Sweet Dreams, Eli

New Kid

1 in 4 kids in foster care won't graduate
from high school or get a GED.

Eli

I glare at the wall of "my bedroom" with its stupid inspirational posters "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." and all that bull crap. I turn to look at the other wall and groan, video game controller wall stickers cover the space.

Everywhere I look there is stuff, stuff that is not mine, no matter what this "mom" says. New cloths, new backpack, new headphones, a skateboard. It's awful.

And now school...

I was hoping it wouldn't get this far, it's already been two days, so I lost my chance at record breaking. I fucking hate being the new kid.

"Eli!" someone calls, "Hurry up!"

I groan again and pull on an old t-shirt and jeans, new clothes be dammed, I told her I didn't want them. Grab my backpack, the new one, grudgingly, the last one was practically falling apart, and head upstairs.

Cason is standing by the door with his arms crossed, I can tell he doesn't like me and that is perfectly fine. Better than fine, fucking amazing, now I just have to piss off the others.

"Come on, we're going to be late," he grumbles.

I smirk, "Chill, bro, don't be so uptight," and push past him making sure to bump my shoulder into his as I head out to his car.

"Zoe!" I hear him shout as I open the back door. Guess I'm not the only one making us late.

Chloe, however, is already settled in the back seat, she rolls her eyes at me, "This happens every morning," she informs me.

I glance back at the house and see that both Cason and Zoe are on the way out now and they are fighting.

Cason slams the drivers side door, "I just don't understand how you can be late every morning. Why don't you get up a few minutes earlier?"

"I'm not late, look at the clock, it's only 6:58, we are supposed to leave at 7:00."

"No, we have to leave by 7:00, we're supposed to leave at 6:55." Cason snaps.

"Give it a rest, would you?" Chloe pleads.

Cason turns to look at her before he begins backing up. "Thank you for being on time, Chlo."

Zoe glares at him. "I'm not late!"

Cason glares back. I feel like clapping. I guess they're not so perfect after all.

~

Except that by the time we arrive at school, 10 minutes early, they've made up and the three of them are joking around and teasing each other.

I follow behind them as they walk to the front doors, "Bye, love you." They call as they go their separate ways. Barf.

Guess I'm on my own. Shocker.

"Eli!" I look up at the sound of my name. Who could that be?

It's Zoe. "What's your first class? I'll help you find it."

I blink at her, "Um..." I look down at the crumpled schedule in my hand, "...Art 1, room 106."

She smiles at me, "Really? Me too. Come on."

Hesitantly I follow her down the hall.

~

The first class of the day is okay, I guess, there is an empty seat at Zoe's table so I sit with her, and she introduces me to her friend Grace, who's also in this class.

They're both sophomores and I'm a senior, but this is a mixed class so it doesn't matter.

When class is over Zoe helps me find my next class than heads off, back to her own life.

The rest of the day is a blur. I'm late to C and D period since I got lost, but a run into Cason on my way to E period and he helps me find the classroom.

I shouldn't feel so fucking grateful for their help, but it's nice not being lost and pathetic the whole day, like I usually am on the first day at a new school.

I sit by myself at lunch, as usual, for about five seconds, before Zoe plunks her tray down next to mine. "Hey."

I remember I'm supposed to be being mean, so I ignore her. She ignores that fact that I'm ignoring her and starts talking, "How was the rest of your morning?"

I don't answer. Just leave, I beg internally, give up. She doesn't, "I got so lost my first day, but you'll figure it out. The school's not too big so that helps, plus you can always text me or Cason or Chloe if you get really lost."

La-la-la, is someone talking? I don't hear a thing. She's still babbling on about classes and clubs and making friends, but I'm doing my best to tune her out. Those new headphones would come in handy right about now. But I push that thought away, not mine, not mine, not mine.

The bell rings, thank god. "Do you need help finding your next class?" I look up and stare at her, acknowledging her for the first time in twenty minutes.

"What's wrong with you?" I ask.

"Huh?" She looks confused.

"I just pretended you didn't exist for twenty straight minutes and you're still offering to help me? What do you like not understand social queues or something?"

She stares at me open mouthed, then says, "No I do. I understand something else too."

"Oh yeah, what?"

"You. What's your next class?"

I glare at her, "Don't you ever give up?"

"No. Give me your schedule."

I sigh, hand it to her, and let her walk me to my next class.

What does she mean she understands me?