Reputation

rep·u·ta·tion  
n.
1. The general estimation in which a person is held by the public.
2. The state or situation of being held in high esteem.
3. A specific characteristic or trait ascribed to a person or thing: a reputation for courtesy.
Choosing clothes for the first day of a new school was extremely difficult--especially high school; it determines the start of your reputation, too revealing could banish you off to a land of sin where promiscuous girls and experienced guys would hold company for lunch breaks, but if I didn't make some sort of statement I wouldn't even be noticed and I don`t plan to just be nobody. Im not proud to say that I allow my brain to form copious amounts of unrealistic thinking on how I could fake sickness and get out of today. I know, realistically, that one day won't do any good but it had to be worth a shot. I pursed my lips and shook my head at the vision of myself in the mirror. I was not going to let myself be swallowed up in trivial matters. I could wear anything and it doesn't really matter. Feeling the warm freeze flowing through the window I opt for a billowing maxi dress and gladiator sandals, it wasn't too much but it also didn't set the bar high. I grabbed my backpack and tossed it over my shoulder before heading out the door of my house and to my car. My parents were both most likely sleeping; I had to wake up an hour earlier to make it across town to go to the new school. I drove slowly, my actions just further proof of my tired mind.

Once I got to school I looked at my clock and saw that classes would start in 45 minutes and I could relax, I had came over the previous weekend to memorize my route and I was all ready. I turned the Pandora on my phone on and closed my eyes. I took a deep breathe, today was going to be alright, no big deal. I let a few songs relax my mind before shutting it off and getting all ready to go into the school. The school itself is large, slightly prison-looking but not too horrid. I walked down the main corridor and tried to straighten my spine, I couldn't be ashamed…no revealing weaknesses. I knew I had English 3 next and it was almost on the other side of the building. I walked past a few couples making out, some girl studying, nothing that really took my attention. I sat next to the door with my knees curled up so they were covering my face and I could lay my phone on my knees. I began reading my most recent novel and tried to get into it so time would pass. The next thing I was aware of was the warning bell ringing, my head popped up and I groaned as I hit my head on the locker, I blushed and attempted rubbing my head casually while standing up. There were groups of kids out here but no one seemed interested in me.

I walked into the class room and saw a woman writing something on the board and I walked over to her and cleared my throat, "Um, excuse me…Im the new student, Charlotte Rivers", I mumbled while trying to keep my posture. The woman smiles and introduced herself as Mrs. Robinson, she told me what the class had covered so far since January and we discovered my class had already covered the book that was the class discussion, even so I smiled and took a copy. Based on her notions of no seating I sat toward the very back and tried to be inconspicuous. The second warning bell wrung and people started to file into the class. By the time the official bell had wrung and the Pledge was said there was a good sized group of kids though the seating was sort of sectioned off, everyone was in a group. I was alone. I tried to listen to the teacher and nod as she says her introduction to the current lesson. I believe it was Othello. I heard the teacher calling out names and jumped up when she asked me if I wanted a part, I blushed and looked up to see Desdemona wasn't taken. I mumbled the character and Mrs. Robinson smiled and nodded, all the kids who had parts moved their chairs to the front and I followed suit, making sure to take a deep breath.

"Now, we will start on Act 1, Scene 3, line 117", she said and the class got quiet and a boy from across me started talking…more like stumbling out Othello`s lines. "I do…b-ba-besich you, Send for the lady to the Sa-sagi-gitary…", I smiled a bit as he continued to butcher up the lines. A couple pages later and it was my time to speak. I licked my lips and fixed my posture before beginning. "I do perceive here a divided duty. To you I am bound for life and education both do learn me How to respect you. You are the lord of duty; I am hitherto your daughter. But heres my husband, And so much duty as my mother showed To you, preferring you before her father". I spoke meaningful and clear, I always loved Shakespeare. The boy across from me, Othello, raised his eyebrows but did not say anything, I grinned at him and did a little wave, this brought a smirk to his face. The teacher cleared her thought, "So does anything have anything to say about Desdemona`s little explanation?" Mrs. Robinson asks and I half raise my hand, "Well, I think she doesn't want to further disappoint her father but she is torn because her love for her husband is so strong, its like she's got two priorities and one just overpowers the other", I mumbled all of this sort of quietly and everyone looks at me before some hands raise and the talk is furthered.

The next thing I knew, it was the end of class and I was heading to Biology, and by then I was exhausted and glad for my last class before lunch. I had Psychology and I was ready for my bed..in my nice, comfortable, home. I saw 'Othello' from earlier and he smiled and walked over, "Hey, your Charlotte right? Im Chad", I smiled at him and we had some talk before we were forced to go to our own ways. I headed into the classroom and noticed that the tables were in no uniform shape, they were scattered and almost seemed a safety risk. I moved to a far corner and sat down with my head on the desk, I noticed students walking into the room and sitting down, a couple glanced at me but only one walked up to me. She was extremely tall and pale and had shocking red hair that was extremely straight, she smiled at me, "Hey, I haven't seen you in here before, are you new?" I smiled a little and nodded, "I moved to this school for the rest of the year. My name is Charlotte." "Im Danielle", she said and we talked for a bit about mindless stuff before the bell wrung and moved to where she was sitting.

I moved to face the board and noticed a guy at the table next to mine, he was with a group of guys that all looked very odd, they mostly likely would have been classified as rock but it wasn't exactly a hardcore look but more of a biker rough. One guy had a packet of cigarettes in the front pocket of his jacket hanging out blatantly. I smiled at them then stared straight at the board, when I had toured the school previously during winter break I was able to meet the Psychology teacher, Mr. Andrews and I knew how class worked. The unit was currently sexual psychology, the introduction I think. On the board was the daily question, "At what age did you know what sex was?" I blushed at the question and moved my eyes to my lap, I noticed in my peripheral vision the boy next to me was staring at me and I blushed even harder. When the teacher brought up the question the boy next to me raised his hand casually. "Yes, Walker?", the teacher asked. "I knew what went on in the bedroom when I was like eight", the boy, Walker, said casually and I noticed how a couple people looked at him like he was crazy, I almost did until I thought about how I had known about sex from my promiscuous ex-best friends at a young age also. The rest of class involved awkward sex notes that strangely resembled a health class discussion.

Class ended surprisingly fast and I headed off to lunch, the psychology class on the way other end of the school so it took a while to get there and inserting a bathroom break meant there were no free tables. I got my apple and milk before going to the only free spot which was a few spots down from a group of boys, the group from psychology, I kept my eyes down at the table and ate quietly, the apple sounding much crunchier to my hypersensitive ears. I munched slowly and sipped my milk. The boys next to me were talking about some concert after party and if they were going or not. From what I heard all the boys but the boy next to me in psychology had a girlfriend. The single one bragged about how he liked to keep his options open. I rolled my eyes as I chewed and I pulled my phone out to check messages. I texted my mom back about dinner then looked around before shrugging and getting my earphones out to listen to music. I tapped out the beat to the song I was listening to ask I finished my milk and stood up to get rid of my trash and wait for the bell for class. The rest of the day went by normal and I was often stuck in daydreams about going home and laying on my bed, comfortable. School ended and I drove home, did my homework and I went to sleep. The night brought me dreams of bikers and Freud.