Shatter

Chapter Eight - School

"You want to do what?"
"I don't know, maybe just give it a try..."
I'm sitting at our all too familiar dinner table, telling Mum I want to maybe try and go to public school.
"Why? Did that Jordan boy convince you to after you two kissed?"
Oh yeah, we also got home from Panera to a very upset mother.

-=earlier=-

Me and Jordan are laughing as we walk into my front door, opening it as I hold his arm and lean into his side. Probably not the best idea, because mum walks out of the kitchen, surprised to see me with not only a human, but a human of the opposite gender.
"That's some therapy friend you have there, Bee." Oh no. That's not a good expression. Or tone of voice. Or just mood in general.
"Uh... Yeah. Mum, this is Jordan, Jordan, this is my mum." He curtly sticks out his hand to shake as my mum marches towards our rigid bodies. She basically death-grips his hand and brings it down a little before telling him to get his stuff.
"So you have my number right?" He asks me in my room, stuffing his phone in his pocket.
"Yeah, got it on my arm, remember? Just a little smudged." He nods and stands there awkwardly.
"I should probably go before your mom kills me. She doesn't seem too frightening until she opens her mouth."
"Not if you live with her. She's probably just scared for me, I don't usually socialize with other people."
"Well anyways, gotta go. Thanks for letting me stay, especially on such short notice. Enjoyed the sleeping," He finishes with a wink.
"Shut up," I tell him and lead him towards the front door.

-=now=-

I ended up explaining the whole thing that played out with me and Jordan, leaving out certain details, especially about us sorta sleeping in the same bed, him in only boxers. I only accidentally let the fact about us accidentally kissing when we bumped faces. Which technically doesn't even count as an actual kiss but of course Mum doesn't buy that.
"Mum, he is definitely not a sexual predator. He's only like a few months older that me, not even a year! And we're not dating, just friends."
"Friends of the opposite gender don't kiss."
"Mum! I just want to maybe try public school now that I've made a friend?"
"Sure, a 'friend' that you just happened to kiss."
"Mum!"
"Fine! I'll call the school and sign you up so you go next week."
"Yes! Thank you mum!"

And that brings me to where I stand today, in front of what most people around the ages of 14-18 consider Hell on Earth: high school. I'm just standing in the front courtyard of the school like an awkward mess, as most people do on Monday mornings.
A girl in a white and blue striped button-up and jeans approaches me, standing in front of me and introducing herself.
"Hi, you must be the new student? I'm Stacy Hinojosa, William Teggard High's student body president. The principal sent me down to greet you and give you your schedule."
"Um... Hi. I- I'm Bee." I said, the anxiety creeping up inside me. I had almost forgot how hard it was to talk to strangers without Jordan by my side.
"Welcome Bee, here's your schedule and everything. Let me just get my friend for a second- Dul! Dul! Maddie!" Stacy shouts, waving over a short ash-haired girl in a green hoodie.
"Du- I mean, Maddie, this is Bee. She's the new kid." Dul just gives me and awkward wave and a kind grin, while I force my hand up in return. "You have your first two classes with Maddie, so stay with her. Have fun today, I gotta catch class." She turns on her heel and walks into the building among a few groups of students, while most of the kids stay outside and continue chatting with their friends. Where's Jordan?
"H-hey, uh, Maddie?" I ask the girl in front of me.
"Call me Dul." She interrupts.
"Uh yeah. Do you know of a boy that goes here, uh, Jordan Troyer?"
"Yeah, I know him. He's basically my cousin."
"Oh, uh okay. i kinda know him," I inform her, my voice getting smaller and smaller.
"Yeah, I know. He texted me about you, told me to make you feel welcome." My heart fluttered at that. Mental note to thank Jordan later. "Come on, let's get you to homeroom. Ours are next to each other, I'll meet you outside the door after.
Homeroom is filled with a bunch of teenagers talking on and on and so loudly. I feel so out of place in my seat on the right side of the class, the other peoples conversations engulfing me in sound. I just keep my head to the desk and in my arms, feeling like everyone's eyes are on me, judging me, talking and gossiping about me. I know they're probably just talking about the freak storm and how they were so bored during it, I can't shake the feeling that I'm being alienated, even if it isn't actually there.
I look up as the bell rings and the teacher- I think her name is Mrs. Schultz- yells at everyone to get out of the classroom. I quickly grab my binder and pens and scurry outside of the classroom, standing in front of Maddie, who pulls me to our first subject. English, which I'm okay at. Maddie introduces me to Will, a transfer student from England who is also one of Jordan's good friends, and Parker, one of her friends. I walk to science with Will as Parker goes to his theatre class with some black haired boy with red in his hair, and Maddie parts with us to go to AP Maths.
"So, Bee, you met Jordan at therapy?" Will asks me while we walk in the corridors.
"Um, yeah... Why?"
"No reason. Did he tell you why he's in therapy?"
"No...? You always this curious?"
"Not really. Just getting to know my buddy's new friend. Sit with us at lunch later. You seem cool."
"Sure. The seniors have lunch the same time as the juniors?"
"Yeah. The freshmen have lunch with the sophomores. Saves the teachers time apparently," The brit scoffs as we sit down in the science lab. Later after science, we go to 3rd and 4th period, Math and Gym. I head sweatily to lunch with Will and his other friend Zach, or Graser as he tells me to call him. They both guide me to a circular lunch table filled with, well, boys. The exception being Dul and Stacy, surprisingly sitting here as well. I sit in between Jordan and Will, as I know them the best. The anxiety I had before is shaken off and a warm feeling replaces it as Jordan leans into me, gaining eyes from the people already sitting.
"Jordan Bayani! How's it going dude?" Graser makes the mistake of saying, somehow setting off the boy next to me. "Oh my god I'm sorry I forgot about her Jor-"
"Don't call me that," He whispers sharply. "Please." Everyone is silent and has an idea of what just happened, until another two people sit down next to us. A sandy long haired boy and a red-head.
"'Sup guys, who's the new chick?" The long haired one says, staring intently at me.
"She's-" Will starts but I cut him off.
"I'm Bee, thank you very much. Yes I am the new 'chick'. And you are?"
"Ryan. I'm Ryan, and this is my girlfriend Amber," He gestures towards her, her arms folded over her chest.
"Nice to meet you. Now what was that whole deal about earlier?"
"Just something in the past. Nothing you need to know about yet."
"Okay... Anyone here have a free period after this that wants to give me a tour around the school?" Will, Jordan, Ryan, and Amber all raise their hands, and agree to show me around when we're done reading.The rest of lunch consists of Graser and Stacy teasing each other and poking each other's noses, cute stuff like that, Parker telling corny jokes, and Amber sitting on Ryan's lap. Me, Jordan, and Will are debating on which is worse.
"Are Zach and Stacy a couple?" I ask.
"Yep. Probably the most unexpected one, since Graser's such a goof," says Will.
"I don't know, they sorta complete each other," adds Jordan.
"True. At least they're cute, Amber and Ryan over there are sorta just touching each others faces. Too much PDA for me." Rymber, as I have mentally dubbed them, are being sorta gross. I kinda want to go to their faces and ask them if they need some holy water to clean off their faces from each others germs. The rest of lunch goes on for about five minutes and the tour group heads off during the free period.
Jordan has been going here the longest so he decides to lead us, showing me all the halls and places as Will tags along and the lovely couple decides to take a detour and skip the rest of school. We stop to watch this period's drama practice, something you can apparently do at William Teggard's. After about 10 minutes of horrible improv, Jordan decides to drag us out of there so we can finish up the last few periods of school, meeting more people: another Australian named Mitchell, Brayden, Mitch, and most of the people that I sat with at lunch's friends. I don't remember all of their names, I just met the three last.
After the final bell rings following eighth period, I'm pushed through the flood of people trying to get outside and catch their rides. Earlier while he was showing me around, Jordan told me to meet under this huge tree in front of the school. I practically push myself out the doors and see Jordan waving me over, Will sitting on one of the roots of the grand oak.
"So why am I here?" I asked, shifting my weight to one leg.
"I'm driving you and Will home. I know how to get there from here, I think."
"M'kay. My mom signed me up for the bus, I think, but I'm pretty sure that it doesn't matter if I don't take it."
"Okay. Just tell her I insisted if she gets mad." We all head towards his car, me getting in the back seat as Will called shotgun. Jordan seems to know his way as he drives into a nice neighborhood and pulls into the driveway of a large brick house. Will hops out and waves at us before running into his front door, and we head to my much less nice neighborhood apartment parking lot. He walks me to my door and gives me a hug goodbye. That made my stomach flutter, it was adorable.
"See you at school tomorrow, okay?" He tells me, hands on my shoulders.
"Yeah, okay. Gotta go before my mum kills me. Thanks for the ride, babe." I reply with a wink. Feeling confident, I lean towards his face and give him just a small peck, near under his eye. I walk inside, peering out before I shut the door at Jordan's expression. Eyes wide, mouth ajar, and cheeks the color of roses, I giggle and shut the door. School isn't so bad.