Always Adam

Chapter 3

Donna wakes me up the next morning to be sure I get out in time to make the drive to school. It will take about an hour to get to East Riverside High. I scan through my closet trying to find something a bit rougher to wear. Why I think I need rough is beyond me. I guess I don't want to look soft. I don't want to look rich and preppy. I settle on a pair of black skinny jeans and a grey t-shirt. I couldn't remember ever wearing a t-shirt to school. I slip on a pair of black boots and look in the mirror.

I use more make up than usual. I apply even more eyeliner and add a smoky color eye shadow. I want to look dark and hard when I enter East Riverside. I want to have that don't fuck with me look. I stand staring in the full length mirror. It really is a different look for me, but I like it. It does make me look tough. I almost wish I would have streaked my hair with color. I don't think I could go through with that though. I really like my hair the color it is. I grab a grey hoodie and head downstairs. Donna looks at me with disapproval.

"I don't think that's appropriate school clothing Carly. And way too heavy on the makeup," she says scowling. "I'm not going to West Riverside anymore Aunt Donna. If I had camo, I would be wearing that. You know so I can hide and blend in when the shooting starts," I say grabbing a banana. She just shakes her head and watches me leave. I climb in my car and make the long drive to my new school. I'm really nervous so I crank my radio up and try not to think about where I am going.

I pull into the parking lot and stare at the yellow brick building. It looks old and worn out. I watch some of the students walking to the school. Some look fairly normal while others look scary to me. I have nothing against race, but there wasn't one single African American in our school. We had a couple Asian and Chinese, but that was it. I look around and see a lot of African American kids. I sigh and get out of my car. I want to put my head down and try to blend in, but instead I force myself to hold it high. As I walk through the parking lot, I notice the cracks in the cement. I was defiantly not in West Riverside anymore.

I find the office without much trouble. I collect my classroom assignments and find my way to my locker. So far it doesn't seem anyone has noticed me or even cares to notice. This makes me happy. I open my locker and take off my hoodie. I hang it up and shut the locker. I look down at my first class and start looking for the room. When I find it, I wait for the bell to ring and all the students to get inside before going in. I hand the slip to the teacher and she hands me a book. "Take a seat somewhere," she says dismissing me. I look around and find an empty seat near the back. I continue this pattern throughout the morning.

As I go through my morning, I keep thinking about Mike. I try not to, but I can't help it. When lunch finally arrives, I find the cafeteria and pick out some stuff to eat. I locate an empty table and hurry to sit down. I'm still caught up in my thoughts of Mike. I still can't believe what an asshole he was to me. I am so mad at myself I want to punch something. How could I have been so stupid. Following him around like a dog just waiting for him throw me a bone. I chuckle at that thought. I don't even want that from him at this point. I can understand if he wasn't interested in me romantically, but to throw away our friendship like that. He tore my heart out and smashed it to bits last night. I hate him. I hate him with my entire being. I would still be living my life had I not followed him that night. I was so stupid. I can still hear him telling me just go.

Actually it's not him I hear. Someone said something behind me. I turn around. "What," I snap at a tall thin girl with long blond hair. "I said you're in my seat," she says emphasizing the word seat. I look around at the seat I'm sitting in and say "I don't see your name on it." I turn back to my tray. Suddenly my tray of food is flying off table onto the floor. The rage I've been holding in boils over. I'm not much of a fighter, but this bitch picked the wrong day to mess with me.

I jump up so fast she doesn't even see me coming. I knock her tray out of her hands and it clatters to the floor. Next thing I know she grabs my shoulders and uses her leg to kick my legs out from under me. I fall to the floor, but not before grabbing her right arm and pulling her down with me. Now we're on the floor duking it out. I feel her fist connect with my lip. I feel my knuckles connect with her eye. We're rolling around on the floor smacking the shit out of each other. I briefly wonder where the hell the teachers are to break this up. I can hear the other kids yelling and whopping it up. Suddenly I'm yanked up and hauled away.

I sit on one side of the nurse's office while the bitch sits on the other. My lip is swollen. Her eye is starting to blacken. I snicker at her and she flips me off. The nurse is babysitting us until the principal can "deal" with us. My stomach growls. I'm hungry thanks to the bitch sitting across the room. Maybe I'll get kicked out of this school to. That thought would have made me happy a day ago. Then maybe I could have convinced Donna and Ted let me home school with Mike. But now I would rather stay here in this shit ass school than spend one second with his sorry ass.

Finally we are summoned to the principal's office. The bitch is in front of the tall scrawny kid that came for us. I follow behind. Once inside the principal's office he tells the bitch to take a seat to his right and I get the one to the left. He asks the bitch what happen and she refuses to talk. He asks me the same question and I follow her lead. If she's not talking then I sure as hell don't plan to. After fifteen minutes he turns to us and tells us to get back to whatever class we should be in.

He hands me a pass and tells me to leave first. I walk out and look around trying to figure out where my next class is. I'm wondering the halls totally lost. I have the urge to pull one of the fire alarms. I am so over this day. Finally I find my classroom. When I enter the classroom I hear some whispers as I hand the teacher my pass. "Take a seat wherever Carly," she says. I've heard this how many times today. I look around and a spot only one empty chair and it's near the front. Before sitting down I look the chair up and down and all over. I turn to the teacher and ask "I don't see anyone's name on this chair, but I don't want to be presumptuous. Is anyone sitting in this seat," I ask and then add "I don't think I have the energy for another fight today." The class breaks out in laughter.

The teacher tells me that the seat is free and tries to get the class under control. I sit and look around at the students. I have learned a couple things on my first day. Unfortunately it didn't have anything to do with knowledge. I learned the girls here will kick your ass if you sit in their seat. I learned I need a new wardrobe. What I wore today was alright but the rest of my clothes are way to preppy for this school. I learned no one here is very welcoming. I open my book and listen to what the teacher is saying.