The Catalyst (GirlXGirl)

Chp. 1 "New Best Friend"

Chp. 1 "New Best Friend"

I was sitting in the cold metal desk, staring impatiently at the clock on the fore wall. The white wall made the cobwebs clearly visible as I counted the seconds till the next minute passed. English bored me, paying attention in this class was like watching grass grow. I'm not exaggerating either, this class sucked majorly.

My eyes scanned the dry-erase board with our writing assignment which I hadn't even started. The over-sized calendar caught my attention when I realized today was the first day of March. I sighed in relief, only 3 more months as a junior in high school and then I would be a senior.

High school hadn't flown by for me, it actually was dragging on and on, but watching the end of this year come into sight son made me excited. I stared at my blank sheet of paper as I debated on what I should write about but came up short. I wasn't really the one for story-telling. I tapped my pencil on my desk vigorously, knowing the class would end soon.

Then suddenly the creak of an opening door caught my attention, forcing my eyes towards the entrance. He was scrawny, his bushy hair and those beady blue eyes that scanned the room for a possible teacher. He walked slowly over to her desk, his over-sized Chucks slapping loudly against the linoleum floor of our classroom. Then he spoke, "Maxwell Davidson, I'm a new student."

I looked at my English teacher who looked as if she should be retiring soon, she scanned over the paper he had handed her and huffed. "Take a seat anywhere and start on the prompt written on the board."

I knew he would sit next to me; the only empty seat in this class was next to my desk. I rolled my eyes, great, I would be forced to befriend this kid that looked like a realistic version of Shaggy off of Scooby Doo. I heard him set his things down next to his now permanent desk, digging through that black bag of his with lightning bolts all over it.

I watched him through my peripheral, seeing him read the board and start writing almost instantly. I felt jealousy grow, wondering how he could just simply read it and start while I had been staring at my paper for thirty minutes.

I wanted to ask him what he was writing about but that would involve me talking to him, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to do that. He seemed so weird, like he was the kind of kid to say weird things at unnecessary times or pop his face pimples during class.

Or maybe I was just being stereotypical.

I whispered, "Pst, what you writing about?"

He looked at me, seeming almost grateful I had made the first move. He shrugged, "Dunno yet, I just started writing what came to mind."

Well that was a bummer, I was hoping to score an idea. I faced forward, looking at the prompt and reading it quietly to myself, "If you could have any superpower in the world, what would it be? How would you use it? And would you be a villain or hero?"

It was a stupid statement, it really was. I mean come on, we're juniors in high school don't you think they could get us something more... realistic?

He whispered, "What's your name?"

I looked at him, glancing at his half-filled paper before responding, "Andrea, but I go by Andy."

He nodded, "Maxwell, but seriously, just call me Max. My parents are fucking retarded for naming me that."

I laughed a little to myself, wondering who this kid really was and why he had moved here so late in the year. Then the bell rang and I rolled my eyes, knowing I would have to finish this bullshit for homework. I packed my stuff and slung my booksack over my shoulder, watching Max as he zipped up his booksack. Maybe I was wrong about him, maybe he was cool and funny, and maybe he would like to eat lunch with something other than his book bag.