Yes Miss? // PAUSED //

First Day

Unlike anyone else living in this small ass town, I was new. I was new to small town farm life, cowardice bullies, and the regret of coming to a small, tiny school. I was a sophomore entering into the Wallace Academy (it was just a name, the school wasn't an actual academy). The school was a decent size with a staff parking lot in the back and student parking in the front. The walls were made of dark red and black bricks with various exits that were only exits. Many windows, freshly trimmed school yard, with a few trees here and there. It wasn't terrible for a small town school, and thank god it was surrounded by beautiful emerald leaves trees or else I would attend.

Oregon wasn't bad honestly, and the town of Wallace was beautiful and out of the way of Portland. It was near the border of Washington in the far left corner.

Anyways, when I had arrived, I noticed a teacher walking into class as early as I have arrived. She was tall, about 5'10", and slender as well. She wore square black rimmed glasses that sat properly along her pale complexion, and her hair tied up into a rather decently messy bun. She wore a fuzzy black scarf around her neck, for the weather forecast told of lift snow and maybe a rain storm later in this afternoon. She wore skinny jeans that hugged her thighs and calves, and she wore a grey shirt under her black leather jacket. Her boots went to her knees, and she looked to be in a hurry. I shrugged it off, walking farther behind as my father led me to the office. I wasn't surprised to find a squat, mid-thirties office secretary waiting at a boring desk full of scattered papers.

"Hello," my father, the Lawyer, said. "I'm Jeffery Black, and this is my daughter, Salem Black."

The lady's blue eyes lit up as she held eye contact with me for a moment before glancing at my father. She smiled, humming as she grabbed a schedule for me.

"Hi! Yes! The new student Salem! Hello dear!" She was an overbearing but sweet lady at least. "I'm Katy Hawks and I'm the office secretary! It's nice to meet you Salem. So! Here's your schedule..." she beamed with excitement as she told me all my classes, exposing the route to each one, and waving me off to class as the first period bell rang. Leaving my the office, my father grabbed my arm a bit harshly.

"You don't say a word about your mother, understood? No one needs to know what she did to you." His words stung, making my legs weaken. I didn't like to think about my mother. It creeped me out even worse talking about it.

"Yes sir," I grumbled, yanking my arm away and walking off to first period, Advanced Algebra 2. For being a 15 year old sophomore, soon to turn 16 in about a few weeks, was great. I honestly enjoyed being left alone while my father worked away at the office, having affaires with various women. "Will do."

The first period dragged on for the hour. It was slow, the teacher was boring and always using a monotone voice, and some kids whispered while staring at me. I didn't mind, though it was quite annoying.

Second period, Yearbook, excited me. I loved photography and usually did my best to grab whatever camera I could get my hands on. Though I wasn't too sure about the class when I walked in and there were only four others.

I chose a seat in the far corner near the window, watching the ominous clouds gather in the greying sky. It darkened everything a bit to look like an ancient romance movie where two people would meet up and embrace each other, kissing each other as if they depended on it. My attention to the outside world was snapped back to the teacher who walked in, closing the door behind her. She was the teacher I saw outside earlier.

"Hello class!" She beamed, obviously enthusiastic about the hour ahead of us. "How are you all today?" No one answered besides for two, who both have sighs and shrugged. I kept quiet, getting up, and walking my schedule over.

"I'm Salem, I'm new, and I'm in your class." I said in a low tone, hushed. I didn't like attention. It bothered me, making my heart race.

"Ah yes," the teacher said in a more calmer tone. "Hello and welcome to yearbook. I'm glad to have you here. So far we only need someone to be an editor perhaps. Would you like to maybe join in on that action?" Her brown eyes threw me off the question. I could have gotten lost in the light orbs of hazel swimming around her irises.

"Uhhhh, no thanks," I said softly. "I um.. I only take photos." I tried to play off the awkwardness with something else. It seemed to work as her eyes lit up.

"Sweet! Then you can be assigned to camera 1." The teacher purred softly. "By the way, I'm miss Campbell."

"Nice to meet you"

"You as well."

I have a small smile and headed back to my seat as the others talked amongst themselves. One brave guy with leather brown hair and bad acne walked over after half the class time passed.

"You're the new kid?" He asked.

"Sure am. What's up?" I glance up at him with annoyance.

"Didn't you move here cause you were being picked on at your last school or something?"

"No," I responded slowly. "I was homeschooled before."

"Oh that's the other kid I talked to, sorry. You're the one who smashed that one kids head in with a door, huh."

I froze. My eyes averted outside quickly and back to the boy.

"Let's not talk about that."

He leaned forwards. "So it did happen?"

I leaned towards her, my eyes narrowing which seemed to make him nervous. He glanced about. "I'm not saying no, but I'm not saying yes."

He chuckled and backed off. "Sure."

Once the dismissal bell rang, I was gone. I continued my day quietly and kept to myself, and eventually went home to an empty, packed house full of boxes and shit lined up to the walls.