Remembering the Summers

“But mommy, I don’t like it here. It is too hot.” Shiloh whined, crossing her arms and frowning. She didn’t want to start school her fifth grade year in Arizona. She wanted to go back to Colorado. Where she knew it was a perfect, cool temperature.

Her mother just shook her head and grabbed her daughters arm. They weaved their way through the Elementary school, Shiloh huffing from beside her mother.

When they got to the office, the attendant gave Shiloh a soft smile and directed them both to the principles office. He also greeted them with a smile as they went into his office and sat down. Shiloh’s frown depend.

“Welcome to your new school! My name is principle Heckart.” The older man said as he shuffled papers around on his desk. Shiloh didn’t like the looks of him.

“I wanted to personally welcome you to the school and hand you your schedule.” He passed her some papers. Shiloh scanned them over and stood up. Her mom was looking at her with confusion on her face.

“I’m going to class. See you at three o’clock.” Shiloh said, then turned on her heel and walked out the door. As she walked out the hallway and into the commons that was in front if the office, she grabbed the map out of her stack of papers and found a route to her class. All of her subjects were taught by the same teacher, so luckily she didn’t have to find more routes.

She barged into the classroom and stopped dead in her tracks when everyone looked at her. She was most definitely not used to attention from a lot of people.

“Uhm, hello. You must be Shiloh Brooks! Welcome, come in come in!” The teacher said, her face turned up in a grin.

Shiloh walked toward her hesitantly, and handed her the paperwork she was given by the principle. Mrs. Cup took the papers and set them on her desk. She turned to the class.

“This is our new student, Shiloh Brooks. You will all be nice to her and help her if she needs it.” She told them, then continued. “Kennedy, raise your hand. Shiloh will be sitting next to you from now on.”

Shiloh looked at the room of her new classmates and sighed. She saw a boys hand go up and she immediately walked to it and sat down next to him. He was giving her a slight smile as she got out her notebook and pencil. Mrs. Cup started up class again and Shiloh sunk back into her chair.

“Name’s Kennedy Brock. If you need anything, just let me know.” The boy said. Shiloh finally gave him a good look and a slight smile of her own. He had shaggy dark brown hair and big eyes. He was extremely thin and had a pale complexion. She decided then that she liked him.

“Thanks.” She said softly, then looked back at the board. Smiling to herself.

By the time lunchtime came around, Shiloh knew that Kennedy was going to be her best friend. They had paired up in several activities and messed around the whole time. He also threw a thing of clay at a girl who was being mean to her, yet he didn’t get caught.

“Come on Shiloh, I want you to meet some of my friends. “ Kennedy said, grabbing her arm and dragging her out of the classroom as the bell rang. He lead her through the mass of people until they came to a tree in the corner of the playground. There were four boys there, looking into their sack lunches and trading sandwiches or pudding with each other.

“John, Pat, Jared and Garret! This is Shiloh, she just moved here from Colorado and is in my class. She’s cool.” He said, beaming to his friends. They were all different.
John had dark hair and a slim build like Kennedy, but he had dimples. Pat was extremely tiny and had longer hair. Jared was a bigger boy with chubby cheeks, a genuine smile and light hair. And Garret was a boy who had a hard face and medium colored hair.

“Hi.” Shiloh said quietly, giving the staring boys a small wave. They all waved back, but John. She stared at him and frowned. She didn’t know what to do.

“Pat is in fourth grade, that is why he is so tiny. And John doesn’t like anyone he just meets. So don’t mind him.” Kennedy said as he grabbed a sandwich from her bag. Shiloh just nodded and grabbed her sandwich from her own lunch bag.

She sat down next to Kennedy and started eating. She felt extremely awkward sitting with a whole bunch of new people. So she depended Kennedy for conversation, which he gave.

“What kind of sandwich do you have there?” he asked, eyeing her sandwich with curiosity.

“Turkey, on white with mayo, salt, pepper and the crust cut off. You?” She asked, looking at him. His eyes grew huge.

“Me too! I never met anyone who ate a turkey sandwich like me! This is how I know you’re my best friend.” he said casually, which caught Shiloh off guard, and made her blush.

“Oh look, the new girl.” came a boys voice from behind them. The boys and her turned to look at the boy who was standing a few feet away from their circle.

“Shut up Harley, and go eat your dead cow.” Kennedy shot back, glaring at him.

“Oh look at you, got a crush on the new girl already? Pathetic. She’s not even pretty.” Harley said, glaring at Shiloh.

Shiloh started to get mad then. She didn’t know this kid, and he was picking on her. She couldn’t stand it. And she knew for a fact that she was pretty. She was wearing her favorite pair of washed out jeans, he new button up purple and blue shirt, with her brand new sneakers.

“Shut up. You don’t even know me.” Shiloh snapped, glaring back at him.

“Sure I don’t. You-” Harley started, but was cut off by Mrs. Cup walking up to us.

“What’s going on here?” She asked, looking back and fourth from Shiloh and Harley.

“Nothing Mrs. Cup. Just welcoming our new student. Goodbye Shiloh.” He smirked, then walked away.

Mrs. Cup left us a few minutes later after a talk about bullying. Shiloh denied anything and so did the rest of the boys. Once she did leave, Shiloh kept her head down in embarrassment. She didn’t nee this. This is one reason she didn’t want to start a new school.

“Harley has always been like that, don’t worry.” She heard an unfamiliar voice say. She looked up and saw everyone staring at John. Shiloh’s eyes grew a bit, but she nodded.

They ate the rest of their lunch in silence, and went their separate ways to their classrooms. But Shiloh noticed John walking with them.

“Are you in our class?” She asked him, as she stared at his lunch bag.

“Yeah, I am. I am in the last row, that’s why you didn’t notice me. And I don’t walk with Kennedy to lunch, because he is closer to the front.” He said, answering the silent question in her head.

“Oh, well that’s cool.” She told him, trying to make conversation. But she knew it wasn’t going to go anywhere else when he just shrugged back.

They got back to class and Shiloh groaned. Harley was sitting in her desk, smirking up at her again. She couldn’t handle it, and was about to hit his arm when the bell rang. He got up and went to his desk in the front row, while she sat in hers.

“This is horrible.” Shiloh huffed, looking at Kennedy. She laughed at his expression. He was looking at Harley with a look of pure hatred.

“Tell me about it. He’s been bullying since Kindergarten.” Kennedy said right as Mrs. Cup called the class to a start.

The rest of the day went on like lunch. Harley kept making snide remarks to Shiloh, and Shiloh, John and Kennedy kept getting mad. Shiloh would look over at John when something would happen, and she would see his ears turn red as he glared at Harley. She felt grateful then, and figured they were sort of friends if he was doing this for her.

When school ended, Shiloh, John and Kennedy walked out of the classroom together and began thinking of ways to get back to Harley. But one opened itself up as they walked outside to the playground.

“Stupid new girl, hanging out with those freaks.” Harley said, coming close to her. Shiloh made a split decision in her head and punched him in his nose, causing it to bleed. Harley just looked pissed off then, and swung at her but she kicked his shin and pushed him to the ground.

“Stop calling me and my friends names! You have no right saying those things! You don’t even know us!” She shouted, pointing her finger in his face. He went to grab her hand but she slapped him, just as a few teachers and parents came to see what was going on.

Of course, she was in big trouble because violence was most unacceptable. But as a teacher took her away to the principles office, she looked over at John and Kennedy and smiled. They were giving her awed expressions and big smiles. John was looking at her with a new respect in his eyes.

She ended up getting detention for a day and grounded for a month, but it was worth it. Because Harley didn’t mess with them after that.