After struggling with the uniforms I headed back to the office. I didn't really want to see the principal again, but I had no idea what to do now. Classes had started a week ago already, but I had no schedule and no idea where I was supposed to be, and it wasn't like I could just walk into a classroom like "Hey, I'm Jack, what's up?" I had to be cool about it. Plus I didn't have anywhere to put my new uniforms, and I was still wearing my old t-shirt and ripped jeans combo since I wasn't sure if I should put one of them on yet.
When I arrived at the office Principal Bhegad was gone. Instead a young woman was sitting behind the front desk with her feet up on top of it, wearing tall black boots. I wasn't sure if she was a teacher or not considering she had tattoos and multiple face piercings, and her long hair was dyed pitch black. She also had earbuds on and was listening to some loud screechy music on an incredibly high volume. When she saw me she turned the music down and took one of her earbuds out.
"Are you Jack, the new student?" She asked with an amused smile.
"Uhh, yeah." I said, trying to give off a good impression, but nearly tripping over one of the shirt sleeves dangling from my arms. She seemed nice but I kinda hoped I wouldn't be in her class now that I had proven my awkwardness.
She smirked and got up, walking around the desk.
"I'm supposed to bring you to your dorm. Oh, and give you… this." she reached into her pocket and pulled out a haphazardly scrunched piece of paper which she unfolded and flattened before handing to me. "This is your schedule. Since it's Friday and classes are already in progress you're just going to start on Monday, I hope you don't mind."
I nodded. I didn't mind at all.
She began walking down a different hall, indicating for me to follow.
"The dormitories are on the other side of the school, but we're just gonna take a shortcut through the courtyard because I love the willows. Usually the doors are locked during class, but luckily I have a key." She said, lifting a lanyard with a handful of small keys on the end and waving it in the air.
"Hold on, did I introduce myself? No I didn't, darn. I'm Ms. P, but feel free to call me Nirvana, everyone does. It's because I'm a music teacher." She winked before turning to unlock the courtyard door.
The courtyard was actually very impressive. I could see why Nirvana liked the willows so much, with their branches draping over rose bushes and daffodils, and small ponds dotting the ground in their shadows.
It was a pretty small courtyard, but very beautiful. We walked past a group of benches along the paving stone path, and I saw a wooden picnic table between the branches of one of the trees.
We walked in silence through the other side of the school, and then went out the back. The dormitories were in a separate building about half the size of the actual school. The walls looked as if they needed some cleaning, and someone had graffitied "upper fløør is før queers" next to the door in neon green spray paint. A few windows down one of the drain pipes was coming loose and water dripped into a trash can lid that someone had put under it.
"Your room is number 253. I told Bighead, I mean Bhegad, that I'd hold fort for him down at the office though, so you'll have to find it on your own. Also your roommate will probably be getting back in about an hour, so don't make a huge mess. See you in class next week!" Nirvana waved and walked back towards the main building.