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The nervous, sick anxiety coiling inside me dissipated only for an upset, sick disappointment to replace it.
“Oh, get over yourself,” I muttered aloud.
Someone walking past paused to send me a strange look as if he thought I’d been talking to him. When he realized I wasn’t, he crinkled his brow and shifted a wide berth around me.
Super. Now I was going to be known as the new girl who talked to herself.
Ducking my chin into my chest, I started forward until I realized I had no idea where I was going. Deciding I had to keep my chin up in order to find the office, I sighed, lifted my eyes, and thankfully latched on to the sign I needed sticking out from the wall with a finger printed on it, pointing to a doorway with an opened glass access.
Thank goodness one thing had gone right.
I entered the office with hesitant step
s until the woman behind the desk looked up and smiled at me. Her nameplate read Mrs. Alexander.
Shoulders easing as something else in my day went right, I smiled back. “Hi. I’m new here. My mom came in and enrolled—”
“You’re Grace, right?”
More relieved air escaped my lungs. “Right.”
Lifting a stack of papers she already had sitting out on her desk, she issued me my locker and combo, lunch ID, class schedule, school calendar, and bell schedule. Glancing at my class schedule, I immediately scanned it over. English, history, chemistry, computer applications…pretty much the same classes I had at Hillsburg, except—
“This doesn’t show I’m in yearbook,” I said, looking up. “I know I asked my mom to make sure I could be in yearbook.”
Mrs. Alexander winced. “Right. I’m sorry, but that class was full.”
Something Mom had totally neglected to tell me. Had she known and purposely kept it from me? I had a sneaking suspicion she just might’ve.
I looked down to see what other course I had to take to fill that spot. Art 1. Deep inside, I groaned. Art was Schy’s forte, not mine. I couldn’t even draw a straight line without slanting off into a wonky diagonal.
After receiving my pile of papers from the office, Mrs. Alexander sent me next door to speak to the school counselor.
Mr. Howard seemed rushed as he ushered me inside and had me take a seat in the chair across from him, but his smile was genuine as he shook my hand before seating himself.
He glanced over my schedule, nodding as he read, and then announced I had all the core classes I needed. Folding his hands, he leaned forward with an amiable smile as next he asked questions of a more personal nature, making me think he was fishing around to determine if I’d been a problem student at Hillsburg.
But I must’ve answered everything correctly, because he smiled and nodded before flipping open a folder—probably my record. “Well, Hillsburg thought you were an exemplary student. So I must say we’re glad to have you. And personally, I have no concerns because I knew—”
The first bell rang, making me jump. Oh, no. Was it time to start already?
Mr. Howard frowned, then glanced at his wristwatch. “Shoot,” he muttered, surging to his feet. “I have a meeting I need to make.” Glancing at me, he winced.
My throat dropped into my toes. He was going to abandon me. Teens streamed past the opened door, heading toward their first hour. I looked down blindly at my class schedule, trying to read the words and numbers through the blur of chaos rattling around in my head. Oh, my God. What was my first class? And where? I glanced one more time at all the strangers zipping past the office opening. No way could I go out there.
“I, uh.” I sprang to my feet in absolute panic, ready to throw myself at Mr. Howard’s feet and beg him not to make me leave his office. “I don’t know where to go,” I said, blundering out the fear.
Wincing again, he held up a finger. “Don’t worry. Just…hold on a second.” He hurried past me to stick his head out into the hall, looking one way before he glanced the other and spotted what he’d been searching for.
“Laina!” he called.
The girl sitting not so far away, her nose still buried in a book, jolted and lifted her head. Her eyes went wide as if she thought she’d just gotten into trouble. As she scrambled to her feet, stuffing the novel into her book bag, Mr. Howard glanced back to send me a reassuring smile.
“This is Alaina,” he introduced, stepping aside to motion toward the girl. “She’s a junior like you. I think she can show you where all your classes are. Laina, this is Grace. She’s new here and needs to be shown around to all her classes, if you don’t mind.” He glanced at his watch again. “I really need to leave.”
I met Laina’s gaze and she quickly glanced away, blushing. She had a heart-shaped face, straight, light brown hair, and a splash of freckles that made her appear sweet and personable. Something seemed to click. She had to be a kindred spirit; I just felt it. Alaina and I were going to start the Southeast division of the Nerd Herd. At least, I hoped making friends here would be that easy.
“Hi,” I said with a wide smile, thrusting my schedule at her. “Please say you can save me and tell me where my first class is.”
