Jade sits back against the couch and folds her arms across her chest. She lazily glances around the room and notices objects that make this a rather unusual office. Several tall plants are scattered around the perimeter of the room, a wooden chair hung from the ceiling just a few feet from her. There were several wooden crates with overflowing pages in them and weird caricatures stared back at wherever she looked. The desk was the only piece of furniture that made her feel like she was indeed in an office.
"So how is your first week going?" asks Lane Alexander, the school counselor.
"Pretty weird actually" she responds bringing her focus back to him.
"I wish I could say that was an unusual answer, but I tend to get that response a lot from the new freshmen. Don't worry, you will get used to it" he says with a smile.
"Yeah, I'm afraid of that" she replies.
He laughs and nods his head. "How are you liking your classes?"
"They're fine. I was wondering, actually, is there anyway I can add an elective?"
"You want to take another class? You're already taking the required five" Lane says.
"Yeah, I know but I was thinking I could try a music class."
"Music?"
"Yeah, maybe music composition" she says.
"I might be able to arrange that. Why the interest in the class?"
"A friend of mine is a music major and he's in one of my classes. I thought it might be a good idea to try new things."
"Sure, that's great. New school, new you. I like it" Lane says and he scribbles something on a piece of paper on his desk.
"Not new me, no."
He looks up and frowns a bit but quickly looks back down and continues writing.
"Also, is there anyway to change lockers at this point?"
"Why, what's going on?" Lane asks as he places the pen back down on his desk and gives her his attention.
"The guy whose locker is next to mine...he's weird."
"Is it that Sinjin kid?"
"YES" she says loudly, her arms shooting high above her head.
"I understand, but the only way to switch now is to find someone who will trade with you and, well-"
"No one wants the locker next to weird boy" she interrupts.
"I didn't say that" Lane responds but the look in his eyes lets Jade know that that's exactly what he wanted to say.
"Great" she answers.
"Well, my only advice is to try to make the best of it for the time being. Chances are, you'll eventually get involved in a few activities here and not spend too much time by your locker. Have you decorated it yet?"
"Decorated my locker? No, why should I?"
"It's a tradition here at Hollywood Arts. Every student must decorate their lockers, make it their own."
"I see" she says, not entirely excited about the idea of having to put effort decorating a small metal door.
"Do you want any ideas? I'll be happy to shoot some your way" Lane offers enthusiastically.
"No, I think I know what I'll do with it" she says.
"Okay great. Well, I'll work on getting music composition in your schedule. Come back on Monday and check in with me" Lane tells her.
"Yeah sure, thanks" Jade says and gets up off the couch.
"No problem" Lane replies and waves her off.
In her next class, Jade can't help but stare at a curly-haired boy sitting a few seats away from her, a puppet sitting on his lap. She notices a few other people shooting curious glances at him and she shakes her head. Another weirdo she thinks to herself and pulls out her copy of Hamlet.
The chatter in the room stops a short time later as a heavy-set man enters the room carrying a briefcase. Jade looks up from her book and watches as the man walks towards the front of the room and places his briefcase on the podium. He looks slightly out of breath and she is incredibly amused. She closes the book and places it on her lap.
The man opens up his briefcase and spends a few seconds shuffling through its content. Finally, he seems to have found what he is looking for and closes the briefcase.
"My name is Mr. DiMorrissey. You can call me Mr. DiMorrissey or Mr. D. Do not call me mister, I will not answer. This is script writing. I hope you're all smart enough to figure out what this class will be about. Any questions so far?"
The students look around the room but no one raises their hands.
"Good. Roll call" Mr. DiMorrissey says and starts reading names off the piece of paper he removed from his briefcase.
"Bryant, Sabrina" he starts off and one by one, students call out "present" or "here."
"Shapiro, Robert" he says.
"Uh- Robbie" the boy with the puppet calls out.
"My roster says Robert."
"I know but I prefer Robbie...sir" the boy says, his voice quivering in fear in what Jade assumes is fear.
Instead of answering, Mr. DiMorrissey simply glares at the boy for a few seconds before going on calling names off the list. Finally, he reaches her name.
"West, Jade."
Jade raises her hand and watches as he checks her name off.
"Um, excuse me sir?" the curly-haired puppet boy calls out.
"Robert Shapiro, what is it?"
Jade can't help but smirk at the teacher's blatant disregard for the Shapiro boy's wish to be addressed as Robbie.
"I, uh..think you missed a name" he says nervously.
Mr. DiMorrissey quickly glances at his roster and then back at Robbie. "I didn't Mr. Shapiro."
"Yes sir, you missed Powers, Rex."
Mr. DiMorrissey looks back at his roster and looks for Powers, Rex. "I don't have anyone here by that name boy" he answers, clearly beginning to get frustrated.
"Oh, I know sir but he's present" Robbie says as he points to his puppet.
The whole class, suddenly realizing what is happening, bursts out laughing. Mr. DiMorrissey's eyes narrow and his face is slowly becoming red.
Jade furrows her forehead in disbelief. Just when she thought the people at this school couldn't get weirder...
She glances up at the clock hanging by the door and sighs in relief, just thirty minutes until the weekend.