Fortissimo: Chapter Three (slice 1)

The next morning I ate my breakfast faster than usual. "There really isn't a need to eat so fast, it's not like you're going to be late," Macy had said.

But I had to eat fast. I needed to be early to the bus stop. If not, something could delay me, like a squirrell mistaking me for an acorn, or a deer running into me. The scenarios began to run wild in my brain again, and I had to sing a song in my mind to get rid of it.

'Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,' I sang in my mind. I didn't even care if it wasn't close to Christmas. At least it got my mind off of the scenarios - oops.

I gulped down my orange juice, and checked the clock. 6:55. The bus came around 7:15 at the end of the parking lot by the main road. If I were out of here in about ten minutes, I'd be in good shape. I put my dishes in the sink and dashed for my room. I slid my backpack over my shoulder, grabbing my trumpet case at the same time. If the bus got to the school early, I might try and head over to the band room to see if Mr. Connor was there yet.

I straightened my grey and black musical scarf in the mirror. Other than that, I had picked out a pair of jeans, and a white undershirt with a dark grey jacket.  My hair was just pulled up - I normally didn't do much to it anyway. "Ready?" I asked myself in the mirror. 'Ready.' I answered in my mind. I walked out of my room back into the kitchen.

"The bus will probably be here a little after three," I reminded Macy quickly. She only nodded, still half-asleep.

"Good luck with your first day," she called, her eyes fluttering.

"Thanks," I said as I walked out towards the bus stop. 'I'll need all the luck I can get...' I was about five minutes early, but there was nowhere to sit. About ten or so other kids crowded around the stop, chatting amongst one another. I didn't recognize any of them. Thank goodness I didn't. I wanted my first day to be as painless and "talkless" as possible.

The orange-yellow bus (an awful color, in my opinion) pulled up not to long after. I piled on after everyone else. 'Where should I sit?' I asked myself as students filled in the seats. 'If I sit in the front, everyone will think I'm a baby, but if I sit in the back, everyone will think I'm a bully - a trouble-maker.' I then decided to sit in the middle, but a little closer to the front than the back. A few stops later, as students filled in all around me, I realized that I would have to end up sitting with someone. A tall, muscular kid in a Chicago Bulls' jersey looked at me as he passed. Upon seeing my trumpet case, he laughed, rolling his eyes.

My face burned a bright red as I looked the other way. 'I really hope this isn't a school where everyone in band are the 'outsiders'...' I thought. Behind him a couple people later, I saw someone I recognized - Danny.

'Please don't sit by me, I just want to ride in peace please....' My pleas were ignored as Danny smiled and sat down next to me, carrying a case - probably baritone, I thought approvingly. I must admit, my spirits were brightened a little to know that he was a band geek as well.

"Hi," he said cheerfully, looking at my rectangular case, now in my lap. "Awh, cool! You play brass too! Looks like a trumpet, am I right?" I nodded, smiling a bit.

"Yeah, I like it a lot," was all I could think to say.

"So, did you talk to Mr. Connor yet? He's the band director," Danny added.

"No, I didn't get a chance to. When I checked out the school Saturday night, he wasn't there." I relaxed a lot, now that I was talking about band.

Danny repositioned his case, thoughtful. "He probably won't be here in the morning, he teaches elementary and middle school as well. But he normally is at the high school by lunch," he said as we pulled into the school parking lot. Danny stood up, and looked down at me. "You know where you're going, right? We have assembly from 7:50-8:00 in the gym this morning."

I nodded. "I just have to get a schedule in the office, and I should be good. Thanks."

He nodded. "Sure thing. See you in 7th period in the band room!" With that he joined the rest of the students in filing out off of the bus. I tried to follow him, but I was few students behind. 'I hope I can find everything...' I thought as I got off the bus. Heading straight for the office, I slung my backpack over my shoulder. The three ladies that were in the office before, were sitting down still today, each in their own spots. They seemed even busier than the last time I had seen them.

I cleared my throat and the lady that had helped Macy looked up. I noticed she had a bright gold pin on her chest this time that read, Mrs. Flase. "I need a schedule for today," I said, hoping this would be quick. Her gaze seemed to see right past me into my mind. I looked away to the clock to get rid of the feeling.

She looked back at her computer. "Mmhmm...what is your name again?"

"Alexandra Bates."

She typed something into her computer, and printed off a piece of paper. "Here," she said, shoving the paper into my hands.

"Thanks," I said, taking it from her. She just went back to work on her computer. I looked at my schedule as I walked down the hall. 'First period, history with Mrs. Una, second period, algebra with Mr. Yemmings, third period health with Mr. Topper, fourth period was split up into science and lunch,' I noticed. Without looking up, I near-collided into another person.

"Freshman," the person muttered coldly, walking the other direction. I slid my schedule into my backpack. I'd have to be more careful in the hallways...I turned left, remembering my locker number. 112. I prayed silently for a top locker. The numbers were getting larger, so I knew I was getting close. 109, 110, 111, 112. There it was, and a bottom one, I noticed glumly.

After a few tries, I got it open. I began piling my school supplies inside, keeping a pencil out and sticking it in my jeans pocket. My trumpet wouldn't fit. 'I'll just have to put it in the band room, I guess,' I thought to myself, shutting it.

I got up off of the floor, and headed the opposite direction to the band room. I remembered it was at the end of the hall - hopefully this was the right one. I was right, surprisingly, and I opened the door and walked in. The lights automatically came on, and I smiled to myself. The band room was just as I remembered it was Saturday. Beautiful.

I sat my trumpet case down with a few other instruments, and walked back out heading for the gymnasium. It was by the lunch room, Mr. Spield had said...but where was the lunch room? Had I turned left after going pass my classrooms, or had I gone right? I went right, guessing randomly. After a while, I decided going right was not the correct way, as the students became more scarce. I turned back, and headed straight at the 'four hallway intersection'. I finally came upon the cafeteria, and I quickly walked through it to the gym.

There were already about two-hundred some students filling up the bleachers on the 'home side'. Slowly, I made my way up the bleachers two rows. I sat down by myself, hoping no one else would sit around me. It was 7:47, I noticed, looking at a large digital clock on the far wall. Danny had said the assembly was at 7:50, so any moment it would be starting. I eyed the gymnasium door as more studnets walked in. My heart thudded upon seeing him. The Chicago Bulls' jersey boy. The one who had laughed at my trumpet. I looked away quickly - hoping he wouldn't sit anywhere near me. My prayers were answered as he sat down next to some other tall boys.

When Mr. Frost had walked into the middle of the gymnasium, no one had sat by me, thank goodness. He started out by saying this was going to be a great year, and he was excited to learn with us. Behind him, a white screen was unfolded and he presented a slide show. On one of his slides was a picture of a sheep saying "ewe can make it through school". I decided then and there I liked him.

About fifteen minutes later, we were dismissed to our first classes. As I half walked, half ran off the bleachers to avoid the wave of kids, I made my way to my first class, history. It was in the '100's rooms', the opposite direction of the band room. I fast-walked to my class, nearly being swallowed up alive by the crowd of chattering students. Finally, I made it. Taking a seat in the middle of the classroom (on the side of course). I took out the pencil from my pocket, looking up at the board. "Mrs. Una" was written in bold black lettering, and a short woman with snow white hair wrote on the whiteboard next to it. 'That girl from church should be in this class' I remembered. A few students filed in, and I noticed the girl from church, Lillith I think, walked in and sit down next to me.

"Are you finding your way around the school okay?" She smiled warmly, and set her own pencil on the desk. Today she was wearing a sky blue dress with white leggings and black fur boots. I nodded, wiping my hands on my jeans. 'Why do I always sweat so bad when I talked to people I don't know well,' I wondered, digusted with myself.

As the bell rang, Mrs. Una stepped away from the board. "Alright class," Mrs. Una's voice was bright and childish, as if it hadn't aged with the rest of her body. "My name is Mrs. Una, and I will be teaching U.S. History this year. Today we won't be able to do any work." A couple of students "yes-ed" this, clearly approving. "You will, however, be filling out a few forms and papers for me as well as receiving a syllabus I expect you to read. But - I included a couple of pictures into them, and well, I think you'll enjoy it." With that, Mrs. Una picked up a stack of papers, passing a couple of them out to each student. "Also, I have on the board a supply list you will need by the end of the week. Most of them are things you can get at a simple 'dollar store', or even around your house. Think of it as a kind of history scavenger hunt."

I looked up at the board. Under "Mrs. Una", a supply list was written in red. Before the week was up, I needed to find -

1. An empty shoe box.
2. A lined notebook.
3. A red three ringed folder.
4. A small binder.
5. Something you think is valuable.

It seemed interesting - and I was actually pretty physched to do it. Mrs. Una looked at the clock. Only about ten minutes had passed - still about thrity-five to go. "Alright, now we're going to watch a video," she walked over to her desk, and fiddled with her computer. After about a minute, her screen popped up on the whiteboard. She walked back over, and after pulling a white screen down, strode back over to her computer.

"It's about history, yes, but I think you'll like it..." A couple of students groaned quietly, but Mrs. Una ignored them. She pressed play, and the video started.

Instead what I thought would be a boring history proffesor, a group of kids started singing about history. Some of it went like this - "History, history. You think it's for the smart kids and really not for me! History, history! It's for every boy and girl - as you'll begin to see." A part that really stuck out to me was something like this - "We'll travel back in time, and see Jay's treaty signed. Back to the Civil War, and see the blood and gore!"

Yep. I was definitely scarred for life after that video.

After it was over, Mrs. Una laughed, and stood up. "And that's just semester one!" She smiled as the bell rang. "Don't forget to read the syllabus and complete the assignments. Class dismissed."

The next period, math class, wasn't near as exciting. Though I did get to see what happened when an algebra teacher and a floor collided. Mr. Yemmings ended up falling on the floor after trying to demonstrate what two unequal equations looked like. While holding a box of books on one hand and a couple of markers in the other. On top of a stool.

He said he was alright, but I could tell he would have at least one bruise in the morning. After a quiet, but an okay-ish class of Health with Mr. Topper, I was starting to get hungry. Just twenty minutes in Science and I would be home free! Since I stayed in Mr. Topper's class for Science as well, I relaxed in my seat a little. So far, the school day was actually pretty normal! I had only been stopped in the halls twice to talk to someone. Both were people asking for directions, which I could not help, of course.

Mr. Topper began class about five minutes after the bell rang. He quickly introduced us to the course, and in case anyone didn't have him for health, introduced himself. He looked like the right man for the job of a science teacher - he had brown hair that stuck out in all directions, and bright green eyes. "Some things about me," he said as he began to write on the board. "I like the color green. I once visited the white house, and shared dinner with the president, and I like to drink orange juice. It awakens the brain cells." He turned back to us students. "The only homework you have for tonight is to tell me three things about yourself that I wouldn't be able tell just by looking at you." The bell rang, and Mr. Topper let us go to lunch.