Vu

o n e

"This is going to be the first day of your life."

While maintaining heavy eye contact with him, I try to take my best friend seriously without laughing.

AJ's hazel eyes are unnoticeable under his bushy eyebrows as they sink. He deepens his voice lower, "You have not lived until today. You have not lived until this moment. And from this moment on, your life will never be the same..."

I scoff, finally breaking our staring contest. I exit the conversation when I stand up from under the dining table. I reach for my new, light-blue bookbag from the back of my chair.

AJ follows my lead, standing up and lifting his backpack, but, to him, the conversation is continuing. "I intend to humor you not, Finlay. This is an urgently important situation that you mustn't mock."

After eight years of knowing AJ, I am only now starting to rub off on him with my quirky nature and goofy personality. He never used to participate in my silly, "sophisticated" jargon, but now, he's doing it all the time.

"I apologize earnestly, my friend, for I do realize that my life has not begun until this day."

We smile at each other. He is about to respond, but my dad enters the dining room, interrupting, "Okay, okay, enough you two," he rolls his eyes, and jingles the keys in his hand, "Let's get you guys to school."

Spiritedly, but anxiously, I walk into the foyer toward the front door; the boys lag behind. I hear AJ say, "You know, Ken, I do have my driver's license."

"Oh, yeah? Me, too," my dad wisecracks. 

"Well, I could just drive us to school--to make it easier on you."

"Thanks, AJ, but I think the school's going to need me to sign some things for registration."

I stop on front porch as the guys catch up, "Dad, if you want to drive me, just say you want to be the one to drive me."

AJ and I laugh at his fatherly habits. I can tell he's a little embarrassed and a little disappointed.

"Okay--you guys want to miss out on a ride in my 4Runner listening to Oldies? Fine, your loss," With a laugh in his voice, Dad raises his hands up in defeat. He then throws his arms around my shoulders to hug me.

"Bye, Dad," I say as I hug him back.

He kisses the top of my head, and then reassures for the hundredth time, "It'll all be okay."

I nod, and then I turn off the porch, where AJ is already across the street, about to get into his silver sedan.

"DO NOT speed, AJ!" my dad screams to AJ, who bobs his head in compliance from his driveway before hunching down into the driver's seat of his car. 

"Here we are!" AJ announces, returning my wandering mind to reality. Swarms of teenagers rush over the student parking lot toward the big, brick building. AJ drives slowly, searching for a spot, while I examine my surroundings.

The school looks old, but newly renovated with fresh painted white and beige bricks, and large 2-story windows covering the entire exterior. The student parking lot faces the track and football field, where a great deal of students are just hanging out. Most students travel in packs, loudly joking around with one another.

A group of guys from across the parking lot make eye contact with AJ's car, and immediately start laughing obnoxiously. AJ sees them, and drives in their direction, eventually pulling into the parking space next to where they are standing.

"Any questions before we go in there?" AJ looks at me as he puts the car in Park.

I stare down at my hands nervously. "I don't know... Do you think you--"

I hear sniggers from outside the car, and glance up to AJ, who is watching the group of guys outside my passenger window. He's holding in a laugh. I roll my eyes, and reach for my backpack at my feet in frustration.

"Sorry... My stupid friends..." he shrugs. "Wanna meet them?"

I don't think I do, I thought. Not only was I intimidated by a group of boys, but these boys seem to act childishly. Still, I decide to suppress my arrogance. Grasping the door handle, I answer reluctantly, "Um, sure, I guess so."

When we get out of the car, the guys are all staring at me. We approach the group, and AJ says, "Guys, this is Finlay."

"Ohhh, so this is Finlay," the shortest guy in the group taunts. He has a long, fringe undercut hairstyle and a preppy wardrobe. The rest of the guys chuckle at his comment.

"That's Zac," AJ introduces for him. He points to each one as he continues to give their acquaintances, "Logan. Noah. And Beck."

"Hi," I greet weakly, pressurized by the four pairs of eyes that examine me.

"Why haven't you come to this school before?" Beck asks, smiling delicately.

"I was homeschooled."

"So why are you coming now?" Zac takes his turn to interrogate further.

"My parents just can't homeschool me anymore."

Zac stares at me, as if waiting for me to continue to explain. When I don't, he changes the subject, "You're a Senior, too, right?"

"No, actually a Junior."

"Oh, yeah, Beck's actually a Junior, too," AJ remarks, then turns to Beck. "Dude, do you think you could show her to her class?"

"Sure," he shrugs. I watch as Beck tousles the caramel-brown, scraggly locks that fall to his shoulders as he approaches closer to me. "Do you have your schedule?"

I pull it from the smallest pocket of my backpack, where I'd placed it for safekeeping. As I unfold it, I suddenly hear the shrieking of a bell. All the surrounding teenagers disperse from their cliques, heading in different directions.

"That's the warning bell," Beck says. "5 minutes until class starts."

I nod. My guidance counselor had already told me the ins and outs of being a public-schooler. The bell was one thing she did cover, but I didn't say anything.

"Hey, you going to be okay?" AJ asks as he pats my back. I shrug and smile. He smiles back, "Don't worry, you'll be fine... See ya later, Fin."

The rest of the guys follow AJ's lead, departing to the school while shouting their goodbyes.

Beck lingers behind with me, where I hand my schedule to him.

"First class..." Beck mutters as he searches over my schedule briefly. "B-221. Ha, no way! That's my first class, too!"

"What? Really?"

"Yeah!" he rips a paper from the back pocket of his jeans, and unfolds his schedule. "Mathematics 210, Mr. Beamer, B-hall, Room 221."

I smile uncomfortably, unsure of what to say.

He smiles back, also uncomfortably, "Well, shall we?"