Chapter 3

As soon as I got away from the room I literally ran to my very pretty dark blue locker hoping to find Hannah there. We had so much to talk about. Most importantly we had to discuss this stupid new homeroom stuff that was going to keep us from talking for another period. Last year we had used homeroom to talk about guys, finish any homework we forgot or just gossip, but it was obvious that this year this was going to change. I felt like my whole life could come tumbling down on me in seconds if someone gave it a push and I didn’t know why.

Seconds later I spotted Hannah’s long blonde hair hitting people in the face as she went weaving through the crowds. If I didn’t know her better I would think she was in a hurry to get to class, but I did. I knew she was actually rushing to our lockers which were right next to each other, the way they always had been. At least something stayed normal in my life.

“Ash! What happened? Why were you late? And most importantly why aren’t you in my homeroom? I was dying from boredom in there!” Hannah started, bursting out full of her unanswerable questions. Whenever she wants information she gets hyped up and it builds up on her, causing everything she says to be a rush. It only stops when she has heard what she had wants to find out. Thankfully I had been expecting this though so I piped in and was able to shut her up.

“Hannah, I really don’t know. I had to stay home first period because of family issues and when I got to school this helpless new teacher gave me my schedule. I just went straight to the room it said without really reading through it so I didn’t know I should stop by your room, or that we wouldn’t be in the same room at all. You can’t even imagine how embarrassed I was. I walked into class with the grin whoever was late used to enter class with last year. Everyone in my homeroom probably thinks I’m crazy now!” I explained leaving out some parts. Okay so I left out some mayor parts, but it didn’t matter right now. It wasn’t like Hannah’s brain would process all the extra information. She would pick out what she wanted to, and ignore the rest. I would tell her what had happened when she gave me her full attention.

“You walked in like that? Only you’re smart enough to pull that on your fist day! What kind of family issues do you have? You’re going to have to explain at lunch! And you’re also going to have to tell me about this teacher too. She might be someone we need to suck up to!” Hannah said giggling. I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t expecting her to get more than that into her mind. She just wasn’t the type of person who paid interest to details. The big picture was enough for her.

“Of course I’ll explain during lunch! You are my best friend! The teacher doesn’t need sucking up to. Believe me I tried! She just doesn’t realize it and is pretty weird, if we phrase nicely. It took her 10 minutes to find my schedule, which I ended up having to point out!” I told her bursting out laughing.

“You – had – to – show – the – teacher – where – to – find – your – schedule?” Hannah asked between laughs.

“Mmmhhhmm” Was all I could answer because I was laughing so far.

“Wow. That teacher must really be something!” Hannah said while we headed off to class.

“Yep. She’s the best one out there!” I told her while stopping in front of my next room, my stomach clenching. “Well I got to go! See you at lunch!” Hannah just nodded before bobbing away through the crowd.

I entered the class room observing who was in this class. To my relief I only saw two really cute guys from my homeroom, and a bunch of other people that I have had classes with before. I even spotted my friend Chris which caused me to sigh, relaxing. A weight lifted from my shoulders as I noted that this was not going to be one of those unbearable classes like homeroom.

Making my way over to Chris, who was hanging out with some other football players I dropped my bag on my desk with a loud thump that I hadn’t meant to make.

“I’m so glad you’re in this class.” I sighed from relief, sliding into my usual spot next to him before class starts.

“Get away from me! I have friends who will protect me.” He yelled at me.

“Not this time.” I replied smirking.

“What?!” He screamed again before finally turning towards me. At the sight of his face I couldn’t help, but burst out in complete laughter. “Oh, it was you Ash.”

“Chris, who did you think it was?” I asked him teasingly. He always freaked out and it was hilarious watching him.

“I don’t know, it could have been freaky Marissa. I mean you never know. Just last period-” Chris started, but I cut him off. That was something I knew probably didn’t happen since he always so careful with his friends, making sure he doesn’t make any contact with outcasts.

“I don’t even want to know!” I whispered as the bell rang, quickly removing my bag from the table. Looking up to the front of  I spotted one of the guys from homeroom walk in and continue all the way to the back and one who sat down completely up front, right in front of the teachers desk. I was sitting in the middle of the room. It was interesting how we all tried to stay as far away from each other as possible. In a way it even hurt to think about how hostile we were being to each other because of a class we were unlucky enough to have to take together. I mean seriously! We didn’t even know each other. I just recognized them from seeing them before, like so many other people in this school.

I was about to truly lose myself in my trance of thinking when a note hit me from the side.

I missed you so much Ashley! I had to survive 4 whole weeks without any of you! You cannot believe how boring it was at my grandma’s house.

It was from Chris, complaining about the things he did over the summer, which were actually amazing. Not every person gets to be and the beach all summer and go scuba diving, parasailing, kayaking…He did things nobody has ever done in school, goes to extravagant places and complains about it. It was just the way Chris was and always will be.  

I quickly scribbled my reply to him before our teacher arrived. That was the good thing about her. She was always 5-10 minutes late, giving us more time to discuss anything important… or not so important. 

I missed you too Chris, and I bet that beach wasn’t that bad.

I tossed it onto his desk in plain sight and waited for a reply, a reply that I never got. As soon as Mr. Douglass entered the room I just sat there hoping class would end soon. Then I could be off to next period which I had with Hannah. Hopefully it would be tons better then these first two I had attended.

When the bell rang I jumped up for the second time today and ran out of the room. The only difference this time was that I wasn’t nearly as fast as last period. I was still in a hurry to get out, just not as big of one as I had been before. This class had been significantly better, that was something I had to admit.

As soon as I entered the science lab, which was the room where my next period was I almost turned around and left. Five people from my homeroom class were here! Panic rose inside of me when it occurred that they could have changed our schedules and made this a period just like homeroom, awkward, confusing and scary in a way.  For minutes I stood in the door staring, regretting that I had come to school today. I would have stood there longer but Hannah pushed me in!

“Ash? What were you doing?” She asked worried and I could see why. I had been standing in the door staring at people who I was only afraid of because I had to take the creepiest class on Earth with them. I was ‘blaming’ them for something they didn’t even do. It was like the 3 of us in last period.

“I was just shocked to see someone in this class.” I told her quickly trying to shake her off.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you, but you’ll explain during lunch right?” Hannah asked and I sighed. Of course I would tell her about homeroom, but I wouldn’t tell her about what happened at home that morning. If I did she would probably freak out and it would make her sure of the fact that I was everything but normal.

“You know I will!” I told her as we took our seats on different sides of the room. We weren’t allowed to be lab partners since 7th grade, when we had let our experiment out the window. The two of us couldn’t kill the frog, so we let it go. We didn’t think it was a big deal but our teacher disagreed.

This was one of the only classes I listened in, because it helped the period pass by a lot quicker. It was also one of the only interesting classes I had, so to my luck it wasn’t long before the bell rang and Hannah was dragging me into the cafeteria. We quickly sat down at our table which only stood of the usual 6 of us. Hannah, Chris and I sat on one side while Abby, Shawn and Ryan sat on the other.

“Okay, spill! Why have you been removed from normal homeroom?” Hannah urged me.

“Removed? The teacher told our class that everyone was being spilt up into confidential groups where we could discuss our problems.” I said staring at Hannah like she was crazy while the others mirrored my look. Well everyone but Hannah who was deep in thought.

“What are you talking about? Mr. Reid told us everything would be like the years before. Are you sure you heard your teacher right?” Hannah asked me obviously getting worried because of the fact that we had completely different information on the same subject and mine was the only one that stuck out of the line. This had never happened before.  Everyone either had the same or totally different versions in the past.

“I’m sure that’s what she said! I was totally freaked out in that class! Nobody said a word and we had to fill out some form with crazy questions on it like: ‘Any visits to or from people you never knew your parents or family members knew?’ The teacher was also really mysterious. She wouldn’t tell us like anything! She just said we would find out soon!” I explained.

“You don’t have a fever do you Ash? You’re talking nonsense! This obviously didn’t happen! Why would the school even ask questions like that?” Hannah asked again while she also started to look at me like I was crazy. Due to this I sighed. What would have if I told her about this morning?

“It did happen! You can ask any of my classmates!” I objected!

“I thought you didn’t talk to any of them! You really are going crazy!” Hannah said confused.

“I didn’t talk to any of them, but I do recognize them! There’s one right there!” I said pointing to a hot guy talking to a group of kids looking really uncomfortable.

“A guy like that probably wasn’t in your class but fine! I’ll ask him!” Hannah said storming off to ask the guy who was looking pretty uncomfortable while talking to a group of people. We watched in interest as she talked, screamed and cussed at him. At the sight of this the group left him and Hannah alone, but he just ended up blowing her off. I was the only one who could see he was somewhat relieved that Hannah had been there to ‘save’ him.

When she finally came back she was horribly mad.

“He was so mean! He told me what happens in his classes is confidential and only for him and his classmates to know about! He also told me to bug off, and then left me. I also got some group real mad at me for interrupting them.” Hannah complained.

“So we still don’t know if Ash is going crazy or not.” Ryan confirmed glancing at me like I was contagious.

“Actually I’m pretty sure she’s not right in the mind. It’s not like she ever was.” Abby muttered under her breath just loud enough for Ryan and Shawn to hear, though I heard without meaning to too. This had been happening to me all day. I could easily listen in on conversations without wanting to and I had a feeling it was because of what had happened that morning.

 Just today I had heard so many of my classmates from homeroom have fights with their friends. Some of them even separated for good, and they somehow all had to do with the person getting more distant than before.

“You’re right Abby! She’s totally out of it again! I don’t think she’s in her right mind!” Shawn whispered back to Abby and Ryan who nodded, agreeing.

“Look we really have to go! I promised the football team we’d go sit with them!” Ryan told us while getting up and expectantly looking at Shawn and Chris. They both got up with him, and turned to walk away, but Chris stayed behind for a few seconds.

“Get yourself checked out somewhere. Maybe go down to the counselors’ office, I don’t know! Call me about what happens after school!” he told me before leaving with the others. Even though he was selfish he could care occasionally. I just don’t get it though! Why can’t they understand now that I need them to? They always understood everything before.

“I’m sorry but we really have to go to!” Abby started, getting up. “We promised Alison we’d drop by their table during lunch.”

Hannah just looked at me fully of agony. “Call me if you need any help! I’m really sorry.” She told me before I had to watch my best friend leave me too.

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