Him For Her.

Her First Day.

My first day of school began on the second day of the school year. I missed the first day, so that initial "easy" introduction day had already been over and done with. There were new teachers in classrooms of which I had been in for different teaching subjects than what they were now. Only some of them I still remember from the past years. It felt strange to come back after three months and a day to find that nothing was the same as when I had left it. 

I dropped my book bag down at the first chance I got upon walking into my second period classroom. It fell to the ground in a bit of a louder thump than I think anyone really anticipated, but little did I mind that I made a sound. I let it sit up against a desk in the front of the room, near the white board, and about six steps away from the door. Normally, I would do everything in my power to avoid the front row in any instance, but this day I couldn't seem to care, it was the table where my two best friends in the whole world decided to sit down. So, I took the one empty desk and claimed it as my own. Tristen, my best friend since I was about six years old, and his sister Mindy that I kind of shared with Tristen to keep as my sister as well. Upon my most unplanned arrival time, I noticed the both of them before much of anything else that went on in the room, I got a smile from her and an uneasy "you're late" half smile from him. 

Before I was able to join them in our new group, I walked over to one of the new teachers with my pink slip, I handed it to her, and she marked my attendance privately. I knew that getting in late would be a pretty awkward gesture on the second day, one of the many new teachers I had, she seemed nice enough, but at the same time she looked a little annoyed. Boy did I understand her pain, she went from a comfortable summer probably at home with her own family, to coming into class at 7 in the morning every day only to find a room full of disrespectful teenagers who believe they rule the earth.

A short conversation ensued before she freed me into the custody of my people at table one. After we finished up talking for the little while that we did, the class pressed on to continue the oh so important introduction letters that most teachers do every year. What I mean by that is the assignment was this kind of folded four square "Get to know you." thing. I had seen them before in other classes or at least something similar to them. Of course, I had missed the first day which would normally put me a day behind in everything, but due to my past experience with school. I really, really didn't want to get behind already. As most of my time consists of hospital beds and doctor visits, I wanted to try the best I could to stay afloat, for a while at least. Thanks to my non-biological big brother, Tristen had texted me the assignment the night before, so I could have it finished by the time I step into the classroom.

 While it was the first day for me,  I wasn't really nervous at all when the teacher called my name. I wasn't big on caring for the opinions of a bunch of 13 and 14 year olds. Or as all of us older grades seem to call them in some derogatory way; Freshmen. By the time I had sat down, I only had one person called before me, so I didn't have much of an example of how to do present myself. Oh well, it wouldn't be the first time I had to wing an assignment. I stepped up from the chair of which I had just barely sat down in and before I knew it I was taking the attention of the entire classroom. Maybe if I had time to feel better than I did, I would have been scared, and probably stuttering to high heaven. But the truth is, I was not feeling well because I was tired, and really groggy from being so.

 I got up almost directly after one of the seniors in my classroom, I didn't know him well or at all really, but his letter to the class caused a bit of an silent uproar among students. Interesting how quick the energy can change in a room, even more interesting is the fact that the class became quieter than a funeral, and it wasn't my fault for once. I moved up from my seat and took no more than two steps before I turned around to face the audience. Here goes nothing I thought to myself as started my paper with minor shakiness in my hands. I explained everything as calmly as possible, even though all those staring eyes made me slightly uneasy to talk about my disorder. But I didn't care, I was going to point it out anyway, I had no other choice. I knew many of them would have questions, especially the teacher would have something to say about it. This disorder isn't very common, yet its not completely rare either. Only 4% of the country has ever been known to have it. Its not unheard of, I could tell my teacher somewhat understood.

Its fine, though... I get tons of questions about it. They have never been new to me.

I could feel the stares and watered eyes all around me. It was almost like standing under a constant ray of sun, the pressure weighed me down. I ignored it as I did with most things. After I finished I excused myself back to my seat while I could only assume there would be no objection. I sat down at my new table with my group of old friends. Five chairs for five desks to make up the table, Two people at our table were new, two more freshmen to include with the many. Tristen and I are Juniors and Tristen's little sister is a sophomore. One sophomore, two juniors, and two freshmen of whom we didn't know. And of course, being me.. I was the first to introduce myself. I have never been the type of shy person that just wishes anyone I didn't know would evaporate into the air. Yet I wasn't entirely out to get new friends, either. The only thing I really did try hard to avoid is the awkward parties, the one group of people who are too scared to speak to one another, and so the table just sits quietly.

 I asked the average small talk questions that I actually kind of hated, I found out their names were, Dimitri and Ivan. They were brothers. How lucky is that? To have your sibling in the same class on the day where you don't know anyone else. Its going to be the same thing for my brothers, of course. Once they reach high school.

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Following my second period, my day kind of dragged on. I had Chemistry for first period, Home Ec for second, Pre Cal for 3rd, then lunch, and about three more classes of the same nonsense until they finally let us go free. It was a lot. Not that any of it was too much for me, but it was a lot of heavy books for my weak body. I would get used to it, obviously. Tristen carried my bag around for me today, though. I stayed close to Tristen pretty much the whole day that day. No one knew me better than he did and it made me feel safe. For lunch, Tris and I met up with the people we knew from school before summer, on the outside of the Quad. There was a bench table near the office that was somehow abstract from the rest of them which we sort of determined was ours for the taking since no one else ever seemed to dare sit so close to the office doors.

Tristen, Mindy, Allen, Anthony, and I were what consisted of our group of friends. Admittedly, there weren't a lot of us, but we didn't care because we were all we needed. Everyone of us had something different, but that's what made it interesting. Allen acted as our group leader, he wasn't, but it was funny to watch him pretend. He put himself in charge of the bat signal... Or in other words; he called us all over to hang out on a regular basis, walked everyone through the lunch line, making sure that we were accounted for. All of that jazz and of course he just happens to be Anthony's boyfriend. Anthony was the group's conversation starter. On the strangest and most random subjects and I honestly think its so interesting. He makes me smile and laugh on the days that I don't even want to open my eyes and I couldn't be more grateful for him.

Mindy is like a sister to me. I've never had a sister, I was the only girl in a family of five kids, and my mom. So to have someone as caring, selfless, and just completely addictive as Mindy is... I couldn't have asked for more than that. She's also an artist of the most unique drawing and painting inspirations I have ever seen in my life. And, for someone as unattached to the understanding of that kind of art as I am, she has shown me the true beauty in things I would have never paid any attention had she not been there to point it out.

They're all amazing friends and it makes me teary to think about how much they are to me and how much they have given me. Tristen and Mindy are my life and world friends, though. I honestly believe that I wouldn't have ever made it as far as I have without them and their support. I've known both of them the longest and they have seen every stitch of me and this retched curse of a disease. Yet, no matter how skinny I get or how many hospital beds they have sat beside for too many hours, they still have chosen to keep me around, and love me completely without any conditions.

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