Home For The Heart - Zachary Merrick

~2~

~Alyssa~
For once, in my miserable, pathetic life, I was awoken by an alarm clock instead of an alarm Mom. I slammed the button and rolled out of bed.

First day of school.

I knew I wanted to make an impression of, 'I'm forced to go here, I hate talking to people, don't touch me' but I knew someone wouldn't be too happy with that.

I decided on some skinny jeans and a Taking Back Sunday tee. I threw some chucks on and ran a brush through my hair.

By the time I slammed my brush back onto my dresser and grabbed my bag, Mom burst through the door.

"You're going to be late if you don't get up!" She stared at me, forgetting I had an alarm clock now.

"Oh. Come eat!" I followed her downstairs and she set a box of her old people cereal down on the table.

"Thanks." It wasn't great. We moved here from Pennsylvania and although it had been the two of us for nearly three years now, it felt like we were just two people living together.

She worked most of the time, I kept my distance from the house until curfew, it was how our system worked.

Well, besides the arguments, the comments she makes, the telling me what I should be doing instead of wasting my pathetic, teenage life.

"Are you sure that's what you should wear? Maybe a nice blouse or a button up would look better."

I dropped my spoon into the bowl and grabbed my bag. "I'm leaving." I grabbed my set of keys and shoved them into my pocket and I was out the door.

The school was a fifteen minute walk from my house but it was better than taking the bus for a good hour.

Now, I'll just have to survive the winter of walking everyday.

I had heard some things about this school. How it had some cliques, how I would either be pulled in by one or chewed out by all of them.

Either way, I'll probably hate it here.

A lot of students were there early, like I was. Moving into lockers, catching up with old friends, comparing schedules.

Mom and I had a meeting with the principal and I had gotten my schedule and information.

My locker was pretty close to the front entrance so I could zoom out as soon as I possibly could.

As soon as I opened my locker, it was slammed shut. A girl, who was a good half a foot taller than me, stared me down.

"New girl, right? Just moved to town?" I gulped my anxiety down and nodded. I knew I should've gotten a refill on my anxiety meds.

"Maxine Jones, but you can call me Max. You seem like a tough girl. I like that." That was not who I was.

I was a girl who cries to punk music while cuddling her stuffed tiger. "What's your schedule?"

I pulled it out of my bag and she yanked it out of my hands. "Hey, we have a pretty similar schedule. Don't worry, you're in great hands!"

Oh, no.

I opened my locker again and shoved most of my shit into it, taking what books I needed. I shut it and we began to walk down the halls.

"I didn't get your name, what was it?" She looked at me. I opened my mouth to speak but then I bumped into someone and got knocked down.

The person helped me up and I picked up my books. When I looked at the person who knocked me over, my jaw dropped.

"Alyssa."