James Anderson reflects on his experiences and his life as he struggles to survive in a life-threatening situation, his reflection starts at the beginning of high school. Two best friends since the days of diapers and formula, James Anderson and Sha...
"I cannot believe the summer is already over!" Shannon Muller groaned as we stepped outside of her mother's black Range Rover. We stood in the large parking lot of our new school, Elbridge City High. The early, glowing sun lingered behind the swaying oak trees of the surrounding property in the crisp, autumn air. The lawns were freshly manicured, the marble floors were recently polished, the lockers were perfectly repainted, and the fluorescent light bulbs were carefully replaced; Elbridge City High was prepared to open its doors for the incoming freshmen class. I arrived at Elbridge City High for Freshmen Orientation with my best friend since Pre-Kindergarten, Shannon Muller, and her mother, Donna Muller.
"James!" Shannon called my name as we strolled through the maze of expensive cars and vehicles. The sound of car horns, the screeching of rubber tires, and the slamming of car doors was resonating in the morning air. When Shannon called my name, I turned to face her. A summer in Bora Bora had done her well, she had honey-blonde hair with platinum highlights, which fell over her shoulders like velvet, the highlights gleamed in the sun. Shannon had brown eyes, glossy, plump lips, and a jawline sharp enough to kill her enemies. It was not surprising to see Shannon wearing a designer-labeled dress; the first day of school was considered a momentous occasion in her life, and the occasion required a little bit of Gucci. Shannon Muller was a force to be reckoned with, a force of nature. People, like myself, were raindrops, but Shannon . . . Shannon was a hurricane.
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"James Anderson! Snap out of it!" Shannon nudged me with her thin arm. She squeezed a drop of cherry blossom hand sanitizer into the palm of her hand, she threw the bottle of hand sanitizer into her Chanel purse, and she lathered it all over her hands and wrists. She appeared . . . nervous, which was unusual for Shannon Muller. She was almost always confident. She focused on the entrance of the school in the small distance, her stilettos clacked against the coal-black pavement of the parking lot, and her honey-blonde hair blew carelessly into the morning breeze.
"Snap out of it? Me? What about you?" I responded, I returned her nudge with a nudge of my own. I studied her facial expression, it was a facial expression of worry. I followed Shannon in her wake towards the sets double doors of Elbridge City High. Shannon and I stepped up onto the concrete walkway of the entrance. Elbridge City High was an expensive, modern, and state-of-the-art high school building, it was the top educational institution of the state. At the entrance there were groups of students huddled together gossiping, hugging, mingling, and talking about their summers. There were some students standing silently by their parents, others were patiently waiting to go inside the school to begin freshmen orientation.
"I'm ready for this, I'm focused. I have been waiting for this moment for my entire life! Aren't you excited for high school?" Shannon asked. Excited? I wouldn't say excited. Curious, maybe. But, definitely not excited. Shannon Muller will easily find her place in high school, she will join the cheerleaders squad, the yearbook staff, or run her own club. But, me? I don't know where I would fit in high school. To be completely honest, I was bit of an oddball.
