First Day of High School

I need to be strategic about this. These next few steps will be the very first steps of my high school career. They need to count.

I take one step forward and I feel my toe graze the paved curb and then slip. I hear the scrape of shoe on concrete and those few seconds when it feels as though I'm floating down on my way to dirt I can only think of one thing to say.

"Oh shit!" spews from my mouth like venom. I feel all kinds of judgmental eyes drilling through me as I gather my scattered dignity and composure. I take a deep breath and try again. This time my feet don't fail me and I make it to the door.

Just as I thought my very first morning couldn't get any worse, I get proven wrong by my uncontrollable awkwardness. I turn the corner and the next thing I know I am sitting in what I can only assume is the nurse's office, rocking an ice pack on my head, Dorothy-style, and a fellow delinquent is sitting in a chair a couple feet away. He is also icing his wounds but not on his head. My guess is that we knocked into each other and his hand accidentally hit me a little too hard since he was cradling his fist.

"What happened?" the question directed towards anyone who can hear.

"Uh are you okay? Can you hear me? What do you remember?" I turn to where the country sweetheart voice came from and it turns out to be a petite, grey haired woman in a suit whom I can only assume is the nurse.

"I'm fine just a little headache but I'm fine. What happened?" I repeat my original question a little agitated that she's getting worked up over nothing.

"You bumped into me. You were out cold. I brought you here. Now that you're all caught up I'm going." the boy answers. He stands up and I now realize that he is really good looking and toned under the grey t-shirt he's wearing. He hands the bag of water to the lady, Ms. Collins from her name tag. He turns on his heel and strides out of the room and down the hall.

"Who was that?" I try to hide my excitement when I turn to look at her.

"That was Greyson Turner. He was the one you collided with. Do you know where your next class is?" she asks brushing aside my obvious interest in the specimen who just left.

"I think it's math. With Mr. Jacobsen?" I say not as confidently as I would like.

"Outside that door there is a stairwell. Go to the second floor and the it'll be the third door on your left. Room 201. Here is a note for the teacher explaining why you're tardy. If your symptoms get worse just come back here and let me know." she hands me the note and smiles.

I walk out into the almost empty hall and find the stairwell. After a few skipped steps, I get to the second floor. I begin my way down the hall and as I walk I notice things about the brick of the walls. Every single piece of brick has writing on it except for a few left untouched here and there.

I reach room 201 just as Ms. Collins said and I walk in. The teacher isn't even in the classroom yet so I decide to refrain from putting the note on his desk. I look around for an empty seat or maybe a little pity from someone and I sit on the third over and second back. I start getting my supplies out of my bag when I hear a familiar voice. I look over and there he is in his natural habitat. I decide not to disturb him and just notice everything going on. The way his jaw moves when he talks and the way his eyes widen when he gets interested in the topic he's speaking about. My daze is broken by the door closing behind the teacher and I am forced to revert back to life.