I woke up to the sound of banging on my door.
"Get the fuck up Vee!" I heard my mom yelling behind my broken door.
If she knocked any harder it probably would've fallen off.
I rub my eyes and lay in bed until I feel myself fully wake up. I grabbed my phone next to me on the bed and plugged it up because I forgot to do it the night before. I checked to see if I got any messages but I'm not sure what I was expecting.
No new messages.
Well, some emails and social media notifications. Just mostly spam.
I went out of my room and walked to the bathroom. I grabbed my head, half asleep, forgetting I impulsively cut my hair off last night. Oh, I'm bald. I forgot. I guess that's just one less thing I have to worry about.
I strip my clothes off and turn the faucet to start the shower. It took a minute for the water to come down from the rusty faucet head but eventually running water came down and I began to strip my clothes off. I stepped in the shower and stood there for most of the time just thinking. I was thinking about my first day, my parents, our house, and what will kids say or think of me. I told myself whatever happens, I'm going to have a good day.
To preserve water, I washed my face, brushed my teeth and shaved in the shower in 10 minutes. After I got out I grabbed my towel and left the bathroom to go to my room and chose my outfit for school.
Since our house is pretty small, to get to my room I have to walk through the living room and my parents and I share one bathroom. I walked out into the living room from the bathroom to see my dad sitting on the couch scrolling through his phone suspiciously. He looked up and saw me and mumbled something then got up and went to the bathroom behind me and shut the door.
I went to my room and tossed my towel on the bed and walked to my closet. I was excited to pick an outfit for school that was unique and showed my creativity. Maybe I'll get some compliments and make a friend or two.
Before I could even pick anything out my mom came rushing into my room and I jumped up in surprise covering my privates. "Mom could you maybe knock next time?!"
"Oh please, I used to wipe shit off you and change your diapers, nothings new."
I sighed and grabbed my towel and covered my body as she walked into my room a little more while holding black fabric.
"Yeah, well that doesn't mean privacy doesn't exist I'm an adult now." Well 17 is close enough to an adult anyway . I sighed and looked down to what she was holding. "What's that?"
"Your new uniform. We're leaving in 5 minutes so if you're not ready by then either walk or get a ride from a friend."
Uniform?
"A uniform? I thought Preston High didn't have uniforms."
"You're going to the Preston Academy not the public high school."
At that moment my only thought was WTF.
Why is she making me go to the academy and not the high school. Why didn't she tell me sooner? Why did she change her mind?
This changes everything. Not that I was ecstatic to go to Preston High but at the very least they allowed for originality. They didn't require uniforms and the dress code their was on the lenient side because it was a public school. Now I would be going to the academy across from the high school, with self righteous kids that probably have no idea what public transportation was. Not to mention there's no type of creativity. Why didn't she tell me that sooner? I had so many questions for her that I wanted to ask in that moment but I was dumbfounded and in shock so nothing came out of my mouth.
My mom put the black and white uniform on the bed and turned around and started walking out of my room. She turned around and said "Now you have 4 minutes" shut my door and left.
With a simple sigh I grabbed the uniform and looked at it before taking my towel off and putting it on. It was the ugliest thing I think i've ever worn in my life. It was a plain basic black skirt and a white button up and a black sweater vest. Oh, and a tie. So simple yet so ugly. My body didn't fit the skirt right and my whole ass cheek felt like it was coming out from the back. I tried to pull the skirt down but then it got too tight on my stomach. I put on white socks and some black doc martens I was lucky to find at the thrift in decent condition, and looked at myself quickly before grabbing my tote bag and rushing out of the room.
My mom and I got into her car and we started driving towards the academy. It felt like I didn't even sleep the night before and I took a nap on the way there.
We got there so soon but the academy is 35 minutes away from where I live, on the edge of town where all the rich folks live. Across from the academy miles down the field you could see the public high school. I sighed wishing that was where I was instead of here. Yeah they were rich and stuck up but I thought maybe i'd have a better chance meeting someone I relate too since it was a public.
My mom's car looked so out of place compared to the cars that were parked in the lot in front of the school. She had a 2001 red Honda accord and the cars around us were Teslas and Mercedes and other luxury cars that I honestly never even seen before. Something about the atmosphere here made me feel ashamed to be riding with my mom in this car. Compared to everyone else we looked like we came out of a homeless shelter. Note to self, if I do manage to make friends, make sure they don't know I am not rich. It would be too humiliating. 115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJ0InrS9zm
She dropped me off in front of the building by the registration office and told me to figure everything out from here. I got out of the car and turned around to say bye to my mom. She rolled her window down and waved at me and told me she'd be back to pick me up.
I walked into the big white pillared building clutching my bag. I watched as all the cars around me also had their moms dropping them off and some of the older students were parking in the lots. As I entered the building the smell of marble and fresh paint hit me and I stopped and took a minute to look around the building.
"Hi, Welcome to Preston Academy. Are you looking for your class young lady?"
A friendly older redhead woman approached me and she looked very kind. "Yes ma'am. I'm new so this is my first year in this town and uh i'm not sure where to go."
I lied. I've been living here for a while but just not on this side of town, and since my parents lied on my application, I had to keep in character.
"Okay let me get you all set up. I need your first, middle and last name and your grade." We started walking to her desk a few feet away.
"Victoria Crowley. Senior."
"No middle name?"
"No ma'am, my parents ran out of ideas." I smiled trying to make a joke but she seemed too distracted to hear and ignored it. Or maybe i'm just not funny.
"Okay so you have 4 classes today. Environmental Science, English 4, AP Calculus, and Modern Art. Monday and Wednesday you will have these classes and Tuesdays and Thursdays you have a language class, choir and P.E."
I nodded slowly taking in all the information she was telling me. It seems a bit abnormal but I think I can handle it. Also, no classes on Friday is a plus.
"Each class is 1.5 hours long and you have a 30 minute lunch period from 12 to 12:30 however the cafeteria will be open until school lets out if you decide you want a snack. The library is open 7am to 9pm and we have study halls I recommend you go to which happen between classes and after school lets out. Are there any questions before I continue?"
"Nope."
Actually, yeah but I don't want to look dumb so I won't ask.
"Okay! Here's a print out of your schedule and it has the class building number, teachers name and room number. I also suggest you ask around as well most of the kids here are second or third year students so they'll know the way."
I let out a small sigh and took the paper she handed me from behind the desk she was sitting down at. She gave me a polite smile and I smiled back and walked back towards the exit.
I was walking around the academy looking super confused and frustrated. I was probably going to be super late to my first class because it was going to take me forever to navigate where everything was. I was looking around at people walking back and forth talking amongst each other as we all wore similar clothing except from our shoes and some people customizing their bags and sweater vests.
I finally found the red brick building that my first class was supposed to be in. I think anyway. It read "Science Building" so I was really hoping I was right. I found the class number on my printed schedule and went into the class fashionably late. A bunch of people were already seated but there were a few empty seats. Everyone's eyes shifted towards me when I walked in. I kept my gaze down so I wouldn't awkwardly make eye contact with somebody and found a seat at an empty lab table in the back of the class.
"Okay so I know it's the first day and there's plenty of new students at Preston Academy, but most of the students in here are familiar with the school so if you are not new find someone you haven't seen before and sit next to them. We have about 5 new faces in here so the rest of you that don't have someone new to sit next to find someone you don't know or don't talk to that much and introduce yourself to them."
I sat at my table looking around at everyone moving seats and chatting. The teacher sat attentively waiting for everyone to sit down with their desired partners. I patiently waited until some girl with long blonde hair came towards me and told me to move seats to sit by her in the front. I reluctantly got up and moved with her to the front of the classroom.
"Hey I'm Sarah nice to meet you!"
"I'm Vee, nice to meet you too. You're not new?"
"We'll technically, yes but I grew up here so I already know my way around pretty well. Plus, my siblings go here so you know how that goes." She gave a friendly smile and seemed very cheerful and bubbly.
"Wow that's cool, so you grew up coming here?"
"Yeah. Usually the Academy has events for little kids or adults and programs that include everyone local so it's almost like one big messed up family."
Wow that's pretty cool I guess. I kind of wish my side of town was that friendly and community oriented. Instead i'm surrounded by a bunch of old people that don't like getting involved with anything. I wanted to ask how and why it was a "messed up" family but before I could the teacher interrupted our conversation.
"Okay, now that everyone's acquainted, the person you're sitting next to is going to be your lab partner for the semester. Unless of course you have a personal reason to which you want to switch with someone then you can talk to me after class but I'm hoping that you guys can make new friends and get along well."115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJB2wG33pB
After a while I reached my lunch break and I was so tired and finally got to take a break. The lunch room wasn't too far from my previous class and I got let out extra early so I actually had time to sit eat and relax.
I walked through the huge cafeteria towards the lunch options and got a veggie wrap and water. I walked around for a bit until I was called over by the girl I met earlier, Sarah. We exchanged smiles and I went and sat at the table she was at.
"Hi Vee! Guys this is Vee she's in my Science."
She introduced me to a bunch of people that were sitting at the table, most of them looking much older than Sarah and me. There were 2 guys and another girl at the table making it 5 of us. They didn't pay too much attention to me other than nodding and going back to eating or talking amongst each other.
"They'll warm up to you. There juniors so they feel like there too good to be here. 'Junioritis'.
"That's a thing?"
"Apparently." We both giggled simultaneously.
"Are they your friends?"
"Something like that." She then continued eating without further explanation or introduction of who the people were that she was sitting with.
We sat and talked most of lunch and since it was such a short time it went by super fast.
115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGxvrxlerV
