Note: The song featured in this chapter is called 'The Show' by Hawk Nelson.
Chapter 2 – A Day In The Life
Two weeks later, I woke up to my stereo blasting in my face.
Uh-uh-everywhere I go, it's all been taken. Pick me up a book about new sensations. T-t-take me to a place
with no frustration. Better back it up before I lose my patience. Here we go. Let's take 'em to the show, wa-oh. C'mon, turn on your radio. Wa-oh, let's go. Let's take 'em to the show, wa-oh. C'mon, turn up your radio
I groaned and turned down my radio. I checked the time. It was 6 AM; why did I set my alarm so early? Summer school ended days ago, I didn't have any - then it hit me.
The first day of school. I groaned and rolled out of bed.
An hour and 27 minutes later, I walked into school with a thermos of coffee in one hand and a binder in the other.
"Seren!" Someone shouted, and I turned to see my best friend, Clara. She was blonde and pretty, and had moved here from America two years ago. Her dad was a director in some computer company, and she had been devastated by the move. We attracted each other like magnets, she loved to talk and listen to music more than I did.
She squealed and hugged me.
"Clara! How was Minnesota?" I asked. She rolled her eyes.
"Boring. It rained the whole time."
"It does that here."
"Yeah, but they have lakes to blame it on," she laughed, and I didn't get it.
We walked to homeroom together, swapping summer stories - me about summer school (I had failed Algebra 2 the first time around and chose to take it again during the summer), and her about her so-called 'adventures' in Minnesota. We said hello to random people on the way.
The warning bell rung, and we stepped into our homeroom classroom.
"...And finally, we remind students to not linger on the school grounds. Please exit the building as soon as possible after the bell has rung. Any students remaining on school property that are not attending clubs or detention will be asked to leave. Thank you."
The new teacher put on a face as announcements finished. He looked about 30, but his beard made him look 40. Clara kicked me with a sideways glance, she loved to poke fun at teachers. I ignored her. The teacher shuffled to the front of the room and started the inevitable 'welcome speech' that all teachers are probably born knowing.
"Hello! I am Mr. Trellers, your homeroom teacher. I teach maths and physics, do-not-have-me-catch-you-text-messaging-during-lessons, blah blah blah, please do not stick gum on the desks, please don't cheat children: we expect more of you, blah blah blah, stay out of trouble, blah blah blah, if you have any questions please don't ask me, Seren Justice turn off your phone now."
I smiled, embarrassed, and switched off the beeping mobile.
"Oh, and the most important of all: Have fun and make friends!" he said sarcastically. The bell rung, and Mr. Trellers waved dismissively at his under impressed students. "And Goodbye!"
Clara gave me a look when we got out of the classroom.
"Crazy? Or just lazy?"
"I don't care. All I care is that I have him 4th period for maths and I almost failed this summer."
She smiled empathetically.
"Yeah, I'm stuck with him 4th, too."
"Haha. See ya," I said as I rounded the corner to my next lesson.
"Yeah, adios! ¡Tengo clase de Espanõl!"
"Sorry?"
We laughed and headed our separate ways.
Later, I told her about Trainer Man.
"So I'm in the kitchen and the doorbell rings. Mom's not home, but I get the door anyways. And there's this guy - he looks completely bonkers - wearing a suit and a trench coat AND trainers!"
"What kind?"
"What kind of what?"
"Tennis shoes, idiot!"
"Uhh...Converse high tops, I think."
Clara smiled like she was a part of some Converse club. She was wearing the same ones Trainer Man had worn, but in pink.
"And he says 'Hello! Are you busy?'," I continued, "and then 'Don't worry, I know your mother!' Just a bit weird, but then he hands me a letter and says 'this letter is not to be opened-"
"Justice and Johnson!"
Clara looked at me sideways. I sighed. This is what always happened last year.
"What was so interesting that you had to interrupt the rest of us to talk about? Hmm?"
"Um, well, Seren was telling me about how yesterday this man wearing tennis shoes,-" Trainers, I mentally corrected her, this isn't Minnesota. "Gave her this letter and then, well, that's when you interrupted us."
Oh god, Clara.
"I interrupted you?"
I kicked Clara really hard.
"No, sir, sorry. We should not have been talking, sorry!" I apologized for us, and kicked Clara again. Really hard.
"Okay, since it's the first day I'll let it go. But, you all have homework tonight. And second...what happened to this letter?"
"What?"
He frowned, but before he could say anything else I continued.
"It's at home."
"You didn't open it?"
"Well, he said something about waiting," I said, and it made perfect sense to me.
"Kids," he said sarcastically. The bell rung, but not before we received our first assignment of the year.
"I blame Trainer Man," I said to Clara on our way out.