The Voice of Caroline

Chapter 2 - New Kid Blues

Gordie's locker was next to a short Hispanic girl with long black hair that hung to her waist. She was talking to someone in Spanish on her cell phone when he arrived to drop off his books after first stopping at the front office to get his schedule. He was asked if he wanted someone to shadow him throughout the day to help him get around. He had declined and they had thankfully not persisted. Unfortunately, now Gordie was thinking that might have been a mistake, Jefferson Junior High was a lot bigger than his previous middle school and he had no clue where his first class was located.

The girl ended her call and began checking her makeup in the mirror attached to her locker door.

"Umm," Gordie cleared his throat. "Hello."

             No response, she continued applying lip-gloss.

He tried again, "Hello, I'm-I'm Gordie."

            She turned around and raised her eyebrows.

            "Oh, are you talking to me?" she looked rather perplexed and ran her eyes up and down his body in an oddly unsettling manner. Like she had the power to see through his clothes and now knew about the birthmark he had next to his belly button of a crescent moon.

            Probably stupidly, he was wearing another superhero T-shirt. This time Thor with jeans and scuffed up sneakers. He knew he was what people would call gangly; he had been that way for as long as he could remember. Despite his dad's insistence he would grow out of it, Gordie wasn't so sure. As for his eyes there was nothing, he could do about that. They were an unusual blue color that in certain reflections of light looked violet. The kids at his old school had said he had alien eyes, which explained his obsession with comics and superheroes. Not that he had paid much attention to what the other kids said.

            Gordie brushed a lock of curly hair out of his eyes, "Yes, I'm new. Can you tell me where this is?" Gordie showed her his schedule and pointed to the room he was supposed to be in for, first period.

            "HEY!" she exclaimed, startling Gordie, "That's where I'm going! I'll show you the way," she slammed her locker door shut. "Follow me."

            Grateful he wasn't going to have to figure it out himself and hoping she was taking him to the correct room, and this wasn't some prank played on all the new kids, he fell into step alongside her. As he followed her past lockers, classrooms, and the cafeteria he comforted himself with the knowledge that things could be worse. At least he wasn't a mid-year transfer and was starting off the eighth grade at the same time as everyone else.

            "So, what did you say your name was again?"

            "Gordie."

            "I hope that's short for something."

            Not sure if she had just insulted him, he responded, "It is. My real name is Gordon."

            "That's good. I'm Lina, which is short for Catalina."

            Gordie nodded in response, following her up some stairs, "So where are you from?" she asked.

            "Florida."

            She perked up, "I have some family in Orlando! Where did you live?"

            "Miami."

            "Why did you move?"

            "To help my grandpa."

            "Oh, is he really old?" Lina asked sympathetically as if she too had an old grandparent at home.