"Well look at what we got here," a tall blonde boy with a distinct body odor stood in front of me. "Fresh meat."
"Whatever smelly, now could you kindly show me to the main office?" I walked away from him.
"Hey what's that supposed to mean?" I looked back at him and he was sniffing his armpits.
"It means you smell hun," I laughed and continued walking. I soon ran into someone who worked at my new school.
"Hey, um, could you tell me where the main office is?" I asked being an angel.
"Sure, it's right down this hall, all the way back on the left side," the bald man with no eyebrows pointed me down the crowded hallway.
"Thanks," I waved. I followed his instructions and walked down the long corridor. Soon reaching the big room, there was a lady with big boobs sitting at a small desk typing away.
"Excuse me?" I coughed trying to get her attention.
She still looked down at her keyboard typing and typing.
"I need my schedule!" I exclaimed. She glared up.
"Name?" she asked clicking her mouse.
"Pallis, Elizabeth."
"Here we are, your father called the other day to enroll you," she stared at the screen as if there was something so special on it.
"Yeah that's right, Daniel Pallis, son of Daniel Pallis Senior."
"All right, all right, you don't have to get mouthy with me," she shook her head and began printing something. A second later she handed me the paper.
"Those are your classes. The bell should be ringing in about," she looked down at her watch. "Two minutes."
"Yeah thanks lady," I walked out of the office and into the crowded hall. I decided to go find homeroom. Media lab. What the hell kind of homeroom is that? I thought I saw it right by the bald guy and walked that way. I was right and I walked into the class.
"New student I see?" he bald guy came up behind me.
"Oh yeah," I handed him my schedule. He gave it a quick glance and gave it back to me. "Well Liz, I'm Mr. Simpson," he shook my hand. "Take a seat where ever you like."
I listened and took a random seat. Soon everyone began filling the classroom. The same guy with the bad B.O., a blonde girl was holding his hand. They sat next to each other in front of me. A girl with red hair wearing a short plaid skirt and fishnets walked in next. She sat a few seats away from me. Nearly right after her was a Latin looking boy with pants way too tight. I guessed he was gay. The bell rang and there was a big rush coming through the door. That's when I stopped paying attention and began playing with the computer. Mr. Simpson began speaking in front of the class. Then I heard my name and I looked up.
"She's sitting in the back next to Craig there. Hey Liz, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself," he motioned for me to stand up.
I took a second and stood up. I coughed and began talking. "I'm Liz, I'm 15 years old. I'll be 16 this summer. I live with my dad, my sister Kristin, and my cousin Jessica. I have two cats and two dogs. I'm originally from New York but my dad wanted to move to Canada because; well I'm not sure. Better health care?" I sat down while a few people chuckled.
"Well that was nice Liz, it's like you had planned a speech," Mr. Simpson walked to a big projector screen. "Today we'll be working in Photoshop…"
"Hey, you're from the states?" the guy next to me asked. Craig. He had dark messy hair and had a guitar attached to his back. He wore a flannel shirt with a Ramones tee shirt on under it.
"Yeah, lived there up until about two weeks ago. We live in this apartment now, a few blocks away from here," I clicked the mouse as the teacher did.
"What street?" he glared over at me.
"Uh, Clinton? I think."
"Hey I live like a block away from there," he got excited.
"That's damn cool," I laughed. I got into the paint program and began playing with the tools.
"How olds your sister?" he asked.
"12, she's a pain in the ass."
"Ah yes, little sister. I have one myself, but she's four," he looked at his screen again.
"Hey you guys," Mr. Simpson began. "It's nice to know you're being nice to our new student Craig but lets pay attention to the lesson."
Craig rolled his eyes and had his mouse clicking about. The rest of class went by quickly and the bell rang before I knew it.
Next class was Math with Mr. Armstrong. My favorite class. Ha, not.
I found the class easily and walked to the black guy sitting at the desk. "Mr. Armstrong?"
"Yes? Is there something I could do for you?" he looked up at me.
"I'm new," I gave him my schedule and he nodded; handed it back.
"Take a seat, we're working on geometry."
I sat down 3 rows from the back, second seat from the door. Everyone came took their time getting there, but no one was late. Mostly these were the same people from my last period class. A girl with choppy brown hair sat down next to me, wearing the same pair of chucks I had on.
"It's you again," she smiled. I hadn't noticed her in the computer lab but she must of seen me. "I'm Ashley," she put out her hand for me to shake. I took it and grinned.
"Liz," I let go of her hand.
"You wanna eat lunch with me and my friends? Figured you don't know anyone up here and I know what it's like to be the new kid," she offered getting her notebook out of her backpack.
"Thanks, that's quite nice of you," I acted phony polite. "But you don't eat with that smelly guy do you?" I pointed at the guy I first met this morning.
"Spin," she chuckled. "You're funny. Yeah I eat with him, I hope his odor doesn't offend you too much."
"I'll survive, I'll just bring nose plugs tomorrow."
She laughed and Mr. Armstrong began his lesson. He started talking about supplementary angles and I yawned. We did this way back in eighth grade. I sat back and decided to take the rest of class off. I looked out the windows that faced the hallway and watched a few people walk by. There was a tall girl with blonde hair and braces followed by a short boy with brown hair and long shorts. She was motioning for him to hurry up and he jogged to catch up.
I began doodling in the lone notebook I had brought that day. It was a cat person holding a pen looking a bit drunk. But that's how all my pictures looked. Ash looked over and asked to see the drawing. I handed it to her and she giggled.
"That's really good," she handed it back.
"Thanks," I whispered and began looking out the window again. This time it was a girl with a belly shirt and low, low-rise jeans on. I smirked and watched her butt wiggle as she walked away. I couldn't help but feel tingly inside. What are you a lesbian now? I asked myself.
Lunch came quicker then I had expected. Ashley found me at the end of science class and brought me to the cafeteria. She brought me through the lunch line and I got mac and cheese. We sat down at a small table near the door. I saw Craig walk over and he kissed Ashley on the cheek. Then the girl with the red hair stopped by for a minute. Her names Ellie. Her and Ash planned on going to the movies after school. They asked me if I wanted to go but I shook my head. I told my dad I'd be home as soon as school got out. Someone had to take care of the animals and I volunteered. Ellie left and three more boys arrived. Including stinky, the gay looking guy from media class, and a black kid with a huge South Pole hoodie that my friend from Albany used to wear.
"Everybody, this is Liz, even though I'm pretty sure you've all seen her," Ash introduced me to the group.
"Yeah, Liz is my media emersions buddy," Craig smiled at me.
"So that's what they call that class," I got comfortable in my seat.
"Hi Liz, I'm Marco," the gay looking one shook my hand.
"He's gay," Stinky whispered.
"Dude shut up," Marco elbowed him.
I laughed. "I knew a guy in Albany named Marko, he liked guys too," I laughed even harder. "It's cool."
"I'm Jimmy," the black one waved. I waved back.
"Jeez Ash, you must of felt lonely eating with these guys," I took a bite of macaroni.
"Usually Paige eats with us but I don't know where she is today," Ashley looked around. "Do you know where she is Spin?"
"Somewhere with Hazel I'm guessing, maybe…"
The girl with the belly shirt walked by me again, but this time stopped to talk to Craig.
"Hey Craig, can I talk to you?" she asked with a soft voice.
"Uh, sure Manny," he got up and they walked out of the cafeteria. I could see out door so I decided to watch. They faced each other and she began touching his arm. He said something and she stopped. She looked angry and said something nasty. He replied with something even worse. She started crying and he took in a deep breath. He walked back into the lunchroom and Manny ran down the hall.
"Who was that?" I whispered to Marco who was sitting next to me.
"That's Manny, she went out with Craig last year. It didn't work out, she reminded him too much of his little sister," he quietly said back. He was obviously was watching the scene with me.
"Ew. Wait, his little sister wears belly shirts with her ass crack hanging out?"
"No, last year Manny was a lot different. A lot more like a little sister and not a, well what she is now," he sipped some of his chocolate milk.
Ashley looked at Craig disgusted when he came back to the table.
"What was that about?" she asked in a snooty tone.
"What? Oh Manny? She was asking about Angi," he picked up his cheeseburger.
"What about her?" everyone watched as they felt a fight brewing.
"About when she has to baby-sit her this weekend."
"And she couldn't have asked you that right here?"
"What's going on?" Stinky's girlfriend came up behind me.
"Manny had to talk to Craig," I answered.
"In private," Marco added.
"No she couldn't of damn it!"
"Oh my god Craig, what the hell is your problem?"
"I'm out of here," he picked up his guitar and put it over his shoulder and walked out of the room.
"Oh crap," I looked around at everyone in astonishment. Stinky's girlfriend sat down in Craig's newly abandoned seat.
"So how's everyone doing?" she popped open her soda can.
"You're kidding me Paige," Stinky shook his head.
