Hanging By a Moment

After a couple of days of being locked in the house unpacking, the New York weather seemed to reflect my mood as the weather changed from sunny to rainy.

I curled up on the sofa in the conservatory; listening to the rain pound off of the roof and watching it bounce on the ground. After a while I heard the door slide open, and then my Nan stepped out of the house and sat beside me. She put her arm around me and pulled me into her.

“You’ve been very quiet these past few days,” she stated and I just shrugged, “Are you okay?”

“I’m just taking some time to adjust to it all, I guess.”

She took my hand and squeezed it, “I know it’s hard for you, pumpkin, but you’ll get used to it. When I first moved up here from Texas I didn’t know what to do with myself, but I had your Grandad, just like you have your Mom, and you’ll make it through.” She kissed the top of my head and I smiled.

“Thanks Nan,” I sighed, snuggling into her, “Do you want to know a secret?”

“I’m good with secrets,” She smiled.

“You know Nick right?” I asked and she nodded, “Right before we moved, me and him kind of started dating, maybe...I mean I think so,” I pulled a confused face as I spoke. Were we dating? Technically, he’d never actually asked me to be his girlfriend.

“Well then he’s a very lucky boy,” She smiled, nudging me. I grinned as she continued speaking, “I always knew he had a soft spot for you. Every time he came up to visit with you, I could see the way he looked at you even then.” She chuckled, “He’s a very nice boy.”

I nodded and smiled in agreement, “I really miss him, Nan.”

“I know honey,” She squeezed my shoulders and sighed, “Would you like me to take you shopping to cheer you up? You know it’s been killing your Grandad these past few months not being able to blow his money on his favourite girl.” She laughed and I smirked.

“Thanks Nan, but I’m not really in the mood for shopping,” I shook my head.

She nodded and pushed herself up off of the sofa, before turning back and waiting for me to plant a kiss on her cheek. I did, and then she headed to the door back into the house. When she reached it she paused and turned around, “You’ve got a meeting with the principal of your new school tomorrow, and then you start the day after.” She explained.

“Okay,” I forced a smile. I didn’t want to think about starting a new school, because that would mean I really was staying, and I couldn’t accept that. “And Nan? Please don’t tell my Mom about Nick. I’m going to tell her, but in my own time,” And once I was sure there actually was a ‘me and Nick’.

She nodded, “Okay babe,” and then left.

**

My meeting with the Principal of Regis High School in Manhattan was a short one, and the next day I was to start the school year with the rest of the students.

I was terrified.

The night before I started, Nick had called; he’d assured me that I would be fine and that everyone would talk to me and nobody would stuff my head in a toilet like they do to all the new kids in all of the films.

I stood outside of the school, looked up at the doors, and didn’t believe him one bit.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and text him; Here goes nothing! If I don’t survive, have the Rascal Flatts and My Chemical Romance perform at my funeral? X

The reply came almost immediately, You’ll be fine! I believe in you x

I smiled to myself, and then glanced around and realised I was stood right in front of a huge on coming crowd. As they reached me, I darted forward and through the large brown doors to the school. The reception was to the left of the entrance hall.

The receptionist smiled at me when I walked over; she was young, early twenties maybe, and she seemed friendly enough. I relaxed, “Welcome back!” She smiled, “How can I help?”

“Urm, I’m new,” I sighed, “I don’t know where I’m going,” I admitted. She just smiled and asked my name. Once I’d told her, she walked me around to my home room and then left.

I took a seat towards the middle of the classroom; no one paid any attention to me when I walked in, they were all too busy telling tales of their amazing summers, all but one boy at the back who gave a half smile and a nod when I entered.

“Ah Tyler, nice to know someone is making our new student feel somewhat welcome!” I looked back up to the front when I’d sat in my seat. A young man had entered the room carrying a briefcase, wearing black trousers with a red shirt and black tie, with his jacket over his arm. He placed his jacket on his desk and his briefcase on the floor, and then flicked his black fringe out his hair, “Its Emma right?” He asked me and I nodded, “Welcome to Regis High; I’m Mr Davies,” He walked towards me, smiling, and extended his hand. I shook it, and then he returned to the front of the room, picked up a long wooden ruler and banged it against the white board, “Settle down everybody! There will be plenty of time for talking later, for now get into your seats!” A few students listened to him, but the rest just continued talking, “NOW!” He demanded; a groan rippled through the room but everyone fell into their seats.

Mr Davies walked between the aisles for a while until everyone fell silent, and then he walked back to the front, spun around, flicked his hair again and smiled, “Welcome back, I hope you all had a lovely summer,” He paused and held up a hand to a girl sat on the front row beside the window, “Amber, I don’t want to know what you did.”

“Fine,” She grumbled, “Sir you really need a hair cut.”

He gasped, “Hey, I’ve been working on this for years!” He then muttered ‘so demanding’ under his breath, causing the class to laugh, before he hushed us again, “For those of you who don’t know, I am Mr Davies. I teach creative writing and music, and I’ve taught most of you before, but there’s a fair few I haven’t,” His eyes surveyed the room, landing on every one of the students that he didn’t know. “But I’ll get to know you before long,”

“Who’s the new girl?” A male voice demanded from behind me and I blushed.

“David you’re going to embarrass the girl, I was getting to that point,” He shook his head, “We have a new student joining us this year from Dallas in Texas. Everyone say hi Emma,” He smirked and the class echoed his sentence, “Now all introductions have been completed I will hand out your time tables and Emma’s locker combination,” He sent a glare over my head, presumably to someone sat behind me, "To Emma only," He shook his head and the class giggled.

It was a relief to get out of there after the hour was up; if I was going to have to put up with people asking me things just so they could make fun of my accent, I was going to shove my own head down a toilet.

**

After homeroom I had English and US History, and then lunch. I escaped to the toilets and called Nick.

“How’s it going?” He asked once he’d answered.

“Terrible,” I whined, “All anyone is doing is making fun of my accent!” I sighed and he laughed, “It’s not funny,” I grumbled.

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m having a terrible time too,” He said.

I smirked, “That does kinda make me feel better.” I giggled, “Why is it so bad down there?”

“I miss you,” He said simply and I felt my stomach fill with butterflies, “And I saw Poppy earlier,”

“Oh,”

“We avoided each other like the plague; I was at my locker and she came out of her homeroom which is pretty much right next door to it,” He explained, “Awkward!” He let the word hang on for a minute and then I heard the bell sound on the other end of the line, “Em I gotta go,”

My butterflies died; I just wanted to hang onto his voice, the one thing that was familiar to me right now, “Okay,” I managed to say, “I’ll talk to you later,”

“Enjoy the rest of your day!” He said, “Bye!” And then he hung up.

**

Next I had biology. Like homeroom, the classroom was buzzing with conversation when I entered. The teacher was at the front, sat at his desk reading a magazine. I paused at the front of the class, surveying the room.

“There’s an empty seat next to Amber,” a voice said and I spun around to see the teacher looking at me over the top of his magazine. He pointed towards Amber, the girl from my homeroom. I muttered ‘thanks’ and then headed to my seat. A few moments later, the teacher put down his magazine and pushed himself up from his seat. “Welcome to biology, seniors, I am Mr Gibson for the benefit of those who don’t know.”

Once he’d set us some work half an hour later, Amber turned to her friend to talk about her summer (and the awesome boyfriend she had whilst on holiday, who was called Ryan, and was British with blonde hair and blue eyes,) she tried to include me at times, asking about my holiday this year, (“I didn’t go on one”) she then asked me if I went to a lot of parties, (“A few”) she seemed happy with this answer because she smiled, and then asked if any of my girl friends would be coming to visit, (“I don’t have any girl friends, all of my best friends are boys and I don’t know when they’re going to be visiting.”) After that, she turned her back on me; I guess I just wasn’t friend material.

**

“What a bitch,” Nick responded when I replayed the Amber tale for him, “You’re better off without friends like that anyway, Em.”

“Nick she was my only shot at having any friends at all, no one else has even spoken to me,” I sighed, dropping onto my bed and leaning against the bare walls; I hadn’t had time to put my posters up yet, I hadn’t wanted too; doing that would definitely say that this place was home and I still wasn’t ready to accept that, “One guy did smile at me in homeroom but aside from that-”

“Hey woah!” He called out and I jumped slightly, “Boys smiling at you? What’s his name?”

“Tyler I think,” I replied.

“Where does he live?”

I laughed, “I don’t know Nicholas, I’ve never spoken to the boy in my life; he only smiled at me.” I smirked to myself and then added, “Although, I must say he was quite cute. Brown hair, really sporting that mysterious and messy look-”

“Emma!” Nick snapped and I burst into giggles, “That’s not even funny,”

“It kinda was,” I defended myself, “You’ve got nothing to worry about, if anything I should be the one worrying; you’re the rising rock star. You’re gonna have all of the girls all over you before long,” I clicked my tongue in fake annoyance and he chuckled.

“They’re already all over me, Em, jeez,” I could just imagine him pushing his hair back out of his eyes and trying to look cool as he spoke, “Ow!” He hissed.

“What?”

“I just poked myself in the eye whilst trying to look cool,” He explained, lowering his voice in embarrassment. I laughed; I totally knew him too well. “I think Joe and Kevin are planning on calling you later, but my Mom is shouting me for dinner so I gotta go, I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”

I sighed, “Sure, bye,”

“Bye!” He hung up again, and my good mood vanished.