First Day Jitters
My bare feet padded on the wooden stairs as I scurried down them, cell phone alight in hand so I didn't trip. The only light on downstairs was coming from the kitchen, where I presumed my dad was sitting. Like he always did, sitting in the kitchen with a can of beer and the comic section from that morning's paper. Every night, he would sit there drinking his stale beer, reading and rereading the antics of the Family Circus and Garfield the cat. It was strange and drove my step-mother, Karen, absolutely insane, but it helped him sleep.
"Hey dad." I mumbled, going straight to the fridge to grab a cold drink.
"Hey sweat pea." He replied, taking a long sip from his can. I smiled at the name, knowing my dad couldn't see it as it stretched across my face. Everyone thinks I hate it when he calls me that, but in reality, I love it. "Why aren't you in bed?" he questioned.
"Same reason you aren't." I said. "Can't sleep." My dad laughed and held his can up to me.
"Want a sip?" He joked. "I won't tell Karen if you don't." I laughed and shook my head, taking out the fresh carton of milk that Karen had just bought for the new house.
"No thanks dad, I think I'll stick to milk." I took a few chugs from the carton and placed it back in the fridge, as if nothing had happened.
"You know how much Karen hates it when you do that." My dad scolded, giving me a stern look over his spectacles. I sighed and shrugged, giving him a big cheesy smile.
"What she doesn't know won't hurt her." I said as I sat across from him. Everything was starting to make me undeniably nervous. Everything as in starting a new school, unpacking, getting a job, making friends, talking to people. It all just sounded like a big trap to make me have a mental breakdown before I as due for one during my mid-life crisis. I guess my growing anxiety showed on my face.
"Whats's wrong sweet pea?" Dad asked me, setting his beer down on the table and looking me in the eye. I let a sigh escape my lips, letting my posture fall against my chair.
"Nerves." I replied. "I am not looking forward to school tomorrow." He laughed and went back to his paper.
"You'll do fine. You've always been good at making friends." He assured, the same thing he says every time we start somewhere fresh. Although he didn't know exactly how wrong he was. Sure, I had friends everywhere we lived. I wasn't a shut-in . But I wasn't a social butterfly either. I am naturally shy, I hate talking to people I don't know and I hate putting myself on the line. "Wipe that look off your face." Dad said suddenly, giving me the stink eye over his paper. I sighed.
"I just don't know about this school, dad." My voice was quiet and chuck-full of nerves, just like me. "Everyone here probably made their clicks when they were in kindergarten and don't make room for the new girl. They probably never even get new girls." For the first time since I came in, he laid his paper down in front of him, folding his hands in front of him and looking me right in the eyes.
"You will fit in fine, I promise you. You are smart, funny, caring, you can make anyone's day with just your smile. Especially your old man here." I blushed with pride as he finished, giving me a warm smile and a nod of finality. "And you look just like your mother so no doubt you'll have to beat off the boys with a stick." He chuckled, almost looking scared as he faded off to a small cough. "Or I'll do that for you, no difference to me." I laughed, still swelling with elation at the fact that he said I look like mom. "Now go on to bed, you need the rest." I nodded, standing from the table to retreat back to my room as dad picked the paper back up from the table top. But, before I could leave, I bent down to give my dad a kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks dad, see you at dinner tomorrow." He barely nodded his head as a response, keeping his eyes trained on the comics.
I hurried back up the stairs to my bedroom. The walls were a boring white, along with the dull blue carpet. The only things in the room that showed that I live in it are the five boxes on the floor, the dresser under the window, and the bed in the corner. The bare walls and empty closet were not a comfort to me as I slipped under the covers to go to sleep. Soon, the room and the nerves died down to a dull hum, letting me fall under sleep's spell.
"Emma! Get up!" I rolled over, pulling my covers up over my head. But, it was in vain as I rolled completely off the bed with a thud. "That better be you getting out of bed!" I did not suppress my groan as I stood from the floor.
"I'm up!" The yell was not as loud as I intended it to be, but I didn't pay any mind. "Thank you!" I said, my words dripping with sarcasm. My feet carried me to the pile of boxes at the end of my bed.
"You have an hour until you need to take Ave to daycare!" My step-mom yelled through my door. Her footfalls got quieter as she continued down the hall. I rolled my eyes as I pulled out an outfit and stumbled to my en suite bathroom. The house we lived in in New Jersey was a ranch style house with one bathroom and two bedrooms and no basement. This house, had four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a basement and an attic.
I could get used to this.
I quickly washed up and got dressed in a flowing gray tank top and flirty navy blue skirt, doing my hair and make-up after I was all finished. My hair wasn't particularly unruly, so a quick brush through and a few swipes of the straightener, I was done. And I hadn't broken out in weeks, so I only used minimal make-up to make my emerald eyes pop. When I was finished, I ran down the stairs to find Avery sitting on the couch watching cartoons, with her back-pack sitting beside her.
"Ave, let's go." I said to her, turning the TV off. Her face dropped to a dramatic gape.
"I was watching that!" Her face changed to a pout, her bottom lip sticking out. I smiled at her as I threw my back-pack over my shoulder, picking up hers also.
"You stick that lip out too far a bird'll poop on it." I told her matter-a-factly. "Now let's go, I can't be late for school." She stood from the couch, her arms folded across her chest.
"I wish I could go to high school." I laughed as I locked the door behind us and unlocked the car with the automatic remote.
"Trust me Aves, once you get there, you'll wanna be back in Daycare." I said as I helped her buckle herself up in the backseat. I handed her her bag and closed the door after I knew she was secure in the car.
"Not me." She replied once I was in the car. "When I get to high school, I'm gonna be the queen. I'm going to rule school and I'm gonna be beau-ful. You just wait Emmy." I laughed as I turned the key to start the car.
"Whatever you say Aves." Soon enough, the car was rolling out of the driveway and we were down the street headed towards the daycare center. Luckily, I found it with minimal problems. And Avery went without any problems as well, thankfully. With ten minutes till the school day started and my foot antsy on the gas pedal, I started towards the high school.
I scurried down the hall as I heard the warning bell ring overhead, signaling that there was one minute to get to class before being late. There was no way I was going to be on time now. I sighed and pushed through the door to the main office, feeling my stomach churn with anxiety. The lady behind the front desk smiled up at me as I walked in.
"What can I do for you?" She asked politely. I smiled back at her as I handed her a packet of papers my dad filled out the day before.
"Registration forms." I replied. She nodded, taking the papers from me and picking up a pen from the cup on her desk.
"Just moved here?" She inquired, checking off things with the pen. I nodded, picking at a hangnail on my thumb.
"Yes."
"Nervous?"
"Yes." She laughed, handing the packet back to me with a smile. I took them from her hands gently and tucked it in my bag, readjusting it on my shoulder again.
"Don't be. You'll do fine." Her words gave me little comfort. "You'll like it here, trust me." I nodded, still smiling through my nerves.
"Thanks." But no thanks.
I turned and exited the office to walk to the locker that was assigned to me, the number and combination was written on the paper. The knot in my stomach wrenched tighter as I neared the empty locker. I saw the faint lines of graffiti on the locker, red lines that refused to be washed. My eyes squinted to read the faded word, 'killer'. I shook my head, opening the locker and placing my nearly empty bag into it.
Of course I heard the stories. The girl who went missing and was found murdered in someone's backyard. Admittedly I didn't know all the stories. I mean, I had just moved here a day prior. And I knew there was a reason we got the house as cheep as we did. I just hope it wasn't our backyard she was found in. An involuntary shiver ran up my spine as I shoved all those thoughts to the back of my mind, grabbed my supplies and closed the locker. My first class was English with Montgomery, Ella. She sounds pleasant enough.
I walked down the hallway until I reached the right room number, then lightly rapped on the door. I heard footsteps and muffled talking, then the door opened to a smiling woman.
Her hair was long and dark and her eyes were welcoming. The smile on her face was warming but weary at the same time. And I could tell she was a nice woman who had been around this type of environment for years. She stepped aside from the doorway and let me inside the classroom.
"You must be Emilia Anderson, the new student." I nodded curtly, gazing at the classroom. I wanted to tell her to just call me Emma, but my shyness and nervousness got the best of me, making my tongue seem like it was made of lead. "Well, I'm Mrs. Montgomery. Um, why don't you take a seat behind Emily there, Emily raise your hand for Emilia." She said in the direction of the rows of desks. A tan girl with long black hair put her hand in the air in a sort of wave. I smiled at Mrs. Montgomery and took my seat behind Emily. Emily smiled politely at me, along with a dark haired girl with light skin and a boy with shaggy blonde hair, though I hadn't learned their names yet. The class carried on their discussion, barely paying any extra attention to the new girl in the back of the class, thankfully. And soon, the class was over.
I stood from my seat when the bell sounded, gathering my stuff and walking to the door. I was going to ask Emily where my next class was, since she was officially the only person I knew at this school aside from Mrs. Ella Montgomery. Well, I know their names at least. I walked down the hallway and, luckily, I saw Emily and also luckily her locker wasn't far from mine.
"Emily!" I called as I neared her locker, making sure she wouldn't leave. She smiled as I got closer, closing the metal door.
"Hey Emilia." She said, adjusting her purse on her shoulder.
"Call me Emma, please." I said with a laugh. "But, can you help me with something?" I asked nervously.
"Sure, what is it?" Emily laughed quietly, peering at the paper in my hand.
"Can you tell me where this class is?" I asked, pointing at my next class on the paper. My nerves had died down a little while sitting in the class alone with my thoughts, but speaking to someone I barely knew got my stomach acting up again. I cursed my shyness.
"Um, just keep going down the hall until you hit the dead end and it's the last door on your right." She said nicely, showing a little compassion for the new girl. I sighed and smiled at her. The day is going to be way easier than I thought if everyone here was as nice as Emily. And I prayed to whoever would listen that they were.
"Thank you so much." I said as I waved, walking down the hall in the direction Emily told me. But, before I could reach it, a tall sturdy body stopped me as I ran right into it, chest to face. "Oh, sorry." I said quickly, looking up at the dark haired boy in front of me. He gave me a smirk.
"It's fine, it was my fault." I smiled nervously, going to step around his built body, but to only have him go the same way, blocking me again. We both shared a laugh as he held his hand out for me to shake. "I'm Noel." I smiled, taking his hand in a gentle shake.
"Emma." I said as I released his hand and let it go back to holding the blue binder in my hand.
"I haven't seen you around before." He said conversationally. "Are you new?" I nodded, tightening my grip on the binder without even realizing it.
"Yeah, just moved here yesterday." Noel nodded, smiling at me. My knees nearly buckled, his smile was so cute. My eyes floated to a clock that hung on the wall behind him, showing me I had about thirty seconds to get to my next class on time. I must have been too distracted by this boy to even hear the warning bell. Noel followed my gaze and saw the time.
"I better get to class." He said, almost sadly. "But, I'll see you around Emma." I smiled, waving as he slowly walked away.
"See you around Noel." I replied with a smile as I walked towards my next class. Wow.
I could get used to the guys in this town.
A/N
Well, I hope everyone likes it as of now. This whole thing is new to me. Well, actually publishing something is at least, not the writing part. But, I can never find any Jason D or Noel K OC fics so why not make one myself. Reviews would mean the world. Thank you.