"Casey…McDonald?" the secretary questioned as she looked through my files.
"Yeah." Casey tapped her fingers upon the wooden desk impatiently. "I might not be in there because I just transferred in a week or two ago." The woman ignored Casey's comment, continuing to search through the pile of files.
"Nope, you're right here. You're just one of the 2,000." Casey nodded, wondering if that was really the number of students attending this new school. Everyone walked around in uniforms. "Your books should be with your first period teacher in room 215." Obviously, this woman didn't know Casey McDonald very well. Despite being fairly intelligent, Casey was directionally challenged.
"And where exactly would that be?" Casey asked, feeling stupider by the minute. The woman looked up from the piles of paper on her desk.
"Two corridors down. Third door on your right." Casey knew that she shouldn't try this woman's patience, but she had no choice.
"And where do we get the uniforms?" The secretary let out a long sigh.
"Your gym teacher will have it." Casey took a step back, deciding that she'd try her luck finding the gym. When she stepped out into the hallway, she felt an eerie silence. The type of silence where there's not a kid to be found in a school hallway. As she tried to follow the woman's directions, she found herself turning down the third corridor instead of the second.
"215. 215. 215." she muttered to herself, looking for the door. When she reached the third door on her right, she stood before it, dumbfounded. "Okay, not 215." Without warning, the door opened suddenly, forcing Casey back.
"Do you have a problem?" the person coming out of the classroom asked sarcastically. As Casey glanced this person over, she found a girl about her age.
"Um…yeah. I'm sort of lost."
"Obviously." The girl walked right past Casey, then turned around. "Look, I'll show you around, alright?" Casey nodded. "I'm Danni."
"Casey."
"Where ya goin', Casey?" Danni asked.
"215. Then the gym."
"Oh! You have Ms. Type! You'll like her, she's really easy." Casey followed Danni without comment. "So…where ya from?"
"Canada." Danni glanced at her for a moment.
"Why'd you move here. Your dad trying to become an actor?"
"Not exactly." As they turned in to the second corridor, Casey realized her mistake.
"So why did you move?"
"My mom and dad are divorced, and it's my dad's turn to have me."
"Only child?"
"No, it's just one of those things…" They'd reached 215 and Danni was opening the door. Inside the classroom was a group of around 25 students, all looking up at who'd entered the room.
"Hey, Ms. Type." Danni greeted, walking over to the desk. "This stuff for Casey?"
"Yes, it's for her." Ms. Type looked over to Casey. "Are you she?"
"Yeah."
"Well, nice to meet you, Casey."
"Nice to meet you, too." Danni handed Casey the books, then led her out of the classroom.
"Yeah, nice teacher. Where to next?"
"The gym."
"Oh! Yay!" Danni squealed. "This is boys gym class."
"It's not mixed?" Casey questioned.
"No, boys are way to rough around here."
"Oh…" Casey was starting to have her doubts about moving to New York.