Strawberry Fields Forever
Once Upon a Time
Four years ago
Hands shaking, repeatedly biting her bottom lip, the girl took her seat on the bus next to her best friend. They made small talk filled with nervous giggles, anticipating the moment they would finally reach school. High school.
She watched as the bus filled with other kids, some of them familiar, but most fresh faces.
Ha. Fresh faces of fresh-men. She smiled to herself. Cheesy.
Finally, the bus reached their destination. The school was big; much bigger than her small elementary campus had been. Perfect place to get lost.
Sighing, she looked to her best friend for comfort, but the girl wore the same nervous expression she had on herself.
They stepped off of the bus one by one, gathering in a small group. There were about twenty or so kids here.
"Damn. No cute boys yet," her friend said, giggling. She laughed, but let her eyes wander to one of the taller boys in the crowd.
Her friend, never missing a beat, looked in the same direction.
"Nevermind," she said, nudging the other playfully.
The teachers came out all at once and immediately began give out instructions. Name tags, get into groups, greet each other. She got orange, her best friend blue.
Damn.
Making her way to the orange crowd, she found no one familiar was in her group. She frowned. She hated being alone.
The first thing on their schedule was a campus tour. Great.
Wandering a bit behind the group, her eyes scoured the campus. She was lost deep in thought, wondering which classrooms she'd be spending all her time in, whether or not she should join a sports team, what her teachers would be like, when a voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Hey."
She looked up, to find the boy she had looked at earlier standing over her.
Oh.
"Um, hi," she replied, her voice coming out strained. God, she was awful at talking to boys. Especially cute ones.
He reached out and tugged on her shirt.
"Yellow is a pretty colour on you."
Her heart raced. "Oh, thanks. I love Taking Back Sunday," she replied, referring to the bright blue band shirt he was wearing.
He gave her a crooked grin.
She felt faint.
"My name's Alex, by the way," he said, holding out his hand.
She placed her hand in his and he squeezed it gently.
"I'm Maddie."
Hands shaking, repeatedly biting her bottom lip, the girl took her seat on the bus next to her best friend. They made small talk filled with nervous giggles, anticipating the moment they would finally reach school. High school.
She watched as the bus filled with other kids, some of them familiar, but most fresh faces.
Ha. Fresh faces of fresh-men. She smiled to herself. Cheesy.
Finally, the bus reached their destination. The school was big; much bigger than her small elementary campus had been. Perfect place to get lost.
Sighing, she looked to her best friend for comfort, but the girl wore the same nervous expression she had on herself.
They stepped off of the bus one by one, gathering in a small group. There were about twenty or so kids here.
"Damn. No cute boys yet," her friend said, giggling. She laughed, but let her eyes wander to one of the taller boys in the crowd.
Her friend, never missing a beat, looked in the same direction.
"Nevermind," she said, nudging the other playfully.
The teachers came out all at once and immediately began give out instructions. Name tags, get into groups, greet each other. She got orange, her best friend blue.
Damn.
Making her way to the orange crowd, she found no one familiar was in her group. She frowned. She hated being alone.
The first thing on their schedule was a campus tour. Great.
Wandering a bit behind the group, her eyes scoured the campus. She was lost deep in thought, wondering which classrooms she'd be spending all her time in, whether or not she should join a sports team, what her teachers would be like, when a voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Hey."
She looked up, to find the boy she had looked at earlier standing over her.
Oh.
"Um, hi," she replied, her voice coming out strained. God, she was awful at talking to boys. Especially cute ones.
He reached out and tugged on her shirt.
"Yellow is a pretty colour on you."
Her heart raced. "Oh, thanks. I love Taking Back Sunday," she replied, referring to the bright blue band shirt he was wearing.
He gave her a crooked grin.
She felt faint.
"My name's Alex, by the way," he said, holding out his hand.
She placed her hand in his and he squeezed it gently.
"I'm Maddie."