It was the first day of school for the students of a San Francisco middle school.
This was probably why it took the students a few hours to notice the new girl. Or, more remarkably, the fact that the teachers never made her remove the dark gray knit beanie on her head.
By lunch time, various speculations had been made about the girl, Sam, as some of the more nosy students had found out. These ranged from "Her parents are rich and are depositing loads directly into the principals pocket" to "She might have cancer".
Sam was not oblivious to the talk, even though she was in a secluded corner of the cafeteria, scowling at everything that dared to be within her sight. She was depressed, and covering it up with anger and being standoffish.
Just yesterday, her Aunt Sue had mentioned maybe going to a stable. Sam would not admit it (twelve years of being Jake Ely's friend had ingrained this in her), but she was scared.
She knew this was no good, because someday she'll get to go home, and she'll be around horses again, and she really needed to not be afraid. So she said yes.
The third day of school (already the students were counting down) was when everyone found out why the teachers ignored Sam's beanie.
There was a substitute in English, a nasty young woman, trying to, it seemed, turn the students into soldiers.
She was not informed that Sam was allowed to wear the hat, so when she walked into the classroom, the teacher stopped her and asked for the hat, informing Sam icily, "You know the school rules."
Sam raised a brow, really not in the mood for this, and informed the teacher that she had special permission.
The teacher laughed contemptuously, well aware that the students were watching the display with rapt attention. She held out her hand less than patiently, and demanded once again, "I'm sure. Hand it over."
Sam raised the other brow, and went to move around the sub, airily saying, "You don't believe me, take it up with the principal. I have permission. I'm not taking it off just because you don't know what you're talking about."
The teacher mirrored Sam's movements, face turning red. Through clenched teeth, she hissed, "Either you hand that hat over right now, or you're getting detention!"
Sam's chin lifted at the dare. "I'm not wearing a hat; it's a beanie." She said cheekily. She could practically see the steam coming out of the teacher's ears.
Two of the students sat up straighter, eyeing the new girl critically. They shared a look, and as one stood up to stand beside Sam.
"Excuse me," The tall brunette interrupted, her shorter, blue-haired, friend following behind. "But, it is true," She stated delicately. Her friend hid a smile at the deceptive tone. "She is allowed to wear the beanie in class. None of the teachers tell her to take it off."
The sub appraised this new addition to the conversation. She was tall, and green-eyed. She didn't really seem like she was lying, especially since the teacher could see the other students behind her nodding confirmation.
What she didn't know was that the blue-haired girl was giving them a glare to get them to do so; otherwise, they'd have sat there and watched blood be drawn.
The sub pursed her lips in a displeased fashion before looking at the girl in front of her.
"Alright. Detention." She stated turning to the desk, nonverbally dismissing the girls. Sam's jaw dropped and it looked as though she was about to start protesting, but Pam slapped a hand over her mouth, and Leo grabbed her arm to drag her to the seat next to them.
During lunch Sam sat in the principal's office explaining what had happened in English. Not for her sake, but because the teacher was being extremely insensitive.
When she walked out, she saw the two girls that had helped her in class waiting outside the office.
"Hey," the brown haired girl offered Sam a smile. "I'm Pam. This is Leo." She jerked her thumb at Leo. Leo nodded her head, smirking at the new girl.
"Sam." She answered cautiously. She didn't know why the girls had helped her in class, and she wasn't entirely sure they did it out of the kindness of their hearts. "Why'd you help me?" Leo grinned wickedly.
"You talked back. The last two days, we've been thinkin' you were a wuss, but nah, you just needed to be provoked." Leo said, with a slight Hispanic accent. It was the first time Sam had heard her talk, and for the first time, Sam noticed the blue hair and nose ring. Her brows rose. Leo didn't look like anyone she was used to, but she seemed like the type of person Sam could get to know.
Pam grinned at Sam. "That's right." She sang. "Finally, another girl who isn't afraid of breaking a nail!" She cheered. Sam's eyebrows, which had settled back to their normal position, rose again.
"And how do you get that from me talking back?" Sam asked curiously, instinctively liking these girls.
Leo waved her off. "We can just tell." Her nose crinkled with her smile as Pam danced around Sam.
"Okay. . . ." Sam said, slowly. She paused for a moment, before taking off the beanie.
To the girls' credit, they didn't react, even though they were a little shocked to see that the red head's head was shaved, a bright white bandage over one side.
Unbeknownst to the three, Lacy Morgan, a girl Pam and Leo couldn't stand, was at the end of the hall, watching. Upon seeing Sam's head, she immediately gasped, and scampered off to the cafeteria.
Leo's patience broke first. "What happened?" Pam elbowed her for her insensitivity, but Sam waved her off.
"I got stepped on by a horse." That was putting it mildly.
And thus, the three became friends.
So, I'm not completely happy with this, but I thought it would be cool. And only Leo is mine. :P