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When school started, I was so nervous walking into my first class. I hadn’t seen most of my friends all summer. I knew I looked good in the new jeans that I had managed to talk Mom into buying. I even spent part of my allowance to buy the striped shirt I had on and some cute pencils with little puppies on them. Maybe I didn't buy my shirt from Designs, but it still looked like one of the kind of shirts they carried.
Making my way across the room, I took a seat near the windows so I could look outside whenever I get bored. Which I was sure would happen quite often in my language class. Mrs. Gable had a way of making things drag on forever. Her voice had a shrill sound that reminded me of someone scraping their fingernails on a blackboard.
A cute boy sat across the row from me. He was wearing faded jeans and his hair was short, but very stylish. He looked like he spent a lot of time swimming over the summer because he had a dark tan. I don’t know what made me do it, but I smiled at him. My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach when Heather sat down in front of him. After giving me one of her usual dirty looks, she turned towards him with a smile that showed all of her shiny white teeth. She really laid the charm on thick. I knew I didn’t stand a chance.
“Hi. I’m Heather,” she told him, smiling even wider than she had before and batting her eyelashes at him.
“Todd,” he said, nodding his head to greet her. Then, he turned to look at me. I couldn’t believe it; my eyes lit up as wide as baseballs. He was looking at me as if he expected me to say something.
“I’m Stephanie,” I stammered. Great, now I sounded like an idiot.
“Hi, Stef,” he said, before he turned back towards Heather.
Wow. He really wanted to know my name. A tap on my shoulder caught my attention. “Yeah,” I said, turning around to see who was interrupting my moment of excitement.
“Do you know him?” Robin asked, pointing over at Todd.
“Yeah, that’s Todd,” I told her, as if he and I were long time friends.
“He sure is cute. Why don’t you introduce me?” Robin asked.
I was about to tell her no way, when Mrs. Gable asked everyone to find a seat and be quiet. Heather continued to give me sour looks all through class. Not that I really cared what kind of looks she gave me, because Todd had talked to me, too. I think that is what made her mad.
I could tell Todd wasn’t a snob, like Heather. He wasn’t anything like her or the other kids who dressed really nice. He was friendly, and not just to those who came from families that had money. Who couldn’t help but like him? I knew I did, for more than just his good looks.
When the bell rang, I stood and picked up my books. “What class do you have next?” I asked Robin.
“Math with Ms. Daugherty. What class do you have?” Robin asked.
“Hey, we have another class together,” I told her as we were walking out of the room. It would really be something if Darla, Robin, and I all had a couple classes together. Robin and I compared schedules as we made our way through the halls. We found out the only two classes we had together were first and second hour. We didn’t even have the same lunch period. I was hoping Darla would be in math with us too, but as luck would have it, it didn’t work out that way.
Ms. Daugherty’s class was just down the hall, along with all the other math classes. “Everyone says she doesn’t give homework on the weekends, ever. That is so cool. I know I’m going to like her a lot,” I told Robin.
“Now if we could just get her to forget giving us any homework the rest of the week, that would really be great,” Robin chuckled.
We were both laughing as we entered our classroom. Heather and Jamie were already sitting next to each other in the back row. They were talking. If my guess was right, it was about me. Heather nodded towards us as we came into the room, then said something to Jamie, who sat turned around in her seat, facing Heather. Jamie turned and gave us a sour look.
“I guess they have nothing better to talk about besides other people. Sometimes I wish they would just get a life,” I told Robin.
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Robin said.
We took a seat closer to the front of the classroom. Ms. Daugherty dressed casually in nice slacks and a blouse. She wasn’t as old as most of the teachers in the Vancouver Middle School. Rumors went around when she first came here. Everyone wondered about her because old Mrs. Fletcher just quit teaching. Some people said she got Mrs. Fletcher fired so she could take her job. Mrs. Fletcher used to be Ms. Daugherty’s math teacher when she was younger.
It was somewhat strange to think that one day, one of us might replace Ms. Daugherty. I guess I never really thought about where teachers came from. I guess it wouldn’t be too bad teaching math. At least you wouldn’t have to take the test yourself.
“Today, after we pass out textbooks, we are going to play a game,” Ms. Daugherty said. “Who would like to help pass out our books?”
Several of us raised our hands. She asked Mike and Keith to help her because they were big, strong boys. I know I would have been strong enough to help. Relief came over me because Ms. Daugherty had not picked Jamie or Heather either.
After Mike and Keith sat back down in their seats, Ms. Daugherty explained to us how to play a game called Around The World. Whoever made it from their seat, all around the other seats and back to their own seat again without answering any math questions wrong would be the winner.
I was standing only two seats away from my own seat when she asked another multiplication problem. “What is nine times eight?”
“Sixty-three,” I blurted out too quickly, not giving myself enough time to think.
“I’m sorry. Do you know the answer James?” Ms. Daugherty asked the boy standing next to me.
“Seventy-two,” he said.
“Correct. I’m sorry Stephanie. You almost made it completely Around the World. Maybe next time,” she said, trying to comfort me. She was so nice, but I still felt disappointed. Reluctantly, I took my seat.
After Math was over, I had Health and then Home Economics. Neither Robin nor Darla was in either of those classes with me. I knew other kids in both classes. Some were friends I rarely called.
Robin, Darla, and I were best friends. We talked to each other just about every day. I also had school friends. School friends were the people you talked to only at school. Normally you wouldn’t hang out with them outside of school. Then there were my church friends. They were friends you talked to at church. Darla, Robin, and I all go to church. We just don’t go to the same church.
When the bell sounded for lunch, I was starving. The cafeteria line was long and unfortunately, I was standing closer to the end of the line. By the time I had moved further up in line, near the food, my stomach was growling.
Darla was already sitting down to eat her lunch. She saved a seat for both Robin and me. “Where’s Robin?” Darla asked, looking around.
“She has a different lunch shift,” I told Darla. “Hi, Peggy,” I said to the redhead sitting next to Darla.
We were comparing our schedules when Todd walked by our table. He nodded his head when passing by. I think that was his way of saying hi. Leaning across the table, Darla whispered, “Who was that? He sure is cute.”
“That was Todd. We’re both in Mrs. Gable’s class. I can’t believe he remembers me still,” I said in surprise, turning to see whom he was going to sit with. He was sitting with Josh, a boy I knew from Children’s Church.
“Where’s he from?” Peggy asked.
“I don’t know, but he sure has a good tan,” I commented.
During the rest of our lunch period, we chatted about who our teachers were and who was in our class. Darla and I discovered that we had lunch and Social Studies together. At least we would have one class together. Then we could help each other with homework.
I had study hall after lunch. Guess who was in there with me?
Heather.
To top it off, Mr. Cleaver gave us our assigned seats and of course, you can guess who he had to sit me next, too. Actually, she sat behind me. I could sense that she was making faces at me behind my head.
“Where did you get that shirt?” Heather asked sweetly. I turned around to look at her. Across the row, Mandy and Katlin were watching intently.
“Did you get it from Designs?” she continued. “Oh, that’s right. You couldn’t afford the shirt at Designs. I’m sorry, I forgot.” She acted as if it was an innocent mistake, covering her hand over her mouth, as if she had accidentally said something she shouldn’t have. “Your mommy made you put it back.”
“Not all of us are made of money,” I told her before I turned back around in my seat. I couldn’t think of anything else to say to her. I felt like a geek. The only thing I could think to say was what my father always told us when we wanted something that cost too much money. He always told us he has to work hard for the money he earns and we can’t just buy some things because they carry a certain logo on them. Inside, I knew he was right, but it didn’t make it any easier.
I was feeling down in the dumps after my encounter with Heather. Why did rich kids have to make others feel bad because they couldn’t afford to wear all the latest fashions? My clothes were clean and looked good. There really wasn’t anything wrong with them. They just weren’t ‘in’.
I didn’t have any trouble finishing my homework in study hall. It beats listening to Heather chatter away behind me about all her new school clothes. “Of course I had to buy new shoes to match every outfit. You just can’t wear the same shoes with everything,” Heather went on telling everyone sitting around her who would listen. This appeared to be almost everyone, except for me because I was trying hard not to listen. Still, I couldn’t help but hear what she was saying because I was sitting in front of her.
Gym wasn’t too bad. It was my next class after study hall. Rachael had gym with me. I didn’t care. I have always been good in sports and the boys prefer a girl who is good at playing basketball instead of one who is worried about breaking a nail. I wish Todd had been in this class with me. I bet he’s good in sports.
Ms. Jansen had us practice on free throws and dribbling throughout most of the class, then she made us do a couple laps around the gym. She passed out information at the end of class for anyone interested in joining the basketball team. I wouldn’t mind joining, but I doubted Mom would let me. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask her. I went ahead and took the papers she offered. I would make a point of asking Mom during dinner.
There was only one class left until my first day would be over. I couldn’t wait. Thankfully, Darla would be in this class with me. Darla and I met at our locker; we were sharing a locker together, along with Robin. It was a little crowded, but at least we could meet sometime during the day and talk between classes, if there was time.
“Come on, we have to hurry,” Darla said as she slammed the locker shut.
We were walking briskly down the hall towards class, when someone asked, “Are you going to join basketball? Will mommy be able to buy you a uniform?”
I turned to see who it was. Rachael and Heather were standing at their locker snickering. Rachael was doing the instigating this time. “Nice shoes Darla. Did you get them at a garage sale?” They continued laughing as they walked up the hall in the other direction.
“It’s okay. They’re not worth it. They can’t help being mean. I don’t think anyone taught them any better,” I said. It wouldn’t hurt for someone to teach them a few manners, I kept thinking to myself. However, I don’t think I had a very positive idea in mind.