Desks and Letters

Welcome

Celia

Head down, hood up, don't look like you need help.

"Hi, you're new aren't you? Do you need directions?" A peppy red-headed girl a year younger than me blocks my locker.

Well, that plan failed.

"Um, no that's ok, I have a schedule and map." I speak slower than the girl, maybe it's because I'm trying to translate Spanish to English, or maybe she just had a few energy drinks those Americans drink like water.

"Ok, any time, my name's Jenny by the way" She takes my hand forcefully and shakes it like I'm the Prime Minister. She skips away to meet a group of people just as peppy as her.

I find my locker and try out the combination. The lock sticks, forcing me to hit it a few times to open. I successfully opened it, but also drew attention from several people. This is going to be a great year. I head off to my first class, mathematics.

People brush past me, some taking notice of me, but most laugh and talk about their summer, exchanging schedules and gossiping about new teachers. I overhear a group of girls talking about the same math as me. I follow them a few paces back.

"Did you hear there's a foreign student? From Italy or Spain or something" A tall blond says, frowning at her nails. Several girls cluster around her, like she's a movie star.

"Oo foreign, how fancy, guys with accents are so cute, I wonder if he has a girlfriend." A girl in a bright pink blouse on the outer edge says loudly.

"I wonder if he plays sports, soccer probably, so hot." A girl in a mini skirt remarks.

I hold back a snicker. Well they got one part right. They might be in for a shock later.

The math department is obviously not funded as much as the rest of the school. The small room has one window in the back that lets in weak light from the school's botanical garden. Droopy banners are hung on the green-gray walls showing complicated equations and theorems. Small wooden desks are in jagged rows, their surfaces are rough and smudged even though it's the first day. An old woman sits behind a rickety desk at the front of the room, a bucket of textbooks lay by her feet. From the dirty whiteboard in the corner, it seems this teacher is in charge of not just this class, but three others as well.

The girls push through the rest of the crowd shuffling in. They choose the back, with the tall blond in the middle. I pick a seat on the outer edge, shuffling my notebook awkwardly. Everybody was laughing and yelling across the room, my head throbbed with every word.

Suddenly, the old woman raps on her desk with a ruler, shushing the high schoolers. She clears her throat. "Welcome to Precalculus, many of you have already had me as a teacher, for those of you who don't know, my name is Mrs. Weller. This class will incorporate the things you have learned in Geometry and Algebra 2. Now, as I hear, there is a new student this year from Spain, she is in our class, Ms. Belmonte will you please introduce yourself?" She glances around the room before focusing on me.

I stand up shakily, removing my hood and revealing my bed head.

"Um, my name is Celia Belmonte, I moved here for my papi's job, I'm from Barcelona, Spain, I speak Spanish pretty well." Nobody laughs. I sit down abruptly and pull my hood up again, cheeks blushing.

Mrs. Weller stands up again. "Welcome to Ridgebrook High. Now I will hand out books for you all, you must know that if they are damaged there is a fee..." I zone out, focusing on the scuff marks on my desk. I write HELP, I'm all alone, in blocky writing on the desk. Then go grab a textbook.