Falling Into Place

Chapter One

"Good afternoon class. I am Mr. Matthews and I'll be your teacher this year." Mr. Matthews smiled.

"Boo!"

"Maya, don't you think high school should be a little different?"

"No." Maya answered simply. She didn't want things to be different or change. She wanted everything to remain exactly how it had been in eighth grade.

Mr. Matthews continued with his lesson, which wasn't really a lesson because it was the first day of school. Riley and Lucas were in Mr. Matthews class as well, the same seating arrangements as middle school.

"This year we will discover many things, some may relate to what's going on in your lives, some may not."

"C'mon, Matthews, you know everything you teach is somehow related to someone's life." Maya teased. Mr. Matthews shrugged in agreement and turned to sit at his desk, leaving the class to finish the sample worksheets he had passed out.

"Hey." Lucas whispered. Maya turned around and smiled, placing her elbow on his desk.

"Hey, Huckleberry."

"How ya holding up so far?" Lucas genuinely cared about Maya, as his facial expressions had shown.

"I'm okay." She shrugged off his question and turned around to finish her worksheets.

Riley had already finished her assignments, and she was leaning on her desk playing on her phone.

"You have your phone out?" Maya asked, shocked.

"I do. It's more okay here than in middle school. Change is nice sometimes, Maya." Maya rolled her eyes and turned around to Lucas, who had also finished his work.

"What's your next class?" She asked.

"Gym, you?"

"I have gym too. Walk with me?" Maya was sure he would, but she just wanted to make sure.

"Of course." He smiled. They continued to have small conversations until the bell rang for them to go to their next period.

"Well, you've gotten through your first day without freaking out. I'd say you're doing well." Lucas laughed as they tried to figure out their way to the gym.

"Maybe I just don't show my freak. Maybe I keep it inside until I explode and all my freak comes out at once." Maya teased. She laughed although she was serious about what she said.

"Well, I can't wait to be there to calm your freak down when it happens."

Maya grabbed Lucas' hand and laughed at his reply. They walked up and down many hallways, passed many upper level students, and saw many couples making out and feeling eachother up before finally finding the gym. They walked in just as the bell rang and, just like middle school, received gym uniforms.

To Maya's surprise, the girls were given school shirts, short sleeve, and exercise pants. Panic ran through Maya as she went to change out. She pulled her long sleeve over her head, looking down at her body. She had been eating significantly more than in eighth grade, but not regular meals.

She slipped into the short sleeve and pants and wondered if anyone would notice the little white lines and little brown lines on her wrist.

"This is the first class in forever that we have without Riley." Maya thought out loud.

"I know, it's weird." Lucas laughed. They sat down on the bleachers as they watched some other students play football and soccer in the gym.

"I don't like it." Maya laughed, unsure of what to do without her best friend. Lucas gently set his hand on Maya's knee and rubbed his thumb on it in reassurance.