Normal
I woke up that morning hopeful. I went into our only bathroom and took a long, hot shower to relax my body. I washed my short, blonde spikes with my favourite shampoo. Apple blossoms. When I got out the shower I got dressed and dried my hair into a messy array of spikes. My blonde hair was cropped into my neck, and the layers were so short they spiked. I had a heavy fringe that fell in front of my eyes. I ran down the hallway and grabbed a piece of toast. I lounged lazily on the couch and turned on the television. I switched to a music channel and ate my toast noisily. My mum was humming in the kitchen, putting jam on her toast. She came and sat by me, smiling. "Looking forward to your first day honey?" She chewed on her toast with a hint of excitement in her eyes. My mum loved me. Oddly, she loved the way I dressed and how different I was. I nodded and smiled back. "I am, actually. I think living here could be nice." I shrugged and stood up, throwing crumbs onto the wooden floor. I went back to the bathroom to brush my teeth, and then I grabbed my bag and DM's and ran out the house kissing my mums cheek on the way. I sat on the steps, and put my boots on. I threw my backpack on and walked down the pavement. La Push was nice. Nice was the only adjective I could think of so far. It was warm, but the cool breeze from the ocean made the warmth more bearable. I wasn't exactly sure where La Push high school was. I was 17 and starting my junior year. I was following girls that looked around my age. I noticed boys also walking in this direction, but most of them looked much older than me. I came to the gates and took a long, deep breath. You can do this. You're brave enough. I stepped onto the school yard and walked to the main building.
I went into reception and sat down on the comfy leather couches they were arranged in a small square. A woman in the office window told me to wait there until the headmaster came to greet me with my schedule. Numerous students walked past and eyed me curiously. I couldn't hear any snide comments. Yet, I thought to myself. A man then came through the double doors. He was tall and olive skinned. He had white hair and a silver coloured beard. He came over and shook my hand gently. "Welcome to La Push…erm..." He stopped talking, struggling to remember my name. I didn't feel offended by this. It was a very difficult name to remember. My mum just loves being original. "Mariana" I said, quietly. He smiled and sighed. "Sorry about that, I have trouble with names." I just shrugged it off. No one called me Mariana, but I guess my headmaster should know my full name. Mariana Hope Jones. Hope was my middle name, because my mum found it fitting. I was a premature baby, which was why I was so short, and the doctors said I had a slim chance of surviving. Most people called me Ana, or referred to me as Jones. I took my schedule and map and went into the school corridor.
My first class was art. Of course I took art it's like my second skin. I use art as an emotion release. A way to calm my nerves. As I walked up the corridor I realised I was the only pale girl here. There were a few others. People stared, but no one snickered or said a sly comment. A few people smiled at me. That made me relax a little. A few boys also smiled at me, but then I thought that was all in my head. I walked into my art class and went to the teacher's desk. He remembered my name but I corrected him and said I preferred Ana. He led me to a table at the back off the class which was occupied by another girl. She was small too, and petite. She had long, auburn hair which flowed down her body to the small of her back. It was ridiculously shiny. Her skin was copper coloured, and she had pronounced cheek bones. Her eyes were a deep brown and she smiled when I walked over. I set my bag down, and sat into my stool. "Hi." The girl's voice was quiet and soft and she looked at me curiously while she put a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm Doli. Nice to meet you." She held out her hand and I shook it timidly. No one ever greeted me in my old high school. "I'm Ana." I replied. She looked confused, as her eyes move from me to the teacher's desk then back again. "Ana? I thought you were Mariana. Don't prefer the full blown name then, huh?" I nodded shyly and took my things out of my bag and onto the desk. She smiled and did the same thing, obviously to make me feel comfortable. Today we were sketching still life. My art teacher, Mr Gibbs, was a nice man. He asked me if I wanted to buy any equipment from him but I reassured him telling him I had plenty at home. In the centre of the room were many flower arrangements. We were told to pick one and focus on a certain part. I opened my new school art book and chose a small, deformed flower petal on a white rose. I sketched it carefully, adding shade to where the light hit it from the window. I added in the small creases down the centre and the feather texture of the surface. I looked over and saw Doli eyeing my work. "You're very good." She complimented. I smiled at her compliment, and continued until the bell went. I got up and packed my things into my backpack, which I shrugged over my shoulder. Doli followed at a slow pace beside me asking me about why I had moved here. She was a friendly and pretty girl. However, she was also very curious but I didn't seem to mind so much. It was nice to have someone talk to me without words of abuse pouring out of her mouth. "I like your jeans. They're very different." She said it with a smile, and without a snide snicker. I smiled back, meaning it. "Thanks. I don't usually…conform to fashion" I giggled after saying it, and she joined in with me. Doli was really nice. Possibly my first friend since nursery school. The rest of my day flew by smoothly. I was in art, maths and biology with Doli. She always asked the teacher if I could sit with her, and for this I was grateful. At lunch, I sat with Doli and her two friends. One of the girls was called May. She had olive skin and black, short hair that lined along her jaw. Her other friend was pale, like me. She had mousey brown her, that gathered in a messy bun on her crown. Her name was Sophie. We chatted all lunch. We talked about my old school, and I left out all of the bullying. We talked about fashion, and I asked where the closest town was for paint. They all offered to take me to Hoquiam considering I had to sell my car in England.
When I got home that day, I had a new wind. I bounced into the living room; a wide smile infected my face. My mum was in the kitchen making dinner. I could smell garlic and assumed we were having homemade pizza and garlic bread for tea. As we ate round our table, my mum was eyeing me. I looked up and down again and then up one more time. She smiled at me and carried on eating. I touched my hair, thinking she was looking at something out of place. "You look happy about something." She spoke with a smile, and looked me in the eyes. "Just a good first day, that's all." I carried on eating, making sure to hide my grin as I did. When we finished, I picked up our plates and went to wash them as to be sure I was on my mum's good side. "Mum?" I questioned. She came into the kitchen leaning against the countertop beside the sink. "Would it be okay if I went to Hoquiam with a few girls tomorrow? They're showing me the town and I want to by some paint for my room." Her eyes lit up like a child who had just gotten a puppy on Christmas. "Oh Ana, that sounds lovely! Of course you can go. Would you like some money?" She started fishing around in her purse, but I held her wrist and smiled. "Don't worry mum, I've got some money. I'll be fine." She put her purse down and smiled. "I'll be starting at the hospital early tomorrow, so I won't be hear when you wake up. I'm going to bed now, so be back by nine tomorrow night." She kissed my cheek and skipped to her bedroom. My mum was such a child. I dried the dishes and went into my bedroom. I changed into my so called pyjamas and looked into my wardrobe for something to wear tomorrow. I picked out a dark denim skirt with tights, my DM's and a thin cotton jumper. I went to bed without the music. I didn't need to be soothed. For the first time in the past 9 years, I actually felt normal.