Him.

Meeting Him

"Cat, can you come out into the hall for a moment" the principal poked her head into my classroom. The principal is a little lady, in her 40's with specks of gray in her hair. Me and her have a strange relationship.

I stood and walked into the hallway, ignoring the sneering remarks my classmates made, things I've heard before, hisses, Cat comments.

"what's up Dr Ducit?" I leaned up against a locker, and pulled out my ever present pair of dice. I play with them mindlessly to help keep me calm, one on one conversations always make me nervous. I've had a bad history of being alone with other people.

"We have a new student, who the counselor and I think you will get along very well with. It just so happens as well that he is in your classes. Even plays the cello. " She is making to much eye contact, its like shes searching my eyes for some reaction. She knows I don't like making friends, it's why I end up in her office, because the other girls see me as either rude or as something to torment. She thinks the fact that he plays the cello will help me make friends just because I play the violin. The fact he plays the cello doesn't change the fact that we can't be more than in-school 'friends'. No one gets to know me outside of school.

"k, so you want me to make friends and help him adjust? Do you really think I'm the best person for the job?" as I look down the hall, I see my objections are to late. Mrs Collins, the counselor is walking down the hallway with a boy following close behind her.

His hair is a mess of curls, stark black. He's wearing a black tee shirt and jeans, with work boots. He looks tall and lanky but his arms look like they have some definition to them, like he's had a job that make him build up some muscle. His physical looks screams bad boy, but his hunched shoulders, his positioning slightly behind the counselor, and the way he's carrying his books, hugging them to his chest, and the pair of glasses, scream bad boy all over.

to say the least, I'm interested. But by no means do I actually want to talk to this guy, I just want to observe, see where he fits himself in. Looks like Dr. Ducit has a different idea though. "here they come now! this is Dallas Tutella. Dallas, this is the girl we spoke to you about, her name is Rebecca but every one just calls her Cat. "

"Before you can ask, when I was a baby I acted like a Cat and Meowed like one to." I say as he looks me over. I'm suddenly glad I put in the extra effort this morning and put on good outfit, leggings, long sweater(with pockets, no out-fit i ever wear doesn't have pockets. its just a must), and my black surprisingly cute combat boots. Dallas is giving me a solid stare down, when Dr. Ducit interrupts, "Even now if she gets angry she'll hiss and fight like a cat. " she says it with a smile and as an ice breaker but it just makes me want to crawl into a hole. or up a tree. Trees are better than a hole because normally people don't follow me.

"Why don't we go ahead and brave the first class, Eh Dallas?" I say pushing myself off the wall and turning from the principal and the counselor. I can only wounder what in his past makes them think that I will be a good guide for it? Its got to be good. They know I can't risk making friends.

"Sure. Calculus right?" he asks. I just nod. I have a deal with the teachers, I sit in the back corner, they don't call on me unless I raise my hand, and in return I actually do my work.Other wise I will sit in their class, most likely napping, and never complete any of their assignments. This makes me having to 'make friends' with Dallas easier because I always have an empty seat next to me.

We make it through calculus with out much problem. But the 12th grade English teacher had a different idea. "alright guys, we've got a new student, and he knows nothing about any of us, So lets play a game." we proceeded to waste the entire class period playing ice-breaker games. I can't play these, so the teacher has me play moderator. Which he shortly boots me out of because no one will listen to me. So I get to observe. Just another thing to make me an awkward person for everyone to make fun of.

During our homeroom, right before lunch, he tries to make conversation. "What did the principal mean about you hissing and fight like a cat?"

"I have an issue with interactions with people I don't like. But I've been incident free for 2 months. So don't worry. "

"sounds interesting, do you really hiss?" Dallas asks with a purely curious look on his face. "did you know that the human mouth isn't structured to hiss like a cat, so it requires extra dexterity to be able to hiss. "

"yeah. what ever. Have you started the Calc homework yet?" with the topic changed I take a deep breath and roll my dice in my hand, this whole thing is setting me on edge. And as the bell rings dismissing us for lunch I realize its just going to get much worse.

"Normally, I go to the library, its quieter, and I pack my lunch to avoid the lunchroom. But for you I guess I'll go. No need to throw you to the wolves yet." I say after packing up and starting towards the hallway.

"Wolves?" Dallas is walking beside me, looking at the ground.

"yeah, the rest of the school population." I hate hallway conversations, and walking next to someone. Much faster when your on your own.

I show Dallas the way through the lunchroom, getting him food, and then pick a tall table with two stools to sit at.

"So, whats your story?" I know its the worst question I can ask but it pops out of my mouth anyway. He seems to know it to because he just ignores me and eats his food. I open my purse and pull out my lunch, a bar that I make that has all the nutrition I'm supposed to get from lunch. Easier to have a set thing, then have to decide.

He raises his eyebrow at my lunch choice, and like he did to my question, I ignored it.

"hey, who let the Cat into the lunchroom?" the Head cheerleader, Sydney Jones walked up to my table. "and who for got to tell the new boy she's rabid?" one of her back ups spouted in an attempt to follow up her insult. Since its Friday and there's a football game, they are all dressed in her cheerleader outfit, the horrible red and gold combination of our school colors making them look even paler than they should be with the pound of makeup they are wearing on their faces.

It's because of Sydney that I know the principal so well, and because of her that freshman year that the wolves learned my reaction to conflict. She has gotten me sent to the principals office so many times but because she is a cheerleader her only punishment is having to sit out on unimportant games.

"Sydney, Dr. Ducit told me to show him around. " I keep my eyes trained on my lunch bar, and talk as evenly as I can. Keeping control of myself is difficult when she is around.

"here, New boy, why don't you come with us, we'll show you the ropes, better than this rabid Cat ever could." Sydney tried to grab Dallas's arm, but in a fashion way to familiar, he jerks his arm away, stands up, and walks quickly away. I follow with out a word, knowing I wouldn't get any coherent thought out.

"Tell me the story."