Haunted

Chapter One

Since the move from America to the British Isles my life has been full of adjustments. Culture shock hit me like a bullet train, and it was an inevitably rough transition. However, Ireland was the most beautiful place I had ever been to and I wouldn't take it back for anything.
Today is the beginning of a new life. The first day of "junior year" as an American exchange student. That's what they would call me in the United States, but it was different in Ireland. I'm pretty sure the other teens would just call me a dumb American Boy, which is totally true.
I like to see myself as privileged to be here studying where my ancestors came from. You see, after the American Civil War my family migrated to America through Queens Island, New York from Dublin, Ireland. Which is where I now reside as a stranger to the people around me.
"Owen O'Brien?" The teacher called.
"Here!" I made sure to say loudly. You see, I want people to notice me. I want to make friends before I have to go back home next semester.
The first classes of the day blew by like a East Coast breeze. Syllabus after syllabus was handed out, and I was ready for my free period to come by and grant me some time to eat. Is this all teenage boys think about? Burgers? I miss home already. Actually, scratch that. I just miss In-N-Out.
Suddenly I realized something. There weren't really as many gingers around as I thought there would be. I figured there would be a lot. Maybe I just got things confused with Scotland.
So, during lunch I sat on the staircase from the second floor to the third floor, asking myself why I didn't bring a water bottle. Damn, I was thirsty.
Life as a foreigner was tough at the moment but I had a feeling things would get better. As the day went on my classes seemed to get shorter and shorter and sooner or later I was on the bus ride home to my host family. Martha, my host mother was a sweet woman in her thirties with two younger sons that seemed to be overly attached to me already. Her late husband Hans died in a boating accident and she hasn't remarried. Martha was amazing however and treated me as one of her own which I was internally grateful for. She didn't even care that I was gay, which was very good for me.
The headphones in my ears played the top forty even though I wasn't really into it. I just needed something to drown out the noise of all the Irish accents. I needed some sleep, so as soon as I got back to Martha's I passed out on my bed. I didn't even care about making Martha sign the paperwork that was due by tomorrow.

Today is a new day. I refuse to let it go to waste. So, in the morning I take the city bus from home to school; getting off one stop early. Fredric's is a nice biscuit shop a few blocks from the school so I decide to get some breakfast. I see a few students crowded around the claustrophobic area and do my best not to internally freak out. Backpacks bump into each other as they rush to the front of the line but I stay back until things calm down a bit. When my time comes I get hot chocolate and a bagel. What can I say, i'm a weakling for cream cheese.
When I walk out I catch a group of girls staring at me, so I smile at them and leave. When I turn back I catch them all laughing except for one red head. Maybe she was just having a bad day. I let it go, walking to school in peace. I get there a half hour early, so I sit on the same staircase and eat my breakfast like a normal person would.
Maybe I will make a friend today. Well, at least I hoped I would.
My first class of the day was World History. We were learning about Henry the Eighth and how he created his own religion so that he could divorce his wife. It just made me think about how much hatred that man was filled with. Maybe, he was secretly homosexual. Maybe, he had commitment issues. Maybe, he just thought he was better than everyone else. No matter what he was, he was a bad person.

My second class, was physics and everyone had to choose a partner for half the semester. Unfortunately, I didn't know anyone so I just sort of sat there in the same seat I was in before with an empty chair next to me. I prayed that someone would catch the hint and just sit down but nobody did. I was the only one without a partner, so I just sort of sat there alone for half the class.
My teacher, Mr. Holloway, caught the drift but he didn't say anything. Halfway through the period, a girl walked in with a sheet of paper and handed it to the teacher. Briefly explaining that she had switched out of her choir class and was now in this one.
"You may sit with Owen." Mr. Holloway said, pointing to me. For a few seconds everyone stared at me and I just looked down at my paper, waiting for him to continue with the lecture. When he did, I finally looked up at my new physics partner. A few seconds had gone by when I realized that it was the redhead from this morning, the one who didn't smile at me. When I looked back at my paper I wondered if I would ever memorize the formula to find velocity.
The second day was easier than I anticipated. Only a few pages for homework and I was soon on the bus on the way home. I made sure to do my homework before napping today, just to be sure that I didn't forget about it.
After dinner, I went online to update my twitter account on how lovely Ireland is. I posted a few pictures of buildings and the grass because I knew my mom would see it. I miss her, but not really.
Oh who am I kidding, I miss her more than anything.
When I was done, I went to bed again, just because there was nothing better to do.