Games of Power and Prowess

Okay so maybe  being late on the first day of senior year isn't the best idea I've ever had. No one can fault me, though. This is the first time I've actually been a returning student on the first day of school since year 4. The teachers already know me so there's no problem with me showing up in the middle of fourth hour, right? Wrong.

I carefully slip into the classroom, thankful that the new doors in the school aren't loud and squeaky. I'm able to get into the room unnoticed and I sit down in a desk near the back. I look forward and see Jodie, one of the few friends I was able to make last year. 

"Jo!" I whisper scream, trying to get her attention. She doesn't turn around.

I pick up a paper out of my bag and roll it into a ball before tossing it at her back. It hits her shoulder and she quickly turns around with anger in her grey eyes. When she realises it's me, however, she grins widely and moves to the desk next to mine.

"Hey, Ally. There's my favourite lesbian! We were wondering when you were gonna show your sorry face here." She says, leaning towards me so she's unable to be heard by the teacher. We both look up to Ms Perez' desk to see her brown hair instead of her face, she's not even looking at the room.

"We?" I ask once we see that the teacher won't be bothering us.

"Yeah, Morgan is in our second hour." She explains. God I missed my friends this summer. I didn't hang out with them at all because I thought my mum was going to be moving us again but apparently not, I'm still here. 

"Awesome. How's he doing?" I ask, leaning back in the desk and putting my feet up on the chair in front of mine.

"Fabulous as always." She winks and I stifle a laugh. "Speaking of fabulous, how's your birthday going?" Her words make me roll my eyes and sigh. I've never liked my birthday and today is no different. No one should have to go to the first day of school on their birthday.

"Decidedly not fabulous. I'm already tired of this school year and I've been here for maybe three minutes." I tell her which makes her give me an understanding frown. Ms Perez stands from her desk, bringing our attention to her. 

"Alright, the hour is almost over so turn in the personality quiz." Jodie and I look over at each other with a knowing look. We aren't in year 7, we don't need to fill out a dumb quiz to tell the teacher who we are. I laugh a little as Jodie makes a face and I cover my mouth immediately, realising that I would be caught. "Allison?" Ms Perez says in a confused and scolding voice.

"Yes, ma'am?" I ask, looking at her and sitting correctly in the desk.

"You were supposed to be here almost thirty minutes ago. Where were you?" She says, her hands placed firmly on her hips. 

"I was in bed, I woke up late." I say nonchalantly, begging my body not to mirror her body language.

"Come here." She points in front of herself, picking up an office pass in the time it takes me to join her at the front of the room. I'm glad I'm still kind of a nobody at this school or everyone would be watching this go down.

"You're seriously going to send me to the office on my birthday?" I ask her, cringing at the fact I even brought it up. I look back at Jodie when Perez starts to write on the pass.

"Yes, I am." She says, signing the pass at the bottom and pushing it into my hand. 

"Wow, thank you!" I pull the note to my chest like it's important to me. When she responds by raising her eyebrow, I take the hint and turn to leave.

"Happy birthday, Ally." She yells after me before the door closes behind my body. I look down at the note and sigh. Should I go? I've already made a bad impression, I could just leave and start over tomorrow. I already know the principal of the school and he knows me. The old man never took a joke last year and I was the representative of my friends when we got in trouble because as the new girl, I got away with a lot of things I probably shouldn't have.