Life, Love, & Lemons

Thug Life

Let's face it, the first day of senior year is supposed to be amazing. Normally I would be putting on my St. Christopher's uniform, some new shoes and knee highs, and have a new hairstyle. This year: nothing.

It was weird for me to be going to school and not wearing a uniform. I had been going to private school since Kindergarten and it was just weird putting on street clothes for school. I couldn't even go out and buy a new wardrobe, so last year's weekend wear would have to do, and with going to private school most of my life, there really wasn't much else in my closet.

I settled, after much deliberation, for a pair of jean capri's and a red cowl neck shirt, complete with a red polka dot headband to match. I wasn't even sure what kind of people I would be meeting, so I had no idea how to dress for the occasion. My hair was also a disaster since I had been trimming my own hair in the bathroom and I'm pretty sure that my layers were uneven. So much for trying to hang out with the popular crowd at East High.

I was used to a smaller private school with a class of only about one hundred and even my own parking spot as Student Body President, but East High was a whole new ball game. I pulled into the parking lot and was really hoping that the guys in red bandanas hanging around a Cadillac weren't going to steal my tires as soon as I left.

The school even smelt different than St. Christopher's. My old school had a perpetual scent of frankincense and Mir, East High smelled like urine and vomit. I almost gagged as I walked through the front doors where I was welcomed by lines of kids going through metal detectors. I thought those were only at airports and prisons, but I guess I was wrong. When it was my turn in line, I set my purse down and headed through the giant metal archway. Just my luck, I beeped.

"You need to take off those shoes, honey." An overly tired looking black woman called at me from behind a glass wall.

"But they're flip flops!" I protested and shoved my arms out to the sides.

She rolled her eyes and pointed down to my feet. Begrudgingly I slid off my shoes and set them down next to my purse, along with my necklace and earrings for good measure. Finally I went through without a buzz. I turned back to get my things and realized they were gone.

No they couldn't be gone. I had just set them right there, everyone watched me. I tapped the girl in front of me on the shoulder.

"Um excuse me?"

She was very ethnic looking, probably Eastern European and her eye shadow made her look like she was in a perpetual bad mood. "

"Can I help you with something?" She stared me up and down like I was a piece of meat.

"Yeah, I set my purse and jewelry down on that belt and like now it's not there."

She cackled, not a laugh, but a genuine witch cackle.

"Oh honey, you must be new. No one ever leaves stuff around here. That's how you get it stolen."

"What?" I blinked almost too hard. "Why would someone do that when there are cops standing right there? I mean how could they?"

She put her hand on the side of my face, her way too long red fingernails almost clawed my cheek. "You're sweet, too bad you won't stay that way for long." She smirked and then left without another word to leave me standing there and gawking. My first day of senior year was totally not turning out as planned.

***

After my first three classes I realized that this school was probably a year behind everything I had already learned at St. Christopher's. It was a good thing because I was pretty sure I could get all A's without even being challenged, but bad because I had no idea how I would be prepared for college.

I thought that I should check out the board outside the guidance counselor's office to see if there were any AP classes available. Maybe those would help me at least get in some sort of a path for a scholarship.

"Hey you."

I could recognize that scratchy voice anywhere. I turned around to see Gabby standing there in her orange and black poms uniform. I wasn't used to seeing Gabby outside of our usually social circles, so it was really weird to see her at school.

"Hey Gabby." I did a stupid little wave and knew I must have looked like an idiot.

"Wow, bold choice of color. I'm sure the other gang members must have thought you were one of them." She giggled.

"This isn't gang colors it's American Eagle." I pouted.

Gabby rolled her eyes. "Alright now I know you must be the new girl that everyone is talking about."

"What? People are talking about me?"

"Well I don't know anyone else that brings a Coach purse to school and then gets it stolen within the first five minutes." She laughed again, but this time it really wasn't funny and she quickly saw that it wasn't. "Sorry Bentley."

"Bee, my friends usually call me Bee." I smiled. Taylor did hate Gabby, but I couldn't lose my shot at potentially the only friend that I would have at East.

"Whoa looks like the gangs got a new recruit!"

And there was another voice that I was only wishing I could forget, Kai's.

He sauntered over toward Gabby and I with his tight jeans and bright yellow t-shirt, looking like he just walked out of an eighties dance video.

"Hey Wham called they want their clothes back." I smirked in his direction.

"Wait..." Gabby's deep brown eyes looked from Kai to me. "You two know eachother?"

"Oh yeah." He rested his elbow on my shoulder like we were old friends. "Thug life here and I go way back."

"Ew..." I pushed his elbow off. "No, Kai and I just work together and kind of live next door to each other."

The bell rang and Kai ran back to his little eighties punk rock friends.

"I think Jake may have some competition." Gabby joked, nudging me with her elbow.

"First off Jake and I are way over andsecond off I would never EVER go for a guy like Kai."_