Problem Kid

Chapter 2

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"Everleigh? I think she's waking up!" A masculine voice pulls me from the dark abyss I had been floating in and dragged me back into consciousness. I groan as my eyes slide open to be met with a blindingly bright light. I'm instantly throwing my arm over my face. I hear quiet chatter coming from who I presumed were teachers. One, a female with blonde hair which fell down to her shoulders in a straight and plain fashion. She wore a grey dress which was plain apart from the small semi-circles lining the sides. She spoke in a thick Canadian accent to the man who had been beside me when I woke up. He still sat beside me now on the floor, his hands on his plain black jeans. His shirt was a blue and white checked one. A red tartan tie hangs from his neck and his voice sounds slightly rough but in a nice way. He sounded like a nice person. His hair was a mouse brown like my natural colour and was pulled back in a small, tight bun at the back of his head. I look down at my stomach to see Summer curled up licking my right hand gently. I pat her with my left one softly and whisper praises to her. Gently, she wags her tail and I laugh a rough, tired laugh that sounds more like a dry cough.
"Are you ok?!" The Canadian woman instantly looks over at me, pity and concern lacing her face. I fight the urge to get mad and smile gently.
"I'm fine," lies. Inside I was a huge swirl of emotions. Angry at myself for ruining my reputation on the first day, upset that I had ruined my chance of being at least slightly normal, anxious that everyone was going to think I was weird and bully me again and I felt disgusted that I had messed up yet another thing in my crappy life. I sigh internally.
"Here, Miss Greenslade, go ahead to the assembly. I'll stay here and help Everleigh out," Miss Greenslade looks at me with an anxious face one last time before nodding and walking through a set of doors and out of the lobby.
"Hey. I'm Mr Gray, I teach computer science here," I smile and shake his extended hand, slowly sitting myself up halfway against a cushion.
"Well... you know who I am, I guess," I respond and he smiles at me and nods.
"Yup! The girl with the dog! The already famous Everleigh Louise Rosten!" He makes jazz hands and I laugh, sounding like a broken lawnmower.
"Anyway, how are you feeling?" I'm actually shocked. He's looking at me like I'm not some kind of problem kid but instead like I'm an actual normal person!
"I-I'm... fine," I try to smile as I talk however by the way he raises his eyebrow it must have been more of a grimace.
"That's a lie and I know it but I'm not going to peruse that right now. Do you have any water in your bag? Shall I get you it?" I nod, quietly thanking him and telling him it's in the side of my black backpack which is covered in patches for the bands I like such as Green Day, MCR, BVB and P!ATD and badges of other bands like SWS, FIR, BOTDF, FOB and a few others.
"Nice bag! Where'd you get it?" His hand pushes past the medication bottles and once he finds it, he passes me my water and I take it gratefully, chugging about half of it at once.
"Well, I got the backpack from some website and sewed on the patches and pinned the badges myself," he tells me it looks nice, talking to me calmly and normally! After a moment of sitting up straight, I decide to stand again.
"Summer, off," she complies, jumping down to the floor and sitting beside my feet. I slowly push myself up, allowing myself a moment to regain my balance and for the spinning of the room to subside before picking up her leash and looking up at the tall Male teacher again.
"Well, I'm guessing you don't want to walk into assembly halfway through so let's get your timetable sorted and go talk to the headteacher for now, if you're ready?" Most of my dizziness has finally subsided and I can walk normally now so I nod, picking up my bags and calling Summer to my side before walking to the desk where Mr Gray is talking to the smiling brunette office worker. I thank her quietly after she hands me a piece of paper. As we walk away, I wave awkwardly and follow Mr Gray behind the office area and into a new room where a woman who looks fairly middle aged sits at a desk.
"Hello Miss Myers!" Me Gray guides me to a large blue fabric chair where I settle, placing the leash handle on my lap after getting Summer to tuck underneath my seat.
"Hello Everleigh! Welcome back," I smile. I had already met with Miss Myers twice when arranging to bring my service dog into the school.
"Hello, Miss," I say in a quiet and meek voice.
"I heard about what happened and hope you're alright?" I nod and she smiles.
"Good, good. Do you have the final papers for Summer today, then?" I fumble in my bag, seeing them lying slightly crumpled at the bottom. I smooth the pages out quickly before apologising and handing them over the desk.
"That's great, thank you. Do you have another copy of these or can I photocopy one to keep in the filing cabinet please?" I tell her she can keep that one, smiling weakly down at my lap where my hands are anxiously fidgeting and my fingers are trembling.
"I'm pretty sure that's all I needed unless you have any questions or queries for me?" I shake my head and thank her as she shakes my hand and allows me to leave with Mr Gray. I bring Summer out from where she was laying under my chair perfectly and she trots beside me.
"I have computer science first lesson with you, sir," I answer the question that he asks as the door closes behind us and he nods.
"You can just come to my room now. Assembly will be over in about twenty-five minutes anyway so you can get settled before students arrive and cause my literal psychological hell!" I laugh quietly to myself, pulling my backpack up higher on my shoulders.
"Is that a bisexual pride flag on your bag?" Mr Gillary smiles widely as I nod slowly.
"Yeah... I came out as Bi last year in the winter," I shudder, the memories replaying in my head.