Quiet As A Mouse (Outsiders Fanfic)

Chapter 6- School

        I woke with a start, panting, sweat gluing my shirt to my back.  I had had one of those nightmares again.

        It was morning, and light was shining through the window between mine and Kayla's beds.  Kayla was already downstairs, but then my Aunt Kat peeked her head around the edge of the partially open door.

        "Are you up Mickey?  You've got your first day of school today," she said brightly before heading back downstairs.

        I was so nervous about school.  Seeing as how I couldn't talk, I would probably be put in the special classes right away.  But I was actually really smart, a straight A student.

        I climbed out of bed and tried to calm my queasy stomach by telling myself that I could just explain, in writing of course, that the only thing wrong with me was that I couldn't talk and not that I was stupid or anything.

        I got dressed, jeans with my belt cinched tight, as always, and they were still a little loose around the waist.  A blue T-shirt that of course had Mickey Mouse on it, and my white Converses.  I grabbed my jean jacket that was to big for me even though it was a small and snatched the little notebook out from under my mattress before I went downstairs.

        Two-Bit was busy chugging a glass of chocolate milk while Aunt Kat helped Kayla find her jacket.  I wasn't hungry, it seemed like I was never hungry anymore, so I just poured myself a glass of orange juice.

        I didn't like anything chocolate anymore.  He used to love chocolate stuff, and we'd have contests to see who could eat the most.  Not anymore though.

        Two-Bit chatted during the whole drive to school, he still went even though he was eighteen.  He was a junior still, because my cousin only went for kicks and not to learn anything.

        We dropped Kayla off at the elementary school, and then Two-Bit led me to the office before heading off to talk to his friends, which I had noticed quite a few of them wandering the halls. 

        I was left, literally speechless, to get myself registered for classes because Aunt Kat hadn't had time to do so.

        "Are you a new student?" the lady behind the desk asked me.

        I nodded, and she handed me a stack of papers and told me to fill them out.  I did and wordlessly handed them back, and then she called someone down to the office over the loudspeaker.

        A little while later, a girl in a red and white cheer leading uniform with a red and white Letterman jacket on came into the office.  She had blond hair in a high ponytail that swung in rhythm to her swinging hips every time she took a step.  She was definitely a preppy, and I knew I would be ridiculed for not being able to talk by her the minute she wrinkled her nose at me.

        "You will be shadowing Cynthia for today," and then the lady behind the desk paused to consult the papers I had filled out, "Michael," she said my name with a sneer like it disgusted her.  I got that a lot, but usually not from adults.

        "Come on, Michael," Cynthia said with the same disgusted tone to her voice, looking me over disapprovingly before spinning on her heel and strutting out of the office.  Her ponytail nearly whacked me in the face.

        I reluctantly followed, deciding I should pretend to be super shy, which I was, and never talk, which I couldn't.  I followed her throughout her morning classes, where she introduced me as Michael every time before ignoring me for the rest of the period. 

         I couldn't wait for lunch when I could meet up with Two-Bit and ditch Cynthia the preppie.