Missy Pantone just managed to squeeze her car into the one tight parking spot she had found in the full lot. She could barely fit her little vehicle between two shiny, jumbo SUVS that also happened to be parked over the line. Rich jerks. And what kind of high school students needed SUVs anyway?
She stepped out of her car and pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes, surveying the sunny, sprawling landscape of Rancho Carne High School. The school was constructed out of a few low sitting white washed (in more ways than one, Missy joked to herself) buildings with brick arches connecting them. Palm trees dotted the open terrace and preppy kids gathered in clumps, catching up with the gossip after a summer apart. Missy rolled her eyes.
She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder, ambling slowly toward the front of the biggest building. She wasn't sure if people were actually turning their heads to look at her and staring out of the corners of their eyes as she passed through the middle of the quad or if it just felt like it.
Shouldering open the heavy double doors, Missy felt a cool blast of air hit her square in the face as she entered the wide, tiled, air conditioned hallway. She quickly scanned the line of doors looking for a sign for the front office. She was carrying a load of registration papers around that her mom had signed the night before and she was supposed to turn them in before her first class. Not that she was in any rush to get there.
"...and now that I'm the captain I have a lot more responsibilities. I honestly didn't think Big Red would choose me but I'm really excited. I have a feeling this is gonna be a great year for the team! Anyway, here are the forms. We're applying for the money for new uniforms, ours are practically threadbare."
Missy had entered the office and now stood in line behind a blond girl who (after a quick but subtle scan) Missy saw was wearing a blue cardigan, a pleated skirt, platform slides, and had her hair in a high ponytail. She had a pretty nice ass too. Maybe she was turning in papers for a sports team or something. The worst thing about the move here was that there was no gymnastics team for Missy to join. She was going to have to join a private gym or something to keep in shape, but she could maybe find something to do to occupy what could prove to be many boring hours forcibly spent at this school.
The disinterested receptionist filed the girl's papers as she continued to chatter.
"I'm honestly surprised that Big Red didn't take care of it, but I'm glad she trusts me to do stuff like this. And we definitely need them because we want to look good for Nationals."
Missy's ears perked up. Nationals for what?
"My first year as captain can't be the first year the cheerleading squad doesn't win. Everyone expects it, I have to add a trophy to the case...". The girl trailed off, finally noticing the receptionists' lack of response to what she was saying.
Cheerleading?, Missy thought in disappointment. Well, I definitely won't be joining that team anytime soon. Jesus, can you imagine? She smirked as she glanced down at her own ripped black tee and army pants.
The blond girl was finishing up at the corner. Missy stepped up to take her place, and just had time to see that the girl's face was definitely as cute as her ass before she turned away.
Missy groaned as she heaved herself ungracefully into a chair at an empty table in the cafeteria. It had been a long day so far, and it was only half way over. Missy was glad to know that she had been totally right that the people at this school would be a bunch of assholes. So far only a few had outright laughed at how obviously Missy didn't belong here. Everyone else just stared. One girl (in a cheerleading uniform, surprise surprise) had called her a dyke when her back was turned in math class. Okay, it might be true, not that many people knew, but that didn't mean it wasn't a stupid, fucked up thing to say. Missy kind of wanted to punch someone just thinking about it.
She sighed gustily into her wilted tater tots. She would have been eating with Cliff, except he was busy getting a tour of the music room by some guy he'd just met. Of course he'd be making friends right away. Not that Missy needed friends. She didn't mind sitting by herself. And she certainly didn't want to be friends with any of these loser wannabes.
After dumping her tray, she stopped to look at the posters and scraps of paper that hung on a bulletin board right beside the exit, looking for any signs that a sports team existed at this school. She ripped a few papers that contained possible leads right off of the staples that held them and sauntered out of the room.
Later that evening Missy was laying on her bed, studying and looking through the flyers she had picked up and attempting to block her lame brother's screechy efforts at being a badass guitar player out of her mind.
