Dye | Tyrus/Ambi

Part 2: As in the Gem

Cyrus' POV

"My TA said it would be easier by the second week," Andi says as her, Buffy, Jonah and I enter the school on Monday. "I think she lied."

"You'll figure things out," Jonah tells her. "It just takes time."

"I guess," Andi says, "but I have to sign up for an English seminar, and I honestly have no idea how to do that."

"There's a sheet in the English room," Jonah explains. "I'll show you after TA."

"That would be great," Andi says.

We enter into the stairwell where Jonah and I have to split from Buffy and Andi, because our lockers are on the first floor, while theirs are on the fifth. The levels in the school are split, so that levels one, three and five are on the left side, while levels two and four are on the right. This means that the stair distance between each floor is fairly small, because each floor is only half a level higher than the previous one. 

"We'll save you guys spots in science," Buffy says before her and Andi leave to go upstairs. 

Rather than having multiple small classrooms, there are just a few big ones, one for each subject that is taught. There, the teachers for each rooms' subject wait at desks for kids to ask questions, but anyone can work on any subject in those rooms. For the past week, the Good Hair Crew has been working in science, so naturally we'll be there again today. 

Jonah and I step through the doors to the first floor and start down the hall toward our TA rooms.

"So assume you haven't met anyone yet," Jonah says. 

"If you're talking about a boy, I have not," I reply. 

"We're only a week in," he goes on. "There's lots of time."

Sure, there's plenty of time, but it's been a week, and I've still only spoken to my friend group. That's the downside of not having set classes: there's no simple way to meet anyone new, although Jonah's already spoken to quite a few people just by going up and introducing himself. That seems to be a socially acceptable way to meet people here which isn't so common at normal schools. Unfortunately, I'm not exactly skilled at randomly approaching people to force my friendship on them. 

Before Jonah turns to go into his own TA room, he tells me, "I'll see you in science."

"Yup."

He gives me a wave as he disappears into the international languages room, and I continue down the hall until I reach the Mac lab. Inside, the kids in my TA sit on stools, which are each placed at a Mac computer. At the back, some kids lean up against the long desk attached to the wall. I notice an empty spot on the right and go over there to wait for the morning announcements to come on.

As I wait, my eyes catch sight of a blonde-haired boy entering the room. He comes to TA everyday, but I've never spoken to him before. When I first saw him, I think my heart stopped due to how attractive he is, and I've considered talking to him multiple times, but I always remember that he's probably one of those popular boys with a beautiful girlfriend, and I manage to talk myself out of it. As he stands alone across the room from me now, I think I'm actually going to do it. I feel my foot take a step forward, and then . . . 

His friend, another blonde boy who's already missed TA at least three times last week goes up to the boy I was about to talk to and gives him a bro hug. As they get into a conversation, I fall back against the desk, feeling everything inside of me drop with the vaporization of my courage. 

Then a brown-haired boy comes up on my left, asking, "Yo, you got an eraser I can borrow?"

I snap out of my gaze and turn my focus to the kid talking.