Coffee and Cigarettes

"You're sure you want to do this?" Blair asked me as she drove to the front of my new school on my first day.

"Positive," I said, exhaling shakily. I obviously sounded braver than I was feeling.

I opened the car door and stepped out, surveying the people around me. "You have to stop running," Blair called out to me. I glanced back at her. "Running never solves anything." She grabbed the door handle from the inside and slammed it shut, driving away at a dangerous speed.

I tugged self-consciously at my hoodie and walked slowly to the front office. You know that feeling when everyone knows you're the new kid? Yeah, I was greeted with all of that. The whispers, the stares, all of that good stuff.

I went to the front office and saw the secretary. "Hi," I said, grabbing her attention.

"Yes?"

"I'm a new student," I answered. "Morgan Bryar, I'm a junior."

The lady typed away at her computer and then printed something off for me. "Here," she said, handing me a piece of paper. "This is your schedule. The first class is your homeroom and lunch is at 12:30pm. Now get to class, the first bell is about to ring."

"Yes ma'am," I snatched the paper from her and wandered through the halls, searching for my homeroom.

As I was staring down at my paper, I was completely oblivious to the hustle and bustle of this new school's traffic system. The moment I glanced up, I collided with a tall, slim blond girl.

"Watch where you're going, newbie," she hissed as I got back up to my feet, dusting off the rear of my jeans.

I rolled my eyes and kept on walking. The room numbers kept on passing by and I still couldn't find it. The first bell rang and everyone kept on scrambling.

It was after the second bell and three more collisions with the upperclassmen that I found my homeroom. I grasped the doorknob and opened it slowly. The teacher, a balding man with glasses and a really ugly custard jacket called out, "How nice of you to join us. I believe that you have the wrong room."

"I don't think so," I replied. "I'm new here. This is room 149, right?"

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Yes..."

"I'm Morgan Bryar," I explained. "I just transfered today."

The teacher checked his attendance list. "Well, Miss Bryar, have a seat. And next time, don't come to class so late. I was in the middle of a lecture."

"Sure, sir. But I do believe that today is excusable, seeing as it is my first day in a new environment. You can't assume blame that I don't deserve," I said airily.

"Have a seat," was his cold reply.

The only seat left was in the back corner of the room. I smirked to myself at how cliche it was.

"Hey," I heard a voice whisper to my right. I glanced over and saw a boy with semi-long black hair and the most piercing blue eyes I've ever seen. Where have I seen this before? I asked myself. Oh yeah, in a really bad teen movie.
"What?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound too hostile. This guy was pretty cute.

"Way to stand up against Mr. Adams," he grinned. "So...you're Morgan?"

"Yeah," I shrugged. "And you are?"

"Ryder," he said. "My friend Cara and I are going to go eat lunch by the park. Want to come?"

I raised my eyebrow at him. "You're inviting me to lunch and you've known me for...what, three minutes?"

Ryder shrugged. "You seem nice enough. And besides, anyone who can verbally bash Mr. Adams like you can has my respect."

I smiled. "Okay. I'll go with you. But, uh...who's Cara?" I asked.

"She's my best friend," he answered. "Known her since I was two. You two'll get along fine."

"Great," I said, glad that I'd already made at least one friend on my first day.

I couldn't wait for lunch. I really wanted to meet Cara...Ryder told me about how she got suspended for hijacking the intercom to play one of the Misfits' records in her freshman year.

"Come on," Ryder grabbed my hand. "She's waiting by the front of the school."

We went to the front of the school and Ryder waved at a girl with shoulder-length brown hair and bright pink bangs. "This is Morgan," he said to Cara, introducing me. "And Morgan, this is Cara."

"Hey," I smiled.

"Hey!" Cara said enthusiastically. "Come on, let's go to the park."

We walked along the sidewalk, chatting away like we'd all known each other since birth.

"So, Miss Morgan," Cara grinned. "What brings you to Nutley High?" And yes, that was the name of the school, and no, it wasn't just a joke name. It was honest-to-God, Nutley High School.

I shrugged. "I had some issues at my old school."

"Aw," Ryder crooned sympathetically. "What happened?"

"Friend issues," I grumbled.

"Boy issues," Cara corrected. "Right?"

I nodded. "Major boy issues."

"Go on," Ryder coaxed. "We're listening."

I sat down and explained the whole Frank story to the both of them and when I was finished, Ryder was tapping his finger on his chin and Cara's mouth was wide open.

"I'll kick him in the balls!" she declared.

"No you won't," I laughed. "Come on, now. I'm putting him in the past. He isn't important."

Cara growled like an angry puppy under her breath. "I just can't believe what a dick he is," she said. "People like that don't deserve to breathe."

All of a sudden, my phone started to buzz. I took it out and saw that I had received a text message from you-know-who himself.

"Who is it?" Ryder asked, nibbling on a carrot.

"No one," I smiled, tucking the phone back into the pocket of my jeans.