I ignored all of the kids that were on the bus with me as we pulled up to school and the driver parked next to a flagpole where the flag flew proud and high in the sky. The wind picked up, making the chain bang against the giant metal pole. It sounded like a beautiful wind chime.
My tummy flipped and flopped when the bus driver opened the bus doors. Everyone got up and piled out in a single file line. When my shoes hit the sidewalk and my eyes locked on the beige building that I would now be spending my days in, my tummy twisted like a snake, and I didn't feel so good.
There were noises all around me as I began to walk. There were sounds of cars driving out of the parking lot and kids talking and laughing along with the noise of walking feet. It was a lot of sound to take in. I noticed that some kids were walking fast while others slow, some in groups and others alone. Some were small and others big. But one thing was the same, they were all walking toward the open gate where a cheerful yard monitor stood and greeted everyone.
The school seemed big as I inched closer. How odd that was because when my parents brought me here to enroll me both of them had said it was small. Well, as far as schools go, I guess. Though they are used to going to High School, which is a really big building where I'm not used to going to any school at all. So even a small school seems huge to me.
As my feet carried me forward, I tried telling myself that maybe school wouldn't be so bad. Maybe, it might be fun. Maybe I might make a friend or two. Maybe…
"Move it, Nasty." The mean werewolf girl from the bus pushed past me. She was walking with the mean Frankenstein boy who also rode the bus with us.
"That's not my name." I said, not keeping my voice polite. I watched her and the mean boy from the bus walk away.
"Yeah, Loch Ness Monster." The mean Frankenstein boy called over his shoulder to me. He laughed a wicked laugh. He looked right at me, and I rolled my eyes.
"Making fun of people isn't nice, Kevin and Winifred." Warned the yard monitor.
Kevin and Winifred, as their names seem to be – or the meanie weenies as I was now calling them in my head, walked off into the gate without another word. I was about three feet behind them, dragging my feet as I went. But I didn't go into the gate as the other kids did, instead I went straight to the main office because this is where I was told to go.
Feeling weird and unsure, I took a deep breath. Pulling open the see-through glass door that was decorated with happy Jack-o-lantern stickers and orange flyers to remind kids to order their Boo-O-Grams for their friends for the upcoming spooky day, I stepped inside. The air was warm, and it smelled like pumpkin spice coffee and candy corn. Yucky.
I couldn't help but notice that everything was decorated for Halloween. There were green plastic spiders that hung from fake spider webs that were taped to the ceiling and plastic bats too. There was also a skeleton in the corner who wore a purple top hat that was next to a cut out of a little ghost girl that looked kind of real. The ghost girl had gold curly hair and wore old timey clothes from the 1500's, maybe.
As I focused on the little ghost girl, she waved at me and disappeared into the wall, making me blink in surprise. I wasn't really sure if I was seeing things or if she was real. I didn't have time to think about that for long because the school secretary approached the counter. The counter was littered with squishy pumpkins and had a guest sign-in sheet for grown-ups to fill out.
"Good morning. What can I do for you?" The bubbly woman asked in a cheerful voice. She had pink hair that was oddly styled in the shape of a beehive. She was a different office lady than when I visited the school with my parents, so I didn't know her and that made me feel shy.
"Hi. I'm…Nessie Cullen, I'm um...um..." I stuttered. For some reason I was unable to say anything more.
"Let me guess," Her voice was very soft and kind. "You're a new student and you came here to find out where to go?"
"Yeah." My voice was soft, and I wasn't sure if she could hear me since she's human. So, I nodded my head.
She went over to the desk that had a computer, framed pictures of her family and a toy coffee mug with the bottom of a rubbery rat sticking out of it. She sat down in her chair. "We're always happy to have new students. Now, what grade are you in?"
"Fifth." I answered right away.
"For our fourth, fifth and sixth graders, school is a bit different than it is for the younger kid," She began to explain. "You won't stay in one class like the little kids do but change classes throughout the day. Therefore, for each subject you'll have a different teacher. It's to better prepare you for Middle School."
My only guess as to why she felt the need to tell me this, was because most Elementary schools don't switch classes for upper grades, at least that's what I was told by my family. So, I suppose that could be confusing or upsetting to some kids. But honestly, to me it didn't make much of a difference. I didn't know what school was supposed to be like. I had no idea.
"I know." I spoke. Switching classes had already been explained to me.
"Now, what did you say your name was?" She wondered, taping her chin with her index finger.
"Nessie Cullen." I was used to saying my nickname, so I automatically said it.
"Nabisco Cullen. Fifth grade." Her slender fingers typed rapidly on the keyboard. The speed of her hands was like lighting.
"No. It's Nessie." I corrected her.
"Nutella?" She questioned and looked over at me.
Nabisco and Nutella! I couldn't believe it. How could someone mistake my name for two brands of foods that humans eat? Did I look like a food group?
I shook my head. "It's my nickname and neither word you said is close to it."
She looked a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, hun. Let's try that again. Your full name – first and last, dear."
"Renesmee Cullen." I said my name very proudly.
"Ren-z-as-ume Cullen." She was unsure of my first name and pronounced each syllable on its own. Saying it so it sounded like "resume" as she typed on the computer.
Realizing what she thought my name was, I stared at her with wide eyes. Why was she getting my name so wrong? Was my name really that tough to say? I didn't think so, but obviously she did.
"Hmm." She said, sounding confused with her eyes on the screen. "That's odd. There's no Resume Cullen in our files."
I wanted to roll my eyes but knew that would be disrespectful. I couldn't understand how she got my name wrong when I specifically told her the right way to say it. I really wanted to smack my head with my hand in response to this. This was ridiculous.
"Not resume," I shook my head as the morning bell rang. "My name is Renesmee."
The secretary looked away from her computer screen. She seemed very, very, very confused, like I wasn't even speaking English. I looked at her wondering if she would now understand what my name was. I really hoped she would.
"What a pretty name." She said, sounding a bit perplexed. "Can you spell that please?"
I took a big breath and spelled my name to her. After that she pushed in the correct spelling of my name on the keyboard and quickly found it on the computer screen and printed out a paper with my teachers' names on it and gave me a map of the school so I wouldn't get lost. I thanked her for the papers and walked out of the office and into the hall.
The hallway was empty since school had already started and everyone was in their classes. It was very quiet and my footsteps echoed on the floor.
The halls and each door I passed were all decorated for Halloween. There were also posters made by kids about an upcoming Halloween dance that was next week. Seeing everything already for the spooky holiday I began to understand that Seabrook really likes Halloween. Probably more than any other place I've lived in, which I thought was cool since it's one of my favorite holidays too.
Glancing at the map as I walked to my first class, I couldn't help but wonder if any other adult would call me a ridiculous name, like the secretary had. All because my name was something that most people never heard of before and might not be sure about how to pronounce it. I really hope not.
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