If I Fell

Senses

After dropping off Joshua and Isaac, we made the two minute drive over to the high school in comfortable silence. I'm just thinking we've arrived too late to get a good spot when Angela turns around a row of cars and stops in front of a free space. There's a boy standing there, kind of short with coke bottle glasses and a goofy grin. Angela immediately brightens at the sight of him. He moves out of the way to let us park then steps around to the driver's window.

"Morning Ange," he says and I can tell right off the bat from the blush in his cheeks and the crack in his voice that he has a crush on her.

"Morning Ben. Thanks for saving a spot for me," she replies, her shy smile and softening voice reveal that she has similar sentiments.

They stay there, blushing and smiling for a minute before I speak up.

"Yes thank you Ben, now could you step aside so she can get out" I muse, almost laughing when they both look at me with embarrassed expressions.

"Oh yeah, sorry." He steps back and lets her out. I get out and meet them at the front of the car.

"Ben this is Mika. She'll be staying with my family for a while. Mika this is Ben Cheney."

He gives an awkward little wave and I return it with a nod. We set off towards the office, where Angela says I'll need to pick up my schedule, map and attendance slip. The fact that I would even need a map to navigate the school is disturbing.

Inside the office is the same welcoming atmosphere of warm paper and potted plants. Ms.Taylor looks up from her computer screen and smiles.

"Ah, it's good to see you again Ms.Mika. Hope you're ready for your first day!"

I'm wary of approaching the counter for fear of being crushed into another hug, but she just busies herself with looking through a stack of papers.

"Now I know I said Jason would be here as a tour guide for you today but he's a bit sick at the moment. I'm taking some home homemade soup over to his house on my break - Lord knows that boy has probably been surviving off of air and energy drinks as skinny as he is - and that should fix him right up. He'll be ready for tour guide duty bright and early tomorrow morning!" She assured, handing me everything I need. I realize that she must be his grandmother, or at least a great aunt of some sort for her to be going over to his house and dropping him off food. She gives a brief explanation of the campus set up, stresses that every teacher has to sign the slip, and that I must return it at the end of the day. I thank her and go back outside, reading my schedule.

"Can I see?" Angela asks timidly.

I nod and hand her the paper, having already read the building and number my first class is in.

"McCallister is your homeroom teacher, and your first period class? Ouch," Ben hisses.

"Ben, just because you don't get along with Mr. McCallister doesn't mean she won't." Ben shrugs and sheepishly looks away.

"I'm just saying, anyone who loves math or failing kids as much as that man is pure evil. He's the Mr.Crocker of Pre-Calc."

"C'mon, I have Economics just down the hall from you. After this you might have to rely on the kindness of strangers until lunch. It seems like you're taking quite a few AP and upper division classes. You must have been pretty busy at your old school." Angela starts walking down one of the pathways and towards a building my map labels the math sector.

I follow beside her, easily keeping up with her long but gawky strides while Ben trots to keep up. A few people wave and call out greetings to the two but as soon as my unfamiliar face moves into view they lose their open demeanor. Whispers fly and gazes burn into me. Nothing I'm not used to.