Fruit Salad!

Welcome to Orchard

Umm... Hello there. My name is Hayward Kiwi and I am a fruit entering my sophomore year of high school. A Kiwi to be exact. Though I'm guessing you already know that. Recently, I was enrolled into Orchard Academy. A prestigious school dedicated to making the best fruits on the market. Well, that's what my parents say. It's a "well of opportunity" according to my dad. Though I'm excited to go, I'm not sure if I belong somewhere like that. I grew up on a farm and for a good portion of my life, I've been home schooled. The country is pretty much all I know.

Don't get me wrong. I'm happy I get to see the city. Really. But if the school is as great as everyone says it is, how am I supposed to blend in? I don't want to be known as the girl that comes from the sticks. Hopefully when Dad said "prestigious", he just meant 'better than the farm'. But let's ignore that, since I have a more important problem...

I'm hopelessly lost.

I've never actually been to the school before. So not only is today my first day, it's also my first time in the town. My dad told me to use the GPS on my phone but it's a little beyond me... On the farm, cellphone coverage didn't reach far so we used landlines. This also meant no internet... Had to go to town for that. Anyway, this doesn't change the fact that this GPS is useless. I would be better off just asking someone for directions.

Skrrt! Skrrt!

"Hey! Watch out!"

I heard the startling screech of tires behind me before a sudden dull pain racked through my body. It happened instantly. One moment I was walking, the next I was laid flat on the ground, covered in dust. Thankfully, other than a slight throbbing pain, I was fine. I gathered myself and checked out the 'accident'. Luckily, it wasn't a car that hit me. just a very hefty bike. It's driver, a petite red haired, was sprawled out on the ground right beside it. For such a slim figure, I'm surprised she could push along this monster of a bike. It's so big it might as well been a car. Really looking at it, I don't how I got out of that without a broken bone or two... I stood up and heard a dry crunch. My heart stuck into my stomach.

Wait a minute. Don't tell me...

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the remains of what vaguely resembled a cellphone.

Of course. Good. Not like I NEEDED that..

"Ouch..."

The girl finally got up.

After giving herself a quick dust off, she quickly apologized. "I'm really sorry! I didn't notice you..."

She stopped midst apology and stared at me with her bright red eyes. At first I thought she was having a mini-stroke from falling off the bike, but I figured out what it was.

My outfit!

I didn't have a uniform and since today was my first day of class, I decided "why not go all out?". I put on my lucky brown "coffee pot" t-shirt, my hand-knitted brown cap, some beautiful dark brown leggings, and brown hi-top sneakers. All of it complimented by this cute brown bear hoodie my mom bought me. Not trying to brag, but this has to be one of my best fits. I've never seen it not turn heads. And just so I didn't overdo the brown, I put on a green bra. Might not seem like much, but it's the little things that matter.

"...I'm so very sorry."

Even though she apologized, it felt more like pity. The 'bless your heart' type of pity. The type of pity people in the country show to those kids who ate worms and mud pies... I don't know. Maybe I'm just overthinking things.

"I'm fine. Well, besides my phone, I'm fine. No worries," I said.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

I nodded. I'm not super burly or anything, but it'll take a bit more than a bike to take me out. Maybe if she hit me twice then I'd be in trouble.