I wasn't having any high expectations about junior year or the new school. I was running late anyway, what was there to expect? First off, my mom had to stop me before I could run off to say she loves me, and I couldn't find my way through the paradoxal labyrinth of a school. The hallways were huge, there were at least five floors, and the classrooms weren't in any specific pattern other than room numbers, but room 100 could be on floor three and room 101 could be on floor five.

Being ten minutes late for your first class does not give a good impression of yourself as 'an ideal student'. That was my Spanish teacher's warm welcome towards me.

Spanish class basically consisted of me panting in exhaustion from running floor to floor, disrupting the class by unloading shit from my backpack since I couldn't find my locker in time, and Ms. Juarez stopping her lectures to stare at me impatiently.

British Literature went better than I thought. It is my favorite subject. Lunch was fifth period, I didn't bring a lunch. If you're wondering what went on this morning to cause me to be late, it was because Ruby spilled her lucky charms in the car halfway out of the driveway. My dad went ballistic, halted the car, and ran into the house to grab paper towels.

I honestly did not even want to step foot in the cafeteria. Everyone knew each other, and I'll be the awkward turtle waddling in and trying to find a seat with someone who's just going to whisper about me to their friend. And don't get me wrong, I'm not going to act like this is one of those movies were the new kid gets beaten by the jocks and I'm totally helpless, blah blah, boo hoo. I guess I had a disappointing morning.

Right next to the entrance of the cafeteria, was an empty seat. I quickly took it, hoping no one from the other crowded tables spotted me. The table was almost empty except for five people on the other end. One of the girls with the frizzy hair and over sized sweater scooted across from me.

"Hi." Her eyes blinked inside her wide lensed glasses. She clutched her torn apart notebook.

"Hey."

"Are you new?"

I nodded.

"Where are you from?"

I wasn't going to answer South Park, even to a girl like this, if anyone knew I grew up in a hick town I'd probably be labeled a hillbilly. "I'm from Colorado."

She nodded. "Cool. I'm from Chicago." No shit. "But my parents are from Russia. The potatoes are good there. I tried to make potato pancakes but they turned out soggy."

I nodded slowly, unsure what to say.

Approaching me from a few tables down was a familiar man. He smiled at me as if he knew me. "Hey new guy."

"H-hey, do I...?"

"I'm video store guy, come sit with us." He waved me over. I followed him towards his table, leaving behind the russia potato girl. Thank god I at least made some decent acquaintances.

Walking towards his table, I spotted my neighbor sitting alone on the other end of the table across from the video store guy's table.

"This is Joseph and Nick." He introduced me to his friends. They looked pretty laid back.

We sat down. "Hey." I greeted them. "Do you have a name?"

He laughed. "I'm David." He held out his hand. "Nice to finally meet you, Craig."

"How do you know my name?"

"I take Spanish with you if you didn't notice."

"So, Craig." Joseph said. "How are you diggin Chicago?" Joe wore a beanie, with a sweater that said 'five dollar foot long' pointing towards his crotch.

"It's...nice?"

"I don't like it either." He shook his head. "Some day I'm moving to Seattle. Where are you from?"

I sighed. "Colorado."

"Isn't there like maple trees and moose and shit there?" Nick asked.

Joe scoffed. "Dumbass, that's Canada."

"Don't call me a dumbass, asswipe."

"I wouldn't call you a dumbass if you weren't a dumbass, dumbass."

This bickering reminded me of home, with Kyle and Cartman fighting over petty situations. I looked over at the other table, with my neighbor cornered at the end of the table sipping his thermos.

"Hey do any of you guys know his name?" I pointed towards him. I knew his name was Tweek but I wanted to know more about him.

"Who?" David searched for where I was pointing to. "Him? He's Tweek, why?"

"He's my neighbor." I shrugged.

Joe scoffed. "Tweek. What a stupid name, where his parents high or something?"

Nick laughed. "It's like a bird or something, tweek tweek.

David stared at him. "That's tweet tweet, you retard. What college are you even going to?"

"Your mom goes to college." Nick sneered in his poor attempt to insult. "You know what you guys, the pig says moo in Japan, I'm not shitting you. So before you go educating me on animal sounds, think twice." He angrily chewed his trail mix.

"That's Japan, they make penis bread so it doesn't count."

"Don't go near Tweek anyway." David said. "He's got some problems."

I frowned. "What do you mean?" I was hoping I could get an answer for maybe why he was swinging an actual samurai sword in his backyard.

Joseph lowered his voice. "He tried to commit suicide four months ago. Apparently they found him passed out on the floor with an empty bottle of pills in his hand. Ever since then he stays within himself."

"Or maybe he actually wants to make friends but people think he's a freak?"

David shrugged. "I don't wanna have a friend who thinks about suicide, it's depressing." I looked over at Tweek again. He was gone.

Nick packed his trail mix in his bag. He only ate the M&M's. "You guys wanna go eat after this?"

"Yeah sure. Craig, come with us." David smiled at me. "It's a cool pizza place I always wanted to go to."

"I don't really have any money...or ever will, my parents won't give me an allowance."

He laughed. "Ours don't either."

Joe snapped his fingers in realization. "He could work with us at the video store."

"Oh yeah! You should! We're hiring 'young, handsome, looking men' as my boss says. That's why I'm working there." He sweeped back his hair.

"I don't know."

"Come on, it's on the weekends, you'll probably have the afternoon shift so you can just tell your parents you're hanging out with us."

I had nothing to lose. Hell, it was probably my future in a nut shell if I don't get into a college to major in film making.