King and Commoner

5. Homeroom

Chapter 5

I pulled at the neck-tie…or whatever it was. Who came up with the idea that ties should be included with uniforms? I looked in the full mirror hanging from the closet door and grimaced. The tie closed up the top of the collared shirt and it only peeked through just a little from the V of the dark blue blazer. And the dark blue skirt was too short for my taste because it didn’t even reach my knees. How come what looked so good on Lucia could make me look all geeky? I rearranged my bangs so that they fell to the side of my face instead of covering my forehead and brushed the back out to shine and glisten like a silk curtain down my back. It didn’t change the fact that I still looked geeky. All I needed was the tri-focal glasses, and it was complete.

How could anyone call this comfortable? I asked as I pulled at the bottom of the skirt again. Ugh.

“Mary, are you almost ready?” Lucia called from the bathroom. “We don’t want to be late on the first day.” She walked into the room, and I felt envious once again.

“Ugh, how can the same uniform look so good on you, but makes me feel like a freak?” I looked into the mirror and adjusted my tie once again.

Lucia smiled softly and came to stand by me so that we were looking in the mirror side by side. She was quietly observing me for a few seconds before she said, “Because you just need practice.” She didn’t say it in a snotty voice, but in a very friendly way. “I’ve had practice all the way since kindergarten. Here.” She pulled her chair from her desk and motioned for me to sit. “With your hair so straight and full  like that, and that face, it would look better if you kept your hair up when you wear a dark uniform.” She gathered my hair up, leaving a few of my bangs, and put it into a ponytail. She stood back for a moment before braiding it. “Ah, that’s perfect!” She said, poofing out my bangs.

I studied myself in the mirror, and was surprised at how true she was. With my hair pulled back, and in a long braid down my back, I looked more professional than geeky. I smiled. Usually, I left my hair down because it made me feel like a boy when I had it up. I guess I just didn’t know how to put it up right.

“Lucia, you have…magic!” I laughed and turned my head side to side.

She blushed. “No, I don’t. I just…”

“Worked your magic.” I looked at her and noticed how the dark blue blazer seemed to complement her bright hair when it hung down like that. My dark brown hair just seemed bland and almost blended in with the blazer. Is that why it looked so…nerdy?

“Come on Mary, I really think we’re cutting it close. Since we share the same dorm room, we have the same homeroom.” She grabbed her handbag and I grabbed my backpack.

“What does sharing a room have to do with classes?” I asked, closing the door, waiting to hear the click before leaving. These dorms were so fancy that they had lock pads, which means the rooms lock, and in order to get in, you needed to know the password.

“I don’t know. It just…is.” We laughed as we walked to homeroom class.

Homeroom was actually in the area that Lucia hadn’t been able to show me yesterday, so I stuck close to her in the crowded hallways all the way there.

Classroom 511 was a simple room that looked pretty fun to be in, with nice colors decorating the walls and what not. But the teacher looked like the strictest teacher I’ve ever met. Not that I met her yet.

“That’s Mrs. Karp. She’s okay if you listen.” Lucia led me to a seat by the far side of the room halfway back from the teacher’s space in the front. I kept my head down, not wanting to see any of the looks I saw yesterday when I talked back to their ‘king’.

I guess that’s why I didn’t see his roommate when I came in. I was surprised when someone actually sat on the side not occupied by Lucia.

Surprised, I looked up, and straight into his dark eyes. I noticed even he looked good in the uniform, but with his good looks I wasn‘t surprised. Man, how come the rich people were also the ones that had looks too?

“Hello once again.” He smiled with the most dazzling smile I’d ever seen.

I blushed and looked away. “H-hi.”

“So will you tell me your name?” He asked.

I kept looking at my desk as I said, “If you’re here, doesn’t that mean that Jeremy has this class too?”

The teacher saved me by calling the class to attention. “Alright everyone, get settled. I want everyone to sit with their roommates.” Everyone groaned. “Come on. Chop chop!” She emphasized her words with claps. Jeremy’s roommate patted my shoulder and smiled again. “If we have another class where Jeremy’s not there, you’ll tell me right?”

He didn’t even wait for my reply as he got up and went to sit with Jeremy in the back of the room. I was surprised by all the chairs that were pulled up around Jeremy. No wonder the class had looked empty, they were all behind me! At present, they were dragging chairs away to different desks with their roommates. Someone passed by me, muttering, “That Anderson is so lucky to be his roommate…”

Lucky? I felt bad for him! I turned back to see only Jeremy and his roommate--whom I now knew as Anderson--sitting at desks side by side, although people around them had their eyes glued on Jeremy.

Jeremy didn’t even care. He was playing with a toothpick in his mouth and his hair looked like it was just thrown around a little, the hair in the front came down to his chin. His feet were propped up on the desk, and his blazer was hanging open, his tie loosened as well as a few buttons on his shirt undone. I couldn’t deny it, he looked good…maybe I’d go as far as say he was hot. Now I was really angry at how they(the rich kids) could look so good in the same uniform that made me look geeky.

I made the mistake of staring too long and suddenly his copper eyes met mine. It was almost like he knew what I was thinking. I blushed. An arrogant smirk captured his lips, and the spell was broken.

I glared at him and turned around. Stupid, arrogant, conceited boy! How is Jeremy Chamberlain in any way related to Caroline Chamberlain!? He had to have gotten it all from his dad! But how could he be so different from his mom whom he lived with? His mom was so nice. Too nice to the point where I can’t get her to stop buying me stuff. It didn’t seem like she thought of herself at all. Jeremy was the total opposite, his image was the only thing he seemed to want to keep. It made me want to punch his face sometimes!

“Please quiet down!” Mrs. Karp was clapping her hands again. “First of all, for those who haven’t met me yet, I am Mrs. Karp. This is your homeroom class, not a place to play. If you want to play, go to an amusement park. This is where you will get updates and information from and for all activities academically and extracurricular-wise also. After you hear announcements, the few minutes left is for you to wake up and get organized, not socialize. Any person who receives three warnings will be sent to the Dean’s office. Do I make myself clear?” a chorus of yes’s replied.

“Good.”

The bell rang.

“This concludes Homeroom. Please be prompt to your first period.” Mrs. Karp yelled to the departing students.

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~Kyeire~