New School: New Life

Chapter 2) First day, Worst day

I woke up with a huge feeling of anxiety this morning, or at least I hope it's anxiety. I run downstairs to the kitchen,
"Mom! Am I sick?"
"Honey, why in the world would you be sick? You're probably just nervous and excited."

I guess.... except for the fact that I'm practically sweating bullets and I'm not even at school yet! I got dressed and put my hair up in a ponytail incase I have PE today. All I have in my book-bag is a pencil pouch, lined paper, a notebook, and one folder.

Now it's time. We pull up to the front at 8:12. We need to be in class by 8:30.

Here it is. Rosemont High School.

My mom takes me in the front office and the lady sitting at the front desk gives me a tiny sheet of paper with small cursive writing on it. She says it's my locker number, combination, and another paper with my class schedule.

I look at the schedule:
8:30- Homeroom// Room 162
8:35- First Bell
8:45- Period 1- English//Room 148
9:45- Period 2- Life Science// Room 221
10:45- Period 3- Physical Education// Gym A
11:30- Period 4- Lunch// Cafeteria
12:05- Period 5- Art// Room 214
1:05- Period 6- Algebra 1// Room 180
2:05- Period 7- History// Room 139
3:10- Dismissal Bell

Okay, Homeroom it is. I've heard of this sorta thing from my old neighborhood friends.

"Jen, are you okay? Want me to walk you to your locker?"
No way!
"Um I think I got it from here mom, I'm fine".

As I walk down the hallway I feel a mix of emotions: scared, energized, nervous, excited, self-conscious, and wait, did I just pass my locker?
Locker 227, let's see.... oh here it is! Beginners luck I guess, I opened my locker on the first try!

I walk into homeroom with my books, and I feel like every single pair of eyes are staring at me.
"You must be Ms. Webster!"
That must be my homeroom teacher.
"Umm, yeah, I'm Jenna."
"Hello Jenna, I'm Mr. Calvin, your seat is right over here!"

Great, assigned seats. I've heard that when teachers give you assigned seats you can get seated next to anyone even the really weird people if you're unlucky.
I sat down in a seat towards the left side of the room in the back. I'm seated next to this redhead girl.
"Hi I'm Jenna".
All the girl said was, "Are you new?"
I said, "Yeah, how could you tell?"
" You have barely no books and an expression on your face like you've seen a ghost. Oh and I'm Halley".
I didn't realized I looked like that. Oops!
"Haha, I didn't think my face was like that. Maybe I'm just nervous I've never been to a school I've been homeschooled my whole life." "Really? Let's compare schedules!"
Yay my first school friend! That's pretty much how Halley and I figured out how many classes we had together. Of course, she said the typical statements someone would say if they've never been homeschooled:
1) You could probably sleep in like all day!
2) Wearing PJs to class? Sweet!
3) You can end school at like noon if you wanted!
4) If your mom was your teacher, she could help you out and stuff with papers.
5) No homework!

"Actually, I used to wake up at 6:45, end school at 2:25, my mom never helped me with assignments, and I did have homework."
Thats usually my response to every person who asks, which trust me, is a lot!

We walked to first period, English. Mrs. Morrison was our teacher. She seemed pretty nice at first, but let me just say, after an hour of grammar exercises, you get to know someone.

After science, it was time for PE. This is where me and Halley split up.
"See ya at lunch Halley!"
"Okay, I'll save you a seat!"

Wow on the first day I actually have a seat. Now I'm thinking, Is she popular? Will I become popular? Will we sit at the popular table? I really hope, but I can't get my hopes up.

Okay first I have to find the girls locker room. "Excuse me, do you know where the girls locker room is?" The boy pointed down the hall, but he seemed a little embarrassed. Maybe I should ask a girl where the girls locker room is next time..?

Here it is, I walk inside and find a long room with lockers on the walls and benches. The back wall has three doors with showers in them. All the girls are sitting on the benches and Mrs. Owens is passing out gym uniforms. Wow, I've never actually had a gym uniform, or a real gym class.

Back when I was homeschooled, Mom took Colton and I to the local Rec. Center and we did some sports and exercises. After we change, all of us walk into the gym and we meet the boys in there. I'm not one of those girls who does no sports at all, but I'm not a girl who plays like 6 sports either. I've played soccer for 5 years and this year since I'm a freshman in high school, I want to try out for the JV soccer team. Although tryouts aren't until later in the semester.

Our uniforms were pretty basic. White T-shirt with the school logo on it, then black gym shorts that looked absolutely HUGE!
Mrs. Owens said that we could call her coach if we really wanted too which made everybody laugh. Then she went over some rules like, you have to shower after class, or, you can't forget your uniform to class more then three times a year.
The boys had a different gym teacher names Mr. Mack which they all called Coach Mack for some odd reason.

For the rest of class all of us went outside, ran on the track, and played some touch football.

The shower situation after class was a whole situation. There's these 5 girls that took forever to get out of the shower. We're supposed to just rinse off but they have to use shampoo and conditioner after gym. By forever, I mean the whole time we had to shower except the last 5 mins for everyone else.

I followed the all the girls that came from my gym class to the cafeteria. There was so many people, there was barely enough room to simply stretch your arms out to the sides of you. I quickly spotted the kitchen and lunch line. My parents signed me up for the lunch program where they pay money ahead of time, then I just have to get my lunch and tell the cafeteria ladies my name in order to buy my lunch.

The menu today was ham and cheese sandwiches or hotdogs. I'm gonna go with the sandwich. The hotdog has a thick layer of grease coating on and is burnt so bad, it's black.
After I chose my sides, I walk out of the kitchen. I look around and I don't see Halley anywhere. I stand on one the empty chairs and see her in the corner. I run over to her and my milk carton spills all over my sandwich.
Aw, man. When I get to Halley she asks why my lunch tray is all wet. I explain.

We only had 15 minutes to eat so Halley and I quickly shoved our lunches down and then went back to our lockers, to get books and materials for periods 5,6, and 7. I wonder what we're gonna do in art class today. I doubt since it's our first class that we'll do anything that exciting. In most classes, the teacher gave us a paper with our curriculum on it, and they gave the whole class a lecture on class rules and everything nobody cares about.

"Welcome to Art class, friends!"
"Halley, why does she call us friends?"
"Ugh, I hate when teachers call their students friends. Like, just say kids or students."

Yes! We get to pick our seats! Halley and I find a empty table in the room with 4 chairs. Nobody else sits with us. About 5 minutes into class, three guys walk in. Apparently they came from Geometry II which is on the complete opposite side of the school.

After we get started I realized one of the guys kept looking up at me when we were drawing. I have to admit, he was pretty nice and funny. When we were dismissed Halley stopped me outside the door.
She nudged me and said, "He totally likes you!"
"Yeah right"

You know the saying, "Time flies when you're having fun." Well, let's just say the rest of my first day of school went in the complete opposite direction. I was never used to sitting in a desk and listening for 60 mins. I'm used to my mom just explaining what I'm gonna do for the day.

My new house is just a 5-10 minute walk from school. It took me forever to get my mom to trust me enough to let me walk home alone. I assured her that I would have friends to walk home with but it is the first day....

Have you ever gotten that feeling when you get home from school all you want to do is go lay down on the couch or on your bed and zone everything out? Like not answer questions, just lay there and stare into the open space?