Chapter 5: "First Day"

Kari stretched in front of her mirror and then brushed her long brown hair. She chose a black dress with white polka dots that reached her knees for the first day of school. She laid it out on her bed then pulled on a pair of jeans a T-shirt first. She tromped downstairs and pulled her rubber boots on. Mother was busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

She rushed through her chores quickly and brought the milk back in. She dressed and ran back downstairs. Her brother and sister were eating at the table and Mother was serving the meal. Father sat at one end reading news on his phone. A deep stink filled the air.

“Did a skunk die?” Kari asked as she took her seat at the table.

“Well, if you weren’t late, you would have gotten the story,” Mother said.

Kari looked between her mother and father.

“A skunk died beneath the Knowles’ house last night,” her father said absently.

“Did you have to drag it out?” Kari asked.

He shook his head. “I made them do that. It was an eight on the gas meter.”

Kari waved her hand in front of her face. “How high is it right now?”

Her father smiled. “Not even a one.”

Kari wondered how strong the smell would at an eight. She took the first bite of her eggs, but the powerful odor coming from her father made it taste bad. The rest of the family went quiet and only the clink of forks on plates could be heard.

“Is that what you’re wearing to school?” Mother asked.

Kari dropped her eyes and nodded. She continued shoveling in mouthfuls of food from her plate and tried not to taste it. She didn’t want to miss the bus. School was her only escape from this life and no matter what Mother said this morning, she was just going to deal with it so she could leave.

“That dress makes you look too thin.”

Kari nodded again.

“Why don’t you pick something bright, like your sister? She looks so lovely in pink today.”

Lucy grinned. “Why, thank you, Mother.”

Kari kept her head down. She just wanted to go to the bus. She didn’t care what she wore or how she looked. Well, she did, but right now she just wanted out. She shoved the rest of her eggs down her throat and jumped up.

“Goodbye, Mother. Thank you for breakfast. Goodbye, Father.” She kissed her mother on the cheek, then her father. Mother called after her, but she ran to the porch and slipped on her black converse shoes. She grabbed up the book bag she had set out the night before, then sprinted down the gravel drive.

When she reached the mailboxes, she stopped and gasped for breath. Running didn’t usually make her lose her breath, but sprinted always did. She checked her brown leather band watch. The bus wouldn’t be here for another seven to ten minutes.

She looked back over the pastures towards the wooden farmhouse. It was shaded by the trees and looked small in the distance. The other houses across the street were more modern. One was painted grey with white trim and golden touches like lamps at the garage door and lights overlooking their manicured yard. It all looked so prim and proper, like the nature had been sucked out of it.

A senior, Monte, came walking down the road towards the mailboxes. Kari looked down and away from him. She had known him since she was a little girl. When she was younger, she used to talk to him all the time in the morning, but he never responded. As she grew up, she realized how annoying that must have been and now they never said a word. She respected that.

As Monte grew close, Kari watched him out of the corner of her eye while she pretended to look at the house across the street. He had short hair that was styled up and to the side. He was tall, as most seniors were, and walked with an air of purpose, as most seniors did. They were the top of the food chain and had been doing this for twelve years. Any questions could be directed to them, because they knew all the answers. She didn’t dare ask, though.

Monte walked up next to the mailboxes and stood in his usual spot. He was always at the first of the line. He was the oldest, after all, and sat in the back. For that matter, she would finally get to sit in the back now that she was in high school.

They stood in painful silence, or maybe it was pleasant for him, she wasn’t sure. It was painful to her. She had been so annoying when she as younger and all she wanted to do was apologize.

“Hi,” Monte said suddenly.

“Sorry,” Kari blurted out. Her face suddenly went red and she clapped her hands over her month.

Monte arched an eyebrow at her.

“I mean, hi,” Kari squeaked. She didn’t turn to look at him, but she could feel him watching her. She must look red as a beet. Why was he talking to her? What did she do?

Lucy and Edwin’s laughter came from behind them and down her gravel drive. Monte turned to look, but she stared straight ahead.

“KK!” Edwin shrieked and ran. She could hear his footsteps getting closer and braced for impact. She didn’t want to turn around and accidently look at Monte so she just hunkered down a little.

Edwin hit her full force and wrapped his little arms around her waist. She patted his hand a few times then grabbed it and pulled him off her.

“Eddie, you better behave at school today.” She lowered her voice to a whisper as she bent down to his ear. “You don’t want Mother to show up and scold you in front of the whole class.”

Edwin nodded solemnly.

“Yeah, Eddie, you better be good or the bus monster will get you,” Lucy teased.

Edwin’s eyes went wide. “Bus monster?”

Lucy nodded gravelly. “If you even say one word on the bus, the monster will eat your tongue.”

Edwin swallowed soundly.

Kari glared at her sister and Lucy shot her a nasty look.

“Don’t worry. Lucy will protect you from the bus monster,” Kari reassured him.

“What about you? Where will you be?” Edwin asked.

“In the back. All the high schoolers sit back there. You and Lucy will sit up front with the other kids your age.”

“KK, you won’t sit with me?”

Kari shook her head. “I can’t. I have to sit in the back.”

Tears flooded Edwin’s eyes. Kari looked away. She didn’t know what to tell him. If she sat in the front, she could disrupt the whole bus order. It was tenuous at best already and on the first day of school she might start a precedent and never be able to sit in the back again.

Lucy grabbed Edwin’s hand. “Don’t worry. I’m not as mean as KK. I’ll protect you.”

Kari sighed. How come she always had to be the bad guy? She wasn’t the one making up stories about monsters.

The bus finally came into view. Monte boarded first, followed by Kari, and then her siblings hand in hand. She followed Monte to the back of the bus. Each seat was already full with at least one person. It was against the code to sit with someone if there was an open seat unless that person was your friend. She chose a seat five rows from the back and sat at the very edge. The person was asleep and curled up with their knees against the back of the seat in front of them. She couldn’t make out who it was, but it didn't matter. The bus moved forward and she relaxed. The first part of the day was done. She made it to the bus, fully clothed, and with no fresh bruises.

The bus ride took twenty-five minutes. She felt bad for the kids that got on first. They had to get up so early to catch it, but at least they got off first. She was one of the last kids to get off in the afternoon so her bus ride home was over an hour even though they only lived a fifteen minute car ride away. The bus picked up a few more students before it dropped off its first round of students at the elementary school. Next, it went to the middle school and finally the high school.

She stepped off the bus and into the new surroundings. Her first order of business would be to find her friend. She fast-walked into the school and paid no heed to the other students milling around the courtyard with their friends. She wondered where Fatimah would be. She decided to check the lockers first. They had picked out lockers next to each other during registration and maybe she would be waiting for her there.

The halls filled quickly. Kari dipped and dived around the people in the packed halls. Her thin frame made it easy for her to slip passed. She turned the corner and saw Fatimah leaning against their lockers. She waved and smiled when she saw Kari.

“OMG, Kari!” Fatimah shouted when she saw here.

Kari waved wildly and hurried over to the locker. “Can you believe how crowded it is here?”

“It only got like this in the last five minutes. Your bus really calls it close, we only have ten minutes left. Do you have your schedule?” Fatimah asked.

Kari searched through her back pack and produced a paper schedule. She handed it over to Fatimah’s waiting hand. “Do we have any classes together?”

Fatimah’s eyes darted from one paper to the other. “Looks like Bio and math, but that isn’t until after lunch. So, I’ll meet you for lunch in the cafeteria in the back corner by the window, okay?”

“Sounds good.” Kari fumbled at her locker. Once she finally got it open, she didn’t really know what to put it in there so she just closed it again.

Fatimah raised an eyebrow at her.

Kari smiled nervously. “I’m not really sure what I’ll need for class.”

“Don’t worry. My sister says the first day isn’t a big deal. They just throw a bunch of paper and books at you.” Fatimah reached her hand out towards her. “Just relax. Let me take you to class.”

Kari took her hand and let her lead her through the crowd. They walked passed groups of people, before a familiar smell hit the air. Kari turned her head and saw Theo Knowles. The boy was walking down the hall with his older sister. The smell of skunk wafted through the halls. People turned as they passed and whispered. Both of them had a hint of a blush and stared at the ground as they walked.

Fatimah leaned towards Kari’s ear and whispered. “When they got on the bus this morning, the whole thing smelled like that.”

“My dad was at their house last night. Apparently a skunk died under it,” Kari whispered.

“They could at least shower,” Fatimah whispered back.

“My dad still smelled like skunk and he showered. I’m sure they’ve tried.”

Theo raised his head. Kari smiled sympathetically, but he quickly looked away. Fatimah pulled on her hand and led Kari away, leaving the stink behind. They ended up at Kari’s first class. It was English[JMP1] .

“Good luck. I hope you don’t have to work too hard.” Fatimah gave her a hug and then left.

“Good luck to you, too!” Kari called after her.

Kari took a deep breath and entered the classroom. Only half the lights were on. She looked at the front where a seating chart projected on the screen. That made things easier. Until she made friends, it was easier if everyone was disgruntled.

The first three classes of the day went about as Fatimah had said it would be. Each of the teachers passed out syllabuses, textbooks, and parent information forms. She made it through English, social studies, and finally gym. They let them out early and all the student ran to the cafeteria just as the bell rang. The cafeteria filled up quick behind her. She stood eighth in line.

High school lunch was different then middle school. There were signs everywhere about what you had to take and what you couldn’t, but none of them seemed straight forward. One sign read “1 entrée, 1 side, 1 milk” another read “1 entrée, 2 sides, 1 milk” and another read “salad and milk”. There were no prices on anything and there were a six more signs that read something similar. She decided just to put her head down and grab some stuff. Hopefully her lunch card worked when she went through.

She grabbed a chicken sandwich and a milk. She looked at the salad bar, but it was open on both sides and all the food looked wilted. She grabbed a bag of chips and a fruit roll up. When she reached the register, she ran her card through the scanner. It beeped.

“That’s not a meal,” the lunch lady griped at her. “It will be $1.25”

Kari’s eyes went wide. Her heart beat fast. “I… don’t have any money.”

“The signs are clearly written for you to follow.”

“But, I…” Kari stammered.

“If you’re on the reduced lunch program, you have to follow the signs.”

She could feel tears coming to her eyes. The students behind her started mumbling. She looked back over her shoulder and then back to the lady.

“Can you just tell what on my plate isn’t covered?”

“The chips and the fruit roll.”

Kari frowned. Those were the only thing she was really planning to eat. She could feel tears filling at the edge of her lids. They threaten to escape. She ducked her head. “Okay.” She put the fruit roll and the chips back, then ran her card again. It beeped again.

She practically ran away from the line with her tray. She vowed to pay more attention to the other people’s trays. If she could bring lunch from home, she would, but her mother would never allow it. She’d have to be more careful next time. She didn’t want people to see her crying like a baby over something as silly as school lunch.

She navigated to the back corner of the room and sat down. There were only a few students around, so she tucked herself in the corner as best she could. As more students finished getting their food, the tables started to fill up and the noise started to rise. Her table filled with upper classmen. They were getting closer to her. She realized this was their table.

Kari looked around to see if she could find any familiar faces. It looked like all the freshmen were sitting at the tables by the door. She snatched up her uneaten tray and wove a path around the tables back to safer territory. She sat at the end and waited. Finally, Fatimah appeared through the door. Her blue lunch pail swung from her hand. She smiled when she saw Kari.

“I thought we were going to sit in the back corner?” Fatimah asked. “What’s wrong? Why are you all red?”

Kari shook her head. “I’m fine. It’s just hot in here.” She pointed to the table. “I was sitting there, but it’s all upperclassmen.”

“Well, yeah. Don’t you want to sit with them? It’s way better than sitting with freshmen.”

Kari frowned. “I don’t want to be in their way.”

Fatimah rolled her eyes. She sat heavily on the table bench next to her. “How else are we going to meet hot boys?”

Kari stared down at her food. “We’re not,” she mumbled. She could only imagine what conversation that would spark with her mother. Her mother was nosey enough about that kind of stuff as it was.

Fatimah shoved her with her shoulder. “You’re no fun.”

Kari picked at her chicken sandwich. With enough ketchup it seemed to be edible. She washed each bite down with a gulp of chocolate milk. The noise in the cafeteria made it impossible to hear Fatimah carry on about the upperclassmen. She just nodded and smiled. Fatimah went on and on. Eventually some of the other freshman joined in, but Kari still couldn’t seem to concentrate on more than a few words at a time. She was still battling her inner turmoil from the lunch diabolical. She knew it was a minor thing, but she was having trouble keeping her emotions in check.

When Kari was finished eating, she stood abruptly. Everyone looked at her. She could feel that heat rising again. She hated drawing attention to herself like this.

“Bathroom,” she blurted out and then scurried away. Fatimah called after her, but she didn’t stop.

Kari dumped her tray and went back to the hall. There were tons of people handing out in the halls. Some sat on the floor next to the lockers and ate, other stood and chatted next to the walls. There was a bit of horse play going on in one hall. She just wanted away from all of it. She hiked her book bag up on her shoulder and went outside. The summer weather was still nice today, even if it was a little windy.

There were groups of student standing around the courtyard. Some of them turned and looked at her. She felt their eyes on her. She turned the corner and followed the edge of the building around to the outside of school. Finally, she found a place with no students. She dropped her bag and sunk down to her knees. She had to get all this out somehow. It wasn’t good to cry on the first day, but if she didn’t deal with it now, it would come out during class.

She curled her knees up to her chest and leaned her head on them. Without much effort, she forced out the tears. That deep pit inside opened up and fed on the sadness. In the midst of the pain, it also felt good somehow. Her inner core, maybe that was her heart, she thought briefly, ripped with pain and pleasure as the sadness flooded her. She knew she couldn’t stay like this for long and slowly reeled it in. This couldn’t be healthy, but at the same time, she couldn’t not do it.

Voices from a distance down the building wall pulled her back to reality. She gulped in deep breaths and forced the sadness back down. She used the skirt of her dress to wipe her eyes. The wind blew and a familiar skunky smell filled the air.

Three freshmen shoved a smaller figure around. From this distance she couldn’t see their faces, but she knew right away it had to be Theo. They shoved him hard against the wall and all three boys cackled with laughter. They kicked dirt on him and shouted obscenities that Kari couldn’t quite hear, or chose not to. After many years in her household, she had learned to drop her head and keep quiet. Normally, she would just wait for the torment to pass, but school was supposed to be her safe place.

She looked at poor Theo hunkered down against the wall. That heat burned within her again, but this time it wasn’t embarrassment, well some of it was, but most of it was anger. She clenched her teeth and balled her fists. She stood and took a step forward, then stopped. What was she going to do? Was she really going to intervene? She shook her head. Of course not. She wouldn’t never actively jump into someone else’s business. She should just drop her eyes and leave, pretend like she didn’t see anything.

One boy, the tallest of the three flung a fist at Theo’s face. Kari tensed. His fist hit the wall next to Theo’s head and Theo flinched. All the times she’s been hit flashed through her mind. These boys fed off fear. They were no better than her mother. The difference here was they didn’t have power like her mother. They only thought they did because they were taller.

She reached down for her bag. She shouldn’t get involved. She needed to leave now. The boy flung another fist. Kari tensed again. This time, his fist hit Theo’s face. Kari heated up. Her vision went red. A scream tore from her throat and she ran.

Copyright 2018 Ava Altair

#bully #freefiction