“Sweet Southside; more like s***ty Southside”, I grumbled with hatred as I walked into the school.

Pushing open the double doors I strode into my prison like I owned it making my presence known. With my clothes all black and my Elctrickz lipstick I stuck out like a sore thumb. I honestly could care less. Freshman stared at me and they were whispering amongst themselves until I raised my glaze from the floor to them allowing them to see my ice cold green eyes. Silence overtook the small group I was passing. A small smile appeared on my lips as I kept walking.

Traveling through the school I noted new and old faces including all my worshippers whom bowed their heads in respect for what reason I did not know, I wasn’t a goddess. I continued until I reached my locker which had been mine for 3 years now particularly because no one could open it and the fact that it was the number 666 and spray-painted black. It was also convenient for me this year since it was in the senior hallway which made it all the easier to be late to class without really being late.

I spun the lock as fast as I could then stopped it abruptly and the locker clicked open. Everything I had left in here from last year was still here; caution tape, fake rubber bat, extra tube of lipstick, HIM beanie, and a lot of other things. I took my bag off my shoulder and put it in the locker where I could find room. I safely betted that I really wouldn’t need anything except maybe a pencil for signing policy contracts and crap like that so I only took a notebook and stuck a very old mechanical pencil behind my ear with my dreadful schedule folded neatly in my front pocket.

I sighed and slammed my locker as the homeroom bell rang; I sighed again and started walking down the hall to room number 36 where I would be taking advanced chemistry and would hopefully find a safer way to blow up mail boxes on Saturdays. I couldn’t help but crack a smile as I entered the room.



*


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*

The homeroom bell rang through Michael’s ears pulling him out of the daze he had been in previously. His brother was next to him falling asleep with boredom. They were both ready to get going but the principal still hadn’t made his merry way to his office leaving them to wait for about an hour.

Michael sighed and tilted his head up and stretched out his legs and adjusted himself causing the chains which were hanging from his belt loops to create a loud cling to run through the small lobby of the office. His brother stirred a little then went back to being half dazed when the principal walked in.

“Sorry I had to confiscate some things.” He claimed causing my brother to jolt up right; the principal ignored it. “So gentlemen if you will follow me please.”

Michael got up and stretched quickly then allowed him to pass and lead them into his office. When they walked into his office all they could see were pop cans everywhere as if the janitors didn’t even bother to clean his office it just looked as if it had been labeled hopeless. The old man himself sat down behind a desk that had papers piled high enough to where he could barely be seen behind them.

“Alright I’m gonna make this quick and easy.” He said firmly. “You’ve read the rules correct?”

They both nodded.

“Good, follow them, don’t break them and we wont have any issues with each other.” He began ruffling through some papers and he caused one of the great towers to fall off his desk and onto the feet of Michael and his brother. Michael went to pick it up, “Don’t bother, damn things are just gonna get thrown away anyways. Here are your schedules and your each gonna have a girl come and show you around in a few minutes; that’s all.”

The boys looked at each other and then back at the old man and just shrugged and walked out. An announcement was made as they took their seats again as if the last minute and a half hadn’t even happened.



*


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*

“Please excuse this interruption: Camille Peterson and Jessica Stape please come down to the office, I repeat Camille Peterson and Jessica Stape to the office, thank you.”

The intercom in the corner became silent and I sighed as I gathered up my things and headed to the door.

“Uh-oh monster girls in trouble again!” A random girl called out.

I turned around and gave her a death glare which in turn made her cringe and shut her up instantly. Walking I heard her whisper about me and I could care less. Turning to the right I was faced with a small flight of stairs which I just jumped over the ledge not caring that there was a class staring at me in disbelief as I landed 13 feet below in front of their door, I just kept walking. It was completely silent in the halls as I made my way toward the office I could only hear my boots making contact with the blue and white linoleum beneath me. On my way I was met by who I suspected was the other girl who had been called because she took the same route as I did until we reached the office. The first thing I noticed upon arrival were two boys who looked asleep.

“Why are we here?” The girl asked with a snappy voice.

The secretary turned around in her chair and just pointed to the two boys and returned to her work without giving us an explanation. I just shrugged as the girl started to stare at me. I went over to the two boys and noticed one had bright white kid skin and was wearing a football jersey while the other had light brown skin and chains on his pants. Sighing I motioned for the girl to come over.

“Were supposed to show these guys around.” I said, “I’ll take this one.”

I kicked the guy with the chains and he sat bolt up right and looked at me confused. Then he rubbed his head and grabbed his stuff as I motioned for him to follow me. Walking out of the office I grabbed his schedule and overlooked his classes. Sighing I noticed we had all classes in common except for one, including lunch.

“You gonna talk to me or you just gonna be silent?” He asked me as we were on the stair heading for his locker which was right next to mine matter of fact, number 667.

In response I just shrugged.

“How about this; for starters my name is Michael.” He claimed.

I sighed, “I’m Jess.”

“See that wasn’t difficult now was it?” He asked.

I shrugged again choosing nonverbal language over verbal.

“You’re not much of a talker are you?” He asked.

I shook my head.

“Fine then look at me for a minute.” He said as he grabbed my hand and spun me around.

I dropped my stuff as my cold green eyes met his warm brown ones. Giving him the death glare I stared deeply into his eyes which surprisingly he didn’t flinch or cringe at all he just took it. For a minute I was completely surprised then he let me go and I turned and picked up my stuff and began walking again like nothing had happened. The rest of the walk went quickly due to the silence and I found his locker to the right of mine considering mine was the last on the row.

I put in his combo and just like mine it wouldn’t work properly. Sighing I tried what I do to mine and easily I was able to open it but I was left to wonder if he could. I would be forced to laugh if he couldn’t because then he would have to talk to someone else saving me from socializing. I suddenly got a wicked smile on my face.

“Can you do that?” I asked not even recognizing my own voice because I had barely said anything that long in the last three years.

He shrugged as he pushed me out of the way and shut the locker and tried what I had done. He was unsuccessful at first but just like the old saying third time was the charm. He turned and smiled at me as he took off his back pack and began to pull out his stuff. I just grunted and waited for him to be done.

“So what locker is yours?” He asked.

I pointed at the one next to his and to my surprise he opened it and looked inside.

“Hey what are you doing?!” I demanded.

“You’re not really a people person are you?” He asked causally as he continued to stare inside of my locker.

“What do you think?!”

“That would be a no then.” He said as he slammed the locker.

I just stared at him eyes wide and somewhat angry; all he did was counter it with a stupid grin that I already hated.

Ugh he teeth are so bright; so is his presence, I can’t wait until this day is over! I couldn’t help but thin to myself.

“Let’s just get going.” I mumbled unexcitedly.

“Okay.” He said with a smile still.

I quickly turned my back on him and walked down the hall to the library trying as hard as I could to ignore his bright presence. I couldn’t help but notice too that even though he was short for a guy he was taller than most of the girls who with no doubt would be all over him; even if he did have chains on his pants. I never understood why but it had always worked for guys, the whole Goth look, but for girls it was a different story entirely.

“So where to next Jess?” He asked happily rushing to my side.

I got the chills when he called me by my name and goose bumps formed all over my body.

“Library; you have to get put into the system or else you can’t check out books that have been here since the dawn of time, yay.” I said flatly.

“Hey you do have a sense of humor! That’s great! I was starting to think you hated the entire human race.”

Again with the smile; and of course I do!! I thought uncontrollably.

I responded with a sigh as we stepped through the open door of the library and down the steps finding the young librarian behind her desk, cleavage and all. Sighing I grabbed onto Michael’s sleeve and pulled him forward. Immediately the librarian’s attention was taken from her online chat room to me and Michael, but more Michael than anything.

“How can I help you?” She asked, her cougar eyes shining.

“He needs in the system.” I answered before he could even open his mouth.

She eyed me and then nodded, “Jessica sweetheart, you remember how to do it still right?”

I nodded, “I’ll do it.” I began to walk away.

“Ah ah, what did you forget?” She asked.

I froze and shuddered then turned, “Yes Miss Muex.” I said sweetly followed by a courtesy. The name left a horrid taste in my mouth as I turned away.

I quietly made my way to the computers and sat down with Michael ignoring Miss Muex’s attention to us or rather him. I stared into his warm brown eyes and I instantly recoiled. He hadn’t even really paid attention to the cougar; he had been staring at me the entire time! My sudden movement back caused me to clumsily fall backward.

“Aw s***! I’m sorry I didn’t mean to freak you out Jess!” He half whispered and half screamed.

“Its fine, just help me up.” I said coldly.

He strongly gripped me by the wrist and picked me up like I was a rag doll. I was deeply surprised which made myself trip over my own feet and fall against his chest, I stayed like that for about a second peacefully before I slapped myself into reality and sat back down and turned on the computer he was standing by. He sat back down with a questionable look on his face but I ignored it.

The computer took a few minutes to get started in which I spent just staring at the screen totally ignoring his attentive stare. The student login window pooped up and I took out his schedule again. I clicked my mouse on the student username and finally looked back at him; his eyes were still on me which sent a shiver down my back.

“Why black and white?” He asked suddenly.

“What?” I asked clueless about what he was talking about.

“Your hair; why black and white?” He clarified.

“Oh,” I breathed as I touched my hair. “I don’t know, I just did it that way.”

“Oh okay, I just thought it was cool.” He said trying to find my eyes which I didn’t let him locate as I turned my gaze onto his schedule.

“Okay, moving on.” I stated. “When you log in you have to put a 1 in front of the first five letters of your last name and then the first letter of your first name as your username.” I cleared my throat which was beginning to hurt. “And as your password is this number right here,” I pointed to a ten digit number on the top of his schedule right next to his worthless locker combination.

He nodded and typed in 1sierrm then the ten digit number which only came up as bullets for alleged privacy. Pressing enter a screen came up that was completely black with white numbers which I began typing on putting in codes that would allow him into the system, within less than a minute a normal screen appeared with a Novell screen on it and a normal blue background.

“So now what?” He asked.

“That’s it.” I said. “All you’ll need this for by the way is to check out book s and in classes when you write papers you’ll save to your drive. This should be right around here somewhere.” I said clicking on documents then something that said Michael Sierra-Winston. A screen that said “there are no documents within students file”, popped up and I exited out of it seconds later.

“Okay that’s not hard to remember I guess.” He said.

“Yeah.” I said looking at him wondering why his name was so uncoordinated like that.