My Boy Hood
A Friend?
I was nervous.
I was only a ten minute walk to the new school I was going to, but I couldn’t help but walk back and forth in the living room. I debated whether to just stay home, but after being five minutes over the clock, I shot out the door.
I ran down the familiar sidewalk that I’ve lived on for 9 years. I knew what school Dad has sent me to because I had to pass it in order to get to my own school, which was about a twenty minute ride to get there with my skateboard. I got to the school in about five minutes, and I made it there in time to hear the first bell ring.
There was a crowd of students rushing into the building, and a few took notice of me. I lagged behind them as they rushed forward, so I can get a small look at the school. It was big, sitting on more property than I could imagine. I figured the building in front of me was the main building, but there were two smaller buildings behind it. I shrugged and walked into the big one. There were kids crowding the lobby, and I found myself walking over to a desk with a woman on a computer sitting.
She looked up and smiled, “You must be the new boy coming today. Go in that office over there and the ladies in there will fix you up.”
That’s what I got out of her, so I followed what she said. I went into the office and a woman sat me down at her desk. She asked me a few questions as far as what classes I was taking in my previous school before I moved here. Dad didn’t know what I was taking nor did my old school send them the information. I didn’t mind, I told her, and she had my schedule programmed in a total of twenty minutes,
“I believe your father has told me you had an interest in basketball, correct?”
“Yes ma’am. I was wondering when tryouts were.” I asked as she handed me my schedule.
“Oh dear, we have tryouts for the season before school ended last year. They have training during the summer and it continues up through the school year until the season is over.”
Well, no wonder they had a good team then, I thought. The woman continued her explanation, “But, I’m sure the coach will make an exception since you’re new and if you’re good too. Just see him at the gym after school today.”
I nodded my thanks, and headed out the door. I could tell this school was pretty organized, and my first class was Algebra II. I made it to my class, relatively ten minutes late, but the teacher didn’t care, his eyes lit up when he saw me. “He’s here! Class, give a nice welcome to our new student, Nicholas Clayton.”
Wait, Nicholas? I looked at my schedule for a quick second, sure enough, it said Nicholas. Wow, if I had to go to another school, I wish Dad was more creative with the name. The class murmured hey, some even shouting. It was that typical way of saying hi to a new student. The teacher started running his mouth, and I could hardly keep up what he was saying. He handed me a heavy book and sat me down in the back.
That class flew by as fast as the teacher’s mouth, and it seemed as if five seconds after he gave us our homework assignment, it was time to leave. We all got up, and I felt a hand on my shoulder, “Hey, hey, Nick, right?” A blue eyed, light haired kid said to me.
“Yeah?” I asked.
“I’m Blake, it’s nice to see a new face around here.” He said, as we walked out of the room together.
I looked at my schedule, “Yeah, glad to be of service. Do you know where locker 1192 is?”
Blake grinned, “Sure thing, right down the hall from my locker. Actually, depending on your classes, you may want to buy a knap sac. Trust me, it’ll come in handy, especially since our lockers are on one side of the school.”
He wasn’t kidding; we had to walk quickly down three hallways just to get to our lockers. I heard a bell go off, but it sounded slightly different. “That’s the warning bell, saying we got a minute left till the real bell. What class do you have next?”
I looked at my schedule, and then showed him, “Phys. Ed.”
Blake grinned, “Same here.”
After I threw my books in my locker, we ran down the hallway to make it to the gym. It was a co-ed class, so I saw some girls running in there. Blake pointed at the office and said that I needed to get a uniform. I walked in there, and the Phys. Ed. teacher looked up at me, “Oh, Nick Clayton, right?”
I nodded, “Yep.”
He reached behind his desk and pulled out a pair of shorts, sweats, shirt, and a windbreaker: all which had the emblem to the school. That was something I failed to notice on my regular uniform. “Your sharing a locker with Blake Richardson, number 254. He’s the red-head.”
I knew who he was and once he gave me the combination, I walked into the now empty locker room, put the stuff inside and quickly changed into my shorts and shirt. Nobody was in there to see me change, thank god, but even if there were, I’d just change in the bathroom stall (there were five of them).
It was only my second class, and already I could feel the day slowing down. This was going to be great having Phys. Ed. with everyone.
I was only a ten minute walk to the new school I was going to, but I couldn’t help but walk back and forth in the living room. I debated whether to just stay home, but after being five minutes over the clock, I shot out the door.
I ran down the familiar sidewalk that I’ve lived on for 9 years. I knew what school Dad has sent me to because I had to pass it in order to get to my own school, which was about a twenty minute ride to get there with my skateboard. I got to the school in about five minutes, and I made it there in time to hear the first bell ring.
There was a crowd of students rushing into the building, and a few took notice of me. I lagged behind them as they rushed forward, so I can get a small look at the school. It was big, sitting on more property than I could imagine. I figured the building in front of me was the main building, but there were two smaller buildings behind it. I shrugged and walked into the big one. There were kids crowding the lobby, and I found myself walking over to a desk with a woman on a computer sitting.
She looked up and smiled, “You must be the new boy coming today. Go in that office over there and the ladies in there will fix you up.”
That’s what I got out of her, so I followed what she said. I went into the office and a woman sat me down at her desk. She asked me a few questions as far as what classes I was taking in my previous school before I moved here. Dad didn’t know what I was taking nor did my old school send them the information. I didn’t mind, I told her, and she had my schedule programmed in a total of twenty minutes,
“I believe your father has told me you had an interest in basketball, correct?”
“Yes ma’am. I was wondering when tryouts were.” I asked as she handed me my schedule.
“Oh dear, we have tryouts for the season before school ended last year. They have training during the summer and it continues up through the school year until the season is over.”
Well, no wonder they had a good team then, I thought. The woman continued her explanation, “But, I’m sure the coach will make an exception since you’re new and if you’re good too. Just see him at the gym after school today.”
I nodded my thanks, and headed out the door. I could tell this school was pretty organized, and my first class was Algebra II. I made it to my class, relatively ten minutes late, but the teacher didn’t care, his eyes lit up when he saw me. “He’s here! Class, give a nice welcome to our new student, Nicholas Clayton.”
Wait, Nicholas? I looked at my schedule for a quick second, sure enough, it said Nicholas. Wow, if I had to go to another school, I wish Dad was more creative with the name. The class murmured hey, some even shouting. It was that typical way of saying hi to a new student. The teacher started running his mouth, and I could hardly keep up what he was saying. He handed me a heavy book and sat me down in the back.
That class flew by as fast as the teacher’s mouth, and it seemed as if five seconds after he gave us our homework assignment, it was time to leave. We all got up, and I felt a hand on my shoulder, “Hey, hey, Nick, right?” A blue eyed, light haired kid said to me.
“Yeah?” I asked.
“I’m Blake, it’s nice to see a new face around here.” He said, as we walked out of the room together.
I looked at my schedule, “Yeah, glad to be of service. Do you know where locker 1192 is?”
Blake grinned, “Sure thing, right down the hall from my locker. Actually, depending on your classes, you may want to buy a knap sac. Trust me, it’ll come in handy, especially since our lockers are on one side of the school.”
He wasn’t kidding; we had to walk quickly down three hallways just to get to our lockers. I heard a bell go off, but it sounded slightly different. “That’s the warning bell, saying we got a minute left till the real bell. What class do you have next?”
I looked at my schedule, and then showed him, “Phys. Ed.”
Blake grinned, “Same here.”
After I threw my books in my locker, we ran down the hallway to make it to the gym. It was a co-ed class, so I saw some girls running in there. Blake pointed at the office and said that I needed to get a uniform. I walked in there, and the Phys. Ed. teacher looked up at me, “Oh, Nick Clayton, right?”
I nodded, “Yep.”
He reached behind his desk and pulled out a pair of shorts, sweats, shirt, and a windbreaker: all which had the emblem to the school. That was something I failed to notice on my regular uniform. “Your sharing a locker with Blake Richardson, number 254. He’s the red-head.”
I knew who he was and once he gave me the combination, I walked into the now empty locker room, put the stuff inside and quickly changed into my shorts and shirt. Nobody was in there to see me change, thank god, but even if there were, I’d just change in the bathroom stall (there were five of them).
It was only my second class, and already I could feel the day slowing down. This was going to be great having Phys. Ed. with everyone.
♠ ♠ ♠
Nicholas Clayton? How original is that? Blake doesn't seem to be a bad guy? But there seems to be more to him than we don't know...Blake does have buddies of his own, but who are they?
Subscribe to find out :) More characters to come, and more time before the drama lays in.