Cold As Stone

Chapter 2

I wake up to a knocking at my door. I grumble quietly and turn my back to the door. It keeps going and I groan.

"Go away!" I shout groggily, pulling my blanket up and slamming a pillow over my head.

"Sweetie, it's eight o'clock. You need to get ready for school or you're going to be late!" My eyes pop open and I twist to look at my alarm clock that hadn't gone off this morning. There's no glowing numbers to indicate the time. I hadn't plugged the blasted thing in!

"Holy shiznit!" I scream as I fall out of bed in a heap of limbs and sheets. I fight to get untangled from my bed sheets as my parents laugh at me from the doorway. "Why are you laughing?" I exclaim, trying to untangle a knot that somehow formed around my legs while I was sleeping. How does this even happen? "I am gong to be late on my first day of school! I'm already going to get stared at for being the new kid! Much less being the new kid that pops in twenty minutes late for class!" I finally get out of my self made trap and run to my closet. I yank out a T-shirt and and jeans. "Out! I need to get changed!" Push them out of the my doorway and slam the door in their face. More laughing ensues from the other side and I scowl.

I quickly pull my clothes on as I half run half jump around my room, trying to get my school stuff together. At one point, I fall and swear I break my hip trying to get a foot through my pant leg. I groan, but hop up and run to the bathroom. Good thing I'd showered last night. I quickly yank my brush through my hair and brush my teeth, then I run back to my room and grab my bag, phone and keys and run to the kitchen where my parents are eating breakfast.

"Gotta go. See you later. Love you!" I say, grabbing a bagel mom made me and kissing bot her and dad on the cheek before running out to my car. I throw my bag in the passenger side seat and drive off. I turn on some music and eat my bagel as I drive. I smile at the taste of blueberry cream cheese. I love bagels, but can only eat them with cream cheese. Blueberry is one of my favorite flavors. I pull into the student parking lot and get out.

Throwing my bag over my shoulder and locking my car, I make my way into the school. I keep my head down and don't make eye contact with anyone. I search for the office and finally find it after about ten minutes. I push through the door and walk up to the front desk.

A woman with dark brown hair in a bun, black wide frame glasses and a pencil skirt suit is standing behind the desk doing something with some papers. I walk up to the counter and she glances up at me over the rim of her glasses. Her brown eyes seem to dig into my soul and I look down and the desk.

"How can I help you?" she asks briskly.

"Uh, I need my schedule," I say timidly. I hate talking to office staff. They always seem so mean and intimidating. I glance up and her face softens a bit.

"Name?" she asks, much warmer this time as she turns to the computer.

"Myra, ma'am. Myra Carson," I tell her and she types my name in.

"Ah, yes. The new student. I'll print your schedule and get you a map of the school," she says and I sigh in relief. Trying to get around here without a map would be awful. She prints out my schedule and gets a map. She hands me the schedule and sets the map on the desk facing me. "Here's a little something to help you out. The school is separated between three buildings. Or blocks as we call them. We're in Block A right now." She puts an A over the building we're in. "Block A is for History and English classes along with anything along the lines of the front office, principal's office, guidance counselors. Things like that. Block B is mainly for Math and Science classes. And Block C is for extracurricular classes and other oddball things. You'll find things like the gym, band room, choir, the lunch room and the library." She marks the other two buildings with their respective letter. I nod and smile at her.