High School Days [No Good Nick]

Duniway High

"Today is my first day of school," I told my new across-the-street-and-three-houses-down neighbour, Kevin. My family had just moved to a new city, which meant I couldn't go to my old school in Seattle. Fortunately, Kevin and I were not going to the same school. 

"Whatever." He rolled his eyes. So far, Kevin has no personality. 

"Uh... bye." I slipped back into my house to see my 18-year-old sister, Keisha, helping our mom and dad unpack. 

"Keish," I said, skipping over to her, "you think there'll be some kids nearby I can babysit?"

"I don't know. Gemma, I'm busy!" 

"You're driving me," I told her, crossing my arms. "It's too far to walk." 

Keisha looked up from the box she was unpacking. "No, you're taking the bus to school." 

That's the story of how I had to ride a bus with a million other kids on my first day. 

"STOP PUSHING ME!" someone screamed. 

"STOP SHOVING MY BROTHER UNDER THE SEAT!" someone else screamed from the back. 

Why didn't we unpack earlier? I thought. 

As the bus pulled into the parking lot, and an ice cream cone landed on the head of the kid next to me, a girl with straight brown hair was outside talking to another girl, who seemed older. Older than me, even. The other girl had dark reddish hair and wore glasses. 

"Look! New kid!" cried a girl around my age with short orange hair and hoop earrings, who had been in the conversation. 

"Uh... hi," I said nervously as the ice-cream-headed kid walked past us. 

The orange-haired girl looked nervously in her direction. "I'm glad I don't take the bus." 

"You should be." I held out my hand. "I'm Gemma." 

"I'm Molly," the brown-haired one jumped in, "and this is Kelsey"(orange hair)"and Rose"(glasses). "How old are you?" 

"I-I'm fifteen," I replied. "I'm a sophomore." 

"Me too!" squealed Kelsey, who seemed to be the talkative type. "But Molly's a freshman and Rose is a junior. Too bad. I never had any friends in the 10th grade." 

"Well, I'll be your friend." I grinned. 

Maybe this school wouldn't be so bad if I made friends. 

I take it back. 

Right now I was sitting at my desk in homeroom, totally having forgotten my name in roll call. 

"Is Gemma here?..." my teacher asked again. 

"Who is Gemma anyway?" came some voices, and one that cried out, "I was supposed to be fifth!" 

And on a day like this, you can't get up to introduce yourself without tripping on your (tied) shoelace. 

"I need to get some crocs," I told Molly after second period. "Where'd you get yours?" Molly's shoes were pink with pink fur inside. 

"I don't know, I've had them for ages," she replied. 

"Why? I like your running shoes," she added. 

"I'm no good with laces," was my reply. 

A girl with longer, wavier, and darker brown hair walked up to Molly. "We have band!" she called happily. 

"Oh! I'm in your band class!" I paused. "Who's this?" 

"This is Nick," Molly told me. "Nick, this is Gemma." 

Nick? I thought. "Uh... hi?" 

Nick must get that a lot. "It's short for Nicole," she explained. 

"Ohh. Are you Molly's friend?" 

"We're best friends," Molly put in. "Practically sisters." 

For some reason they both found that funny. 

"Okay, I'll see you in band," I said, walking past them.