The school is like every other school. The lockers are boring and blue, the walls are white, and there are seven classes in a day. The classes are not extraordinary, just the same classes you'd expect.
I walk into the cafeteria, my head is down because I would rather not exchange in an awkward-eye-contact-affair with a jock. The lunch room is grey. An ugly, depressing grey that I'm surprised doesn't ruin the experience for the students. Every single rectangular table is full, except one. Tjis particular table is empty, besides a girl sitting at the end. Her hair is in her face and her sweat shirt matches the color of the walls. She's drawing in mechanical pencil. Be cool, Jay. Remember to be cool.
"Uh......is anyone sitting here?" I ask her. She looks up and her striking green eyes pierce me. She doesn't say no, she doesn't say anything at all, so I sit down across from her. I study her. The way she shows no emotion is fascinating. I'm a bit of a drama-queen. I must take notes.
"You're a great artist," I say, complementing the tiger she is sketching. The mystery girl nods. A thank you? "Do you draw a lot?" Another nod. "How long have you been drawing?" This time, she shrugs. What does that mean?Does she just not know? Was she ten years old? Six? What does this mean!?! I make a mental note.
"Heyyyyyyyy, a newcomer!!!!!!!!" shouts a boy in a purple hat, accompanied by his blue-haired friend. "What's up, Sky?" Mystery-Girl looks up and smiles. Emotion! The biracial boy in the purple hat looks at me, "Hello, Newcomer." It takes me a second to take it all in, baby-faced hat boy, and the alien one. My people, at last.
"I'm Brandon," says the baby-face, "Every one calls me Big-B,"
"No...no we do not," says Blue."
"You're name?"
I stare up at him as he awaits my answer. "I'm Taylor....you can call me Jay."
"Why not Tay?"
"Tay sounds stupid to me.."
"That's stupid."
I laugh at him, "Oh, really? And "Big-B" isn't stupid? That's rediculous." Wow...that was very out-of-character of me. Blue chokes on his juice.
"I like this one," he says.
"So do I," replies Brandon, "No one calls me Big-B." Mystery-Girl closes her sketchbook and exclaims, "Thank God for that! 'Big-B'....what kind of bullshit?"
"I have failed to introduce myself," Blue begins, shaking my hand, "I'm Mandy."
"Amanda Blackburge to the front office, please," is said out of the over-head speaker and Mandy stands up. Amanda?
"I told them, it's Mandy!" and Brandon patted his back before he left.
I spent the rest of the lunch period conversing with the others. Mystery-Girl, or Skylar/Sky, doesn't talk much, but when she does, she curses liek a sailor. Brandy just got done choking on his hot-dog when he said, "We should all hang out later. What do you say, Sky? Jay?"
"Well," Sky said, "I have a painting to work on at home and I'd rather not be seen with the guy everyone just watched choke on an imaginary penis, thanks."
"It was actually stuck in my throat, and that kind of thing hurts, brah! Jay?"
"I don't have any plans." This was true. This was always true.
