Whiskers

First day

Dan's POV
I get out of the car and sling my backpack over my shoulder. My mum's still repeating all the things I need to know about where to get picked up after school to go to my 'new home'. I sigh, I instantly realize I'm different here. All the other boys are muscular and wearing some sort of sports jacket or another. I self consciously bite my lip and adjust my beanie again.

A few people are eyeing my mum's car, it's the only one with straps holding down luggage to the top of the car.

About a week ago my mum got a call about my grandfather. He was sick, and it was getting bad. So she decided the beast thing to do was to go and live with grandfather so they could help him get better. Me on the other hand, did not want to go. But instead of not going at all, my mum and dad placed me with my dad's friend and his son.
I haven't met them yet, but I have to go to their flat after school.

I sigh again, wave to my mum and walk into the huge school.

Up until this point in my life, I had been homeschooled by my mum. I mean, she was smart and all, but she wasn't what they called the 'public school experience.' As I looked around, I saw a few couples making out, paper airplanes flying around the hallway, kids chasing each other, being pushed into lockers and robbed of their lunch money. I'm regretting coming to get the 'public school experience.'

It only continued when I walked into what I thought was my first period class, but was the boy's restroom. It turned out, it was even worse than the hallways. A busted sink, pee on the walls and all over the floor, not a soap dispenser in sight and spitballs all over the ceiling. To top it all off, it had the worst smell and was painted a dank green.

"Nope, nope, no, no, and nope." I repeat as I back out of the bathroom.
I adjust my beanie again and walk into the right room, still smelling the horrid bathroom. There was no one seated bay where except for a kid with black hair in the Back. I didn't know where to sit, so I took a seat in the front of the class.

As the bell rang, the room filled in more. Apparently sitting in the front wasn't normal, because all the back seats filled up first. The teacher walked in just as the last bell rung, and she slammed the door closed and locked it. "Welcome to the first day of the first semester of freshman year! This is Honers Algebra 2, and where you are sitting now is where you will be sitting for the rest of the year."

I look around, seeing that no one has sat by me in the front row. I shrug it off, i guess i'm just used to be right in front of the teacher. "Now take out your notebooks, we're starting right now." I take out my notebook full of graph paper and a pencil that's not sharpened. The teacher starts writing on the board as i search for my sharpener. I continue my search for my sharpener as she writes a simple equation on the board, and asks everyone to solve it. Oh no.

"OK everyone! I'm going to randomly pick someone to answer the question..." She trails off as she looks around at everyone's notebook. She looks at me weirdly when she passes and sees nothing on my paper. "Mr.?" She asks me, "H-Howell." I say, cursing my stutter. "Mr. Howell, please tell us what X equals." She says sternly. I stop searching through my backpack, finally finding a sharpener. I look at the board while placing my backpack on the floor, trying to buy time. Turns out I don't need it, it's a simple linear equation. "X=2." i say after a few seconds. The teacher looks surprised, but nods. "Yes Mr. Howell, that's correct." She says, "How many of you got X=2?" She asks. I look around as a few people raise there hands.

The rest of the class is about the same, me answering most of the questions and the teacher Gives me weird looks. After class she has me hang back. "You're incredibly smart. You were homeschooled?" I nod. "Turns out Daniel, you're about two grades above where you are now." She says. I'm surprised, how? She must have seen the confusion, "your mom must have taught you more than mandatory. But, during class I emailed the dean of students. He said not to move you, it might cause complications. What with you being two years younger and new and such." She says.

I nod, but in kind of confused. I don't have any friends now, in two grades up it still would be the same. No Dan, don't think like that. I think. "Ok." I start to say, but someone bumps into me, the same back haired boy from the back of the class. He drops his book, and I kneel to pick it up. "S-sorry." He says. "Naw, it's no problem." I say, straightening up and adjusting my beanie.

His hair is converting his eyes, but he nods and turns around. "Ok Daniel, I'll tell you what. Since you're not going to be moved up, I'll give you some advanced homework. Worth the same grade if course, but you won't get the regular homework to go with it." I nod and thank her before I leave.

As I find my next class, language arts, I stop to drink from a drinking fountain. It's covered in gum, and the water is horrid. It tastes like sewage, a spit it out and adjust my beanie again.

As I enter the classroom, I suddenly panic. I'm not early this time, and there's so many people in the classroom. I search for an empty seat, or maybe a familiar face. Instead, I find a familiar head of jet black hair. It's the boy from first period, and two seats are empty next to him. I take a seat in one next to him. He barley looks up from his book.

I take out a new notebook, and newly sharpened pencil. (Along with my sharpener in case anything happens). The teacher stand from her desk, having a softer and nicer face than the math teacher.

"Ok, you will be partnering up this semester to do a project. It's a project on any subject, using any kind of visual interpretation. You will be pairing up for this, and the project, although any subject, will mostly revolve around your partner and or your experiences. Experiences from childhood, middle school, this semester or even just with friends. But make it meaningful." The whole class groans.

With comments like, "on the first day?" "A project already?" "This blows." "Meaningful? Does she want a ballad or something?" I found I was even more of a weirdo being exited for a project like this. But knowing me, I'd probably leave it until the last day of the skeeter to hastily put it together. But that's what I liked about stuff like that. I work better under pressure... Kind of.

Soon everyone was paired up and already running ideas, playing on their phones, or goofing off. I looked over to this boy who's face I've never seen and who was still reading his book. "Partners?" He looks up, but I still can't get a view of his eyes. I smile sheepishly. "Alright." He says, going back to his book.

I slowly put on finger to the top of his book, and pull it down. He looks up again, bite it's more frustration. I catch a hint of his eyes, their sparkling blue and green with a bit of hazel. Their beautiful. He catches me treating for a second and looks back down. "What?" He asks sharply. "We should like, brain storm." I say, not really wanting to start this. "I know you don't want to do this any more than I do, so let's... Not right now." He says.

Ok, I'm getting annoyed. I'm not going to let him be more lazy than I. "Sorry, we're starting now, blue eyes." I say, instantly regretting the nickname. But it catches his attention and he puts his book down. He shoves his hair out of his face revealing a pale face, while teeth and pale lips. His eyes stand out even more, and his hair just seems out of place on his head. He has a lot of it though, like a mane. Like a lion.

"So how do you suppose we start?" He asks in a lighter tone than before. Even a exited tone? "I don't know, start simple?" I shrug. "What's your favorite animal?" He asks me. I shrug again, "fox maybe?" I say, "maybe a llama." I add on. "You?" "Lion, no hesitation." He says smiling.

All throughout class he seems to lighten up until he's bubbling with giggles and smiles and excitement. He's nicer that way, I can't help myself from smiling and laughing back.

It turns out I have first, second, lunch and fifth periods with him. I find myself waiting and watching the clock until lunch, and then fifth. I'm glad I found a friend. Especially one as amazing and Phil the Lion.

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