Gone Bad

Picture Perfect

My name is Aksana. Just Aksana, the girl with ginger hair and pale skin. I'm a senior with a 4.0 GPA, turning 18 on November 14th. My mother died of pneumonia when I was born so my dads wife is the closest thing I have to one. My dad got this job offer in Oklahoma over the summer doing management stuff, I'm proud of him but why now? Why my last year? I had a good life back in Rhode Isand. What was he thinking!
I have no plans for this school year but I'd have it figured out real soon..
   I finally arrive at my new school with my stepmom and I am terrified. This is my first big change of environment. How do I act? What do I say? What don't I say? What if they don't like me? So many questions. Not enough answers.
It's my first day at Borman High School and I'm already aroused at the way the office is set up; I decide to go explore. Finding myself taking a personal tour of the entire building, I circle back towards the library and a giant clear box filled with candy catches my eye. I want it.
"Whoa" about to finish my sentence but I am interrupted by an older woman.
"What's your name?" she asks me.
"Aksana." I respond, frightened.
"Okay. Yes, I found you, uh..here take this and go see the lady in the purple. Thank you."
I go to the station where the lady has an odd amount of purple on.
"Say cheese!" I can hear one of the lady photographers say. CLICK!
I see a variety of girls here with tons of make up and designer clothes. I look myself up and down then shrug. Oh well.
"Sit here honey" a younger woman points out a worn out stool stacked with mathematic books to me. I sit down on the dingy stool and instantly feel a cold surface. CLICK!
Before I could smile, I was blinded by a bright light and told "NEXT!" Even though I'm sure I wasn't going to be satisfied with my ID picture I hurry and leap off the stool and head to my 1st hour. I detour to a drinking fountain where I am greeted by a soft spoken male. "Hey I'm Nrymak, captain of the basketball team."
"Aksana. Newbie." I joke.
"New girl? I'm throwing a pool party this weekend. You should come." he responds.
"Me?!" I say almost spitting out water.
"Who else newbie" he yells skipping behind his teammates into the locker room.
I awkwardly smile with comfort and walk away and into my homeroom where I see on the board in bold letters 'POST TEST TODAY! I HOPE YOU STUDIED! HAHA' I frown inside. Oh no.. I thought to myself. Suddenly my precalculus teacher, Ms. Erin, invites me over to her desk, "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost"
I attempt to speak. No words. My teacher while looking puzzled gently asks me if I would like to talk in a private area.
"No, thank you. I'm okay" I finally answer.
I look at the seating chart and rush to my assigned seat where there was a test waiting for me. I guess on most of them. Don't judge me.
Towards the end of the hour I hear a lot whispering from the back of the room.
"Oh my Gosh, look!" a girl gasped.
Then silence. I look back and see a very handsome young man standing in the door way. 'GULP!'
I bite my lip so hard I can taste blood seep into my tongue. The teacher is trying to get her students attention but is drowned out by loud chatter. "ATTENTION class, we have two new students, Aiden Glass and Aksana Perrish, they will need help getting started this week..any volunteers?" she finally speaks. Every single girl in the classroom raised their hand to assist Aiden. I stay hidden to avoid being seen. Please. Just please.
"Aksana."
My eyes bulge out my head, "Yes??"
"You pair up together and figure out something"
"But I wasn't raising my hand" I say with an attitude.
"You weren't supposed to, you're new silly!" she jokes.
"Ha-ha. Funny" I say sarcastically.
Aiden brings a chair over to my desk and sits down by me while texting on his expensive looking phone.
"So your names Aksana? I like that."
"Thank you." I reply with a smile.
But I can tell by the way his hair curled and the way his smile brightened a dark room that if this goes any further my life is already ruined.
"Excuse me.." I say aloud politely as I'm packing my things to leave out of the classroom. It was two minutes before the bell. Should I leave? Before you knew it, I left the classroom as sly as a fox.
"Aksana!" I hear faintly as I'm now running down the hallway.
I disappear quickly into the girls bathroom to avoid discipline. I wait until after the last bell to abandon the bathroom and shame walk to 2nd hour.
"1st hour is over at 9:30am, you have 5 minutes to go to your lockers. If you are not here by 9:35am you will not be let in this classroom!" A harsh voice screams at the students as I am walking in.
"Why are you late?" she asks while putting lotion on her brown melinated skin.
"Uhh locker problems.." I fib.
"Don't let it happen again." she says angrily.
"Excuse me, who are you?" one of the students ask the stranger.
"I am the new year of 2024-25 Dean of Students, Ms. Ross, I will also be your English teacher for about 2 weeks until we hire a qualified applicant. I take my job very seriously. I am all about business." she states confidently.
The class is staring at her in fear. I joke to my myself quitely laughing "Yes ma'am!" with my left arm bended to a V and hand aligned with my eyebrow.
"Turn to pages 624B and read until page 630B then summarize the shorty story on a lined piece of paper. Put your pencils down when you're finished." Ms. Ross instructs.
I skim the story and write a quick detailed paragraph to turn in. I put my pencil down as instructed, then raise my hand.
"Aksana, yes?"
"May I go to the bathroom?" I ask.
"Quickly" she answers.
I grab the pass and strut out the door. As I'm walking down the hallway watching Facebook videos on my phone I see a bunch of angry staff members.
"Young lady, are you new?" a man in uniform speaks.
"Um..yes." I respond.
"I can tell, this is a no cellular device area and they will be confiscated if seen."
"Oh okay..I didn't know that." I say while putting my phone on vibrate and sticking it in my back pocket.
"Thank you." he whispers as he nods his head and walks away.
"Blow me." I sneer under my breath while walking to the bathroom.