caller • mattia polibio

039.

Claudia pushed through the large double doors.
After returning from the trip, the girl spent the rest of the week begging her father to let her transfer schools. He knew it wouldn't be long before his daughter finally wanted to join her best friend. In the second week he caved in, called up the school and started the process of applying her to Passaic Valley High School.

She walked down the corridor of unfamiliar faces, some looking at her with just as much interest, some had recognised her a Mattia's girlfriend: they whispered as she walked past. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and approached a friendly looking girl, she seemed quite geeky, but still looked really pretty. Claudia asked the girl for directions to the main office and with a warm smile, she led her the way.

Claudia waved the girl goodbye and walked to the elderly lady at the office, giving her name and the school she transferred from, the woman granted her with her timetable and asked if she needed assistance around the school. She assured the woman that she was capable and headed out of the door. In her back pocket her phone began to vibrate.

incoming call:
tia❤️
answer decline

"Hey beautiful, where are you hiding?"

"Just left the main office."

"Okay stay there and I will come to you."

The line cut, it made Claudia giggle, Mattia was acting as though she was a lost child in a supermarket. She stood waiting, scrolling through her phone, ignoring the school commotion around her. This morning she showed up slightly earlier, but the time soon flew and more students began to arrive, one being her boyfriend.

Mattia's hair bounced with his steps, dressed in light blue jeans and a grey hoodie, a smile present on his face as he approached his girlfriend.

"Hey beautiful" His arms wrapped around her "Show me your timetable."

They had a total of three lessons together; Maths, Italian and Gym. Of course her father had put her down to learn Italian, keeping to her roots. Mattia joked about getting to see her run in leggings and how he'd throw hands at anyone who else would be looking. Today the pair had maths together, first period, he draped his arm over her shoulder her and led her the way, making a promise to escort her to all lessons until she was familiar with her way.

——————

When it came to lunch, Claudia lost some liveliness.
She didn't seem so enthusiastic about school anymore, being new was hard, however being new and dating the boy almost every girl swooned over: it was even harder. Girls made comments behind her back, and quite loudly, they criticised Claudia's looks, her clothes, even her height. It certainly didn't make her feel welcomed.

Mattia had to leave to sort something with his coach but had escorted her to the cafeteria first, it was okay she could look for Laura and see her best friend for a while. Claudia wandered her eyes across the crowd, looking for the familiar light brown hair and the knowing smile.

"Hey Claudia" Laura approached, by coincidence but luck.

"Hey Laur! Can I sit with you?" She asked.

"Um.. Yeah okay."

Claudia felt low-key hurt by the answer, it wasn't assuring, it was almost like Laura didn't want her here after all. Pushing it to the back of her thoughts, she followed her best friend to the table of girls, the table of girls that had been hurting her feelings. Once again her heart pounded, this couldn't go well.