The Black Knight

Assumptions

It sucks to be the new kid at an all new high school, in a new town, in a new state. Blending in was the first step at surviving. If you don't blend in, then you are eaten up by the bullies that run the joint. I guess the problem at this high school, Ravenswood High, was it was the only high school in town, and everyone knew each other. Long story short, even if every kid went to high school here, a new kid stood out. And today, that was me.

I was asked out by girls, I was pushed into lockers, I was the talk of the whole school, I was the target of rubber bands and spit balls, and it seemed at the same time, everyone wanted to be my friend.

I wasn't necessarily a good looking guy, at least that is what I often thought about myself. I had dark, almost jet black hair, slightly spiked up and always jelled, because it was uncontrollable on a normal day, and I had green eyes, and an extremely pale face. No joke, I could barely tan, this town was going to be the death of me, because of the constant sun and heat. Freckles on my cheeks offered the only protection, but they were created in Southern California in a town by the name of Ventura. I used to live in the city area known commonly as the Avenue, which is the area most people tend to avoid, or just drive through due to the higher crime rate.

It was technically a city, but Ventura was also a beach town, and was almost constantly foggy. However, because it was on the coast, that didn't stop people from venturing out to the beach and the long pier for a nice walk and to enjoy the freezing cold water.

For years, I hated the beach, because I always ended up with severe sun burns, even if it was foggy and even if I applied waterproof 70 SPF Sunblock. So, I took up horseback riding, back behind the hills of the town, and was taught to ride and train horses by my mom's horse whisperer college buddy. They met at Ventura College, while my mom was working on her associate and Jackson, which was his name, was working on transferring to UC Davis for their veterinary program. 

Anyhow, by lunch time today, my cousin Cassy was the only one that seemed to save me from all the attention when she dragged me by my shirt, and made me sit with her and her friends. Levi was the nerd of the group, dressed in a nice suit with glasses he looked like he was about to take over a fortune 5 hundred company rather than go back to his newspaper room and continue to write boring stories on the town. He had a nice tain, with brown hair and green eyes. It seemed that everyone in Ravenswood was tan. I would have to make note of that.

Cassy was the most popular in her friend group. She took excellent care of her appearance, always wearing short shinny skirts, and loose tank tops. She was the only one with bright blond hair on my mom's side of the family, and blue eyes. Her blond hair was wavy with slight curls, and I started to notice guys really seemed to like to look.

Sadie was Cassy's friend. I guess they have practically known each other since birth. They could be twins too. They wore the same clothes. The only difference was Cassy had a more slender figure with a slender face, while Sadie was very muscular with a slightly round face.

Right before I was about to take a bite of the chicken on my plate from the cafeteria, Cassy grabbed my plate from me and gave me a sandwich instead.

"Trust me," she said. "That food is garbage. No one really knows where it comes from. You want to eat the sandwiches they serve only. Here."

I made a face. "Thanks. I guess."

"Nick, right?" said Levi.

"Yeah."

"Can I do an editorial on you? You're a new student. We rarely get new students."

Cassy and Sadie both groaned. 

"Levi!" scolded Cassy. "Let Nick have a meal, and then you can make your pitch."

Levi shrugged and played with his food, without a care in the world.