Chapter 2:
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
I continued sitting at the bed’s edge, staring at the floor. I drew a lungful of air and made a deep sigh. I gave my back to the bed and I was laying face-up with my hands behind my head. I closed my eyes and the image of the tearing girl came to me with vivid detail. My eyes quickly opened. I relocated myself to the same sitting position and made another sigh. “Time to get ready, I guess.” I said to myself.
I was raised by my feet and started to head toward the closet, opposite the computer. I opened the sliding door and looked at my attire. "Like I have much of a choice," I thought to myself, "I’m going to a uniformed school."
I reached for a white collared T-shirt that hung from a bright blue hanger and threw it to the bed. I then held a pair of blue denim jeans and tossed it near the shirt. I looked below at the floor and saw my selection of shoes. At least they don’t any regulations about the shoes you wear. I picked up a pair of black dress shoes and placed them near the bottom of the bed.
With the selection of my school appearance chosen, I started to take off the wrinkled white shirt and my black sweat pants I used for my sleeping attire. After I’ve changed, I went to the computer desk. Below it was a brown book bag; within it were my school supplies and books needed for the first day. I exited my room and entered the hallway.
Pictures of me and my sister are found through the walls, none with my family. Half way through the hall was a dark red table with framed pictures. As I passed by the table, I stopped and looked at them. They depicted photos of me with my mother and father when I was very young. I grabbed one with a bright orange frame that showed me, about two years old, being held by my father as I sat on his shoulder with my hands joyfully in the air as I laugh. I had no recollection of that event or who my father was, nor mother. I placed the photo down on its table and continued to head out the door.
“Norma, I’m leaving now!” I shouted with my hand on the front door’s knob.
“Wait, Lupus, did you even eat breakfast?”
“No, I have a sandwich wrapped! I’ll eat along the walk to school!”
“Ok, have fun at school, and at least make a friend to make the change more pleasant!”
“Alright, I hear ya sis! Bye!”
“I’ll see you when you get back!”
I walked out the door and started to head in the direction of my new school. The sky was covered with thick white clouds and the wind was cold, but in a refreshing way.
With the house located in such a small distance from the school, I arrived within twenty minutes. I stood in front of the high, black, school gates with sharpen tips and I was just standing there in awe at the size of the school itself and the area given to the students to roam. Behind the opened gates was a tall tree centered in the middle of the courtyard.
“I take it that you’re not from around here.” A voice from behind me had said.
“Hmm…Are you speaking to me?” I asked as I turned around and saw a brown-haired boy, about my age, wearing glasses.
“Well you’re the only one standing, looking like you never saw the place.” He replied as he adjusted his glasses.
“Yes, I’m new. I just moved here during the summer.” I continued to stare at the school.
“Really, so you’re still being accustomed to the place, right?”
“Yeah… the school is pretty big for a high school. If I didn’t know any better, I would think it’s a college of some sort.”
“Yes, the school is big and has a good student to teacher ratio as well, so there’s more individual attention here. Classes are about ten to fifteen people. Oh! How rude of me, I’m Fredrick. You can call me Fred, that’s what my friends call me.”
“Fred, huh? My name is Lupus.”
"Why would he want to be my friend", I thought to myself, "if he doesn’t know me well enough?"
“Ok, Lupus. There’s still some time before the school bell rings to call us in. I’ll show you the group. They’re great people and some of my best friends.”
“Sure, I’ll sick around.”
“Great, they hang around the west side of the building. Follow me.” He made a forward gesture as if leading an expedition.
He led me around the great tree and to a side of the main building where there was two boys of my age. They were laughing and waving their hands around their own heads.
“Hey guys,” said Fred to get their attention, “we have a new student to Silva High School.”
Both boys halted their activities, “How new is he Fred?” said one with long black hair running a little passed his shoulders and a scar on the left side of his chin.
“He said he moved into town during the summer.” Fred said while adjusting his glasses.
“Well, welcome to Silva…do you have a name buddy?” said the other. A stern look of confidence in his face as his blonde hair runs down to cover one of his eyes.
“My name is Lupus, nice to meet you guys.”
“Well, Lupus,” said Fred, “the long haired one here is Trent and the other with the one eye is William.”
“Now Fred,” started William, “you know I have both my eyes. Don’t let him freak you out on your first day.” He told me as he lifted his blonde hair to reveal a scar along his right eye, starting at the top of his head and moving down and curves around the eye about a fourth of an inch before blindness.
Trent then chuckles, “Anyways, with formalities over with, tells us about yourself Lupus.” He stood with his arms crossed across his chest.
“Well I’m seventeen and I moved from a village called Lionheart to this town of Silva a few days after my junior year in high school. I left all my friends back home and I’m still adjusting from the move.”
“Don’t worry about it,” said William, “I moved here in the middle of my sophomore year, so at least you can know what things are like here. I was confused beyond all reason when I entered Silva High.”
“Well I suppose you’re right,” I responded, regretting I complained about the move.
The bell rung in the beat of a flowing sequence and everyone started to enter the school. “Well let’s get going,” said Fredrick.
“Hey, hold up!” I exclaimed, “I don’t know where to go now.”
“Do you have your schedule with you?” said Fred.
“Yes, I do.” I said as I checked my pockets and obtained the schedule.
“Then what’s your first class?”
“It’s English, with a Glen Harward.”
“Then you’re with us, we all have Harward right now.” Fred said adjusting his glasses another time.
“Ok, so I’ll just follow you guys.”
They then led me into the main building and to a hallway with many doors and passage ways. Students remain along the halls talking and playing with friends. Then we’ve reached our first class, room 62 – Senior English. Harward was sitting at his desk and he pointed at the white board. It said, “Pick up a number and wait in the back to open it.” On his desk were envelops, each with a number on them and I’ve noticed that the student desks were marked with a number as well.
Before I said anything, Fredrick said, “Pick up a number ranging close to each other. The numbers correspond to the numbers on the desk.” He adjusted his glasses and pick up a twelve. I followed and picked thirteen, William picked fourteen, and Trent fifteen. We went to the back of the room and waited instructions. The final bell rung and all the students had arrived and selected their number.
Harward stood from his desk, he was a tall man with short curly hair, a thick mustache, and wore a very old set of spectacles. He then made his announcement, “Alright, welcome to another year at Silva. Now that you have chosen your number –” “We sit on the numbered desk it shows on the envelop.” Fredrick interrupted while adjusting his specs. “No,” Harward said. Fredrick was shocked and gave a small grunt of misunderstanding. “Open the envelops,” Harward continued, “and inside will be another number. That will be your seat. Now sit down and we will begin class.”
I opened the envelop and was assigned desk number five. The class desks were set up in five rows of three. I sat in the middle of the second row, William was the first one in the front row, Fredrick was the last one in the fourth row, and Trent was in the middle of the last row. I remained sitting, until a girl with black curly long hair came to the right side of me and as she was sitting in her desk, she dropped a red spiral-bound notebook with many words running through the cover. I reached my hand toward the red book, and when I reached the book on the floor, both our hands met. Her hand was on top of my own. I looked up at her and our eyes met; she then quickly moved her hand and shifted her head toward the ground to avoid eye-contact. “Could you please…give me my notebook back?” she said in a sweet, almost silent voice. “Yes, here you are,” I said hesitantly. She grabbed the book, still looking at the ground, and slowly brought it back to her as she embraced it with her arms and stared at her desk.
“That book seems to be important to you.” I said to her.
“Oh,” she said startled, “yes…it is.”
“Do you mind me asking what’s written in the book?”
“Well…it’s nothing…just some things I write down…”
“So like a diary?”
“No…not a diary…just things I…experience, see…and feel.”
“Isn’t that what a diary is?”
“Yes…it is…but it’s the way I write in it…that doesn’t make it a diary…”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Her gazed shifted from her desk to the ground opposite my direction, “Here…read the first page,” she said extending the book to me. I grabbed it and she placed her hands in front of her and held them together as she stared at her hands. I positioned the book on my desk and opened it to the first page. It started, “I was standing close by a lake while the sun was glistening on the water’s surface. A dark cloud was seen coming from the horizon.” A brief description was written followed by an arrangement of words.
The Blazing Sun
Standing close by the lake’s side,
Gazing at a joyous sawn,
And looking at the coming tide,
I saw it flow and then recede; since the early dawn.
It has been repeated all day, and the one before,
Bewildering as it follows its quotidian tasks;
As it flows higher and lower even more,
While the fishermen make their casts.
And the sun radiates on the waves’ tops,
Shimmering with a great light
As if the lake is beaten by solar drops.
The blazing lake will rend your sight,
But increase your awe and wonder.
This beautiful site will end, for a storm will thunder.
I read the excerpt and closed the book. “So it’s a book of your poetry?” I said as I gave her the red book. “Yes…it is…” she said as she held the book with her arms and stared at her desk. “Oh, sorry, I never introduced myself. I’m Lupus.” She turned her head and her brown eyes sparkled a bit as she gave a slight smile. “I’m Sophia…nice to meet you…Lupus…”
The breeze continued to cool the tree and field, as Lupus sat reminiscing of his past. He was still staring at the black leather book, “My first day of school…it was pleasant…but still disturbing because of that dream. Each time I closed my eyes an image of someone I never seen before came to me as she continued to tear and smile.” He shifts his gaze to the dirt road and considers following it to the unknown location it will take him. “I was brought here for some reason, even if I don’t know what it is exactly, I will still press on.” Lupus stares at the book another time. “Until I can see her once more. I was ignorant of your feelings until the day I was brought here. The day I was forced into this side of the world by an unknown force with no reason or direction to follow.” He changes his stare to the clear blue sky, obscured by the branches of the tree.
