Defeating the Odds

A loud beeping came from her alarm clock. Maisie slipped her arm out from under her covers and felt around her night stand searching for the snooze button on the clock. She reached over to far and tumbled off the side of her bed. She untangled herself out of the sheets and shut off the alarm.

Maisie walked out to her bathroom and brushed her teeth. She went back to her room and put on her school uniform. It felt so unusual for her. Today was her first day of school. Not only school, but high school. Maisie had been home schooled her whole life. Her mother home schooled her to avoid Maisie from having people use her cause her father was an ex-NFL player. Over the past summer Maisie’s mother died from breast cancer. Her father settled down in Florida and she was enrolled in high school.

She went back to her bathroom and applied her makeup and teased her hair into a bumped up ponytail. She grabbed her back pack off her floor. Her dad had supplied it with materials he once needed in high school.

She went down stairs and the housekeeper had breakfast waiting for her at the table. She ate her food slowly for she was nervous for her day. Her dad walked into the room. “Are you excited for your first day of school?”

“Kind of. What if I get made fun of? Or even treated different? I’m not like most people or girls for the fact. My dad is famous and I am nothing like a girl.”

“Just try and make friends. I’m sure there will be other girls just like you. Come get me when you’re ready.”

Maisie’s dad pulled up to the curb by the school. “Have a good day. If you need anything you can text me.”

Maisie said her goodbye and walked up to the school gazing at the student surrounding her. She made her way to the front office and a volunteer student took her to the guidance office. The secretary handed her schedule to her and a new volunteer student took her to her first class.

Maisie sat in a desk until the bell rang. Since it was the first day, in class they went over expectations, procedures and all the boring first day stuff. The bell rang and the teacher asked for a volunteer to take her to her next class. James raised his hand. “I’m going to that class. I’ll show her the way.”

Maisie follow James out the door and into the hallway. “Hi, my name is James. You must be new here. What’s your name?”

“I’m Maisie.”

“Well nice to meet you Maisie. What brings you here?”

“My father is the new football coach for the college team here.”

“Chris Johnston is your dad!?”

“Yes, I knew you would flip.”

“Oh sorry, that’s awesome though. Do you play any sports?”

“Not your usual girl sports. I love to play football with my dad.”

“That’s cool. If you’re any good like your dad you should try out for the team. Practice starts tomorrow. You should show up.”

By this time they had reached their class and sat down. The bell rang moments later and class begun.