Silver Bound Girl

        Willow’s morning check was second nature to her. Both earrings, yep, necklace, still there, bracelet, on, and ring, check. She relaxed, knowing she was safe. Sure, some of the family thought four pieces of jewellery was overkill, but she preferred too much to not enough. Home was one thing, but out here? She shook her head, closed her locker, and turned to face the laughing, talking, shouting crowd of her fellow students.

            Thankfully the first bell rang, causing the crush to start dispersing as people hurried to their lockers, classrooms, or both. Willow leaned over, scooped up her binder and pencil case, and strode off towards her first class. She dodged the new grade nines who looked lost, nodded at her cousin Tracy as they passed, but otherwise ignored her fellow students until she reached room 309.

            Only a handful of the metal and wood desks were occupied, so she settled herself on the far side of the room, near the back and well away from the lab benches. While no longer as obvious now that she, and her classmates, were sixteen, she was still the tallest girl in her grade. It was habit to sit at the back, knowing she’d likely get moved there anyway, when someone complained about not being able to see over her head.

            The room slowly filled as each minute passed. When Louise sat beside her, Willow smiled a welcome. Having had a group project the year before with her, Willow knew that Louise was smart and did her work, which was more than could be said for most of the others.

            When the final bell rang, every desk in the room was taken. A moment later, half the class turned at the sound of the door closing. Mr. Beasley ignored their looks, hurrying to the desk at the front of the room. Only when he was facing them all did he speak. “I hope none of you are comfortable. I’m seating you all alphabetically, so we can whip through attendance and get to actually learning. Everyone, stand up.”

            Groaning, the whole class rose to their feet. They shuffled out until they filled the edges and work area of the biology lab. Starting with Zach Aaronson, Mr. Beasley called them one by one to their new seats. Willow was glad that her name, Byron, ensured that she was seated near the back of the first row. She turned, waiting for Mr. Beasley to put Anna Card beside her, having already seen the redhead on her way in.

            Instead, he called out “Campbell, Rune.”

            Willow blinked. She knew everyone in her grade, not hard when there were only like eighty of them, and she was sure she’d never met anyone named Rune before. She stared at the boy who slipped into the desk beside her, noting the black hair, and startlingly grey almond-shaped eyes that stared back into her green ones.

            Realizing, Willow smiled and held out her hand. “I’m Willow. Did you just move here?”

            The boy studied her a moment longer before taking her hand and shaking it. “No. I transferred from PECI.”

            “Ah. That explains why I’ve never seen you before. There are so few of us here that everyone knows everyone. If you need help finding anything, let me know.”

            Rune shrugged. “I should be fine.”

            Willow glanced around the room, checking out was near her. She hid a wince when she noticed Nicole Merwood sitting across the aisle from Rune. Willow looked away, hoping that the other girl had been placed in the class by accident and she’d be switching soon. Ed always said that if the counsellors couldn’t put you in any of the courses you wanted, they’d just stick you in a random one until you swapped out. It was only the first day. Maybe she’d be gone soon…