Alive

My First Day

I walk in the front doors of Hilda Junior High, and already I feel the difference in the atmosphere.

It is different somehow, but I can't quite describe it. It has the same glowing white walls as my house, but the actual feel in the room is quite different. The air is suffocating and yet lighter than it has been before, as if to indicate that school will sometimes me too much, but others times, I will love it.

Although the change in the air is almost indescribable, I enjoy it. I love Goshi, and I love that already he is very protective of me and my identity, but this place feels freer; I feel more as if I'm on my own. It makes me more excited.

As I walk down the hallway to my assigned locker, number 237, I see already-formed groups of friends messing around. I also see shy-looking kids, and kids that seem to have everything to lose, but know that they won't lose anything, even if they act like complete idiots for everyone to see.

It's an odd change. I'm a little petrified at the thought of the clear social hierarchy that Hilda has, but I also see an opportunity.

When I get to my locker, I see that there is a facial recognition screen. I stand in front of it, press a few buttons, and the locker door swings open. When it does, I nearly gasp. 

Inside, I do not see what I am programmed to recognize as a "regular" locker; instead, the locker doors opens into a small room, about the size of a walk-in closet. I step into the locker, and shut the door behind me. It is a very light room, with bright blue walls that seem to glow.

I don't understand why the form of lockers have changed, but as soon as this question crosses my mind, a memory flashes through my mind. I see kids with weird sacks strapped to their shoulders fighting through crowds and supplies just to get to their lockers. The fight doesn't end even when they get their locker open, however, as they still have to remove items from their sacks and then fight through the crowd once again to be able to go to their classes.

Even though this memory is quick, it suddenly makes me grateful that lockers are large enough to walk into. I now have my own space to unload my E-pack and settle down for a moment before returning to the chaos of the hallway. And though the lockers are deeper, they don't have a much wider width than they used to, so space is still saved.

I smile with the genius of it all as I wait for a moment in locker 237, and continue to smile as I reopen the door and close it, preparing myself to go to my first-period class. 

I check my schedule once again, seeing my first class, English, is in room 14, and I start to head in that direction.

I am almost down the hall, and about to enter room 14, when I feel a tap on the shoulder. I turn around, and a boy is smiling at me.

"Hello?" I say politely, simply wondering if he wants anything.

"Hi, sorry. I just wanted to say, back at your locker, you seemed pretty shocked at the size of it. I assumed you must be new. It happens every year or so." He says this quickly, as if he feels bad about interrupting my walking.

I just smile.

"Yeah, I'm new," I say. "My name's Takyi. What's yours?"

"Ross." He says, nodding at me; a gesture I think is supposed to mean "hi".

We stand in awkward silence. I think I know a little bit more about my personality: even though I seem decent at talking, I don't know how to start or end a conversation.

I turn around a little, about to enter my classroom again, when Ross suddenly says, "Hey. Can I show you around the school later? It's always so hard for new people."

I smile and nod, to let him know that I think it will be great to have someone show me around.

"See ya later, then." He says when he sees that I've nodded.

At last, I get the chance to go into English, and I am happy. I am happy that I am here, at school, enjoying all of its many attributes. 

And happy that I have just made my first friend.