Chapter Two: Gabi's First Day of High School
"This is your lunch, OK? I put a dollar in there so you can buy some milk; you can ask one of the big kids where to do that."
"Do you remember your phone number? I wrote it down for you just in case. Put it in your pocket, I don't want you to lose it. OK? You ready?"
"I think so." Gabriella "Gabi" Montez(16) said standing up.
"Gabi's big day." her dad said. He took a picture of her.
"I guess it's normal for parents to cry on their kids first day of school. But that's when the kid is like five. I'm sixteen and until today, I was home schooled. I know what you're thinking- home schooled kids are freaks, or weirdly religious or something. But I'm totally normal. Except for the fact that my parents are research zoologists and we spent the last 12 years in Africa. I had a great life. Until my mom got a job in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Then it was goodbye Africa and hello High School."
Gabi started to walk across the street when a bus came by, almost hitting her. Her mom screamed and Gabi jumped back. "I'm OK. Sorry. I'll be careful." she said. She looked both ways and crossed the street.
Gabi walked across East Side High School yard, dodging people and footballs being thrown. She looked around at everyone. She saw a group of boys stomping on a jacket on fire. She sighed and went to her first period class.
-
She walked over to a girl who she thought was the teacher. "Hi. I don't know if anyone told about me. I'm new here. My name is Gabriella Montez." she said.
"Talk to me again and I'll kick your ass." the girl said and sat down in a seat. Taylor and Chad snickered in their seats. Gabi went to sit in a seat.
"You don't wanna sit there." Taylor said. "Kristine Hadley's boyfriend sits there."
Then a boy sat in the seat where Gabi was going to sit and started making out with the girl next to him. Gabi made a face and went to sit behind a kid.
"Uh-uh. He farts a lot." Taylor said.
Gabi walked to the other side of the classroom when she bumped into the teacher. She spilled coffee on her shirt.
"Oh my God, I am so sorry!" Gabi said.
"Don't be. I'm bad luck." the teacher-Ms. Norberry-said. She started to take off her coffee-stained shirt when the principal-Mr. Duvall- walked in.
"Ms. Norberry?" he asked.
"My t-shirt is stuck to my sweater, huh?" Ms. Norberry asked.
"Yeah." Gabi said and pulled the shirt down. Ms. Norberry took off her sweater.
"Is everything alright in here?" Mr. Duvall asked.
"Oh yeah." Ms. Norberry said sarcastically.
"How was your summer?"
"I got divorced."
"Oh. My carpal tunnel came back." he raised his arm with the cast around it.
"I win." Ms. Norberry joked.
"Yes, yo do. Well I just wanted to let everyone know that we have a new student here with us from Africa." Mr. Duvall said to the class.
"Welcome." Ms. Norberry said to the black student.
"I'm from Michigan." she said.
"Great." Ms. Norberry said. Mr. Duvall looked at a slip of paper. "Her name is Gabriella. Gabriella Montez."
"That's me. It's Gabi." Gabi said.
"My apologies." Mr. Duvall said.
"Well, uh, welcome Gabi, and thanks Mr. Duvall." Ms. Norberry said.
"You're welcome. And um, if you need anything or want to talk to anyone-"
"No thanks. Maybe another time."
"Ok. Good day everybody."
-
"The first day of school was a blur. A stressful, surreal blur. I got in trouble for the most random things."
Gabi stood up in class and walked towards the door.
"Where are you going?" the teacher asked.
"The bathroom." Gabi said.
"Then you need the lavatory pass."
"OK, then can I have the lavatory pass?"
"Ha ha. Nice try. Have a seat."
-
"I have never lived in a world where adults didn't trust me. Where they were always yelling at me."
"Don't read ahead!"
"No green pen!"
"No food in class!"
"Bleiben Sie in Ihrem zugeteilten Sitz!" (translation: stay in your assigned seat!)
-
Gabi walked through the cafeteria, looking for a place to sit.
"I had a lot of friends in Africa…"
"Jambo." Gabi said to some kids at a table. She waved to them.
"…but so far none here."
They all gave her weird looks and she turned away.
-
Gabi sat in a stall in the girls bathroom, eating her lunch. She looked sad.
-
At home, Gabi walked onto her front porch where her parents were reading magazines.
"Hey. How was your first day of school?" her dad asked.
Gabi let out a sob and ran into her house.
