The New Kid

01 - Meeting Ming

Wayo's POV

My eyes shot open as my alarm clock went off. Great. Monday. I thought to myself. I sat up and looked around the room.

Most of my moving boxes were still not unpacked. I dragged myself out of my bed and went into the bathroom that was attached to my room.

I still wasn't sure how to use the faucet on the shower. We just moved in last Wednesday from Rhode Island, and so far the only exciting part about Manhattan was the fact that our house was the nicest one we've ever lived in. Me and my two sisters, Lemon and Mint, each got our own room with a bathroom in each.

I put on my favorite outfit for my first day of a new school: red pants, a white striped shirt and a pair of Toms'. I went downstairs just as my dad was calling me, "Wayo, bus!"

"Coming!" I yelled back. My dad was getting the girls ready for school as well, he's gotten very good at doing it on his own ever since mom died.

Our family didn't always use to be like this, we used to live in a two bedroom one story house. Our home becoming close to foreclosure was what drove my mom to kill herself. She took the easy way out. My dad, however, worked hard, got a job as a news anchor in Rhode Island but then was offered a producing job here in the Upper East Side for a television show called The X-Factor. It took four years to get where we are now, but I was happy he was happy again. I kissed him goodbye and waved to the girls before I hopped on the bus.

When I got on a lot of people had their eyes on me. I slowly looked around for an open seat, luckily almost the last one open had no one else in it. Once I sat down most people turned their heads forward again but two boys were still glaring at me. One was short with brown hair and the other was tall with black hair, darker skin, and earrings. I looked down at my feet and bit my lip, hoping they would look away.

Since this seat was the last one open, the next time we stopped I thought we had arrive at the school, but another boy jumped on the bus with a granola bar in his mouth, his hands full with his backpack and a book. He had dark hair and bright eyes. He swung the pack on his shoulder and took out the granola bar as he made eye contact with the boy with the brown hair, then with me.

He smiled and said, "Can I join you?". I nodded hesitantly and slid as far against the bus wall as I could.

He looked at me funny and said, "Are you new?" I nodded and said, "I just moved in W-wednesday next to the park."

"The park?!" said the boy surprised.

"Yeah why?"

"Just, no one who live there takes the bus, or even talks to anyone else. They just keep to each other."

I shrugged and he said, "I'm Mingkwan Daichapanya. Call me Ming." He stuck out his hand.

I took it as I said, "Wayo. Panitchayasawad. Call me Yo." My hand was a little sticky after the shake from the honey on his granola bar.

"You got your schedule there?" He indicated to the piece of paper in my hands. I nodded and he popped the rest of his granola bar in his mouth before snatching it out of my hands.

"Look at that." He said happily, "All of our classes are the same accept one." I leaned over and he said, "I'm in a different room for honors english."

He handed it back as he said, "Looks like we're going to be best friends!" He said half jokingly, half serious as he pushed my shoulder. I just smiled.

The two boys who stopped staring at me last muttered something to one another then laughed.

I said, "Who are they?" "The short one is Kit and the taller one is Forth. They... I'm... Just ignore them." He said in a huff. He sat back and we rode in silence until we got to the school.