Not Just The Seven Anymore

Mark The Saytr, Meet Tyler, The Demigod

The student body buzzed like a whole hive of bees as we all made our way to the auditorium for a special announcement. My class, the Juniors, was messing with Freshman flirting with Seniors and acting like idiots. Usually I kept to myself because this class was nuts. Entering the auditorium I picked a seat by my two friends Anthony and Luke.  Soon the principal told everyone to quiet down and he personally addressed Randy and Jacob so he could tell them to stop bothering the Freshmen girls. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat aware of the tension between the teachers.

Frowning I waited for the principal to get on with it. Clearing his throat he said, “Now I have a special announcement and this requires everyone’s attention and yes that includes you too Randy. We’ve had many students come and go through Indiana and through your own school Hamilton Southeastern High School. Many of the new kids have been alone, lost, and nervous when they get here. I hope you all are welcoming them and showing them the way but some just aren’t that lucky and willing for help. So starting now each new student will be assigned a partner to show them the way around here. The partner of the student will have all of the same classes so that you will not be tardy. The reason why I’m telling you this now is because today we are welcoming a new student. Their partner has already been chosen. Now, the Junior class will need to stay here while the rest of you go back to your class. That doesn’t include you Randy leave the Freshmen alone.”

Mutterings broke out among us as we all waited for the rest of the school to leave. Soon enough we were the only ones left and one of the teachers started to yell at the principal. “Sir I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t think the school is set up for a person of his needs! This school doesn’t have any ramps for someone of his disability. We just aren’t ready for him.”

Principal Simmons frowned at this. “Come now we have an elevator! We can make a meal plan for him! It’s not that big of an obstacle. Quiet down! Well now that it’s just this class I’ll introduce him to you. Mark? You can come here now!” Everyone instantly was silent waiting eagerly to get a glimpse at this mysterious new kid. Well it would’ve been silent if we hadn’t heard the weird squeaking noise. I twisted in my seat looking for the source of the sound. People to my left gasped so I swiveled my head and almost dropped my mouth open. A boy that certainly looked the perfect image of a new kid was sitting down nervously in a wheelchair. His right wheel was squeaking audibly and when I said he looked like a new kid I meant his behavior. His gaze was darting around and he kept tapping his foot. I’ve never seen a person that nervous, but then again I’ve never been introduced to the whole menacing Junior class while being confined to a wheelchair.

Reaching Principal Simmons he stopped and the whispering started. I heard a few girls whisper about how hot he is and hear a few guys mutter about how they wish they could’ve gotten a guy who could possibly play football. I shook my head smiling amusedly at the teams’ comments. The Principal called for our attention again and once again we all immediately fell silent. “Thank you. Now I will call the student's name that will be his partner. They are to be his friend and show him around. They will not leave him to fend on his own Randy. Okay will Tyler White come up to the front of the stage.”

Now my mouth dropped open in shock. Anthony nudged me and whispered, “Tyler go on, he’s waiting.” Numbly I nodded and stood up walking down to the front of the room feeling everyone’s eyes on me. Mark’s eyes focused on me and that seemed to be worse than the Junior’s eyes on me. I smiled at Mark and he gave a half smile in return.

I turned my gaze back towards Principal Simmons who looked at me for a moment before saying, “Alright now that we have the partner you may all go back to your class oh and Randy put the straw and spitballs down.”

Trying to make conversation I glance back at Mark, “So you’re not from Indiana?”

He shakes his head and laughs, “Oh I was born here I just lived in New York since sixth grade.” As he spoke I heard the accent though he didn’t have much of one, wait did people from New York even get accents? As if knowing what I was thinking (Can I just say mind reader) he added, “I lived in Boston for two years and I still have a little bit of an accent.” We kept talking for a few minutes until Principal Simmons walked up.