Max's POV
Homeroom went by in a blur. Sam explained everything about school to me. This redheaded girl kept trying to butt into our conversation, I'm pretty sure that this was the girl who got her eggo preggo-ed by the football team. Well-she matched the description on TV. I met this Dylan kid-tall, muscular, beautiful Caribbean blue eyes and blonde surfer hair. He was really nice too.
I had math-which I had already learned past college level. So that was boring. My favourite class so far was defiantly English. As you could tell-I love books. Fiction books. I've been reading non-fiction for my whole life-it gets boring from time to time.
I had lunch next, so I just followed some kid to the cafeteria. Anne had given me money for food-the question is how do I get it. I saw the food and the ladies serving it so I got in line behind the red-headed whore.
Wow, Dad would be proud about how big my vocabulary has gotten.
"Garden Salad and water please," she sneered at the lunch lady. I think she was trying to be sweet and nice-but it failed miserably. The lunch lady nodded and then turned to me.
"What would you like," she asked. Looking at me in curiosity.
"Um, I'll have that," pointing at the glass, behind it was some round thing with meat inside. The lady looked at me as if I lived on another planet, which in a funny way, I do. Or did. If it wasn't for tv or books-I'd look like a real dummy.
"The cheeseburger? "
"Uh..yes." She handed me it and I paid her. Just as I turned, I heard a shriek.
"Watch it loser!" Lissa sneered at some girl on the floor, who was trying to put the pieces of her burger back on the plate. The whole cafeteria watching for a couple of seconds then went back to eating. As if this was normal. I scowled at Lissa's retreating figure. No use causing a scene like in the shows on TV.
I knelt down and helped the girl pick up her spilt food. I also picked up the book she had been reading.I read the title and smiled.
"I love this series," I said to the girl, "My name's Max."
"My names Ella," she said in a rush looking down. She seemed to have self-esteem issues. I don't know why. She was pretty-naturally pretty too. She was light on the makeup: no bright colours. Average in weight. Not too thin, not too fat. She had long dark brown hair and brown eyes with big, round glasses framing her face, suiting her. Her clothes were fashioniable. She looked like she was the smart, sensible type. And yet-she look surprised I was talking to her.
"I got to go-" she lightly brushed past me with her book and food, out of the cafe.
I looked around with my tray of food; there was only one table in the corner to sit at. I defiantly knew I didn't want to sit with Sam and Dylan-Lissa was there, and she angered me too much.
I felt all eyes on me as I walked to the table and sat down, there were gasps as I sat down. What was that about?
I studied the 'cheeseburger,' I'm sure that the lunch lady isn't in cahoots with Marian but just to be safe, I checked it fully for little blades, poison-you know, the usual.
"What are you doing in my seat freak." I looked up from my chair-there was an African American girl glaring coldly at me. She wore baggy pants, a bandana and a ripped white tank top. She was with a blonde girl and a Mexican girl who dressed like her and had cold expressions.
I looked at her confused, "I'm sorry, I didn't know there was assigned seats here." I must have said something wrong, because this girl smirked, like she was amused and the whole cafeteria gone silent, looking at me with fear in their eyes. Fear for me.
Come to think of it, my sentence could have been taken for sarcasm. But to be blunt-I'm just freaking confused. I never thought we had to sit in certain places for lunch, at least, not in the shows I studied.
"You think you're real smart don't you," she said smiling. At least-it wasn't really a friendly let's-be-best-buds smile, more like a I'm-so-much-better-than-you smile. Before I could even say anything, she spoke again. "I will give you a count to 3 to move. 1-" she raised her fist trying to scare me. At least-she thought it was scary.
"Hey Max-come sit with us," Dylan came over to me grabbing my tray, while Sam grabbed my arm, dragging me to the popular table. Once I sat down, everyone went back to talking.
"Do you have a death wish? Don't make those girls angry. They aren't exactly feminine. They love beating up pretty girls like you," Dylan said. Did he just call me pretty? How sweet. Sam sure didn't like that comment.
Sam sat on my other side and scooted closer to me. "Those three will use anything as an excuse to beat people up. Except for the people who sit at this table. We have an agreement with them. So stick with us. They don't try to hurt us and we help them run their 'business.'"
"What business?" I asked confused. Dylan leaned in and whispered in my ear.
"They sell drugs on their territory. They come from a poorer part of town. They call it 'the hood.' Now, we don't buy from them but we send word around to buyers. I mean, we are popular. Of course people will listen to us."
I nodded as if I understood. I read about drugs and what they do to people-I didn't understand why people still tried them.
Lunch went by slowly. Painfully slow. I mean-Lissa wouldn't stop glaring at me and wouldn't stop turning the attention to her. Dylan couldn't stop bragging about himself and trying to get me to touch his biceps. Sam was normal except for his glaring at Dylan. The other jocks listened to every word I said as if I was the only person left in the world and the other cheerleaders gossiped.
"So Maxine-"
"It's Max," I corrected Lissa.
"So Maaaxx, you thinking about trying out for cheerleading? You came at the perfect time. Tryouts are in 2 days." All I could think was-hell no.
"I've never done cheerleading before," I admitted looking at my tray. I'm positive Lissa doesn't like me-why would she want me to join?
"Come on, you at least have to try-and the boys will be watching to cheer you on," she said overly cheerily. Now I understand-she wants me to make a fool out of myself. Well now that she challenged me-I kind of have to kick her butt at her own game.
"Actually, I will tryout. How hard could it be?" I smiled at her as if we were long time friends.
"Oh my gosh, Fang is walking by. How does my hair look?" Lissa fixed her hair and batted an eyelash at him. Wasn't she dating Dylan? Dylan was right across from her and she goes trying to flirt with another guy?
Dylan caught my questioning gaze. "I'm single, Lissa was just a fling."
"Was? You were trying to eat her face in homeroom." I heard Sam snicker at my comment. Fang looked over at my table-where Lissa had said hi. Instead of looking at her, he nodded at me and continued walking by. I smiled in return.
Lissa caught the whole exchange with fury in her eyes. Dylan was too busy glaring at his food to notice and Sam was staring at me. Talk about an awkward situation.
I was saved by the bell soon enough. I got up quickly and left. Of course being followed by Dylan and Sam. Lissa followed behind them with her posse.
"What class do you have next?" Sam asked, I looked at my schedule. What the heck was Physical Education?
Dylan peered over my shoulder, "Oh, you have gym. Same with me. I'll take you." I feel stupid. Gym must be slang or something. I heard it on the show. "You can get your gym strip from the teacher."
Sam quickly said bye and left, leaving me alone with Dylan and Lissa and her clones. They led me to the gym and the teacher, who was a tall muscular African American man with a whistle hanging around his neck.
"You must be Maximum. Here are your clothes, these are optional. You can wear your own PE strip," he sighed in disapproval.
"Thanks, I'm fine with these," I said, he seemed a little stunned. No clue why.
"Come on Max, the girls' change rooms are this way," She said hooking her arm in mine and leading me to the side with her posse following us. She pulled me into a room filled with many other girls. I felt all eyes on me as I walked with Lissa. Everyone seemed...scared of Lissa. Or sexually threatened.
I copied everyone else and started putting on the gym clothes I was given. It consisted of a t-shirt and long shorts. Both with the schools logo and in the schools colours, blue and gold.
"Someone should have told you to bring your own gym clothes. That horrid gym strip makes people look like we go to a catholic school. Tomorrow-I will bring you new clothes-you can't be seen next to me in that." I looked at her questionably. She proceeded to change into skimpy short shorts and a tight tight tight tank top. Now I know why the teacher acted the way he did. All the girls were dressed in tight clothing with the exception of 2 or so girls.
Lissa started walking out and everyone followed as a unit. I almost got left behind in the crowd. We exited the change rooms and piled into the gym, everyone went to sit in their own groups. The boys were already sitting. Dylan gave me a smile and patted the seat next to him. Me and Lissa and clones sat down and waited for the teacher.
"Today we will be playing dodge ball. I will split up the teams." So in the end, the only person I knew on my team was Fang. Who I noticed everyone seemed to try to avoid as much as possible.
"Hey Fang," I walked up to him, he seemed very surprised at first. "I have no idea how to play this game."
He seemed to expect this, as if I was that predictable. "Don't get hit with the ball. Catch it if you can-you catch it, the thrower is out and you can bring back a player who's out." He said as the coach blew his whistle. Everyone made a beeline for the balls set up in the middle. I was too surprised to move.
Fang just stood there as Dylan threw the ball. Fang kept a blank expression on his face as the ball flew through the air, aiming for his chest-
Fang didn't move as the ball hit him. He moved to sit on the sidelines. The coach gave him a look that said he wasn't surprised. I just stood there stunned.
"What the heck was that?! " I yelled at him. He just looked at me with no emotion.
"I hate this game."Was all he said. I saw Lissa aim a ball at my head. Why wasn't this girl out yet? I rolled my eyes and caught the speeding ball. Just kidding. It was more like a gentle pass.
"Lissa, you're out," the coach yelled as she slumped to the bench, glaring at me.
"Fang! Get your butt back out here!" He gave me a look and towered over me.
"Let it go Max, he's knows he can't beat me, let him sit out like the wimp he is," I heard Dylan shout at us form the other side. Fang gritted his teeth.
"Hey Dylan-how's the bruise coming along?" Fang said flashing his pearly white teeth in a wicked smile.
"I know you hate the guy-let's beat his sorry butt," I said smiling, offering him the ball I caught. For a split second, he smiled and took the ball. In a flash the ball was flying through the air, hitting one of Dylan's cronies in the face. I held my hand up for a high-five, which he just stared at until I took his hand and slapped it against mine.
Pretty soon, all our players were out except for me and Fang. Mainly because no one will hit Fang because he was too 'scary' and no guy will hit me because they don't want to ruin their chances. Fang and I haven't really thrown a single ball-just stood at the back dodging.
Dylan and this boy named Jeff were the only others left. Dylan and Fang were off in their own little world trying to kill each other with balls. Jeff and I just stood to the side, rolling our eyes as they taunted each other. Well, Dylan talked-Fang glared.
"Forget this!" I yelled, throwing the ball at Dylan. I added some of my inhuman strength to it, and for a human, Dylan was pretty fast and almost dodged it. But not fast enough. It hit him in the stomach. Making him stumble a bit. It was a pretty hard throw.
Jeff threw his hands in the air, "I surrender!" just as the bell went. I smiled at Fang one last time before being hauled off by Lissa, to the change rooms.
"I can't believe you got Fang to actually do something in PE. And smile. And he let you touch him. He usually just stands there, gets hit, then sits out," one of the clones gushed.
I finally finished my last class of the day. I was determined to get to Anne's apartment. Hopefully, I could use her computer if she had one. If she refuses to tell me the whole truth about my Grandma, I will try to figure the story myself. Find out if Anne is really who she says she is.