Teller

The Beginning of the End

I trudged through the mass of zombies that are my peers. I held my coffee cup close to my body possesively, as many people were eyeing it warily. I stopped at my locker and entered the combination. I yanked it open and grabbed my AP Chemistry book and my AP Composition book and the matching binders before slamming the door closed. I spun the lock a couple times before turning back into the morning rush.

"Jes, hey, wait up," my friend Maley called to me over the drone of the hallways. I slowed down as I followed the flow to first period. She chattered on about her weekend and I nodded at the appropriate times. I waved goodbye as I ducked into my first period class. I downed the rest of my coffee and tossed the cup and taking a seat at my desk in the back of the class, near the door.

I unpacked my stuff and prepared for another dull morning of AP Chem I. I pulled my hoody sleeves over my hands to protect them from the chill of the classroom. I was thankful for my faded skinny jeans that protected my legs and my comfortable, beat up converse. My hair was braided to one side, and it was still a little wet from my shower this morning.

"Oh, look! It's little miss four-eyes!" said a husky voice from behind me, referring to my thick, black rimmed, nerd glasses. I turned to face the school's resident meat-head, Alex Marshall. How he got into AP Chemistry, even I don't know the answer. Some say he banged the superintendent's daughter and she changed it for him so he could stay on the wrestling team. I turned to face him.

"Oh look," I say with mock innocence, "It's Mr. I-Can't-Come-Up-With-Anything-Else-But-Second-Grade-Insults." I rolled my eyes as he and his buddies sniggered and took their seats as Mr. Laneck walked in. The thin, middle-aged, balding man looked as dead as we were.

"Okay class," he said, his eyelids drooping, "Take out your textbooks and read Chapter 4, Section 2, and write a five paragraph comparison of the different types of compounds, to be turned in tomorrow." He turned his chair away from the class, and we all knew he was falling asleep. I opened my book and started the assignment, cutting out the chatter from the people discussing their weekends. A paper wad hit me in the back of the head. I turned around to see who threw it, but no one stood out.

I picked up the wad and pulled it open. It was a note from my best friend Ayla, telling me to meet her in the locker room before gym. I crumpled it back up before tossing it in the trashcan across the room. I had forgotten that her boyfriend was in this class, and he was one of the idiots standing at the back of the class talking. I finished the assignment right as the bell rang, and then I booked it across the school to get to gym.

I changed into mesh shorts and a blue Monopoly t-shirt. I waited for Ayla as long as I could, but left the locker room when I was in danger of being late. Gym was always one of my favorite classes because I spent so much time working out at home, especially after the incident. I stayed in the middle off the group, though. I didn't want to draw attention to myself.

"Didn't you get my note?" Ayla asked me, panting as we jogged around the gym. She was the only one who knew all my secrets, my family, and my past.

"Yeah, but you took too long!" I defended myself.

"Well, you're not gonna like what I'm gonna tell you," she panted, and a worried look crossed her face.

"Shoot," I told her, but she just shook her head and gestured to the people around us.

"Not here," she said, and we finished our laps. Gym dragged on, and woke me up. The freezing shower after it especially helped. When I had redressed into my normal clothes, I met Ayla outside, and we walked to lunch together. We both packed our lunches, so we sat at our normal table and waited for the others to join us.

"What I was going to tell you earlier was that there's a new guy," she said slowly, waiting for my reaction.

"So?" I shrugged and took a bite of my sandwich.