Chapter 4: First Impressions

Nate:

When Thalia waltzed into my life. I knew my life was going to get a tad interesting and my life was kinda interesting.

The teachers and the students-mostly the teachers could not stop talking and gossiping about the dirty and disturbing rumours that surrounded the new student. It didn't bother me at all that the fact that my grade got a new student. It was really rare especially for us the most troublesome class in a school for kids with issues. The teachers couldn't stand us and the others looked down on us.

I was a ninth grader.

We are all just stupid.

I was sitting at the back row next the window doing some origami and totally minded my business. I leaned forward and built a paper plane as they discussed in hush whispers as the thin speckled kid was watching me with judgement.

"Mind your business, dude." He spat as I rolled my eyes and shot daggers at him .He sighed heavily and returned to study his grade eleven math equations that swam around the pages.

"Really, kind of hypocritcal. You practically hang out at the Teachers' lounge and told us about it." Then we had a staring contest. His amplified eyes stared at through his round lens of his glasses that creeped the hell at of me. I knew I shouldn't be playing around with this kid as much as he was smart. He had anger issues and could hack things for fun even though he was shrimp looking and tall. After our fight he huffed and poked his nose back that heavy textbook built like a brick.

The girls huddled their tables and chat the hell away and whereas my best friend was Sasha, a tall athletic girl with long blonde hair and a rebellious streak, was gazing out the window and patiently waiting for the morning bell for assembly.

The new kid was one: An art prodigy, two: Dirty rumours about how many guys she gets, Three: That she's younger than some of us.

It didn't sound but if it got the teachers talkin' it was bad. I closed my eyes and tried to picture her but it didn't come great if she was in our school she did something. Everyone here was here because they did something but I was here because I had behavioural issues so I got sponsored –does not mean I'm smart. I'm as intelligent as a rock and because the fees were out of this world. Never mind, I was kinda being dramatic but I live in a small apartment so here.

Sasha wasn't having it. She advised me never to believe rumours till you actually meet the person but every rumour had some truth to it. But girl's had ways of dramatize things anyway.

She looks like a dude.

She may be Trans.

She invites dudes to study.

They get traumatised.

"I heard we're getting a new student," Ali, the thin Pakistani dude with round glasses announced while he stood at the door.

"A new student?" One of the girls echoed excitedly as she looked around.

"Yep. I heard she's an Art Prodigy. She can draw real well like a professional. "He beamed, obviously glad not the only smartass-I meant Genius in our glass of dumb but unstable rocks. He grinned, exposing his crooked teeth, "And the fact she hangs out with a lot of dudes and gives them nightmares for years." He ended then everyone surprise and excitement melted to confusion and shock.

"The what?"

"It sounds way dirtier at the Teacher's longue."

"So she pulls more guys than you."

***

A week had passed, I kept my eyes peeled for a new student but I could be really dumb anyway. I went to a private school which was completely modern apart from the whiteboards. Everyone's heard the phrase that kids can be cruel to a whole new level since everyone here is not good by parent's standards. There were rich kids, special teens and normal kids. My school was a secondary school which ran from grade 9 to grade 12.

I literally pushed my eyeballs out and looked out for anyone strange and crept the hell out of people even though we were at least a thousand. I wore a scratchy, old pullover over my shirt today and my lucky bracelet and hoped for great day with the school's khaki trousers and old, hand-me –down trainers. Today, instead of walking I decided to take the bus and I noticed tall girl sitting next to me wearing the school uniform with her bicycle on the floor and her backpack. She looked hopelessly lost. My breathe hitched but luckily she didn't noticed because of my pullover hid my crest.

I should be a good boy and help her.

Nah, suddenly the windows looked interesting and Algebra I seemed to call my name. When the bus stopped she grabbed her stuff and walked off. I delayed and raised my shoulders and clenched my jaw and tried to stray behind whenever she stopped by a signpost and check her cell. I avoided totally not suspicious- her through the tree lined streets till we approached a three story brick building shaped like a U with a basketball court and a giant courtyard with the words: Henstion Academy.

The school buses decorated the parking lot, flashy cars with uptight parents and chauffeurs and teens old enough brought their cars. I hated the buses because they were shiny, comfortable and compact with a passion. She parked her bike and cast me the look of realisation as I ran up the marble stairs to the school as fast as lightening.

I entered the class, catching my breathe as everyone who wasn't busy cast me an annoyed look. After I paced my backpack in my locker and avoided her the entire time as she was shown a locker and her class but she's a prodigy shouldn't she be in the 9A instead of that made me think then I stared at Ali now reading It as my mouth hanged open. He's a genius but he's here.

If I was dramatic I would have pretended to faint.

Our homeroom teacher ,a young man in his twenties with square rimmed glasses, clean brown hair and clean and pressed clothes, cleared his throat and stepped in front of the class and clapped for our attention as we snapped our heads to his direction.

The new girl entered the classroom. She was not who I expected or imagined. She was tall and scrawny with dark brown skin, short black hair cut with black studes in her ears with big eyes. Honestly, she narrowed her eyes at me with realisation as I pretended to finish my origami frog. I reeled back because she looked as masculine looking as they described. She wore the uniform with a white puffy blouse and beige pinafore that ended at her knees with blue leggings decorated with mist and kicks.

Some of the students exchanged confused looks at each other and even Sasha who raised both blonde brows and her pale blue eyes widened that paled to her tanned skin.

Definitely, not who expected even though I saw her earlier.

"Please, introduce yourself to the class." The teacher announced, his voice deep and gruff as he faked eye contact with the students.

She nodded and replied," My name is Thalia Ohiniwaaa."

The teacher looked disinterested and cast a look at us then her, he cleared his throat and asked," You have accepted in this establishment. Thalia is a new and transfer student from a public school to a private school because of your grades. How did you really got accepted?" She looked lost and confused.

The teacher should've known why she's here. It was a private matter of the parents and student. The teachers knew about special and private classes to help us not to pry or embarrass the student. From the back row of the class some snickered and some looked with confusion.

It was private. Everyone here was here because they either committed crime so they can educated and helped, their genius so they help them improve or they a mental disability with extra tuition but it's also a school a rich kids.

"To sum it up. What crime have you committed?" He asked harshly.

She looked taken back and confused. This was embarrassing. I was here because I had behavioural issues and some teachers were not helpful.

"Let me refresh your memory, shall we. You ran away from your parents' house twice and falsely called the police on your father."

She froze as a cruel and ugly smile of satisfaction formed on his face aging him up a bit. Her eyes widened as he pointed to the second row of our class and sat in the second chair and people's eyes followed her and class was quiet and one of the annoying students, Diana. A girl with steel grey eyes and a pretty face who always had her long jet black hair in a braid and loves bathing in money and tears if her enemies, joked in a baby voice," Aren't you suppose to with the sixth graders? You might be lost."

Diana was brought here because she had an obsession with being on top. She cyberbullied and bullied people mostly girls and blackmailed them by catfishing basically she's famous and I'm pretty sure she's heartless as she's pretty with those unique grey eyes that got her fame in the first place. She's getting help but too me it ain't working.

"Who will like to give Miss Ohiniwaa .A tour of our beloved school,"He asked, his smile widened with a clench jaw exposing his white teeth as everyone remained quiet. The only found in the class was the rustling of her backpack as she picked out her supplies with her lips pressed thinly.

Sasha grinned and raised her hands." I'll do it, sir." She beamed, her voice loud as everyone looked at her and his creepy smile widened.

"Perfect."

The bell rang as everyone filed out for assembly. After twenty minutes of boredom and announcements. Then at snack time, Sasha excitedly dragged Thalia around the school and indulge in a conversation with her as I ate my peanut butter sandwich at the freshman hallway.

Sasha was intimidating for her age. We were both fourteen and tall but Sasha is the nicest, least judgemental and helpful girl you'd love to meet even though her crimson steak, feather in her hair, nose piercing and constantly breaking the rules and her knee-high convene. She was super rebellious.

Then it was English. It was then I realised that Thalia was indeed a smartass. She raised her hands every time she had an answer, challenged and always finished her notes in time with a smug smile on her face. It was I noticed we had another Ali. She was so serious and always busy.

I had chestnut-brown hair and deep green eyes with ivory skin and the bridge of my nose and cheeks were decorated with freckles and I was thin and always smiling even when I mad.

After the bell rang we went to our other classes as I shot daggers at Thalia's back as Sasha laughed with her. Sasha was my best friend and she seemed preoccupied with befriending the new girl. The next class was Chemistry and entered the large whitewashed lined with cabinets lab with four rows of islands decorated with metal sinks and expensive equipment. The entire time I got distracted and wrote the notes in my notebook. I kept doodling in the margins, blowing and tugging the strands of my hair and shaking my foot even though it was interactive. I was also distracted by the commotion happening in the pool, the loud splashes, and the laughter of the tenth grade team. We left the class a few minutes later as the chemistry teacher shook his head and sighed.

I sighed too and left as Sasha tagged along with Thalia as we passed the wall less hallway surrounded by a garden with aromatic and bright flowers that decorated the school as nurses pushed disabled students or taught them in the open.