Jason stared at the principal’s office from across the road. He could already feel the nerves, the doubt, the anxiety creeping up his veins as he looked at his new school. Why his family had to move halfway through sophomore year made no sense to him. After a terrible freshman year, where Jason struggled to connect and fit in with his peers and performed quite miserably academically, he seemed to have turned a corner during sophomore year. He attributed his success to the mental therapy sessions he had over summer, which helped reduce his anxiety and lack of self-confidence allowing him to actually make friends. And just when it seemed like everything was going to be fine and classmates were starting to really like him, his dad just had to change his job to a company in California. The only thing that Jason looked forward to from this transition was the escape from the Boston snow.
Jason shook his head to clear these thoughts as he crossed the street. There’s nothing he could do now. He probably wouldn’t be seeing his old friends for a while now. Besides, a fresh start couldn’t hurt right? He was startled out of his thoughts by a tall guy nudging him out of the way saying “Move out of the way, dude.” The guy was wearing a black hoodie and walking with a couple of friends, though Jason couldn’t figure out the need for the hoodie. Sure it was early January and the first day back from break, but there wasn’t any snow to stay bundled up. He, Jason, was perfectly happy in his T-shirt and shorts. After stopping by his locker, it took Jason 12 minutes find his class, making him 3 minutes late. When he entered the class, everyone including the teacher stopped and turned to him. Shy by nature, Jason just stood there awkwardly, hoping that someone would say something and get him out of this awkward situation. “So...you must be Jason, right? The transfer?” Ugh, the transfer. Grimacing at his new nickname he replied “Yeah, thats me.” “Showing up late on your first day, huh? Great way to start.” “I’m sorry,” he said, taken aback. “I had a hard time getting here.” “Hmph, take a seat right here in the front row. ” And with that, she went back to her teaching. Less than enthused by this disappointing welcome, Jason just sat there in class taking notes as she spoke. So much for a fresh start After class ended, Jason slowly dawdled out of class trying to mix in with the crowd, hoping that someone would talk to him. And just like what happened in freshman year, everyone pretended that he didn’t exist. Sighing, he headed off to the library and sat in the corner on a couch. Taking out his phone, he was glad to see a message from his best friend back in Boston. |
“And thank you for this wonderful phone, young man.” Jason turned around to come face-to-face with the librarian.
“What?”
“You know the rules? No texting in the library.”
“Uhh, I’m new here. I didn’t know that rule existed.” The librarian stared at him for a second.
“Well I’ve never seen you around so I believe you, but if I catch you again…”
“Got it. Sorry about that.” He stuffed his phone in his bag and looked up, only to see the other kids looking and smirking at him. That same guy who bumped into him in the morning was openly laughing. He made eye contact with Jason and starting walking to him while his friends were smirking in the background. Jason was certainly scared all right. Black Hoodie guy, as he called him, was the size of a linebacker. Swinging his bag on his shoulder, he turned and exited the library, but he could still hear the black hoodie guy guffawing quite loudly.
The rest of the free period passed without event as Jason just hung out reading a book in a corner of the campus. After the bell rang and people started filing out of classes, Jason ducked his head and tried to keep a low profile. With all the failed interactions in the day, the last thing he wanted was to talk to another person. Realizing it was lunch, he headed towards the cafeteria but seeing all the students swarming there, he decided that maybe he didn’t really want to go there. Sneaking his phone out, he decided to head out to a nearby McDonalds.
“What?”
“You know the rules? No texting in the library.”
“Uhh, I’m new here. I didn’t know that rule existed.” The librarian stared at him for a second.
“Well I’ve never seen you around so I believe you, but if I catch you again…”
“Got it. Sorry about that.” He stuffed his phone in his bag and looked up, only to see the other kids looking and smirking at him. That same guy who bumped into him in the morning was openly laughing. He made eye contact with Jason and starting walking to him while his friends were smirking in the background. Jason was certainly scared all right. Black Hoodie guy, as he called him, was the size of a linebacker. Swinging his bag on his shoulder, he turned and exited the library, but he could still hear the black hoodie guy guffawing quite loudly.
The rest of the free period passed without event as Jason just hung out reading a book in a corner of the campus. After the bell rang and people started filing out of classes, Jason ducked his head and tried to keep a low profile. With all the failed interactions in the day, the last thing he wanted was to talk to another person. Realizing it was lunch, he headed towards the cafeteria but seeing all the students swarming there, he decided that maybe he didn’t really want to go there. Sneaking his phone out, he decided to head out to a nearby McDonalds.
Just as he crossed the exit for Saddle Rack Street, Jason was aggressively shoved to the ground, banging his head on the surface. He heard a few people laughing behind him but there was one laugh that stood out to him, that of Black Hoodie guy. Groaning, not because his head hurt, Jason weakly stood up and turned to him.
“What did you do that for?”
“Sorry wasn’t looking.” His friends continued laughing.
“Umm..”
“Alright listen up here newbie. You recognize me?”
“Should I?”
Black Hoodie guy grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dragged him over, gesturing to his friends to give him a moment.
“Do you remember your seventh birthday party?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you remember the kid named Brett?”
“Oh yeah, haha! That was so funny what happened - ”
“Funny, huh!”
“Uhh, maybe?”
“You know my name?”
“Err… oh no, oh no -”
“Oh no alright.”
“Uhh, how did we know each other? Like why were you at my party?”
“Our dads are cousins or something. But who cares. You will never mention that incident alright. Because if you do…”
“Ok, I get it. I won’t alright.”
“Good. Now scram.” Shoving him to the ground, Black Hoodie guy, or Brett now, joined his friends as they continued to McDonalds.
“Ouch, that really hurts,” Jason said picking himself up off the ground.
“Your lip’s busted,” said a sweet female voice. Jason turned around to see a tall and pretty girl walking over to him.
“Oh, uhh yeah, haha, no biggie.”
“How’d it happen?”
“Uhh -, ” Jason stuttered involuntarily glancing in the direction Brett and his lackeys were walking in.
“Ohh, it was probably Brett, huh? Yeah, he can be such a jerk.”
“You got that right. ”
“I’m Georgia by the way? Who are you?”
“Jason, I’m new here.”
“Ohh, you were the person in my first period english class. The late guy?”
“Yeah that’s me,” he sulked.
“Oh come on,” Georgia laughed. “You going to McDonald’s? Mind if I hop along?”
“Yeah,” said Jason, a bit over enthusiastically, before blushing. “Uhh, I mean, sure if you want to.’’
“Of course I do, silly. Why don’t you tell me what caused Brett to get so mad at you on the way there?”
“Well, he kinda made me promise not to tell anyone.”
“Oh, please, you can tell me. I won’t tell anyone I promise.”
Jason deliberated for a moment. On one hand, he was genuinely terrified by Brett and was afraid to say anything. But on the other hand, it might get this girl to like him more.
“Oh all right.” And Jason told her about the incident by the end of which Georgia was howling so hard she was in tears.
“And remember, please don’t tell anyone.”
“I won’t, but Jason, I can’t believe you did that to him. Your so cool.” Jason’s insides danced happily.
After the last period of the school day ended, Jason went to pack his stuff up at his locker. As he was getting up to leave, a couple dudes came up and patted him on the back.
“I can’t believe you actually had the guts to do that Jason. You mad crazy! So cool you’re here now.”
“Thanks guys, but uhh what exactly are you talking about?”
“Oh you know, what you did to Brett, literally the whole school knows by now.”
“Oh my god,” he breathed. Spotting Brett’s tall head in the crowd, he replied “thanks guys, but I really gotta go. I’ll catch you tomorrow.” Ducking beneath people he sprinted all the way until he reached his house. He opened the door and unlocked it, only then pausing for breath. Bounding up the stairs to his room, he prepared to send an email berating Georgia, only to see this email waiting for him.
“What did you do that for?”
“Sorry wasn’t looking.” His friends continued laughing.
“Umm..”
“Alright listen up here newbie. You recognize me?”
“Should I?”
Black Hoodie guy grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dragged him over, gesturing to his friends to give him a moment.
“Do you remember your seventh birthday party?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you remember the kid named Brett?”
“Oh yeah, haha! That was so funny what happened - ”
“Funny, huh!”
“Uhh, maybe?”
“You know my name?”
“Err… oh no, oh no -”
“Oh no alright.”
“Uhh, how did we know each other? Like why were you at my party?”
“Our dads are cousins or something. But who cares. You will never mention that incident alright. Because if you do…”
“Ok, I get it. I won’t alright.”
“Good. Now scram.” Shoving him to the ground, Black Hoodie guy, or Brett now, joined his friends as they continued to McDonalds.
“Ouch, that really hurts,” Jason said picking himself up off the ground.
“Your lip’s busted,” said a sweet female voice. Jason turned around to see a tall and pretty girl walking over to him.
“Oh, uhh yeah, haha, no biggie.”
“How’d it happen?”
“Uhh -, ” Jason stuttered involuntarily glancing in the direction Brett and his lackeys were walking in.
“Ohh, it was probably Brett, huh? Yeah, he can be such a jerk.”
“You got that right. ”
“I’m Georgia by the way? Who are you?”
“Jason, I’m new here.”
“Ohh, you were the person in my first period english class. The late guy?”
“Yeah that’s me,” he sulked.
“Oh come on,” Georgia laughed. “You going to McDonald’s? Mind if I hop along?”
“Yeah,” said Jason, a bit over enthusiastically, before blushing. “Uhh, I mean, sure if you want to.’’
“Of course I do, silly. Why don’t you tell me what caused Brett to get so mad at you on the way there?”
“Well, he kinda made me promise not to tell anyone.”
“Oh, please, you can tell me. I won’t tell anyone I promise.”
Jason deliberated for a moment. On one hand, he was genuinely terrified by Brett and was afraid to say anything. But on the other hand, it might get this girl to like him more.
“Oh all right.” And Jason told her about the incident by the end of which Georgia was howling so hard she was in tears.
“And remember, please don’t tell anyone.”
“I won’t, but Jason, I can’t believe you did that to him. Your so cool.” Jason’s insides danced happily.
After the last period of the school day ended, Jason went to pack his stuff up at his locker. As he was getting up to leave, a couple dudes came up and patted him on the back.
“I can’t believe you actually had the guts to do that Jason. You mad crazy! So cool you’re here now.”
“Thanks guys, but uhh what exactly are you talking about?”
“Oh you know, what you did to Brett, literally the whole school knows by now.”
“Oh my god,” he breathed. Spotting Brett’s tall head in the crowd, he replied “thanks guys, but I really gotta go. I’ll catch you tomorrow.” Ducking beneath people he sprinted all the way until he reached his house. He opened the door and unlocked it, only then pausing for breath. Bounding up the stairs to his room, he prepared to send an email berating Georgia, only to see this email waiting for him.
Jason fell off his chair with a huge thump. “Ohh! this school year is gonna be terrible!”