" So 1's pair up with each other and 2's and 3's" spoke the young teacher. I sit up nervously looking for Jorden hoping to have at least one friend in my group. But much like life I was a 1 and Jorden was a 2. I look for the group holding up a 1 on their fingers. They were all gathered around one table socializing about randomness. Now this book isn't a way for me to take jabs at people but this group was weird full of wannabe furries and people who made pokemon a lifestyle. Besides one. One girl with an innocent face. A girl who I didn't notice before. A girl with thick brown hair and kind eyes. "Hey" I say taking my chances. She looks at me with a smile on her face and suddenly, she laughs. A loud,maniacal, joyful laugh. "Hi" she says through her laugh. "I'm Christian" I say with my hand out. "Im Jennifer, but everyone calls me Jenni" she says ignoring my outreached hand. "Do you know anyone here?" I say looking around the room. "Yea I know Tiana" she points to the dark colored girl in our group." I know Peyton and Skylar" pointing at the girls who I just met. "Yea I just met them too they seem nice just kind of basic." I say looking at them laughing. "Eh, I've known them since fourth grade" she says with confidence as if one upping me. "Do you know anyone here?" she says continuing. "Yea I know that girl Lana" I say pointing at the thin girl with straight black hair, writing away at a piece of paper. "Thats my bestfriend Jorden who I've known since we were three" I say one upping her as he walks by. "And now I know you" I spoke with a smile. "Lets play 20 questions." she says excitedly grabbing Tiana to join. "Ok, first question, uh when's your birthday?" I say randomly. "December 18th" she replies with a smirk. "Oh my god me too" My voice cringes. "Haha TWINN" she says loudly. "What hospital?" she says like a detective. "Hurley" I retaliate "Stop same! What time?" she retorts "10:43" I blurt back out. "11:40" she says. With my eyes big I look at her and think. What if I had have been a 2? The bell interrupts me and I along with everyone else strifles to grab our stuff and leave just like we were taught to a week ago. Just like we would have to repeat in this structured prison. Think about it they tell us when to sit, when to stand, when to think, when to not think, what to think even when to pee. I go through the sea of faces to my locker where my finger slips on the lock multiple times. "21,14,32,21,14,32" I repeat over and over again and than "Click" I reach for my lunch when my locker comes flying back and than "SlAmM" I pull my hand back violently and turn to see that someone had kicked it shut. A boy with shorter shorts than a hooker and hair darker than mud. I didn't know but he was the only person that I could never stand up against. Kaden Baker.
I walk towards the lunchroom with the what seemed like thousands of people running towards it. I walk into the half cafeteria and half auditorium with the direct intent to find my friends. I scan the cafeteria trying to not look awkward. "Chris!" I hear the familiar boy's voice scream. I look over to see Jorden gesturing me over. I slowly walk over there so I can see who's sitting there. I see George. My aforementioned competition. Jakob. The toothless jokester. Grace. The ordinary girl next door. "Aaliyah" I think. I sit down listening to the ongoing conversation at the table about Jordan's spanish teacher, when I realize he isn't talking to me but talking to a girl who I didn't recognize. Her skin was dark just like her braided back hair. She looked at me with a bright smile on her face and said "Jorden who the hell is this" she said followed by a loud laugh. Ruby Wilson. The girl who could bring you to tears either by laughter or by sadness. "This is Chris" "Chris this is Ruby" He speaks loudly over the overall noise from the cafeteria. "Heyo" I say putting up three fingers and waving them as I usually did. "Wow your voice" a small yet prominent voice spoke. I turn to see another dark skinned girl with kind eyes that hid behind her glasses. Her soft hair bounced as she looked in my direction. "Have your balls dropped yet?" she says with a smile making everyone else laugh including Jorden. "Hilarious" I say "Have yours?" I tell the girl. "I'm Lauren" she says with with a giggle. "I'm Christian" I say back.
After a lunch filled with jokes, table beats and introductions I leave and hurry to my favorite class. Language Arts. The exaggerated, loud Mr.Gorton who everyone assumed had done several lines of cocaine before coming to class. "Fear. What's it mean ahhh Ty" he says pointing out the girl with braids and glasses. Ty or Ty"Erika. A girl that'd I'd also met in third grade. We knew each other from being in the same reading group in this thing called "Reading Safari". By far the most nauseating way to get kids to read by comparing their reading levels to African animals. Me and Ty were in the Lion group. "Fear is something you feel when your scared" she spoke confidently. "Yes, yes, yes, yes uhhh what are we afraid of" he spoke hyperly. The class was filled with raised hands and an assortment of answers from snakes and clowns to car crashes and fire. "You" he said pointing at the lightskin boy with curly hair and a large nose. "LeBron James" he said with a laugh. "Because he's tall?" Mr.Gorton asked genuinely confused. "No. Because he's a goat" the boy said with his eyebrows crinkled up. Gio Serra. Not a friend not a brother an LSFL. What's that you might ask? I don't think your ready for that yet. But a better question would be what am I scared of? Better yet what are you scared of?
YOU ARE READING
Vulneratis: The Stories of Christian Vanover
Non-Fictionthen all anxiety was at an end, and they lived together in perfect happiness.
