Cliché Beginnings

Nicolas Pearson

Damn, it. Would it hurt to actually calm down and open the door like a cool kid? I mean, why the heck do they use sliding doors here? This isn't freaking Japan! I sighed; a deep, 'I'm hating this day already' sigh. I didn't dare look up. I know I already made a fool out of myself. I can feel all their eyes prickling my skin. I can even hear them snickering and as if it isn't embarrassing enough, our literature teacher whom I got to know earlier as Mr. Byrne cluck his tongue, obviously peeved with my intrusion on his supposedly interesting class.

"Aren't you energetic?" I'm tempted to actually hug myself from the level of sarcasm on his voice. He moves on his desk at the middle and slammed down the book he is holding, successfully hushing the whole room. "People, meet the new kid, Nicolas Pearson." He pauses, and this time I look at him. He raises an eyebrow. "Anything to say? Are you straight? Gay? Single? A player?" I shake my head. Does that even matter? "Great, sit at......." He looks around. The only open sit is at the back. "Nope, let's mix this up. Lee, move to the back. Let the new kid sit at the middle." Is he for real? Being literally at the center of attraction is the last thing I want right now and why is the Lee kid moved to the back willingly? "Apologies, Mr. Pearson. Just so you know, my class, my rules and he wanted to seat at the back during the first day but I beat him to it so you're actually giving him a favor."

I like science more than literature so it's not a surprise that I had a hard time concentrating during the class. It didn't help as well that I was up until late last night trying to set up the electric stove. Yeah, if you call moving it from one place to another, setting it up. Dad being an interior designer is affecting my 'aesthetics', you see.

Papa already warned me that first day's not going to be easy, with many kids looking at me while I pass by the hallway, judging my fashion sense and hair or generally myself as a person. 'They'd try to make it subtle, tho', he said. Right, these kids are not even trying to hide it. They are openly gawking at me like I'm a rare specie. There are even some of them who whistled, freaking whistled! As if that's not embarrassing already, a cheerleader intentionally bumps at me and shoots me with that eyelash batting, lip biting and teasing smile look of hers, sending scary shivers on my arms. I remember Mary the cashier, telling me the kids are open minded but I didn't expect them to be this open minded. This place is practically a jungle with all different species roaming the land.

My next class, thankfully is at the other end of the hallway and is pretty deserted. I assume they intentionally placed Algebra class here so it'll be easier to focus on the number and formulas. As soon as I entered, which thankfully is in a calm and cool manner, the teacher, Ms. Wilson, just gave me a welcoming smile and asked me to do a small introduction. The students were not at all interested nor bothered so I guess, it's a good thing. I was given the freedom to choose my sit since there's a lot of empty ones so like a rational-thinking teenage boy, I chose the back seat, near the window so I can easily concentrate and at the same time, wonder into the dreamland without Ms. Wilson noticing.

"You should listen." I shake my head and look at my right. A pretty brunette is looking at me worriedly. "Ms. Wilson gives pop quizzes and when you fail them, you have to stay behind after class and retake it until you pass but worse, she'll record the average of your failing grade and the passing grade, not the passing grade." She whispers so lowly I almost have a hard time understanding it. "I'm Caroline Turner, by the way. You can call Me Carol. Welcome to Evergreen High." She shoots me a small smile then turns back to her notes.

She's pretty. Even while sitting, you can tell that she's tall. Her hair's in a messy bun giving her that relaxed, pretty girl aura. She also doesn't have heavy make-up on and is sporting a white shirt tucked in a cargo pants, paired with shiny, red combat boots. I'd totally go for her but that serious personality definitely tells me she's not up for half-ass relationships. Not to mention, I still have to end a complicated relationship with a girl back home.

I rub my temples and sighed for the hundredth time today. I should really call Bridgette soon and tell her we are over, that I caught her hooking up with two basketball players from our school at the same time just before I lef. That doesn't include that one time where I saw her at the diner near the school sucking faces with my ex-best friend, Trevor Palmer. I guess dating the prettiest girl doesn't actually mean you'll have an exquisite high school life because if that's exactly the case I wouldn't be here trying to adapt in this peculiar place called Evergreen High.

"Evergreen High, as you can already tell is odd. This the kind of place where you'll be able to see a skinny nerd getting it on with a sexy cheerleader at the staircase or the girls shooting each other seductive winks during classes." I somehow caught myself walking with Carol to the lunchroom. We coincidentally have our lockers in the same hallway which made her decide that it's destiny and that she should take it upon herself to befriend the new kid. "Oh, by the way, in case you develop some kind of crush on me, I just want you to know that I'm lesbian and I have a girlfriend." I chuckle at her. I found out quite a bit after Math class actually. She called someone babe but there was only a girl outside so it wasn't that hard to figure out. 

As we make our way to the lunchroom entry, she turns to me and narrows he eyes questioningly. "Are you finding me annoying or are you just really quiet?" 

I smile at her and shrug. "The latter?" 

She nods dubiously before muttering an 'I see' and finally pulling me inside.

We approach the far end of the lunchroom where two people already sat. "Friends, let me introduce a new alien." She sits beside the petite red head woman then motion for me to sit on her other side, beside a sleeping platinum blonde haired guy who I think is a football player judging from the jacket he is wearing. "Nicolas Pearson, the new kid a few hours ago. Introductions?"