-Romance on School Grounds-
By Psychotic GirFire
Chapter One - Arrival
I walked towards the bus, my hair flapping silently against my face and back, thinking about the say I was about to spend.
Behind me my partner followed, begging for me to slow down. But I couldn't; I was way to excited. I pulled my hair behind my ear as I entered the bus, watching everyone pick their seats and try to get a spot in the back of the bus. The upperclassmen thought themselves better and figured they automatically got the privilege of the back of the bus. Some of these "upperclassmen" were in my grade. There was even a freshman back there!
Giving one final look, I took my seat near the front of the bus, looking at the other freshmen seated around me. Being a Sophomore I had some respect but not too much. My friend Molly was across from me and she was just as excited as I was to be going to Campus High School. She had friends there, and I was meeting my boyfriend at the Forensics Tournament.
Molly turned and asked, "What are you doing today? Like, performing I mean."
"Oh, I'm doing Prose and a Duet with Amy." I replied, looking around for our instructor.
Mr. Rhoadarmer was sitting in his usual spot, at the front of the bus, taking roll and making sure everyone was on the bus.
"Everyone but Mrs. Haskins is here." Mr. Rhoadarmer said as I turned my head to see Mrs. Haskins running to her car from the school building.
Mr. Rhoadarmer was the Freshman English teacher and also taught the forensics class. He was around 40 years old with little sections of gray popping out in his brown hair. He was tall and he often walked like an army soldier. His stride was long and full of pride as if sauntering on about being the most wonderful person in the world. But that was just how he walked. Mr. Rhoadarmer was a very understanding and forgiving person. He over-reacts to some things, and thinks to rash, but that's a teacher's job.
"Serena, have you memorized your intro for you poetry?" I looked at Mr. Rhoadarmer with a sort of guilty look on my face.
"Not yet, I'm on it." I looked to my paper and read the lines over and over.
Who do you go to when your…Darien is going to be there, do I look okay? I wonder if he will be impressed with my piece. Who do you go to when your family and friends have turned their…I wonder what Campus looks like on the inside? I hope it will be my school next year…Who do you go to when your family and friends have turned their back on you? Who loves you even…Jeez c'mon! Get it together. I can't concentrate…
I looked outside the window and stared at the things flying by my window.
Looking back to my paper, I chanted my lines to myself then turned to Molly
"Who do you go to when your family and friends have turned their back on you? Who loves you even when you transgress against Him? God. People go to God when they have problems they cant fix. In Psalms 35, from the Bible written by David, a disciple of God calls out to him for help." Molly nodded at me.
"You think that's okay?" I said.
"Is that your intro?" a smaller boy named Jason replied. I gave him a nasty look.
"Molly what do you think of it?" She turned to me and nodded and smiled, giving me the feeling she didn't actually care, just listened because she had nothing else to do waiting to get to all her friends at Campus.
I turned away once again to look out the window, and realized we were coming closer to Campus. I adjusted my hair, made sure it looked okay, then waited for what seemed an excruciatingly long amount of time to pass.
We had finally entered the parking lot. It took the bus driver a minute to get inside of it, because the entrance seemed small for our bus.
"We're going to be in the Cafeteria so just drop us off right here." Mr. Rhoadarmer pointed out to the bus driver. She nodded and pulled over.
I was the first one to sit up, and adjust my hair once again. Mr. Rhoadarmer was the first out of the bus, but I followed closely after, inside hoping my boyfriend was there, watching me while I tried to impress him with my school life and Forensics capabilities.
I talked and laughed with me friends as we drew nearer, me constantly over-reacting to anything and everything that Jason did. Never liked the kid. He was always annoying. So I wasn't necessarily over-reacting. Mr. Rhoadarmer made him carry Kim's music stand. She was hard of hearing, so she needed it for her performance piece.
We all laughed as we gained sight of the Cafeteria. It was circular, big, and very very old. Mr. Rhoadarmer pulled the door open and we let ourselves in.
"Do we get to pick any spot?" I asked Mr. Rhoadarmer, hardly being able to contain myself.
"Yes, pick any table that is available." I picked the nearest one, next to the lunch-line area and a round concession stand. I looked around frantically to see a glimpse of my boyfriend, who was going to be there with me all day. I sighed as I realized he must have been doing something.
I sat and talked with Molly and Any, and Mr. Rhoadarmer called me to him so I could collect my papers.
"Do you have our Duet Acting slips Mr. Rhoadarmer?"
"No, they didn't give us any so I have to go get them." He walked off and I turned back to Molly when I saw him.
He was standing there staring at me behind a pillar, wearing my favorite black shirt and shorts. Darien was a tall kind-of skinny guy, black hair, and deep blue eyes. Not to many girls would think he was very good looking, but I like that quality because I know he will always be mine.
He looked at me and flashed his fake smile and turned away. My facial expression changed suddenly because I didn't know where he was going. But he had just turned to pick up his bag and set it over by a counter and came over to me.
"Hey sexy." I said and wrapped my arms around him.
"Why you talking to yourself? We can get through this together Serena, I promise." I squeezed him tighter happy that he was in my arms. We live in separate towns, specifically 9 miles apart. It's about a 15-minute drive from one another, and both our parents aren't necessarily eager to drive us. But luckily I will be getting my Restricted License soon.
He didn't hug me back right away, and I take that as a sign as he's embarrassed or afraid to hug me in public. I whimpered slightly and pulled away from him, discouraged.
Mr. Rhaodarmer walked over from the front table, with papers in his hand. He handed me one and I turned to Darien to pull over to the table so I could fill it out.
"C'mon Darien, they don't bite." My hand was clinging to his shirt.
"But the people from your school are like, 'Ew Darien get away we don't like you.'" I laughed and tugged on his arm again.
"They do not, come here and sit with me please?" I looked at him faking a pout.
"But they are all like ga-rawr Darien we hate you." I whimpered and tried pulling him down next to me.
"Please?" Looking up to him with innocent eyes, I tugged on his arm once more before he finally sat down in the chair next to me.
I filled out my Forensics slips silently, Darien watching me as I did so.
"Wow these are weird papers." He said holding my pink Prose paper up to me.
"Yeah, I guess." I continued filling out my papers, both Prose and Duet.
I sighed and laid my head down on the table.
"I'm tired." I yawned out as Darien began rubbing my back. I almost fell asleep when Amy walked up behind me and poked me.
"We should go see where my Prose room is. Just so I know." I picked up my paper and looked at the room number; B-10.
I pulled Darien up and pulled him out of the Cafeteria, and stood just outside looking around at the various buildings.
"Which one is building B?" I asked looking to him. Darien pointed to a building to my left, and walked towards it, me clinging to him and holding his hand. I smiled as I watched people looking at us, a couple walking a long the pathway, some of them knowing me and some of them knowing him and wondering who we were holding in our arms.
We reached the B Building and Darien opened the door for me, and I walked in and stopped, waiting for him to show me where to go.
We turned right down a hallway and started looking at the room numbers. We walked past room B-10 and saw someone we knew from church.
"Serena! Darien!" He yelled out, standing up in his group of friends. James Dennis was a gentle but rough, tall and gangly boy, with dark brown hair, and pale, tight skin. He ran over and hugged Darien. I cringed and he walked over to me. I didn't like it when he gave me hugs.
"Serena guess what?" He said in a convincing tone.
"What." As soon as I said that, he lunged at me and wrapped his arms around me.
"Ehhh…" I groaned, watching Darien turn his face from me.
"You can hug back you know." James said. I whimpered to get Darien's attention and saw I probably wasn't going to get it. So I went for plan B.
"Okay." I said and hugged him back. Darien laughed nervously and turned to me. I let go of James and ran into his arms. He sort of hugged me back. I smiled, knowing Darien wanted to hug me, but was afraid to get in trouble.
"Ready to go back?" I asked Darien.
"Yes." He replied.
"See you guys later!" James yelled from behind us.
We walked back to the Cafeteria, hand in hand once more. I squeezed his hand just to remind myself I had Darien with me right now. I knew this would be a good day.