All Four Of Me

Chapter 7

KENZIE

Twenty seven...twenty eight...twenty nine...thirty!

Peeking my head around the wall that I had been hiding behind, I scan the hallways for any sign of the girl I had just managed to evade and let out a sigh of relief when she is nowhere in sight. I have only been at this school for twenty minutes and already feel physically and mentally exhausted.

Nathan had dropped me off at the student drop off zone half an hour early this morning with his usual cheery smile and a simple set of instructions to go to the main office where I was to sign in and collect my class timetable. I had already been subjected to an hour long lecture turned pep talk by Chris and Will about following the rules and trying my best to make friends, so when Nathan practically booted me out of the car I was already feeling tired.

When I had reached the main office I was greeted by the principal, a balding man in his late fifties by the name of Mr Pauling, who had arranged for another student in my year to show me around the school. Her name was Maddie and from first appearances she seemed like a genuinely nice person, but what I hadn't expected was for her to stick to me like glue for the next twenty minutes, talking my ears off about how excited she was to have me at their school and that I could go to her if I ever needed help finding any of my classes.

By the time the first bell was about to ring, Maddie had shown me around most of the school grounds, but the moment she had suggested that I meet her friends I decided it was time for me to venture off on my own. Giving her the slip hadn't even been a difficult task. I had just waited for her to become distracted enough by one of the numerous people who stopped to greet her as we walked by before slipping down one of the adjacent corridors undetected.

Which brings me to now.

The main quad is swarming with students, all wearing the same light blue uniform shirts and navy jackets that I am also adorned in. Even if Maddie did disappear amongst the giant crowd of people lingering in the quad I wouldn't be able to tell her apart from the other students. Taking that as a sign that I am in the clear for now, I use the time I have by myself to make my way towards the building Maddie had pointed out as the science block where I would be taking my first class of the day.

The bell rings just as I enter the building and within minutes the corridor begins to fill with masses of students making their way to their first period class. My classroom is the second on the left and to my surprise when I walk in I'm not the first person to have arrived. There are several students seated around the room and the second they see me in the doorway their full attention is focused on me.

"Are you lost?" One of the boys sitting at the back of the room asks. "Year 7 usually have English first on Mondays." A boy with messy brown hair asks as I stop in the doorway.

He thinks that I'm in year 7?

"Not lost. Just short." I shrug, ignoring the way that their eyes follow me as I walk to an empty desk and take a seat.

"You're funny. I'm Jordan and this is Alexis, Muhammad, Lucas and Alyssa." The same boy laughs before pointing out each of his friends. "Why don't you come over and sit with us?"

"I'm good, thank you." I politely decline his offer before pulling a notebook and pencil case out of my bag and setting them on the desk in front of me.

For a few seconds there is an awkward silence in the room as Jordan and his friends try to process my rejection, but it is quickly replaced by the sound of several loud voices streaming into the classroom. Several of the incoming students take note of my presence but soon make their way to their own tables, thankfully leaving me undisturbed.