-All in Good Time-
Though smart, diplomatic, and quite witty, Jenny had never been a big fan of people.
This fact could be mistaken for her being anti-social, but really, it wasn't that. A girl like her just didn't get along with them; In other words, they didn't understand her. In the eyes of the public, an over-achieving teen, home schooled since birth, was basically a social reject. And even before Jenny took two steps onto the grounds of Bullworth Academy, she knew that that, in fact, was exactly what she would be.
She had many insecurities about attending this school. She didn't know anyone, and no one knew her. Also, she was perfectly aware that she had no social skills. To be honest, the lanky brunette had never even had a real friend.
Does my cat count? She thought to herself, dull brown eyes dancing across the from gates of the school. She saw a few students walk past her, laughing together, and she confirmed it. No, Tiggy does not count.
The large brick walls surrounding the property intimidated her, and even more so the building itself. She could see it clearly over the horizon; The large, elegant looking school. She turned on her heel to face her mother.
"Are you sure about this?" She asked, her voice eager. "I could just stay at home."
Her mother shook her head, perfect brunette ringlets bouncing as she did so. "Don't make this difficult sweetie. I've a funeral to get to, please don't make me late."
Jenny sighed. "Fine." She hugged the woman awkwardly, before slowly backing away. She picked up her light suitcase, and with one final wave, was gone.
The area was beautiful, Jenny had to admit. Sure, it could use a bit of work (maybe someone could pick up the litter), but overall a presentable place. A tall, slender brunette woman approached her.
"Casey?" She inquired, her tone very kept. "Jennifer Casey?"
"Um... Call me Jenny, please." She replied, using a quote she'd heard someone on TV say once.
The woman raised a thin eyebrow. "Jenny, then. I'm Ms. Danvers." She spread her arms. "Welcome to Bullworth Academy."
Jenny nodded, unsure of what else to do.
"You'll be very happy here, I'm sure." Ms. Danvers continued. "Allow me to walk you to the principles office. Dr. Crabblesnitch is expecting you."
She awkwardly nodded and followed close behind, up the stairs and into the building. There were many students walking around; They all stared at her oddly. Some whispered to their peers, and others merely just looked. Either way, it made her uncomfortable.
---
An hour later, Bullworth's newest student was all set up in her room. Dr. Crabblesnitch seemed nice enough... At least he was to her. And how could he not be? Jenny's record was spotless, since it was next to impossible for her to cause trouble while learning at home. She unpacked her very few articles of clothing into her closet, and dressed into her uniform. It was a green vest, a plaid green skirt, and a dark green jacket, obviously with a white blouse to wear underneath. Apparently, it was the only uniform they had in stock at the moment. Jenny didn't mind, she kind of liked it.
She placed a picture of a pleasantly plump calico kitty on her night stand and smiled to herself, pleased, just as someone entered the room.
"Um, hi?" The person asked in a snobby tone, strolling towards her. Jenny turned to see a tall, slender, brunette haired girl in a cheerleading uniform. Her hair was well kept, with bangs and was held up with a bow. Jenny automatically admired her appearance.
"Hello there." Jenny greeted, making an attempt to not sound like a complete dork.
The girl sighed. "Looks like Metal Mouth finally got her wish and moved to a different room." Her hazel eyes met Jenny's pale brown. "I'm Mandy. And you are...?"
"Your new room mate." Jenny responded with a cheesy smile. Thats what Seth Cohen would have said, Jenny thought. Mandy looked at her with an expression that read 'seriously?'. "Um-- I'm Jenny." She saved. "Jenny Casey."
Mandy nodded. "Cool... Look, just don't touch my stuff, and they'll be no problems, okay?"
"Okay." Jenny agreed, though she was confused. Mandy just screamed 'stereotypical bitch', and Jenny knew very well from all those late nights up watching TV that the stereotypical bitch was not one to mess with. She'd probably get her football captain boyfriend to embarrass her or something...
A smile tugged at Mandy's lips. Pleased with herself, she nodded, turned, and walked away. Jenny exhaled in relief, thinking of how she'd much rather be alone right now.
---
"Can you believe him?" Mandy questioned, appalled. On Mandy's bed, sat the cheerleader herself, and two other girls; An asian girl named Angie, and a redhead named Christy.
"You should just dump him already." Angie said. "He's an idiot."
Christy nodded in agreement. "Definitely. And isn't it about time you kicked Pinky off the squad?"
Mandy rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Well we can't just have three people, and there's no way I'm letting Beatrice or that slut Lola on the team. Obviously Eunice isn't an option..."
"I guess you're right."
Jenny read her book, awkwardly laying on her bed. Well, she wasn't really reading... She was eavesdropping.
And how could she not? It was difficult to avoid, since the chatter just wouldn't stop. She'd quickly given up on reading and deciding to just listen.
The current news in Bullworth was that Mandy's boyfriend Ted (who, ironically, actually was the captain of the football team), had cheated on her with her friend Pinky. Apparently, this wasn't the first time it had happened. Jenny found the whole lot of them annoying and superficial, but hey, there was nothing to be done. She just prayed that they'd get out soon enough so she could get a full nights sleep.
Tomorrow she was starting her first official day of school, and was a tad bit excited to see what school was really like. She wondered if the teachers were as bad as they were made out to be on TV, and if they'd like her or not.
She sighed. All in good time.
---
With only five hours of sleep, a very sluggish Jenny entered her math classroom, dressed in full uniform. Just as it had been yesterday, people stared at her and whispered. She couldn't really hear what they were saying-- at all-- and she wasn't really sure if she wanted to. She didn't know how mean people could be at this school, and had no intention of finding out.
Dr. Crabblesnitch was the teacher, since according to him, their previous math teacher had been fired.
"Ah, here she is." The principle said as Jenny entered the room, instantly catching her attention. "Jenny, come, come." He motioned for her to come to him. She hesitantly responded, walking to him. "This is the prize student I was telling you all about, Jenny Casey." He said. Many students in the class rolled their eyes and scoffed. "I'm sure you'll all love her, and will make her feel just like a Bullworth student."
"Yeah, we'll be sure to do that." Someone said, chuckling. The rest of the class laughed, but Jenny didn't really get it.
Dr. Crabblesnitch frowned at the class, but then faced Jenny. "Go and have a seat beside Beatrice, m'dear." He pointed to a girl with dirty blonde hair and glasses. Shyly, Jenny nodded and sat in the empty seat.
"Greetings." Beatrice smiled, and Jenny returned it.
"Hello."
"I'm Beatrice, you're new here?"
She nodded. "Yeah... Its weird, I've never been to a real school." She admitted.
"Ah, home schooled, I'll assume?"
"Um yeah, exactly."
Beatrice nodded, and pulled out a handbook. She scribed something down quickly. "Interesting. Very interesting indeed." Her eyes flashed to Jenny's. "You wouldn't happen to be interested in astronomy, would you?"
Jenny beamed. "You kidding? I love it." She said, maybe just a bit too enthusiastic. "Just the thought of there being life on some of those little stars in the sky is just amazing, and there's nothing better than looking at the moon through a telescope!"
Beatrice looked very pleased. "Thats great! You've already got the look down, care to come to the observatory for an astronomy club meeting?"
"You guys have a club for astronomy!?" She gasped in disbelief.
Beatrice looked a little weirded out by how surprised Jenny was at that, but ignored it. "Yeah, best club in the school, in my opinion. Way cooler than the cheer leading squad."
Jenny laughed. "Oh how I couldn't agree more. But yeah, that sounds uber cool."
"Wonderful! I'll meet you near the... Football field, how about?"
The brunette nodded, her intensely curly hair moving with her. "Absolutely, I'll be there."
Dr. Crabblesnitch cleared his throat, catching the attention of most the classroom. He soon started the class, and Jenny intently payed attention.
It wasn't long before lunch time had rolled around. Beatrice offered to introduce Jenny to her friends, and she graciously accepted. She couldn't really believe that she'd already made her first friend. Beatrice and her had a lot in common, it was great. They entered the cafeteria, and a whole new scene exploded before Jenny's eyes.
Different cliques sat at different tables. Some looked frightening, others looked harmless. Thankfully, they made their way over to the harmless looking people, who were all wearing the same green vest that Jenny wore.
"Greetings!" Beatrice exclaimed, happy to be back with her favorite peers.
"Salutations!" Everyone said simultaneously, as if on cue.
"This is Jenny." Beatrice introduced. "She's been home schooled."
"Neato!" A few of them said.
"Mhm, and she's just as interested in astronomy as we are! I was thinking of bringing her around to the meeting after school."
One slightly over weight boy sat up. "That's a great idea! We could always use new members." He leaned over the table, staring directly into her eyes, which frankly she found a little creepy. "Do you play grottos and gremlins?" He asked intently. She backed away.
"N-No..." She said nervously. He sighed and sat down.
"Ignore Melvin." Beatrice laughed.
She continued to introduce everyone, like their 'leader' Earnest, and many other interesting characters. Beatrice was the only girl in the clique. So far, Jenny liked them all, even though some were just a bit odd (well all of them, actually). Jenny found herself not really fitting in (she didn't participate in conversation, and basically just sat there), just as Mandy approached on the arm of a tall muscular guy, with dark hair and noticeably blue eyes.
"Hey losers." Mandy greeted, her nose in the air. Beatrice rolled her eyes.
"Please leave, Mandy." Beatrice slurred. "We're talking about intellectual things, that you probably wouldn't understand."
Mandy scoffed, and the guy laughed. "Whatever Metal Mouth."
"Why don't you over sized goons just leave us alone?" Earnest said, pointing at Mandy's apparent boyfriend.
He bellowed: "Shut it, dork, before I pound you."
Earnest sat down.
With a few more mocking laughs, the two of them walked away. Jenny wondered if that was the boyfriend that had cheated on Mandy.
"Okay... What was that all about?" She asked, confused.
Beatrice sighed. "Just the school's football captain, Ted Thompson, and his trophy and I do not use that word loosely, Mandy Wiles. Head cheerleader, of course."
Jenny laughed. "Mandy certainly forgives easily."
"Oh let me guess," Earnest began, "That big doofus cheated on her again?"
Jenny nodded. "You guessed it. I suppose this happens often?"
Beatrice giggled. "For sure, usually a few times a month... That Mandy knows about."
"How... Stereotypical. But yes, I get the honor of sharing a room with her." Jenny rolled her eyes sarcastically.
Beatrice gaped. "You? Oh darn, I'm sorry. I switched out of that room as soon as the opportunity struck, and I guess you're stuck with it now..."
Jenny shrugged. "Not your fault. She doesn't really talk to me, it is annoying how she and her friends don't shut up though."
"I couldn't agree more. Very annoying indeed."
The rest of the lunch period went by smoothly, not really as Jenny had expected, but an okay (awkward) start to the school year. She had no idea that she would end up actually... Not eating alone, so quickly. She didn't know how to make friends, and didn't even know if these people were friends... But overall, it was turning out to be an alright day. Jenny decided that perhaps, school wouldn't be so bad after all.
Author's note: Hi there (:. Yes, I know... Another story. I couldn't resist :D. So, this story is obviously about my pleasantly awkward character Jenny going to school for the first time in Bullworth. She's a pretty interesting character; You'll learn more about her if you decide to read on :D. I haven't really decided who I'm going to pair her up with... Who do you think?
Anyways, review please, and let me know if I should continue!