Splinters: Part One

Part One | 4

I glanced at her. "Brayden."

"It's nice to meet you, Brayden."

I couldn't help but agree. The name Ursanne had told me about the girl and her best friend still sat in my memory, but the last two letters were different. If this were the very Colleen, which it probably isn't because Colleen's really popular and would probably never notice me, she wasn't lying about the fact that she's crazy beautiful.

...

In Chemistry, Collie sat with me after I spoke to the teacher and was given a book. She told me how I should just leave it in my locker because the class never uses it which kind of confused me, but she explained how we take notes from our computers.

I was confused about this because I didn't have a computer like everyone else. Collie let me share with her. I watched as she'd type her notes and make graphs. In the end, I was kind of impressed. 

During the class, I mainly just listened to the teacher and watch Collie take notes. She said she'd give them to me next class and that she said she'd see me later. I wanted to ask her where my next class would be but I felt like that would be too much, so instead, I went on my way.

This time, I looked at a map that was hung on the wall with a diagram of the school. My next class was math. I was sure I had to take my placement test in this class since I came today and not next week. And I was right. When I approached the room, the door was already open for me.

I was the last to enter, and this teacher seemed to be the only one who truly expected me because they had a placement test ready with a pencil in the back of the room.

I wasn't sure if I was given a test for university students or for sophomores but nonetheless, it was embarrassing to not understand any of it. I didn't know what to do. The nuns pretty much taught us how to do it and then if we asked questions, they'd do it for us. There wasn't much learning on my part. 

After math, I supposedly had lunch. Melissa didn't give me anything so I wasn't sure if I was supposed to go into the line or whatever, but once I saw someone handing a woman money, I knew that I was going to have to be foodless for eight hours straight. I was used to this when I lived with my dad. If I could go on for weeks on end, I could do it for a day.

"Brayden!" I heard a girl shout.

I turned, finding Collie sitting with a group of boys and girls not far from me. She waved me over. I vaguely heard the voice of the girl next to her say through her fake smile, "Collie, what are you doing?"

Collie hushed and told her to scoot over. She gestured me to sit next to her.

"Um..."

"C'mon," she encouraged.

I sat next to her awkwardly, waiting as everyone at the table stared at us curiously.

"So did you find your next class easily?" Collie asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

I nodded.

"What was it?"

"Math." I said, but it almost sounded like I was out of breath.

"Oh, did you have to-"

"Brayden?" I heard the voice of Ursanne question. And so it was. Ursanne stood with a bag of McDonald's in one hand and money in the other.

Suddenly, I felt a rush of relief. I smiled at her gently. "Hey."

She didn't return it. Instead, she scrunched her eyebrows together and looked over the table.