The first day of school, the first day of year eleven to be exact, is always a hectic day. To begin with, I sleep through my alarm which leads to me rushing out of the door with only ten minutes to get to school. Everything is normal as I get to my usual seat in tutor next to Adam. Adam Ross is one of my best friends who I've known ever since we were at nursery together. He is like that older brother figure to me even though we look nothing alike. Where I have blonde hair, grey eyes and pale skin, he has dark skin with dark brown eyes. Sat behind us is Laura, another one of my best friends who I met when we were only four years old, a year after I first met Adam. I used to be really jealous of Laura's hair because it used to be so long but then she cut it into a short, dark bob. It does suit her though. Then there is Maddie who I have known since the start of high school but it feels like so much longer.
Everyone else is sat where they usually are, dotted around the room as they tell people who they don't care about how amazing their summer was. From the snippets of conversations that I hear, it was party after party, some of which I attended and some that I didn't. Me and Adam talk about how this year will probably be very different due to the amount of exams that we will have but at least once it is over, I will be able to focus more on my dance. Dance is just something that I have wanted to do ever since I was a little girl. I have everything in my life planned out and hopefully, nothing will get in my way.
Finally the bell rings for tutor to start so in walks my tutor, Mr Reynolds. I have to say that Reynolds is probably my favourite teacher here at Abbey Moore High School. He is more relaxed than most of the other teachers and it helps that he also teaches my favourite subject, performing arts. Stood behind Reynolds is someone that I don't recognise, a boy who is obviously around the same age as us. My guess is that he is a new kid so of course he has to go through the obligatory introduction. Poor kid.
"Good morning students, it's nice to see you all back and healthy this morning and I hope you've all enjoyed the summer." Reynolds greets us. "Before we go over all the new notices, I would like to introduce you to Cory Stevens, a new student who will be is some of your classes. Cory why don't you go sit Joe over by the corner." Reynolds points to a greasy looking boy in the corner of the room who has the only empty seat in the room next to him.
After that introduction, everything is pretty normal. I get my new timetable, groan when I realise I still have Mr Danes for Science and move to my first lesson of the day when the bell rings. English is my first lesson and it's alright but not the most interesting. I take my seat in the back of the room with Laura and Maddie sat next to me. I watch as people walk into the room and smile at me but I don't smile back, they think if they smile at me I'm suddenly going to invite them to sit with us at lunch. I have never really been a 'people person' besides the few friends I have and yet somehow, that has gained me some kind of popularity. I try and use that to my advantage though. I place my bag on the empty chair next to mine so nobody sits there even though after five years no one has sat there ever.
That is until now.
The new kid, Cory I think his name was, walks into the classroom. Our teacher points Cory over to the direction of my table and I begin to burn inside. I know it is stupid but I have always liked having that seat spare, even if it just to put my bag on. The main reason is so I don't have to talk to anyone else though. Moving my bag I glance over at him, giving him a look that says 'don't talk to me'. He doesn't, well at least for that lesson. A cold atmosphere does build up between the two of us though.
Next on my timetable is Performing Arts which I normally enjoy, mainly because I know I'm good at it however that all changed. Adam, Laura, Maddie and I sit in our usual seats waiting the lesson to begin. We settle down when Reynolds walks into the room, talking as he does so about what we are going to be doing this term.
"For this first term you are all going to work in groups of four and produce and put on your own version of a Shakespeare play. It's up to you to decide what play you want to do and how much you adapt it however it has to be at least twenty five minutes long and no longer that fifty five." so far so good, there are four of us and we all work well together. "Another thing is I have chosen your groups. Group one is Adam Ross, Kristen Mason, Laura Lace and Cory Stevens..." I don't hear the rest as I am unable to process the thought that Maddie has been abandoned and I have to work with someone I do not know.
"Excuse me sir. You must have misread your sheet as I swear you just said Cory's name rather than Maddie's who you know I work very well with. Who knows how well I will get on with this new person?" I tell him, trying to argue my point across.
"Sorry Kristen but it's good to work with new people and I thought you would be a great person in welcoming Cory into the school." I hear a snicker from the back of the room and see Skye sitting there hiding behind her hands. How I wish I could punch her.
"What's the matter there Skye? Just realised how ridiculous your name is?" I jeer back.
"No just laughing because everyone knows that you don't have a welcoming bone in your body." she snaps back but I don't argue with her. We have had this on-going battle ever since I can remember and it's not one likely to end soon.
"As if that is something I care about." I snort back at her, wishing I could beat her to the round and I'm not normally a violent person.
"Kristen you have to work with who I've told you to and anyway it's not like you have no friends in your group. I believe I have been rather generous with who I have grouped you all with. If I hear anyone else moan or complain I'll be writing you a detention slip!" I sit back and don't say a word for the rest of the lesson and the rest of the day goes by in a blur.
***
It's been a couple of weeks since school first started and all I've heard from teachers is 'exams this' and 'exams that' and my head is already aching from it all. And to top it all off, one of the hardest subjects is turning out to be PA because we can't agree on a play that we're all willing to do. It gets even worse when I get a text from Laura saying the she and Adam won't be able to today's lesson, leaving me on my own with Cory. It will be the first time I have been left alone with him. I have, reluctantly, spoken to him before but only quick answers to any questions, that kind of thing. I have never had to have a proper conversation with him.
At first everything is awkward between the two of us because neither of us are saying anything but then I get my head into gear and realise that if I make a decision now I will pretty much be in charge of this project. If Adam and Laura wanted a say in this then they should have made an appearance. I know where they will be, making out in a corner somewhere but then they will deny it if anyone asks.
"I don't like this anymore than you do but we have to talk to each other to actually pick a play. And I say we do it now because even though Adam and Laura are two of my best friends it will serve them right if they have no choice in the matter." I tell Cory and he simply just sits there looking shell shocked that I spoke to him.
"That's fine by me." Is all he says back, brushing some of his brown hair out of his eyes.
We browse through pages and pages of Shakespeare's work with no luck on a play that we want to do.
"Why don't we just do a classic? Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, they're all really good." Cory tries to persuade me into but I tell him no.
"They are just too obvious to do. There are five other groups and I already know that two of them are doing Romeo and Juliet and one other is doing Hamlet. I say we do one that isn't as popular because it shows we've put some thought into it." I think I might have worn him down as he shakes his head slowly but I see him smile. It is a nice smile.
"Alright but please don't expect me to be wearing any tights." He jokes back at me and I can't help it, I have to laugh at that. Eventually we both settle on The Comedy of Errors which is all about two pairs of twins and mistaken identities. The two of us actually manage to get a lot of work done.
Just as the bell goes for the end of the school day Reynolds holds me back for a couple of minutes along with Maddie.
"Where's the other one?" he asks us.
"Do you mean Laura because if so I am obliged not to say." I laugh back at him knowing that I could. He is just one of those teachers that you are able to have a joke with without any real punishment.
"Err very well, I assume you will be able to pass on this message to her as well?" we both nod, "Miss Hart would like it if the three of you were able to help out after school on a Monday and Tuesday with the year seven and eight's dance classes? If you're interested you need to go see her at break on Monday morning." Maddie thanks sir for the message and we leave ready to enjoy the weekend.
***
It is midday on the following Sunday and I've let myself into Laura's home with the key she gave me a couple of years ago. Because she and Adam missed Fridays PA lesson, I said we could go over what me and Cory chose at school at her house. I got to Laura's house ten minutes before she said she would be home so I got myself a drink as this house is basically my second home. There are pictures hung up on the walls of me Laura as cute little five year olds with ribbons in our hair as we've just won our first dance competition, to pictures of us being mischievous eight year olds, to our first day of high school with both of us looking embarrassed as our mums took pictures of us in our new uniform. They are always sweet to look at.
A few minutes later I hear a knock at the door which I think is strange as both Laura and Adam have a key to the door. I answer of course, to find Cory standing at the door.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask him after I have contemplated shutting the door in his face.
His reply was "Lovely to see you too Kristen. But if I wasn't mistaken I thought we were supposed to be telling Adam and Laura what they miss and what we decided to do." I stare at him, unable to process the fact that he spoke to me the way he did because nobody ever talks back to me.
"Oh well yes, I just didn't know you were coming or that you knew where Laura lived," I smile sweetly at him but in the most sarcastic way possible, still slightly in shock.
"Adam told me about it and gave me her address. He said there should be no problem with me coming here. You know he's been very welcoming to me." He returns the sarcastically sweet smile to me but the dig that he made doesn't pass me.
I reply back with a very unbelievable "that's nice" as I walk away and roll my eyes.
The minutes tick by as we both sit awkwardly on opposite ends of the sofa avoiding contact as much as it's possible when I feel my phone buzz. I check it to see a message from Laura
"So sorry but I'm going to be late. I left my bag at my aunts and only realised halfway home. Adam said he should be there soon just that he's stuck in traffic. Really sorry - Laura xxxxx" I sigh thinking that this is just so typical of her.
"Laura is going to be late but I think Adam should be here soon," I turn to Cory and say.
"Are they always this late? I have to say I've never met anyone who's invited me to their house and is the last to show before," he replies back but I think it's meant as a joke as he's laughing.
Before I realise what I'm doing I laugh back and "It's not the first time I've sat here twiddling my thumbs. Over the summer she invited me and Maddie over for a sleepover while her parents were away but she ended up going to her grandparents earlier in the day and they wouldn't let her leave until she had had some dinner at theirs. Maddie and I were waiting nearly an hour for her to get here." Cory just looks at me and laughs.
"I'm guessing you've been friend's forever." he says glancing at the photos of us both hanging on the wall.
"Yeah we have," I mutter back just realising that Cory won't have many friends here if he's just moved. "Where did you move from?" I ask him, trying to make conversation.
"London. My dad got a new job here in Leeds with better money so we got up and moved. I was really annoyed at first because I didn't understand why he couldn't just wait a year until I had finished my GCSE's but so far it's not been so bad." With the end of that sentence the front door flew with both Laura and Adam standing there side by side.
"Sometimes I think that 'traffic' and 'aunt's house' is code for something else," I wink at them both as they come in.
Cory and I fill them both in with what we had decided and we get down to thinking about how we can adapt it to suit us. The four of us brainstorm ideas and this continues throughout September, as the leaves turn from green to red and fall to the ground.