Monday

It was Monday morning on September 1, a warm fall morning. My friends Amanda, Natalie, Nancy, Hannah and I were looking up at and standing on the wide gray stone steps of Stoneybrook High, the redbrick school looming above us. We looked up at it. It was huge and right in front of and above us. People around us were filing into the school. We were right in the middle of the crowd, physically close to each other. The people were on either side, mainly students.

"Wow it's huge," Amanda said.

"I know," Natalie said.

"No use standing here we might as well go on in," Nancy said.

"I wonder if we'll see anyone we know," Hannah wondered as we went inside.

We went through a set of tall heavy wooden doors into a small narrow entryway and then through another set into the crowded hallway. The second set of doors had windows in them. Opposite the doors we'd just come through was a tall big wide white wall. Set in the wall were 2 sets of heavy tall wooden doors which led into a large room. The people in the hall went past us into it. We couldn't tell what was going on in the room due to all the people.

"I don't know," I said, answering Hannah's question

"Assembly in the auditorium," a tall young woman told us, breezing by.

"I'm guessing that's the auditorium," I said, referring to the room.

"Yes that's where the assembly is," Amanda said.

"Let's go on in," Natalie said.

"If we can," Nancy said.

We managed to all squeeze into the auditorium and into a row of uncomfortable wooden seats in the crowded room. We sat down. There were rows and rows of wooden seats in the big room, which was cold. The seating arrangement was Amanda, Natalie, Nancy, Hannah and myself with empty seats next to us.

"Hey, you dyed your hair," I said, looking at Hannah, whose dark brown hair was now black.

She was wearing a short sleeve yellow button up shirt and a black skirt.

"Yep, over the summer. Do you like it?"

"I love it."

"Oh look there's Pamela and her crowd," Amanda said, indicating them come in.

"But who are those other girls? I don't recognize them," Natalie said.

"Idinno she must've just met them this morning," Nancy said.

"Wow she moves fast," Hannah said.

"Yeah I know," I said.

We'd only just arrive and already Pamela and Leslie were meeting new people.

In the row in front of us, clear at the other end of the row, were sitting Bobby, Ricky and their crowd.

Pamela came in and sat down next to me and Leslie next to her. Sitting next to Leslie was a young woman with pale skin and straight red hair, then one with straight blonde hair, then one wearing a black leather jacket over her black camisole and black jeans. She smelled like musk and had bouncy, curly black hair.

Pamela and Leslie leaned forward, tapped Bobby and Ricky on the shoulders and started talking to them.

"Guess they're already taken," Amanda pointed out.

"Yeah," Natalie said.

"Apparently," Nancy put in.

It was well known that Pamela was a bit of a flirt. She'd flirt her way into a guy's heart. We were hoping to be able to date bobby and Ricky this year but couldn't, as Amanda'd pointed out.

After they were done talking, Pamela turned to me. Her long brown hair was down and she was wearing a sleeveless black dress.

"Hey Karen," she said.

"Glad you finally decided to join us," Leslie said.

"Um, well, we go to the same high school," Hannah said.

"And it's not as though we've anywhere else to go right now, seeing as this is an all school assembly," I said.

"Oh."

The redhaired young woman leaned towards me. She smelled of roses.

"Hey I'm Lauren," she told me.

"Karen," I said.

"And this is Christy and Max."

"This is Nancy, Natalie, Hannah and Amanda," I told her.

"Hi," the young woman with blonde hair said.

The one with dark hair nodded at me.

"Hey," she said.

Even sitting down I could see she was taller than most of us and a lot more developed.

Christy was wearing a light blue cardigan and a short white pleated skirt.

"Ohh look there's Brian," Lauren said.

She stood up.

"Hey Brian, over here," she said, waving a tall guy with dark hair and hazel eyes over.

He walked in and sat down in the seat in front of her.

"Hey Lauren," he said.

"Hi. This is Max, Christy, Pamela and Leslie."

"Hey," was all Max said.

Brian shook all of their hands.

"Wow he's so polite," Christy said.

"I know. Mmm and pretty good looking too," Max agreed.

"You know, I can hear you," Brian said.

"Oh right. So you can," Christy said.

Lauren turned to me.

"Brian's my older brother," she said.

"Oh. I have…4 brothers. And 2 sisters," i said

"Wow. I only have 1 younger sister."

"Oh."

"Yeah I'm in the middle."

"Hey, me too."

"So Brian," Max asked, leaning towards him.

He looked at her.

"Yes?" he asked.

"How old are you?"

We could tell Max was flirting, just as Pamela, Bobby, Leslie and Ricky were. We could tell this by their body language, the way they leaned forward, made eye contact and touched the guys.

My brother David Michael came in and sat by Ricky.

He turned and looked at me.

"Hi," he said.

"Hey," I said.

Brian looked at me, wondering how we knew each other.

"This is my brother David," I told him.

"Yeah, I know. He's in a couple of my classes," he answered.

"Oh. ok."

"We had a chance to talk before school, which is where we met," David informed me.

"Oh. ok."

"You remember my brother," I told Nancy.

"Yeah hi," she said.

"Hey."

"Hi," Hannah said.

"Hi."

David looked at me.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

He was asking this because after our last day of middle school last year I'd abruptly up and left, going to California. I'd left to get away from my other brother and stepfather who'd turned mean over my middle school years.

"Um, well..." I looked around the crowded auditorium wondering if we could talk at a different time and place than this.

I didn't want to talk about what'd happened right now.

"Lunchtime then?" he asked, taking the hint

"Yeah."

"Ok."

Brian looked at me, his hazel eyes asking what'd happened in reference to David's question.

"I really don't...know you well enough...to..." I said.

Tell him.

"Ok well I'm a great listener if, you, ever need one."

"Thanks."

"Mmhm."

The auditorium was filled with the sound of chatter.

On the stage a short, round, dark haired man, several women and 2 other men were standing. The stage was at the front of the big room.

"Exscuse me," the man said, speaking into a microphone he was holding.

"Exscuse me can I have your attention please?"

The chatter died down a bit.

"Thank you," he said.

"I'm Mr. Greenling, your principle. Welcome to Stoneybrook High."

"Well, now we know who the principle is," Amanda said.

He introduced the people standing onstage, most of them teachers. 3 were the school guidance counselor, school psychologist and assistant principle.

"Now before we go onto the fun stuff I have a few rules you need to follow," Mr. Greenling said.

The rules were as follows;

1: the dress code will be enforced

"Some of us already broke that one," Max said, smiling at Lauren.

"Yeah I know."

Lauren was wearing a red lace tube top, black leather mini skirt and black leather boots

.

2: your grades are important

3: hazing will not be tolerated

4: there won't be any alcohol, drugs or smoking

"We'll just see about that," Pamela said.

"Ohh I know," Leslie agreed.

"And yet they fail to mention cutting, but mention drugs and alcohol," Christy said.

"Cutting's not illegal dear," Pamela told her.

"I know."

"Cutting?" Nancy asked, wondering.

Christy pushed up the sleeve of her cardigan and showed Nancy several cuts she had on her arm, then pulled her sleeve back down.

"Oh," was all Nancy said.

"You do that all yourself?" Hannah asked, surprised.

Christy looked at her.

"Yeah. Obviously."

"Oh."

"And onto the fun stuff," Mr. Greenling said; "there'll be cheerleading and sports this year, of course, and also a school play. A pep rally at the end of each month brought to you by the cheerleaders and dance team. If anyone wants to join those or any other activities your homeroom teacher'll pass out packets with that information. She'll also give you your locker assignments, combinations and schedules."

We stood up, talking as we did so.

"Your first class homeroom?" Amanda asked me.

"Uh huh yours?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"I think everyone's is," Max said.

"Oh."

"What do you have after that?" Amanda asked.

"Math then english then lunch."

"Oh. See you at lunch then?"

"Yeah."

My new schedule read as follows:

8 – 9 a.m.: homeroom

9 – 10 a.m.: math

10 – 11 a.m.: English

11 a.m. – 1 p.m.: lunch

1 – 2 p.m.: science

2 - 3 p.m.: film history

3 – 4 p.m.: psychology

4 – 6 p.m: dance

Instead of gym I had dance.


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