Resisting Temptation

Chapter 3

(September)

"OW!" this is what happens when and Eggo waffle gets stuck in the toaster and you try to take it out with a knife. You get an electric shock. I had to bite my tongue to keep back my verbal profanity as my mom came in, wearing her usual white blouse and navy blue pencil skirt. 

"Dani, it doesn't take rocket science to know that you should never put a knife in the toaster, especially while it's plugged in." she said, pulling out the toaster plug.

"I think the waffle wants to hibernate in the toaster." I replied.

"Cute. Hurry up sweetie, school starts soon." she said.

"Yeah, don't remind me." I replied. Today was my first day of school, of some fancy private school downtown. Apparently, there are no public schools that let you wear whatever you want in Manhattan. Just a stupid private school with spoiled priveledged kids and have to wear these ugly uniforms.

"Where's your tie sweetie?" she asked.

"...I don't have one." I replied. Mom rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Dani, I bought you three school ties. Don't tell me you don't have any." she said. Kill me.

"Mom-"

"Go get your tie. It's your first day of school, and you want to make a good first impression." I hate it when she's right. I groaned and pulled my tie from out of the cupboard, behind the cereal box and next to the graham crackers.

"Now put it on." Nex step was slipping the tie over my head and tieing it around my collar. "Thank you Dani." I hate this day already, and it hasn't even started.

Zac came into the kitchen, wearing the exact same thing I was, except for the fact that he has on pants and I had a skirt. He grabbed an apple from the fridge while muttering a good morning, then pulled out his phone and let his attention focus on whatever he was doing.

"Morning Zac, where's your father?" Mom asked him.

"Terrace on the phone."

"Looks like it runs in the family." I said, which earned me a slap to the back of the head from my mom. "I had that coming." Howard came in seconds later, hanging up on whoever he was on the phone with.

"Guys, the bus is going to be here soon, haven't you had breakfast yet?" he asked.

"I had an apple." Zac said.

"I got burnt flesh." I replied.

"Tasty." he said. I couldn't help but glare at him. Dillweed.

A buzzing noise suddenly went off, but was then shut off by Howard. He pressed a button that was on a panel, plugged into a space next to the elevator.

"I'm going to take a gander and say that's the bus." mom said.

"The doorman uses the buzzer to alert us. That's your cue you two. Have a good day." he said. Zac and I packed up oour things and made our way to the lobby. A grey bus was waiting for us outside, with the school's name and logo on it.

The bus driver didn't even acknowledge us when we got in the bus. Zac made his way to the back towards the kids who were calling him over. Seems I'm not cool enough to sit with him. I just sat down on a seat that had a huge stitch on the back, and plugged myself into The Cab.

 A few stops later, a very pretty blonde got on the bus, and took a seat next to me. She smiled at me, and I smiled back. She could tell I didn't belong here.

"Hi, I'm Luisa." she said.

"Dani." I replied.

"You seem nervous, but don't worry. As long as you have an IQ like Einstein, you'll do just fine." she said. An IQ like Einstein I do not have.

"Uh...I don't have an IQ like him." I replied.

"Oh. Than you must have a mild amount of celebrity status." she said.

"Not quite." Luisa's bright smile turned into a frown.

"Oh dear, well in that case you better pack your bags and get out while you still can." Not a good boost on confidence. "Dude, chill. I'm totally kidding." she said. Okay, exhale calmly now.

"Thank God. I actually just moved here over the summer. I'm from Ontario." I said.

"Oh, you're a Canadian girl. In that case, welcome to the big city." the bus started to pull into the parking lot of a huge grey and maroon red building. "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. But if you can't make it here...welcome to the club." the doors opened the passengers filed out, Luisa and I were the last ones to get off and enter school grounds. As soon as I stepped down, I was shoved against the bus by a girl. She had thin brown hair, and wore her skirt kind of short. I noticed her approach Zac and his friends, with her girlfriends by her side.

"So, does everybody here act like Mean Girls both one and two?" I asked.

"Some yes, some no. Just stick with me and you're bound to survive your first five months." she replied.

"What about the last five months?" I asked.

"That's around the time when the new kids decide whether or not to drop out and become junkies." that sounds cheery.

"Um...cool?"

"Just kidding. But you know, based on your looks alone, you could become pretty popular here, only if you pay your cards right." she said.

"And how exactly do I do that?" I asked.

"You ever been a cheerleader?" she asked. I shook my head.

"I did take gymnastics though." I replied. Luisa crossed her arms and smirked.

"Oh really? Show me." she said.

"Right here?" I asked nervously.

"Yes. Do a cartwheel or the splits or something." she replied.

"Alright." I leaned back and did a one-handed backflip. "Ta da."

"Come on, is that the best you got?" she asked.

"What, you want me to perform a show or something?" I asked.

"Yeah. Come on girl, show me something." she said. I guess it couldn't hurt? So I did a backhand spring, then landed in the splits. 

I didn't realise people were watching me as I got up, then started feeling very self-concious. Then someone whistled at me. Luisa clapped for me and grinned.

"I think you might got what it takes Canadian girl." she said.

"You think so?" 

"I know so. I have a feeling you and I are going to be great friends." she said, linking arms with mine. "Come on, I'll take you to class." we flipped our hair behind our shoulders and headed into the school, passing the girl who shoved me and her possey. She was glaring at me, like death-glance glare. If looks could kill, I'd be dead and rotting on the ground. Zac had his arm around her shoulders; he was smiling at me me before he caught my eye and winked at me. I grinned back and nodded to him, feeling very pumped for my senior year.