirals continuously.  His green eyes are light and airy, although I'm sure they darken with his moods.  His hair is messy and falls onto his forehead in brown waves.  His nose is slightly crooked from breaking one too many times.  His jawline in strong, his cheekbones are prominent and his wide shoulders would be perfect to hold on to.

But I would never admit that out loud.

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