Ecstasy

Chapter 7

Calla:

I was gnawing on an apple before the bus turned up. Better an apple than my fingernails. It was hot already and it was only eight in the morning. At least the bus stop was shaded by a large gum tree.

It felt like I had to wait for ages. Finally it pulled into the curb. Faces were watching me out the window. I felt my cheeks redden a little. The doors swung open and the bus driver looked lazily at me. I hopped up the steps and passed over a few coins to the driver. I stood in the isle looking frantically for a spot to sit. I spotted some empty seats in the middle and started to walk when the bus took off.

"Hey new kid?" A girl with glasses said as I passed her. I turned around cautiously expecting something worse than her offer of a seat. She pulled her bag onto her lap to make room for me. "You can sit here."

"Thanks," I murmured as I sat down.

"I'm Mitchie," she said.

I tried a polite smile, "Calla."

She smiled, "that's an interesting name."

I just nodded, and hoped she didn't ask me to spell it. I looked over at her. She was looking down at her mobile phone; her short brown hair spilled over her face.

"So you're new this term, I gather. You're a senior?" She asked, finally looking up from her phone.

Her blue glasses made her hazel eyes stand out. I nodded.

"Do you have your timetable yet?"

I nodded again, hoping she wouldn't ask to see my picture colour-coordinated timetable drawn up by my mother.

She looked at me expectantly, "What do you have first?"

"Um, maths, I think," luckily I remembered.

She suddenly brightened, "Good you're in my class! I can show you to the classroom."

I smiled, "Sure. Thanks."

***

After some more slightly awkward conversations my first week progressed rather well. Being the new kid in a small town meant there was nowhere to hide. Everyone knew your name before you even introduced yourself, and public school wasn't as hard as I expected it to be. One thing I had come to dislike was the constant running from one side of the school to the other between lessons. I kind of missed my one class room back at Chalmer's Road Special School.

It was a Thursday, and I was on one of those long walks from History to remedial English, when I turned the corner and walked bam straight into someone. My books spewed across the hallway and out of my arms.

I looked up to the person I collided with. A tall boy stood in front of me. He was wearing dark sunglasses and his hair looked like it hadn't been brushed since he new years.

"Uh," I tried to think of something to say. No words formed in my head. Not even a syllable.

"Sorry," he said it like he didn't mean it. He bent down to pick up one of my textbooks.

Suddenly I found my tongue. "No it was my fault," I said. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

I picked up the picture dictionary from the floor quickly. Hopefully, before he saw it.

I straightened. He handed me my notebook. I mumbled a thanks.

I looked up at the black sunglasses that he was wearing. His scruffy appearance and slouched posture didn't fit the image of the expensive looking RayBans. Some younger freshmen ran down the hallway making a lot of noise. He winced again, his fingers rubbing into his temple.

"Are you okay?" I asked. He looked as if he was about to throw up half his lunch.

"I'm fine," he snapped. I recoiled.

He opened his mouth like he intended to say more, but decided against it and walked around me and down the corridor.

I stood there for a moment longer. That was very weird. The second bell ringing bought me to my senses and I hurried off to class.