Somewhere I Belong

Jessica finally found the office after searching for ten minutes when ‘mystery guy’ wouldn’t tell her. She sat awkwardly, forced to listen to someone being nearly screamed at in the principal’s office. The little old secretary just smiled and continued to look her up in the old computer system the school was sporting. She adjusted her glasses and smiled which meant that she had found what she was looking for. The printer started going off, which didn’t mask the yelling in the next room, but made a good attempt at it. The lady shuffled over and pulled the hot paper off the tray turning to give it to Jessica. “Here you go sweetie’ she smiled, “thanks, and sorry I didn't show up earlier I got lost”
Jess laughed and noticed the noise had stopped.

“well dear” the old woman stopped and looked her over which made her feel even more uncomfortable “you’ll do just fine, I can tell”. ‘The people around here were so weird’ Jess thought at the comment but was sidetracked when the principals door flew open and out came walking a serious faced boy with the bushiest hair she had ever seen, it was seriously an afro. He slumped down in the chair beside the one she had been in.

“Ray sweetheart, in trouble again?” the woman said in a sad and disappointed tone. “Sorry Miss. B, guess I’ll just never learn” mocking something the principal had probably said to him. Jessica turned to leave and caught eyes with him. She would have flashed him a smile if he hadn’t given her a wink and puckered his lips to look like a kiss before she left, great still not making friends, not the kind she wanted anyway.

With that she went to the cafeteria where they were serving lunch and where she was supposed to meet Ally. She scanned the room from the back and didn’t see Ally but noticed how segregated things seemed. It was like everyone at a single table looked the same, nothing was wrong with it but it just seemed so different than back home, but then again, everything here was completely different. A squeal from one of the bigger tables in the middle of the room signaled that Ally had been waiting on her. The table was nearly filled with what looked like football players and the entire cheer squad. She sat at the open seat between Ally and an Asian girl in a cheering uniform. Across from her was a blonde in a matching blue uniform that just stared at her until Ally announced “ This is Jessica, she’s new!” the whole table leaned in and was staring at her but before she could say hello the blonde piped up. “Um Ally we’re not stupid, obviously she’s new.” Ally sat down a little defeated and the blonde continued, “Carrie Evans” she extended her manicured hand towards her and Jessica took it almost reluctantly. “Nice to meet you, um all of you” she cracked a nervous smile looking around at everyone.

“So, what do you do?” the little Asian girl to her side chirped. Jess had to think, “she means do you cheer or play sports or whatever” Carrie broke in absent-mindedly stabbing her salad and gave the girl a nasty look. “oh, well I played softball and ran track and things like that back home” the girls were leaned in hanging on every word, “ but, I don’t play anymore, I’ve kind of taken to art though” it was like she had said she skinned puppies for a hobby with the looks she received, disappointed and uninterested, what was new?

After a couple more questions and introductions she finally got a second to pull out the peanut butter and jelly she had made that morning. Going in for the first bite she got a funny feeling and looked up to see some of the girls staring at her “everything ok?” she asked taking the sandwich from her lips. “oh nothing” Carrie smiled as she exchanged glances with the other girls who simultaneously stood up from the table. “see you soon Jess” the blonde gave her a look that she couldn’t quite decipher as she and her ‘girls’ dumped their half-eaten lunches in the trash and scurried off.

“Wow” Jessica went ahead and took the first delicious bite; it had been the highlight of her day so far. “That’s just how they are, you’ll get used to it” Ally smiled. Jessica looked through the gap where Carrie had been sitting to see a table towards the back corner where not only her ‘mystery guy’ was sitting but also ‘afro’ along with a couple other guys who were cutting up and joking around.
“Ally, who’s the tall kid with the red tie over there?” she asked sitting back but never breaking her gaze on the table. “Who Gerard?!” she said almost screaming “why? Did he do something? Curse you? Oh he will-“.

“No nothing like that, I just met him in the hall today and he told me ‘people like us don’t mix well’ or something like that, I didn’t know what he meant” she looked to Ally who had contained herself. “Well it’s true you know, I mean you play, um, played sports, dress well and oh let’s see , don’t look like you’re going to a funeral all the time! At least I hope no” she managed to sneak that last part in under her breathe. “You’re different Jess and you should be happy for that.” Ally smiled and Jessica finally figured it out. The looks, the way Gerard and the secretary had spoken to her. She had seen those mandatory videos about stuff like this but her old school never had cliques or anything like that. She shook her head and made her way to Chemistry.