Finding Sage

1. Meeting Her

Mom's car stopped at the entrance parking lot of Dover Community High School. As I saw my older brother, Brad, get out of the car, I just sat there nervous and anxious to even take one step. The first day of highschool, the first day of my freshman year, felt like the worst. Especially, since my brother is the star quarterback of the Dover Wolves. If I was expecting to get by unnoticed, then even wearing camouflage couldn't hide me. That's why I'm dreading on taking the first step out of this car and into the building filled with other teens. I gulped.

Hearing my mom sigh, she turned around in her seat to look at me with her bright white smile on her face. "You know I can't hold your hand forever," she joked, putting a hand on my knee patting it.

"Yeah I know." I closed my eyes. Having the courage I wish I lack, I opened the door grabbing my book bag over my shoulder and stepped out the car closing it behind me. Before I even stepped on the curve of the sidewalk, my mom stopped me by yelling, "Wait Nathan!"

I turned around slowly seeing mom having the window down. I leaned in and saw she was holding a brown paper bag in her hand shaking it. "Your lunch," she quirked. I grabbed the brown paper bag and looked inside of it; I saw two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, an apple, and one of the chocolate muffins she made yesterday. Before I could even say thanks, she kissed my cheek and I groaned knowing pretty sure her red lipstick stained all over the side of my face.

"Thanks, Mom, I appreciate the love," I said sarcastically. I rubbed at my cheek looking at my now red hand. I couldn't help mutter under my breath, "Now I'm really not going to have any friends."

"Love you too sweetheart," She said, then rolled up the window of the car and drove off with me staring bewithered at the spot she was in. I turned back around facing the large building again, and started walking towards the school I'll be going to for the next four years. I always dreaded going to highschool because I knew that being a freshman means fresh meat to pick on. Number one rule Brody taught me a month before school started is: try not to stand out like a sore thumb. Easy for him to say, he was the golden child ever since he was born.

It was crowded, really crowded, when I walked in through the double doors. It felt like I was trapped in the web of teenagers much older than me and the ones that were probably my grade, seemed to fit in perfectly... Or at least it seemed that way in my eyes. Probably there were others like me who were scared shitless to even enter the building. I dreaded his day and now that it's finally come, I just want to go home and sleep.

But that wasn't quite the option.

Taking out my schedule from my back pocket, I tried to locate my locker, which I later found outside the cafeteria. The lockers I pass were red and blue and mine was yellow. Putting in my combination, it took a couple of tries to get it right before I finally unlock it, being able to put my binders and notebooks in. Looking back at my schedule, I saw that my homeroom was in room H5; which was Home Ec with Mrs. Francis. I started following the map my mom printed out for me just in case 'I got lost' or something. Home Ec was mostly for girls, but it was the only class where I can get an easy A in because the other option was Chop class and no way in hell was I using a hammer. Ever since technology in middle school, I will never hold a sharp or heavy tool again.

No one ever mentions what happened in technology in middle school.

Finding the classroom, I walked in and stood by the doorway trying to find a seat I can sit in. The room was a plain teal color, the walls wrapped all around with a strip of brown and the floor were a mix between black and brown and white. There were tables that alined the room into four equal amounts on each side and two stools for each table.

Back in middle school, I usually sat in the front of the class or the very back of class, but since I want to change, I decided to sit in one of the middle tables. I was one of the few people first in the classroom and I kind of felt embarrassed that I didn't have anyone to talk too like the others. I mean, I did know some people in this class however we only ever talked when we were partner up or when we had an assignment. Or then again I didn't really bother having a conversation with others. I wasn't anti-social or anything, I was just the one kid everyone knew but didn't exactly approach. Besides, my best friend, Christian, who I knew since preschool, was in this class. The only reason he joined was because he was obsess with girls.