The New Girl in Hillwood

Girl Talk and Magical Teachers

"Hey new girl! What's your deal?" Helga growled.
"What are you talking about?" Mara asked in a confused manner.
"I mean you think that you can just barge in here with your New York lifestyle and seemingly innocent backstory and humble attitude. Well ya ain't fooling me, sister! So get with it!"
"Look...?"
"Helga."
"Helga. I can promise you that I'm just here for the same reason that you're here. I'm not trying to steal your life. I've only been in Hillwood for a week and I only want to have a good start at this school. I don't know a lot of people, my mom's a nervous wreck, we still have to clean the house, and I have to fix my schedule and...."
"Wait a minute! Hold the phone sister! I'm just saying that you're fresh meat and you can't just walk on in to Bartlett High with your New York ways. Sure that might have worked in New York, but you're in Hillwood now".
The other girls circling around Mara murmuring and nodding in half-agreement.
"By the looks of it Mara, I'd say you're half-way there. I mean, besides moi of course, you're the only other person at this school with a sense of style! Those heels, I must say trés chic!"
Mara warmed up with a quick smile and felt a little better.
Helga saw this and managed to nudge Rhonda in the run while Mara wasn't looking.
"Ow!" Rhonda winced in a little pain
Helga gave Rhonda a menacing look and changed her direction.
"But I'd still say that you've got a lot to learn, Mara!"
"I didn't think that high school would seem this complicated. Especially not going into my junior year. I mean I've done two years already!"
"Look Mara, I'm not saying that you're a total lost but with the right direction, you'll walking down the halls of Bartlett High with stride in no time! All you have to do is just listen to us".
The girls again agreeing with Helga's direction
"Well, I guess since you guys are Hillwood natives and clearly know this school.. I guess I'm in."
"Mara, you don't know need to guess! You need to say this with perfect confidence!"
"Right, sorry.. oops", Mara covering her mouth in embarrassment.
"We'll work on it", Helga groaned.
The bell rings and Mara couldn't have been any more relieved.
"Well, time for A.P Psychology", Mara said as she hurriedly out all of her stuff in her bag.
"I'll see you guys at lunch!"
Never had Mara felt so more relieved to get to a class in her life. What was supposed to be a period of rest and calming turned into one of the most brutal interrogation sessions of her life.
I never thought that high school would seem this rough. I mean I'm a junior, I've clearly had experience already, Mara thought to herself.
She couldn't help but feel so alone in the world again. What had once seemed like a sanctuary opening its arms for a lonely sixteen year old girl turned into a brutal, bloody nightmare. Mara erased her anxious filled thoughts from here head and walked anxiously to her next class.
"Helga, I'm sure you scared her off", Phoebe eyeing Helga a little worried.
"Yeah, we're not here to play police station!" Rhonda said annoyed.
"Look, we put her in her place didn't we?" Helga grinned mischievously.
"I guess she's right, but I still feel slightly bad", Nadine rationalizing the situation.
"Yeah, but sooner or later she'll be thanking us", Helga reassured.
"Yeah, you're right Helga", Rhonda nodded approvingly.
"I guess I did scare her a little".
"Well, we'll have the chance to make it up to her at lunch", Phoebe said with a smile.
"Just promise me that you won't scare her again?"
Helga groaned a little bit finally gave in for her friend.
"Yeah, I'll go easy on her, Pheebs".
"Well, I'm late for A.P. Pysch, I'll see you guys at lunch! Phoebe waved.
"Bye, Pheebs!"
"Helga, you really don't think Mara will be another Lula incident, right?"
"We'll just have to wait and see, Rhonda. Wait and see".
I was able to reach the Psychology room in a calm state and not repeating what happened in study hall more than a 1,000 times over in my brain. Okay, I may be exaggerating but that was an interesting conversation. Well, I digress. Needless to say, I managed to make it to Psych in one piece.
I sat in a desk in the middle hoping that sitting there might help me focus more and take my mind off of the study hall incident. I managed to see Phoebe walk in the classroom and shyed away for a little hoping that she wouldn't notice me.
Just to my luck, she managed to squeeze in a wave and smiled. I waved and smiled back of course which gave me a little reassurance that she didn't seem as tough as Helga was. I signaled over for her to sit next to me hoping that I wouldn't feel so lonely and maybe squeeze in a conversation.
Phoebe walked over and sat down. She seemed a little cautious as she eyed me a little. I sunk down a little fearing that I was given false hope and things would be taken for the worst. She reached over and placed her hand on mine reassuring that everything would be okay.
"Sorry about what happened in study hall", she managed to squeak out meekly.
"I know Helga seems like a lot but, she's honestly not that bad. Helga is just Helga".
"Uh, huh", I half agreed.
"Honestly, Mara I promise. Just wait until lunch time".
"Okay Phoebe, I trust you", I smiled back at her.
"Great!"
"So, any word about our Psych teacher?"
"Mr Schultz? He's a decent guy I guess. He is one of the best A.P Psych teachers here at Bartlett High. He has some of the most effective teaching strategies".
"Well, that's music to my ears!" I said smiling.
"Why, of course. He had some of the smartest classes here. One of his students got into Harvard and now she's a lawyer!"
"Well, were in the right class then! I need to get into Oxford with his help".
"That's quite a goal there, Mara! I love your enthusiasm!"
"Yeah. I just hope Mr. Schultz isn't some sort of bigot or else we'll really have a problem!" I said anxiously.
"I'm sure everything will be fine!" Phoebe reassured me again.
Mr. Schultz came in and silence filled the room as one footstep after another could be heard. It was so quiet you could hear the sound of a pin drop almost. I couldn't see what was so magical about Mr. Schultz but he had to have some magic dust if he managed to help get a girl into Harvard. Phoebe and I listened intently to hear what would come out of his mouth. It's if as if the same trance the class was under entered our bodies and left us with the same dumbstruck faces each person had. Schultz has managed to gather some words and needless to say I liked what I heard. He talked about the wonders of the mind and how we were lucky to be in a school like this. Of course there was the ritual intro games, etc. but Mr. Schultz seemed like an over all nice guy. Before I knew it, the bell rang and Phoebe and I still sitting in our seats couldn't move.
"That.. was.. AMAZING!" I managed to scream out my mouth.
"It was beautiful! A tear rolling down Phoebe's cheek.
"Who knee that studying mental disorders, and adrenaline would be so fascinating!" I leaned towards Phoebe.
"Well, I guess we know that Schultz really is magic!" She nodded.
The magic quickly wore off as I finally realized that it was time for lunch, which meant another encounter with Helga.
"You okay? Phoebe asked.
"Yeah, it's just that it's lunch time".
"Trust me, everything will be fine!"
One could only hope I thought to myself. Phoebe and I gathered out stuff and headed out the classroom for lunch. Each step I took seemed to dread on and on as the steps towards the cafeteria seemed to get closer and closer. As Phoebe and I approached the cafeteria, what was certain of my impending doom seemed even more uncertain now.