Short Stories

1 » The Dorky New Kid

1 » The Dorky New Kid

Genre: Love/Romance

"Emmeline, when will you learn to stop procrastinating?" My elder brother Charlie scolds. "Grow up, Mel."

Seeing the bags under his eyes makes me almost apologize guilitily.

Living with my older brother in a third of a small house, our flat was cramped, especially by being on the ground floor. After Mum gave up on us, Nan bought us this place reluctantly as we couldn't live with her. And Dad? I didn't have one, as far as I knew.

"Just-" he sighs tiredly, being interrupted by the clanking of a van outside. I peer out the window and spot a large green van with the sign 'Merry Moving Van Services' and three people unloading cardboard boxes.

"Mel," my brother says, snapping his fingers in front of my face. "Listen to me when I'm talking, yeah-"

"There's people moving in the first floor," I inform him, eyes not leaving the window, referring to the empty flat between the one on the second floor in which an annoyingly bratty old lady lived in and our flat.

Charlie peers out, eyes widening. "It's about time too, that flat's been stinkin' rotten!"

I nod, and he turns back to me sighing.

"Get ready for school, please, Mel?" He pleads, eyes showing desperation.

"I'll go," I mutter.

I'm 15, not 5! I need a distraction to keep me from snapping at my brother.

I sigh as I put on my uniform.

-----

"Well, we're nearly the start of our double English lesson, so for this next period, you all may work in pairs and pairs only-" Mr. Wilson begins.

I look over quickly at my best friend, Jenni, who I had a bit off a fall out with, as she stopped hanging out with me and started hanging out with Tilly, the girl who pretends she's 18 already and super popular, but to my dismay she's already seated with Tilly, who might I add, hates my guts so there's no way I can convince Mr. Wilson to let us work in a three.

"You'll all be-" he gets cut off when the door opens and a boy timidly walks in.

"Um, excuse me, are you Mr. Wilson?" He speaks as the class goes hushed. His voice has a thick Italian accent and I can see the popular girls' faces lighting up already.

"Yes, are you Phillipe?" Our teacher replies and the class' hushed whispers turn louder.

"Yes. I'm new here," he says more clearly, and out of the corner of my eye, I notice Jenni smiling and looking transfixed at him, and Tilly straightens up, smoothing her skirt out, and practising a flirty smile.

I do hate them both. Yes, even Jenni.

"Yes, well, take a seat next to Ms. Hans, please," he says, but before the boy can make a move, Ellie Hans' boyfriend, Nick, glares at him and sits down next to her protectively.

Nick used to sit next to me in the seating plan.

Mr. Wilson, being the collected teacher he is, rolls his eyes. "Fine. Sit next to Ms. Pollard then," he jerks his thumb towards me, turning his back on us so he can read snippets from his magazine.