Honestly

Honestly Chapter 1

I walked into the ear deafening lunchroom as my stomach turned inside out. It was my first day of public school after nine grueling years of homeschool. I wasn't used to being around so many people my age. It was terrifying. Earlier that day, I anxiously paced around my small room that I had spent my childhood in, wondering what else I would need for the long day ahead of me. I mean, what do you need for public school? It was late into the long month of August and I wondered how people managed to wake up so early for school. Sweet birds chirped along to the crickets that roamed my yard. I usually woke at around ten o'clock because I could control when I had my lessons. This new schedule was not normal for me.

"Naomi, breakfast" my mom yelled, "we need to hurry!" I decided that maybe I was overthinking this. My mom handed over a bowl of warm oatmeal and a glass of orange juice as I came down the short steps. Our house was worn, but I know that my parents loved this house. It's where we made so many memories.

"I'm driving you to school today," mom told me as she emerged from the living room. She wore pale blue high ankle jeans and a coral blouse. I was glad I didn't have to take the bus. I took my heavy backpack full of supplies, which I had reused from previous years, and climbed into the minivan. All different types of people dotted the front steps of Woodcreek High School as we approached. I was an awkward freshman with dark wavy hair and green eyes. Some of my family friends have told me that everyone hated freshmen. Today will be interesting.

"Don't get too nervous," my mom comforted me as I opened the door. She was always able to tell when I got anxious. With a small smile, I watched her car slowly drive away as I gripped my folded schedule tightly in my clammy hands. I had English first period, show choir for second, math for third, and world history for fourth. I put my head down and rushed through the dense crowd of upperclassmen. They were all talking to their friends. I had no one to talk to. The overpowering smell of freshly mowed grass and floral perfume filled my nose. The principal stood by the entrance and greeted students. She had light brown hair that was graying and wore a fancy shirt with beige pants. Her eyes lit up when she saw me.

"Naomi, are you excited for your first day of highschool?" she asked me with a smile plastered on her face.

"Yeah, I guess," I responded. I was not excited.

"Great, well if you need any help getting to your classes, you can ask the sophomores in the halls wearing name tags."

"I will," I told her as I entered the front door.

There were even more people littering the hallways and rushing to their classes inside of the massive school. I still didn't understand how to navigate around the building, even after the orientation that I had attended a week earlier. I looked down at my phone and saw that I had fifteen minutes until my first class. I spotted a water fountain on the back wall of the office and quickly rushed over to it. The water was definitely a needed refresher as it slowly ran down my dry throat. I walked up to a sophomore that looked like he was easy to talk to. He had dark brown hair that softly brushed upward from his forehead and wore a deep blue shirt with black jeans. He instantly smiled when he saw me.

"Hi, do you need help with anything?" he asked with a genuine smile.

"Yeah, can you help me get to my class? I can't get around this place," I joked as he chuckled.

"Show me your schedule. I can help you around," he told me with assurance. I handed him my schedule. His eyes lit up as he looked over it.

"You're in show choir?" he questioned.

"My mom wanted me to try something new and I've always liked singing, so I auditioned. I got put in the all girls group and the coed group," I answered.