Abrupt Beginning

Chapter 5: South Shore High

I don't know what I expected. I guess I thought people would be mature and as peaceful as my short memories allowed me to feel. I never knew I could be so wrong.

It was terrible all the doors looked the same and the hallways were covered in papers and lost things that were once useful.

Classes weren't bad though, all the knowledge was pouring out of an empty pitcher. Yet it was there, from where? Good question.

It was a beautiful campus. Everything was limestone, and brick. There were large, perfectly green courtyards with beautiful flowers that I decided to officialize as my favorite. I found out later it was called a blue coronation. It made me extremely happy whenever I passed by one.

In third period I had biology. I looked around the room at all the crazy posters.

I grazed over one about safety goggles, when I realized a tall, musty brown haired boy, with light blue eyes was standing in front of it. Aidan. His eyes locked with mine, and his face was like a little kid watching pro football or something.

"Celia!" He called,and rushed in my direction. He gave me a hug, and held me for a long time. A long time. A noticeable time. Though the eyes of the room were stabbing like knives, I hugged back. I concluded that we both were on the same page. We weren't just friends.

We "magically" became lab partners and sat at the same table. We were assigned textbooks, and given a syllabus to follow through the whole year. I'm lucky this was the first day for everybody. Just for a second, I looked at Aidan, to find his eyes were on me. I could feel his stare even when I looking away. At one point, Mr. Saris asked Aidan, "Are you all right, boy?".
"Oh, yeah I'm fine, just having a good day," he replied. I laughed and he laughed too.

There was this girl sitting behind me. I couldn't help but notice that she was looking after me in way. When I didn't understand what something was she would explain. She was very patient and quite frankly very pretty. She hilarious, too.

I lost it. The whole room was filled with my laughter. Everyone looked at me, which only made me laugh more. I could feel my face flushing like a tomato, which probably prompted the girl to ask, "You OK, tomato face?" No I wasn't. It was getting harder to breathe, and no sound was escaping out of my mouth. But my stomach was sore, and I still couldn't breathe between laughing fits.

Finally the teacher noticed I wasn't doing my worksheet, he must be half deaf, when he asked "Ms. Brooklyn, are you alright?" By that time my intense laughter was subsiding, and I realized Aidan was holding my hand and gently rubbing my back. "Yeah, I'm fine," I replied.

"Hey Aidan," the girl asked, "What's tomato face's name?" Aidan laughed and answered, "Celia Kate Brooklyn."

"Well I'm Bailey Nicole Brickman, and you and I are now friends, got it?" She explained. "Yes sir!" Oh god. "I mean ma'am," I added.
"Great start to a great friendship," Bailey's voice ringing with a never ending sarcasm, we shook hands. And with that the bell rang, perfect timing.

Aidan told me he had English next, and when I looked down at my paper I realized I had Math. My heart sunk a little bit, but Bailey was in my Math class so I would have someone to talk to.

The rooms were right across from each other, so we walked down the halls together. Most of the building was open. It was like a covered patio, with arches in the limestone.

Aidan was explaining to Bailey why he had believed her extra calf muscle story. He pleaded that he had a legitimate reason for falling for it. All the while Bailey was just laughing. You could tell they had been friends for a while.

I don't know what I was doing, but I was drifting off into this weird happy state. My mind didn't exactly process things the same way. I hadn't realized I had stopped walking. Aidan's voice a soft slur of words I couldn't hear. I was looking at the blue coronation, just being happy with the life I had started. I loved it.

Aidan and Bailey stopped too, waving their hands in front of my face which woke me up from my deep thought.

"You ok Celia?" Bailey asked, her eyes wide with confusion.

"What? Yeah I'm fine. And for God's sake call me CC already. I'm tired of this easing into friendship crap," I responded.

Bailey exhaled a giggle, and said, "Okie dokie, CC."

I turned my head back to the flower saying silent goodbye, when Aidan noticed what I was staring at. The next thing I knew Aidan had hopped over the arch, picked the flower, came back and stuck it behind my ear.

"For my princess," giving a bow. I curtsied and replied, "Why thank you, my handsome prince."