So let me start off by saying that I never really liked my life in the first place. A lot of people want to pine that on "teen angst" or something equally stupid, but I know exactly why I don't like it. For one, my stepsisters are annoying brats. Two, my stepdad is a jackass. And three…

I'm a mutant.

Of course, I learned early on in the game to keep that kind of important stuff to myself. I'm not sure if it was the "mutie" picket signs I saw on my way to school or just watching Fox News 13 that convinced me to shut my yap for a few good years. It wasn't hard. There wasn't really anyone to tell…well, you know, no one smart enough to comprehend it. Just me and my mom. And she would never tell a soul.

I think my stepdad is suspicious though, but I really couldn't care less about what he thought. He does it so scarcely, I guess I should. But I don't.

I'm pretty sure a few other insignificant high schoolers out there are facing the same thing, but I don't think they're in exactly my situation. See, I got this letter a few months ago inviting me to some School for the Gifted for freaks like me off in Westchester. And that's fine and dandy, but I don't think I'd really fit in. A lot of people would say "But everyone is enduring the same obstacles…together, you can find strength and hope within each other blah blah blah". But I'm pretty sure it's not like it is in the movies or books or t.v. shows…nothing ever is. Take high school for example.

Years ago, I was willing to believe that high school was similar to that in t.v. shows. Movies are a tad exaggerated. I mean, its Hollywood, right? But the t.v. shows…they'd have some substance. It's not like I'm a chick or anything, spouting crap like "I gotta know what to wear and be popular and have the perfect outfit for homecoming so I can attract my Prince Charming and we can make out behind a dumpster and write lovenotes to each other and ___________(insert other unreliable, future plans here)"

Because that's honestly the type of shit I heard girls from my middle school blabbering about when I would peep through the hole in the locker room wall 2 years ago.

No, I just thought that t.v. show producers would go for something more realistic. Because that's what people wanted nowadays. Something real. Something funny as hell they could laugh at, knowing full well it wasn't scripted…or at least, knowing it was plausible. But, it seems I was terribly wrong…like always.

Tons of my classmates (enemies/annoyances) smoke stuff, eat things that aren't even edible in the first place, punch people for the pure love of violence, threaten to shoot other people, blatantly ask girls for sex.

Maybe not all schools are like this one, but I don't see how it would make a difference. We make up for a thousand troublemakers all by ourselves. Only a selected few of us were blessed with common sense…I guess in some way I'm among those few. But only when I feel like it.

The others are Finn, Echo, Nathan, Malcolm, Blair, Lola, and Kiya. But don't get your thongs all in a twist. That's like, what? 8 out of 24 of us. That's right. 24 outrageously different, "hormone-charged" teenagers in a little classroom driving what's left of our teachers completely insane.

Echo keeps them from going totally insane, I suppose. She's the quiet one that all the teachers adore like she's a godsend or something. She's not that perfect.

If we're talking perfect, let's talk about Finn then. Then we'll be talking perfect.

I mean, intellect and generosity and hotness wrapped up in a tiny-waisted, blonde-haired epitome of sexy. What more was there?

She's Echo's best friend though, so I guess she's her role model or something. There's Ivette too, another one of Finn's friends, but she's most definitely on the insane, smokes-stuff troublemaker side. Then there's Nathan. Or "Nate," as he's most commonly called. He's pretty cool, but we're not friends. Malcolm, my only friend (since 4th grade), is the genius of us all. Blair is Nate's "good friend". Cough cough. They're pretty close just to be buddies, but I'll leave it at that. Lola. She's the loudmouthed bitch I've saved a special section for in the loathing-section deep in the pits of my heart for the past bazillion years. Its people like her that'll take over the world one day…like Oprah. She's what I call a "richling." Her daddy owns some company so whatever cash he doesn't use to plant his money tree, pay Uncle Sam, or wipe his nose with, she gets. And of course, she uses it to buy her friends. So, once again, society proves to me it's not about your horrific, unbearably mind-crunching characteristics that'll eventually get you killed or in some form of bodily harm…nope…it's the shit you buy people and the wrapping paper you put it in.

And last and least is Kiya, the exchange student from Barbados. She's the type of girl who wouldn't be any different as a guy (minus her boobs…). She's assertive, passive aggressive, sarcastic, incredibly driven, and all-around just the type of chick you don't want to mess with. She's also got this really sweet Barbadian accent. Which, like always, equals up to some serious brownie points. I can clearly remember the first time I "met" her. It was probably around 5 months ago. Everyone in class was booing our science teacher and throwing paper planes and other assorted crap at the woman's head. I didn't hear much of what she said because she was mumbling and the booing was pretty loud, but I did see her shake her head and I made out the word "Savages" coming from her lips.

Savages indeed, Kiya, savages indeed. From that moment on, I respected her. Even if she does have a rivalry with Finn. Even if she was kind of snobby toward Malcolm when he sat in her seat accidentally one day. Even if she looks at us all like we're that unnamed crust everyone's had to wipe off of the corner of their nose at least once. Regardless of these things, she has my respect. And I think she even hates Lola too…which, again, brownie points.

And you know what else?

She's a mutant.

I saw her do something in the computer lab one day when she was arguing with Lola…it's hard to explain…but I know she is. And in some way, knowing that another freak sits two desks behind you in Advanced Chemistry makes life a little bit easier.