COMPATIBLE INDIFFERENCE

Chapter 1

Do you believe in serendipity? I asked. He looked at me knowingly and smiled. Of course. Why wouldn't I?

High School. A perfect example of how societal strata circulates within the young generation. The Athletes. The Geeks. The Punks. The Rebels. The Musicians. The Dorks. My label? I don't know. I was among those who never got too much attention and mingling with the few pals I keep makes me normal enough. No problems. No complications. Or so I thought.

Walter High became my training ground for the real world. A pebble among the many boulders I'll meet in my wobbly future but for me, it was as interesting as the next drama on CBS.

It began three weeks before my first day in high school where I joined a youth camp. Gifted and cursed with long legs, I became attached to a few of the races held. I was pretty confident that I was fast enough but lo and behold, I got beaten by a dark-haired lanky boy on the semis.

Annoyed, I took an oath that I'll try my hardest on the finals. The championship took place the next day, and it was a head to head competition. The kids were rowdier than before and I can feel the blood rushing to my head as my sprints become faster. I can see the finish line so I coaxed my hamstrings and quadriceps to give it one last push. Everyone cheered as soon as the broken finish ribbon announced the winner.

My teammates began crowding me in, and that's when I felt a stare on my back. I found my opponent's eyes looking straight at me in plain, cold disdain. Masking my astonishment, I stared back at him indifferently. But he got more pissed. I was taken aback and looked at him haughtily instead. Looks like I'm in for big trouble, but thank goodness, it was short-lived. The camp ended the next day.

On my first day in Walter High, I dragged myself to Homeroom, anxious. We recently moved to this town. So yes, I'm that new girl everybody may or may not be curious about. I don't know anyone in the neighborhood, more or less in school. Even though I'm not that unfriendly, I'm not as proactive as some other teenagers. In old whitewashed jeans and a black T-shirt that speaks for myself, "You Prompt", I prepared for the worst.

And worse it is. I got stuck entering at the front door because the back was pretty occupied with the same old boring jocks. I peeked at the door and was stupefied. There he was, the lanky boy back at the camp, sitting lazily at the center of the room with headphones stuck on his ear. Coincidence sucks.

Cursing silently, I cautiously walked to a vacant front seat by the window, and that's when he noticed me. He seemed to have remembered his defeat and gave me the same familiar look. Raising my eyebrows, I spared him an aloof glance and continued my pace.

Sitting at my favored chair, I sensed the icy stare finally gone. I sighed and sneaked a look at the back, curious. There were a few like me, who preferred a quiet seat away from the popular crowd. They were huddled at the center of the room, some loud, some quiet, but all of them were screaming confidence on their sleeves. The lanky boy included. Fate has decided that he and I will just be plain classmates.

I've never had enemies, but I was not always a good girl. I played a few harmless pranks in middle school, but it's pretty much pulling the fire alarm once on my way to Social Studies. You can't blame me, it was getting way tedious. I know it was a serious offense, but the teachers liked to think it was a regular fire drill. The whole school was too lazy and tired that day.

I plan to grow up in High School, get better grades, and have a little bit of fun. However, it looks like there's a lot of work cut out for me as it appears to be an exhausting four years, given the circumstances.

During the first week of school, I learned that my arch-nemesis is the Principal's Perfect Son. Thomas Jacobs. Straight A student with a bag of extra-curricular activities. The teachers (of course) and the kids like him. Even the unpopular ones. And I don't. I acquired an enemy on everyone's favorite kid.

One day, he passed a school report on Biology Class, discussing how frogs could live without water. Sir Coal gave him an incredulous look. He just shrugged his shoulders in noncommittal and challenged me a look to top his work. I smirked at him and passed my own report on how fruit flies can survive for 90 days. Thrice that day, I received another cold look from him.

The first quarter of our freshman year was crazy. We silently competed in Algebra II, Biology, and Physical Education. There were times when I would win but almost instantly, he'd take that crown and vice versa. The school eventually noticed that we loathed each other so the guidance counselor decided to take the matter on her own hands. She called us both, one December afternoon and asked us her favorite question somberly, "Tell me about it". As if on cue, we both shrugged our shoulders and said, "Nothing".

Ms. Botts began talking about open communication and its major effect on the decisions we have in the future. She continued that the only way to survive in this topsy-turvy high school life is to be an open-minded, mature person. Point taken Ms. Botts, but I prefer this immature silence. When can I enjoy being a rebellious teenager if not now? Though I initially plan to grow up in high school, I figured youth is a flaming candle- keep it burning until it dies down. I'll be an adult soon and I promise to be mature then. There goes the monologue caught on my tongue.

I'm sorry we wasted her 15-minute pep talk, but it was in vain before it even started. We looked at her passively until she decided to let us go. That short meeting though ended the firing tension between Tom and I. Instead of our usual disdain, we gradually settled to plain indifference. People say it is not good but I think it is for the better.