A Walk To The Heart

Daniel I

From the beginning, I know that the idea of moving here is an absurd idea. I don't really mind living with my mom but to live in the suburban area like Kentucky is really mind-blown. Being the only child for a separated couple, I swear it is really torturing and leave you questioning why you ever live.

My mom is Natasha Phelan. Or two months ago her name is Natasha Sheridan. She was an executive back in California and after her divorce with my dad last month, she decided to back to her hometown here in Kentucky. Now, we are currently living our very moderate life together with her parents, Grandpa Jeff and Granny Ilsa.

Mom asked for a divorce from my dad after she found that my dad is having an affair with his ex-girlfriend when he was young before. It didn't take much time before their divorce to be finalized as my dad really intend to let my mom go ever since the relationship began to bud.

Devastated, my mom claimed all of the property and my dad apparently to not care at all. The custody battle of them also didn't take much time so now here I am with my mom in Kentucky. Hopefully, everything will be fine.

"Daniel, is it okay if you see the principal by yourself. I need to go to the office early today."

"Do I have a choice?"

"Daniel..."

"Then why did you even bother to ask at the first place?"

"Daniel, I know it's hard for you to accept this change. But look at the bright side, you will make friends, see new places, study in a good environment."

"Do I even have a friend before?"

Mom sighed. As someone who is extremely socially awkward, it is really hard for me to make friends with whoever they are. That is my major problem even before I landed here so I guess there is no one who should be blamed unless me myself.

"Then make one here."

Sounds like a good idea. But then that mentality changed after few seconds when the car entering the school compound. Mom dropped me after gave me a $50 dollar note. I looked thoroughly the school building before entering the building.

My anxiety attack struck! The crowd of students is everywhere rushing for their class and here I am wondering where is the office. I try to call few of the students but most of them are just way too busy to even care that there is a newbie here who looked like a wanderer in the middle of the desert.

I'm alone. The bell rang and within few seconds, all the crowd went missing. With limited wits, I try looking for any sign that may lead me to the school office.

"Hey, boy!" Someone shouting from the end of the hallway. From his appearance, I guess he is a discipline teacher. "What are you doing outside the class?"

"Oh, sorry sir. I'm Daniel Montgomery Sheridan, a new student from California."

"Oh, so you the new student? Where are your parents?"

"Oh, my mom had to rush to her office so I'm here alone."

"Never mind, boy. Let me take you to the office."

Along we walk to the office, the man who introduced himself as Mr. Salem keeps talking about the school and things that maybe to him, I should know. It's about few moment of walking and we're already at the office.

I met with Madam Muriel St. John and she is the principal here. She gave me the timetable and school map which I swear it will take me forever to memorize it. After that, I began walking to Room 170 which is the room for my French class.

I knocked the door and the teacher called me out. The teacher is a European woman based on the way she talks and her face as well. She asked me to get inside and seated me in the second row at the back.

First two periods weren't that hard. Everyone seems friendly and then there's me who still doesn't speak any word. My next class is English Literature so I better get going there early as I still blur with the map.

I get in the class early but as I don't know which table is unoccupied so I was just there and stand still. Not so long after that, I saw few students get inside and sit at their place. A girl came up to me and say greet me with hello.

"I guess you are Daniel."

"Yeah, how you know?"

"Well, I saw you walking with Mr. Salem and I have a class with him earlier. So, he told us about you. Anyway, I'm Estelle."

"Daniel."

We shaking hands.

"I can tell that you are searching for an empty seat. Well, the seat at the second row is not occupied. You can sit there."

I walked to the second row but when I was about to sit, she shouted. "No! Not that one. Besides that."

"Oh, okay." I changed my seat. Then I took a glance at the table I sat before. The table is slightly shorter than others. Plus, it is quite bigger in size. "Why this table is different from the others, Estelle?"

"Oh, it belongs to Nicholas. He's absent today. He's a disabled student."

"Oh, I see."

The next class went smoothly and I had to introduce myself for the first time. Through my impression, all the new classmates are showing a great first impression towards me and I guess that's a good sign.

"Do you have a girlfriend, Daniel?"

I had a girlfriend. By 'had', that means I used to have one. Her name is Vivien and she lived back from where I came. We broke up not so long after my parents' divorce. I don't know the exact reason why I choose to break up with her as she is a nice girl in fact. Just my parents' divorce is so devastating that I tend to make that stupid reason.

"No, don't have."

Some of the girls cheer themselves while boys looking at me with a smile. I guess this class would be a lit class as the short form of literature itself. The teacher, Miss Francesca Potton seems to be so kind and close with her students.

"Too bad we don't have Nicholas today. Anyway, class, open your Othello and we will discuss the dynamism of character Iago together."

The environment is quite different from California. In California, some of the students in the class hardly talk to one another. In here, it's different. We talk, laugh and chat together. But not for me.

The new leaf of my life has come. I know everything will be better. Because if it's not, suicide might be highly considered.