I Love You To Death

Chapter Four

 Vivienne

I've been here before; I've seen and walked through the cavernous cafeterias, indoor gardens, recreation centers, auditoriums, gyms and shower rooms. I remember pondering how this space could ever be anything but royally pristine and peaceful. Yes, I've been here before but not when it's buzzing with the energy of students who've just returned from The Hamptons or their beach house in The Maldives with the most adventurous and  jaw-dropping stories.

I haven't seen the cliques click back into place in a matter of seconds, falling back to the usual status quo, I haven't seen the stares people are giving me which I can't quite translate and I haven't seen the delicious boys roaming the halls with bags casually slung across their bodies. I've heard about St. Jude's unparalleled academic program but I've also heard of the mean girls and their social hierarchy, which I want nothing to do with. I stand here in front of my locker, filling it up with my belongings in utter satisfaction at my social status: unknown. All I have to do is blend in with the crowd and no one will notice me.

 "Newbie?" a tall, milk-chocolate skinned, hazel eyed, black haired goddess is talking to me. I'm momentarily caught off guard by her beauty.

"Yeah" I smile up at her as I suddenly find difficulty in packing my locker with books.

"I've been going here since kindergarten, I know everyone," her voice is bouncing on clouds. "So when I saw a mop of red hair lurking about, I just had to meet you!" she speaks to me through a pearly white grin.

"It's Jenny by the way, but all my friends call me Jen." She pantomimes quotation marks as she says "friends" and then grins even wider (if that's even possible) as she looks down at me expectantly. I'm so taken aback that she's even speaking to me that I don't realize it's my turn to introduce myself.

"I'm Vivienne. Vivienne Johnson." I don't even realize that I stuck my hand out for a handshake until she pauses, looks at it and shakes it hesitantly. Nice, Vivienne. Just nice (why do I care anyway?).

"So what do you have for first period?" she asks.

"Math, you?"

"I guess I'll be walking you to class then." she loops her arm around mine and guides me through long, never ending halls that wouldn't be distinguishable if it weren't for the range of colored posters decorating the bulletin boards like confetti. All the while, she and I get looks of all sorts, I notice. I see a couple of eyes roll under thick coats of mascara that shape their lashes, I see upturned noses and pouts and a few wide-eyed expressionless faces our way. I scrunch up my nose.

"Jenny, am I the only one feeling people's stares burning into my skin?" I ask.

"Oh no! Audrey have you looked in the mirror lately? You're an eye magnet, your hair alone is, how else would I have singled you out? But with that face" she laughs casually as if we both know what she's talking about but then realizes I that don't follow her, stops walking midway and pauses to look at me, her perfectly plucked eyebrows raised forming arches.

"Darling, you're in for something—" she pauses, her eyes squinted "But I can't let you take all the credit, it's also the fact that I'm your tour guide. You and I-" she smirks as she appoints a finger from her to me, "We're a deadly combination" She winks and starts to walk again, but at a faster pace. I look at her and can't help but smile, because I feel unusually comfortable with her. This is totally naïve of me, but I think I can trust her.

"Come on, you don't want to be late for your first class, I'll walk you through the history of our student body during lunch or a free period."

"Okay" I can't think of anything else to say, everything's happening so quickly. This is not how I expected my first day to be. I feel my cheeks decorate themselves in blush as I contemplate what she said about me. Am I dreaming?