The Fifth Member

the beginning

I remember the first time I met the boys.

I walked down the empty, foriegn hallways, anxiously cluthcing my textbooks to my chest. The principal walked beside me trying to explain the school rules to me and tried to be as welcoming as possible. As he droned on, all I could think about is how the other kids would react to me. It was the middle of the school year and not to mention I was from the States. "They"ll probably laugh at my accent," I thought. I remembered what I was wearing; the uniform I was forced to wear, my naturally beach-wavy blonde hair framing my face, my blue-gray eyes enveloped with dark painted lashes. All I could think about was what they would think of me.

Finally we reached the door to the classroom. The principal galnced down at me before knocking on the locked door. The teacher opened the door with a toothy smile and the principal ushered me in. I wiped my sweaty hands on my hideous skirt and walked through the doorway. I was greeted by bored looking students staring me down. I looked down at the floor and bit down on my lip profusely. I handed the teacher a pink slip of paper. She scanned it quickly and pointd me to an open chair in the middle of the room. Eyes followed me as I walked to my seat and sat down my bag.

The teacher only added to my embarassment when they made me introduce myself to the class. I slightly cringed before beginning, "My name is Olivia Gray. I moved here from Louisiana last week." "Oh so you're from America?" the teacher asked. When all I did was nod she continued with, "Well, we welcome you Ms. Gray. Anyways back to the lesson..."

I wasn't asked anymore questions after that. When it was lunch time, I didn't know what to do really. I just walked into the cafeteria and I saw a nearly empty table. The only people there were two guys who looked to be a year ahead of me. One had dark hair and looked a little hispanic while the other had dark hair and big eyes. They seemed pretty immersed in their conversation that I thought they wouldn't notice when I slipped in the chair farthest away from the boys.

The guy's conversation abruptly stopped and they stared back at me as I pulled out a brown bag and took out a peanut butter and apple jelly sandwich along with a bag of baked Lays chips and a bananna; my usual school lunch. I tried to ignore them and I plugged into my headphones and blocked out the world of anxiety I was currently stuck in.

After listening to about three songs, I saw the hispanic one come sit in front of me. I looked up to see him looking at me intently. I took out one headphone and said, "uh hey."

"Watcha listening to?" he asked.

"Um All Time Low," I stuttered. I always stuttered whenever I talked to new people or was uncomfortable.

He broke out into a smile and exclaimed, "I love them! Aye Mikey, she's listening to ATL."

All of a sudden the other boy appeared next to me "Aw they're so sick, you like em?" he inquired.

"Yeah, uhm, they're like, all I listen to. Well that and um Blink 182. I'm more into punk rock pop stuff," I gushed.

Mikey and the other guy cheekily smiled and we started talking about our favorite songs of the band's.

At one point Mikey stopped and asked, "Hey you're that new girl from the States right?"

I laughed, "Yup that's me. My name's Olivia."

"Well I'm Michael and that's Calum by the way"

"Sup," I nodded to them.

"So what do you like to do Olivia, besides listening to the greatest music on the planet of course," Calum asked shoving an invisible microphone in my face.

"Well music is most of what I like to do. I like to listen to it and make it and stuff. I sing sometimes and I play piano. So yeah," I stated shrugging.