The first day of school is always scary. Especially freshman year. Images from my freshman year of high school came flooding through my brain, and I felt chills go up my spin. I was so glad I was a sophomore this year.
But the worst is waking up for school. I remember waking up the around 5:15 a.m. and just sitting in bed for five minutes. It was way too early to be getting up especially after my body was so used to sleeping in every day for three months.
Moaning, I dragged myself out of bed and hopped into the shower. Warm water cascaded all over my body, and I almost fell asleep right then and there, but I managed to drag myself out of the shower.
I wanted to remake a good first impression, so I changed into a new pair of jeans, a new pair of black boots, a new lace blouse that buttoned up in the back, and finished it all off with my leather jacket that I've had since forever. I remember buying it in a little boutique in the beginning of 7th grade and absolutely loving it. Thinking about it now it's kind of sad my fashion sense hasn't really changed in four years or my size for that matter.
I was always considered the 'abnormally' tall kid. I've been 5'9 since forever maybe growing in inch or so in the past few months, and I always got crap from kids about it. Freak. Giraffe. And my absolute favorite phrase, "How's the weather up there?" Every time someone says that though I just roll my eyes. It's like come on can you be any more original?
Signing, I brush my hair out and decided to leave my hair down tucking a piece of it behind my right ear and clipping it with my favorite butterfly clip that matched my blue eyes. I fastened my locket, tucking in into my shirt, and put on some makeup. Not too much, but still enough to get me through the day.
I grabbed my backpack and headed downstairs for breakfast. Rose made me a huge breakfast filled with so much delicious foods and deserts that I could barely eat it all. She told me she would drive me to school because I don't get my license for another week. That's right my 16th birthday is next week. Great. I was never a fan of birthdays, especially mine. I really only celebrated the first three years of my life, and I don't remember much of that. After my mom died my dad stopped throwing me birthday parties and getting me presents. It was hard because every year I would see girls throwing birthday parties and pictures of them eating cake and opening presents and that just didn't happen to me.
When I was finished eating David wished me good luck, pressing a kiss to my forehead, and Rose drove me to school. When we arrived she gave me her big speech, "Just remember to be yourself, and don't let any of the kids get to you, smile, and have fun." Usual parents first day of school speech.
I smiled halfheartedly, "Thanks Rose, I'll see you after school."
"Bye Maxine, have a good day. Oh, before I forget, you look really nice today," she said smiling.
I flinched and gave her a shy smile, "Thank you Rose, you have a good day too."
I got out of the door, closing the door behind me and walked into the school. I remember seeing people sitting at tables with their friends, people exchanging hugs and 'how was your summers?', some people were kissing and hugging their boyfriends or girlfriends excited to see them again, teachers were scrambling to get everything together for the first day, and freshman were scrambling to asking how much time we had and were there classes were.
I inhaled, remembering how that was me last year and bracing myself for the worst I walked down the halls to my locker and to my first class to start the first day of my sophomore year of high school.
I remember that first day of school being o.k. Better than I expected. I got more stares then I intended, obviously. People would look at me and quickly say something to their friends. A few girls in the hallway would walk past me and say stuff to their girlfriends like 'her dad never loved her' or 'she was abused and her dad went to jail for it' all the stuff I was expecting them to say.
Something unexpected did happen though. I was walking from 3rd to 4th period and a couple of girls came up to me. They asked me if I felt bad for putting my dad in prison, and they hoped I went to hell for what I did. I just took it. I didn't want to get in a fight on my first day, so I just stood there tears starting to come to my eyes while they bashed me.
Then Macy Steinberg came up to them and told them off. I stood, my mouth wide open, staring at her.
"You shouldn't be saying anything, Katherine. I heard from a little bird that your flirting with your stepfather. Is that true?" She said giving a wicked grin.
"Where did you hear that from?" Katherine asked, her mouth wide open.
"And you, MyKala. I remember last year you took your fathers debit card and spent all the money on clothes and shoes and then proceeded to tell him that it was your stepmother. Is that true?"
"I-That-Where-" She stumbled over words looking for an excuse.
"I-That-Where-" Macy mocked, grinning.
Finally defeated they walked away, astonished, and Macy turned around, "Thanks. I want you to know that you're really brave." Were me and Macy Steinberg on good terms? I honestly knew exactly what she meant and I forgave her completely.
She gave me a nod and walked away hand in hand with some girl I didn't know. A sophomore probably, she looked somewhat familiar. I smiled and continued on with my day as if nothing happened.
At 6th period lunch I sat by myself. People would occasionally stare at me and comment, but I was able to tune it out. I refused to put on my headphones and pull up my hood though. I didn't want people thinking I was weak. I wanted to prove something to everyone.
In 7th hour though, I kept my promise to Rose and made a friend.
Her name was Lilly. She was a junior and a little out of the world. I walked into 7th hour and immediately walked to the back of the room to sit in my usual spot. I sat down in the corner in and she was sitting next to me.
She was wearing a black beanie, a black t-shirt with some bands name I've never heard of, and a black skirt with black tights. She wore black combat boots to that honestly made her look kick ass. Her skin was pale white so all the black she wore made her appear paler. Also, her eyes were a copper color I've never seen before. I wondered if she wore contacts. She wore a lot of bracelets that I was guessing most of them were made from her own two hands on her wrists and some were pushed down enough to reveal a tattoo on the inside of her wrist.
I've never seen the symbol before so I had a hard time figuring out what it meant. From what I could figure out though it was a star with a quote around the edges of it. Of course though the quote was in a language I didn't recognize, so I didn't understand what it meant.
She was doodling weird symbols in her notebook like space ships and hearts that were broken into a million pieces. Noticing me staring at her she stopped doodling and looked over at me.
"Do you have a problem?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, I'm sorry I stared. I just want to see what you were drawing."
"Wait, you're that Maxine girl aren't you? The one whose father abused her?"
The Girl Whose Father Abused Her, so now I'm a book title. I sighed, "Yea, that's me, I guess everyone knows."
"Well yeah! Dude, your all everyone's been talking about."
I raised my eyebrow, surprised by her reaction, "You seem to say that like I won the Nobel Peace Prize."
"I wish my dad would abuse me. Maybe that would get him to stop pushing me about college," she looked away, as if considering the idea.
"Have you gone mad?!" I yelled at her, causing a few students to look back at us with confused stares. They just shrugged and looked back to the front of the class.
"Yes," she answered truthfully, looking back at me, "but can I tell you a secret?"
"I guess," I shrugged.
"Normal is overrated," she looked at me with a serious look on her face, "All the best people are mad."
The teacher walked in interrupting what I was about to say, "Ok everyone, stop your talking! Let's start off class."
The class went by fast. Millions of thoughts about Lilly roamed through my head and soon the bell rang snapping me out of my daydream.
8th hour went just as fast and when it was done I gathered my supplies from my locker and walked to the office, finding Rose waiting for me.
On the ride home she asked me questions like how was my day? Did I make any friends? How were the kids? All which I responded with good, yes, well. She asked me about the friend I met and I told her she was a junior in my Creative Writing class. Rose seemed to like the idea that I was making friends and when we got home I immediately went upstairs to my bedroom.
I flung myself on my bed and looked up at the ceiling. I used to do this a lot when my dad started abusing me, it helped. I used to talk to whoever I thought may be listening, a friend, God, my mom. None of which who would answer me obviously but as a kid you believed they were. You believed the person you were talking to would swoop down and fight off your worries and make your life seem happy again. Thinking about it now it seemed ridiculous, but I liked the feeling I would get, just thinking. My head would clear, and my eyes would close, and for one moment in the long day, I would feel not like a basket case.
