56rChapter Two:

I looked at the school. It was like any other highschool. Kids yelling at eachother, girls flirting with guys, guys flirting right back. I sighed and ran a hand through my sriaghtned hair. I was extrememly uncomfortable and not just because people were staring at me as I walked into the school. My flats were a size too small, and my bracelets kept jangling. I held the map of the school out in front of me as I navigated the halls, trying to find my homerroom. I sighed as I realized that I went around in a circle, twice, and only had a few more minutes to get to homeroom.

"Do you know where room 316 is?" I asked a girl who looked half asleep. She looked around, as if I wasn't directing my question towards her then pointed down the hall. I nodded, like I knew what she was talking about and slowly walked down the hallway, reading the numbers. I smiled when I saw the room and walked in. I wasn't surprised to see everyone was moving around and yelling. I walked quickly towards the teacher who was on her computer.

"Hi, I'm Max..." I trailed off.

She looked at me and nodded. "You can sit in the back. Next to Brianna. Brianna? Raise your hand." Brianna raised her hand and I took a deep breath as I made my way towards the seat.

I sat down awkwardly and looked at Brianna, "Hey."

She ignored me as the bell rang and then the morning annoucements came on, and a girl with bright red hair started reading something off a peice of paper. After the bell rang to go to first period, I found that room much easier. I was one of the first ones in the art class and there was music playing. A few kids were getting clay out and the teacher was washing her hands.

"Oh, you have to be the new student. Max, right?" I nodded and smiled slightly at her happy tone. It was eight in the morning and she was happy. Genuinly happy. "You can just sit anywhere."

I took a seat near the door and watched as people spilled in. Two people sat down at the table next to me. A girl and a guy. "Hey." The girl had dark brown hair and darkish skin. She had on a yellow tanktop that said love on it in blue letters and was wearing a pair of jeans and flipflops. I don't know how she wasn't freezing, it was the beginning of October.

"Um, hi. I'm Max." I whispered to her as the teacher started telling us what we would be doing with the clay. She smiled at me, "I'm Nudge."

Nudge, what an odd name. Odviously it wasn't her real name, well at least I hope it wasn't, but where do you get a nickname like that from? The teacher explained that we could make practically anything we wanted, it just had to have a lid. She explained how to start making the project and then we got to work.

Across from me a boy with blonde hair with a tint of red in it, and blue eyes was texting under the table, "That's Iggy." Nudge said.

What's with all these weird nicknames. Iggy nodded in my direction too distracted with his phone to look up. Nudge talked the whole time, telling me who to stay away from, and who is okay to talk to, and who I shouldn't even look at. Then she explained to me about the boys here.

"You seem like the kind of girl who would go for someone who is in a band. Or someone who is really artsy. My boyfriend plays a sport, well soccer. That's the biggest sport in this district, then tennis. But never mind that, boys. There are more artsy, band type of boys here than you think." She explained.

"My last boyfriend was a musician. He played the drums." I said, while taking a piece of gum Nudge offered me.

"Iggy, what did I tell you about texting in class. I gave you a warning last time. Now oyu have to go to the princples office. Go." The teacher cut in. Iggy sighed and stuck his phone in his pocket and made his way out of the room. Nudge and a few other people were giggling.

Nudge nodded, "See. I'm a good judge of people. Anyway," She said looked at the clock, "the bell's gonna ring in a few, you should sit with me at lunch. I'm sure we'll have another class together, hopefully."

We put away our clay away and got our books. A few minutes later the bell rang and my first real class of the day began.

I found Nudge and her friends right away. She was yelling at some guy about something, before someone came over and pulled her away. I took my tray over to where Nudge was being talked quietly too by th same guy who pulled her away.

"Max!" Nudge called, ignoring the guy. "This is James, my boyfriend." I smiled poiletely at James.

"Then, you know Iggy. That is Mandy, Carter, Flynn, and Dex." I smiled at them all as a hello. I sat between Nudge and Carter.

I looked around taking in my surrondings. I spotted a guy sitting at a table by himself. I turned to Carter, since Nudge was talking to someone else, "Why is he sitting by himself?" I asked.

Carter shrugged, "He's kind of a loner. Kind of weird too." He said.

I looked at him again. He had longish black hair and was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans and a blue t-shirt. Suddenly he stood up and put his tray back, then walked out, with his hands in his pockets.

He was intriguing, but I wasn't about to stand up and follow him out on my blistered feet. Plus, I didn't really need the attention.