Have a Nice Day

Can't I Try a Little Harder?

The next morning, I was at my locker and I was trying to get something that was stuck underneath a large stack of books on the top shelf of my locker. I pulled hard, but nothing budged. One more yank, and.....

"Ogh!" 

The book came loose and my arm rocketed back....right into something. I looked back and gasped.

A boy was leaning over with his hand to his chest, and there were papers everywhere. I had hit him with my elbow when I pulled the book from the stack.

"Oh my gosh!" I said, putting the book back on the top of the stack in my locker and turing back to the boy. "I am so sorry! Can I help you?" I put my hand on his back, but Crimson was suddenly right next to me and took my shoulders from behind, pulling me back.

"Keep it short, keep it mean." She whispered.

The boy looked at me and put up his hand.

"It's alright, I just didn't know that this school had something against red binders." He laughed, trying to stand up. Sure enough, his red binder was on the ground where all of his papers were scattered across the floor.

"Oh, there isn't, I was just getting something out of my locker and it was stuck and-" I looked at him, his smile kind but dumbfounded. "You know what? It doesn't matter."

He bent down to pick up his stuff, and I did too, but Crimson pulled me back up again. I looked at her and gave her an evil eye. Shoving her hands off of my short overall straps, I bent down again, but as I did, my face slammed into the back of the boy's head, which was coming up to stand.

"Ow!" The boy said, rubbing the back of his head. I held my nose, which I had slammed into the back of his neck.

"Oh! Sorry, I'm so sorry!" I said. 

"Well, now I know that there's a rule to pick on the new kids too." He laughed, putting his hand down.

"Ugh! I'm such a clutz today! I'm really, very sorry!" I said. I put my hand out to shake his. "I'm Meep."

The boy reeled back and put his hands up like I told him to freeze.

"What?" I asked.

"You're not going to flip me when I take your hand?" He asked.

"Oh." I laughed. "No, I won't." The boy smiled and took my hand.

"I'm Jace." He said. 

"Jace, son of Jack Beanstalk or something?" I laughed. He laughed too.

"No, Jace, son of Ariel and Eric." He replied. I stepped back and looked down.

"Uh, I don't see no merman tail on your legs. Are you sure?" I asked. He laughed.

"So, Meep, daughter of the Mad Hatter? I don't see any teapots, so if you are, are you sure?" He asked me.

"No, no, my dad is the Wizard of Oz." I said.

"And who's your friend?" Jace suggested.

"Oh good, someone did notice me." Crimson said behind me. I had forgotten she was there and jumped at her voice. Crimson leaned over and shook his hand briefly. "I'm Crimson, daughter of Red Riding Hood."

"Right, right. That would explain the cape." He said, pointing to her mother's hood on her shoulders. "But I like the hair, it's a fashion statement."

Crimson absent-mindedly stroked her white hair with her hand.

"Well, Wizard, Red, it was nice to meet you, or bump into you, if you want to call it that, but I have to find the office for check-in." Jace said, still looking at Crimson. He turned back to me. "I'll see you around?"