what a woman! i.

une

August 31st

Tatum and Bailey Fernsby exit the black 1970 Ford Bronco, driven by Tatum, on their first day at their new school.

A small crowd begin to gather at the doors, it was obvious that the small town didn't get too many new people.

The two simply walk into the school and set off towards their designated lockers. Which so happened to be on opposite sides of the school.

Tatum finds her locker quickly and unfolds the note with her combination on it.

"4..9..2..3. Badda bing badda boom, baby!" Tatum mumbles with excitement when her locker opens on the first try.

She sets her backpack down and grabs two folders put of her backpack and shoves them in the locker.

"Are you serious? Does it only fit two folders? My God," Tatum heaves a sigh and grumbles. "Welp, guess I'm gonna be having back pains for the rest of the year."

"Not exactly, here, hand me those two folders," a boy with sandy brown, curly hair says from behind Tatum.

She retracts away from the guy and keeps her folders away from him. She eyes him up and down suspiciously, he was about a foot taller than her and looked like a definite baseball fan.

"Oh, sorry! My name is Keith Wendal, you're new right?" Keith says/asks. He looks at her kindly which causes Tatum to loosen up just a tad.

"Hi, Keith. Yes, I'm the new kid. Why do you wanna touch my precious folders?" Tatum asks, joking around with him.

"I...I-sorry I didn't mean it as in...as in I wanted-"

"Keith?"

"Yeah?"

"I was joking."

"Oh."

"But as you were saying, can I fit more in my locker?" Tatum asks, fully relaxed now.

"Oh, yeah! Just put the smaller books here, the bigger ones here, and your folders can fit on top!" Keith says, pointing to places that he lists off.

Tatum looks at him as if he just tried explaining this to a deaf person. She shrugs and does as he instructs.

"Oh my God! It fits!" Tatum exclaims before Keith clamps his hand down on top of her mouth. "Whm eh brl gr ou booing?"

"What?"

Tatum reaches towards his hand and pulls it away. She gives him a pointed glare before picking up her backpack and tugging it on her shoulder.

"I asked what the hell you were doing. I gotta go find my classes, see you later, Keith."

"Yeah, see you later-" Keith stops for a second and grabs her wrist. "I never got your name."

"Tatum Fernsby."

●○●

Tatum walks to her first class of History III, she immediately feels out of place.

All the girls there were pale af and had brown hair. They wore dark colors and winged eyeliner with a pink blush.

Tatum wore brighter colors with minimal, natural makeup, and with her wavy, dirty blonde hair, she definitely stood out. She absolutely hated it.

Her sister Bailey was way better at blending in with her black and white dress, chestnut brown hair, and minimal eyeliner.

Lucky enough, Tatum saw Keith waving at her. He had an empty seat next to him. Tatum smiled softly and handed the teacher the note before taking the seat next to Keith.

"So you're in History III, too?" Keith asks. Tatum drops her bag on the floor and pulls out a notebook and pencil like everyone else.

"History and Rights Movements are my thing, dude," Tatum says jokingly smug about it. "Plus, my old History teacher put in a good word with the school."

"Really? Aren't you a Junior though? I thought only people with all their credits can take this class?" Keith asks her in interest.

"I have all my credits. I skipped a grade back in Tacoma but I also had to be held back a year in Grand Marais," Tatum sighs, reminiscing of the times in cold, dry Minnesota.

"Why were you held back a year?" Keith asks her in a whisper.

"Unimportant. Now, when is the lesson beginning?"

"Riiiiiiiiiight now! Ladies and Gentlemen, can we welcome our new student, M-M-M-M-Miss Tatum Fernsby!"

"Oh no."

"You'll get used to it eventually."