His Infatuation with Thea James

C H A P T E R O N E

I stared up at the school, at a loss of words. It was definitely bigger than my old school which basically had two hallways. North Woods High School was displayed in huge letters on the outside of the two-story building. I took a calm breath, gathering up as much courage as I could.

You're just here to get a tour, I tell myself. Just a quick in and out. Though looking at the not-so-small school, I knew that this tour would take longer than I'd like it to. I adjust my blue coat before stepping out of my car, the light snowfall already coating my hair.

I walk with careful footsteps to the school, keeping my eyes on the doors, only glancing away to reread the slip of paper in my hands that dated the time and day for this school tour. I still don't understand why I couldn't have just had the tour on the weekend rather than on a school day.

Despite classes not starting for half an hour, the parking lot was still littered with plenty of students. Great.

I look down at the little crumpled slip of paper, eyebrows furrowed as I made sure that the tour was today and that I wasn't coming in late nor too early.

It was probably my fiftieth time checking the paper.

I walk up the steps in a quick manner, my foot slipping on the thin layer of snow that covered the steps. A gasp escapes from my frozen lips and my breathing stops for a solid second as my hands shoot out on instinct.

I grip the railing to the steps, recalling my fathers words from this morning, "Don't trip, don't want to give anyone a reason to laugh." He had said it jokingly and had laughed at the thought of me actually faceplanting the ground.

I didn't laugh.

I straighten my posture, and keep my head up, and slowly finish my walk into the school all the while praying that no one saw me slip. The warm air is the first to greet me as I step into the building. I'm at a standstill for a second, contemplating where to go. I didn't want to get lost looking for the office, yet, I was too socially awkward to ask a fellow student for directions.

I look at the few students that stood by the lockers. A group of four stood close together, talking in hushed whispers dressed in dark clothing with heavy black makeup.

Definitely too intimidating to approach.

I glance at the other groups crowding the hall, wondering if I should ask them for directions.

Fuck it, I'll just find the office on my own.

I walk down the hall with confident steps as if I knew where I was going.

I had absolutely no idea.

I turn the corner and let out a relieved sigh as I see the office come into view, thankful that I found it so quickly.

The short-haired receptionist sat at her desk, typing away at her computer. I hesitated for a moment, not wanting to interrupt her train of thought.

I walk closer to her desk and patiently wait for her to notice me, but when her eyes fail to look in my direction, I break the silence.

"Hello, I'm the new student. I'm- "

"Name." The receptionist interrupts me mid-sentence. Her eyes never straying from her computer screen.

"Thea James."

A few seconds tick by in silence before she nods and shoots me a smile, her eyes finally meeting mine.

"Here is your class schedule, locker number, and combination," she hands me the paper and continues, "Mr. Sneider is the one showing you around, however, he is running a little late, so I will call down a student instead."