As far as I see it, life in Ireland was amazing. I woke up everyday to see the sunrise over the salty ocean, then continued my same morning routine to school. After school, I had soccer practice and after practice my friends and I went to the local diner to finish our homework. Then I'd be in bed by 9 O'clock every night. Least I can say it way relaxing. But after doing that for years on end, it gets a little boring. It needed to change.
I needed to change.
It wasn't until our school said two students from our class would be chosen to go over seas and be a foreign exchange student in America. That was the exact kind of change I was looking for. I quickly write my name down on a piece of paper and put it in the jar, hoping that it'll get chosen.
When the first name drawing day came, a boy named Rory Flannagan got chosen before I did. I've never talked to him before but he seemed to have a kind smile. He left Ireland a few months before my named got drawn.
I'll never forget the way I felt when I heard my name called over the speakers. Telling me I was chosen to go to America. Excitement jumped through me as my dream became my life. But America wasn't all I thought it would be.
In America, if you're not a cheerleader or a football player you're a loser. I am not either of those, I am a loser. When I first arrived at McKinley High, I had high hopes to join the Soccer team, but it turns out they didn't have funds for a soccer team due to the cheerleaders using it all. My second choice was Show Choir, or at least a club that had something to do with music.
Being a loser, you get bullied. I don't mean jocks point their finger at you and laughing, I mean getting tossed against lockers and having a bloody nose, bullied. That's telling you what's happening to me right now.
The Captain of the football team curls his fingers around the neck of my jacket and throws me against some lockers. My head slams against the cold metal as a metallic flavor rushes into my mouth. Disorientated, I try to find my balance as my feet touch the ground but the Quarterback kicks me from behind, leaving me on the ground.
"Hey!" Someone without an American accent yells from behind. "What're you doing?!"
"Mind your own business leprechaun," one of the football players spits.
"I'll be damned if I leave her to be picked on by a bunch of American maggots." Rory's fist collides with the Captain's face as the warning bell rings in the hall.
"Come on," the quarterback spits. "He's not worth it."
A couple snickers later, I feel a hand on my arm, gently shaking me. "Would you be well?" His voice reminds me of home. The way the salty waves crash onto the rocky shore. It reminds me of the music that plays in the pubs back at home.
"Here come on get up," his arms gently start to sit me up against the lockers. "You're nose is bleeding pretty bad, we should get you to the school nurse."
"Okay," I whisper while my head pounds.
"What's your name?" Rory asks as he gently picks me up and helps me walk.
"Y-Y/n," I cough.
"You're the new foreign exchange student right?"
"Yep, that's me" A hoarse laugh bubbles from my throat, as I wrap my arm around Rory's shoulders and together we slowly make our way to the nurse's office.
The nurse looks at me with wide eyes, not expecting to see something this bad. Rory helps me onto the medical table.
"Thank you for helping me," I gently smile at him and he smiles back.
"No problem, Y/N" he looks up at me with his green eyes.
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"You should probably get back to class," A hoarse laugh bubbles up from my throat as the nurse pulls back the curtain, her hands are filled with gauze. Rory quietly leaves the room, smiling at me one more time before walking out and closing the curtain.
"You must not be a cheerleader," the nurse gently presses the gauze pad against my forehead.
"No," I laugh,"just the opposite. I'm in Glee Club."
The nurse shakes her head before pressing another gauze to my forehead. "I will never understand why those jocks beat you kids up. Far as I can tell, you kids are the only ones thinking about what's happening after Graduation."
"Yeah I guess so," I shrug," I want to spend a year traveling America before I go back home."
"You're the new foreign exchange student, huh."
"Yeah," I say and play with my hands as she continues to dab at my head. "The accent gives it away, doesn't it?"
"Are you and him friends?" The nurse gives me a warm smile as she nods to the curtain as she implies Rory.
"Yeah." When I think of him a smile paints on my face and butterflies stir in my stomach. "I think we are gonna be best friends."
