First Day of School

Its the first Day of school. Theirs a mixed response.

Andrew lay in bed. Eyes closed, trying to sleep. It had been an akward day yesterday, having to meet all these new kids. What were they to him? Family? Friends? Foster kids he had no real connection with? He didn't know right now. All be wanted to do was sleep.

But that was interrupted by a large object smaking into his back.
"Ahh, what the hell?" Andrew said rubbing his back.
"Get up, get dressed, pack your bag, and come downstairs." He heard a voice, Lukes, say through his daziness.
"What?" 
"We have school today, get up." Luke said, leaving the room. Andrew got up, and fell back onto his bed, not wanting to leave.

After finally getting all cleaned up and walking downstairs Andrew arrived at the breakfast table. Which was dead silent.
"As usual." Andrew thought to himself. He satdown and Mrs. Smith placed a pancake on his plate.
"How are you feeling this morning Andrew?"
"Good, where's Mr. Smith?" Andrew said out of curiosity.
"Already at work sweety. He has to work alot so we can afford to take care of the seven of you."
"I see." Andrew said. He focused on his pancake and began eating."Do we have to walk the others to the elementary and middle school?"
"Oh no dear, Vernon Hills is a very small community. We only have the central school and thats it." Mrs. smith answered.
"Really?" Andrew asked.
"Oh yes. You will all be attending the same school."
"Great." Luke said, spinning his fork around his empty plate.

About a half-hour later Andrew was standing outside the school, staring at it. Kyle was standing next to him, but the other kids had all ran off to class.
"What's wrong."
"It's so big, and different, and full of strangers. I don't know if I can do this."
"There's nothing hard about it."
"Easy for you to say, i've never changed schools before."
"Yeah well, I'm sure you'll be fine. Who knows, maybe we will have a class together."
"Yeah maybe." Andrew said. He and Kyle walked inside.

As Andrew walked through the hallways of the school, he felt like everyone was 
staring at him. He felt like everyone knew why he was their and, whats worse, that him being in a foster home was a bad thing. He made his way to his science class as fast as he could, so that he could start the day, and get it over with sooner.

Andrew walked into science and the teacher Mr. Olivie, immediatley realized he was new.
"Class we have a new student today." The short, balding old man said.
"Great." Andrew muttered under his breath.
"How about you tell us your name and where your from." Mr. Olivie continued.
"Umm, my names Andrew and i'm from Peakdale NY."
"Really? All the way from New York. What brings you down to Florida."
"I'd rather not say."
"Alright well, Andrew, please take a seat in the back over there." Olivie 
pointed to a lab table in the far left corner. Andrew picked up his stuff and walked to his new seat. 

The bell rang and Andrew was still sitting alone. Great, now he looked like even more of a social outcast, or at least he thought. He started to hear the sound of footsteps running down the hallway towards the classroom. In walked a tall African-American kid.
"Sorry Steve got a little caught up in traffic." The boy said.
"Yeah whatever Nathan" Olivie said "Just go sit in your seat, and stop calling me Steve. It's Mr. Olivie to you."
"Whatever Steve."
Olivie gave Nathan a stern look as the teen walked to the back of the room, sitting down next to Andrew.
"Whaddup newman?" Nathan asked Andrew.
"Nothing." Andrew said fiddling with a pencil.
"So, why'd you move into that new foster home down the street?" Nathan asked. 
Andrew stopped, how did he know?
"What?"
"Aw, come on man it ain't nothin to be ashamed of. I live in a foster home too. Theres two in the neighborhood, and we live in both."
"Alright, I admit, I live in the foster home, but its my buisness why."
"Whatever man, just know that there's some difficulties you go through. I'm here for you."
Andrew smiled, at least he had managed to make a semi-friend today.
"Alright man."

At about 12:00 Andrew started to head down to the cafeteria for Lunch. He had seen a couple of the other kids in the halls and had English with Kyle and History with JJ. When the kids passed each other in the halls, they didn't really acknowledge each other. But Andrew knew, that was gonna change at Lunch. The only person Andrew had managed to be-friend was Nathan, and e didn't really want to sit with Nathan and a group of strangers at lunch.

When he arrived in the cafeteria, he saw the other six kids waiting by one of the walls.
"Whats going on?" Andrew asked.
"We're waiting for you." Hallie said.
"Oh, well okay then, lets get lunch."
"Mrs. Smith packed us all lunches. It's in your bag, I saw her put it in there." Tim told him.
"Okay then, lets go to a table."

The group made their way tothe back of the lunchroom. Andrew could feel the eyes again, staring at him and the others. It made him uncomfortable again, just when he was starting to gain some comfort back.
"Yo Andrew!" Andrew heard someone call out, he turned and saw Nathan motioning him to a table.
"Come on guys, this way." Andrew said, nodding towards the table. As they began to walk a large boy, around Andrews age but much larger, walked past him. He gave Andrew a dirty look, which gave Andrew time to see his unkempt, unshaven beard, and buzzcut hair. The boy passed by Andrew without incident, but when he passed by Luke he body slammed him against one of the many stone pillars in the room, and then kept walking. Luke made little noise, but she sort scuffle caught the minimal attention of some of the kids around him.
"You guys keep going." Andrew told the other kids. He went back to check on Luke. "You alright man?" Andrew asked, bending down to talk to him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." he said, Andrew extended his hand to help him up, but Luke responded with a sharp "I'm fine!"

"Okay then, lets get to the table, shall we?"
"Fine." Luke said standing up.

At the table, Nathan immediatley asked Andrew "Hey yo, whats the kids name."
"Who."
"The one who got hit."
"Luke."
"Hey Luke." Nathan said.
"What?" Luke said, turning towards Nathan.
"Your in what, fourth, fifth grade?"
"I'm in seventh im just short, why?"
"What you doing messing with Nikolai."
"Who's Nikolai." Andrew asked.
"F*****g big a*s kid from Russia, goes to our school now. Hell he's in our grade. Big bully too, if you ask me"
"He's not in any of my classess." Andrew said.
"Don't matter, its a small school, but its still possible to have a kid in your grade to not have a class with."
"He's in my Gym class." Luke butted in "He doesn't like me."
"Why not?" Andrew asked.
"I'm not telling you!" Luke said, before storming off to the end of the table.
"F**k." Andrew said.
"What's wrong." Nathan asked.
"None of the kids in my foster home like me. The only one who does is Kyle, but..."
"But what..."
"I don't know. I feel she likes me for different reasons."
"Okay, okay I understand. But listen, you don't have to worry. It takes awhile but these kids, they'll warm up to ya. I can tell, there a good group. Now go sit wit 'em!"
"Alright, alright."

Later...

It was the end of 7th period and Andrew was finally leaving his Math class.
"Where ya going so fast?" Kyle said, chasing him out the door.
"Home. I want this day to be over SO badly."
"Same, you got much homework?"
"Not as much as I thought i'd get, joining a school in the middle of the third quarter and all."
"Yeah well your lucky, I got my homework piled on to me."
"Haha."
"Hey! Don't laugh!" She said, smiling.

The two walked in a kind of silence fo a little while, "Do we have to pick up the younger kids?" Andrew asked.
"No, Mrs. Smith told me that either You, JJ, or I have to meet up with the others in the schools main plaza before we leave."
"Alright, then let's head there."

As they walked towards the school plaza they were surprised by the sight of Tim and Hallie running down the empty hallways towards them.
"Andrew! Kyle!" They both shouted, woth fear intheir voices.
"What! Whats wrong?" Andrew asked.
"It's Luke!" Hallie said.
"What's with Luke?" Andrew asked.
"He's in a fight!" Tim shouted "We've been looking everywhere for you."
Kyle looked at Andrew, "It's definetly that same kid from the lunchroom."
"Nikolai." Andrew muttered, "Come on lets go."
"The plaza!" Hallie said.

The four arrived in the plaza, where Andy and Jj were already waiting. All exits too the road were blocked off bye a large group of kids who were watching as Nikolai circled around a clearly frightened Luke.
"How 'bout next time we are in the locker room, you don't f*****g check me out 
f*g!" Nikolai screamed at Luke in a heavy Russian accent.
"I didn't." Luke said, weakly.
"F*****g liar!" Nikolai shouted again "Just admit it and maybe I won't beat the 
s**t out of you!" As Andrew watched, he could see tears streaming down Lukes 
face. Luke didn't say anything.
"Come on p***y!" Nikolai shouted, he punched Luke right in the gut, lifting him slightly up, before dropping him. A roar of cheers followed from onlookers.
"Enough!" Andrew shouted. The cheers suddenly died down. Everyone, including Luke and Nikolai, turned to look at Andrew.
"What?" Nikolai snarled.
"Leave him alone." 
Nikolai walked away from Luke and towards Andrew. As he got closer, Andrew realized how truly large he was. A full head taller than Andrew woth large muscles and incredibly broad shoulders.
"You want me to back off of this f****t?" Nikolao asked.
"Yeah."
"Oh yeah? Why would I do that."
"Oh because of this." Andrew punched Nikolai in the chest, and when he leaned over due to the pain, he kicked him in the chin. Nikolai reeled for a moment and then stood back up.
"Is that the best you can do." Nikolai said, cracking his knuckles and stamping his foot on the dirt below him.
"Nah." Andrew ran towards him, kicked him in the family jewels, and when he leaned over from that pain, kicked him on the top of the head. Nikolai fell to the ground, and rolled around in intense pain. Andrew walked over to Luke and picked him up by the shoulder.
"Lets go home."

Later... 

Andrew sat in the living room watching some T.V and doing some homework. In the doorway of the room, Luke appeared.
"Why'd you help me today." Luke asked.
"I wasn't gonna let you get beat up. If i'm gonna spend the rest of my youth living with you, I may as well try to like you and get you to try to like me." 

Andrew answered.
"No other reason?"
"I thought that was a pretty acceptable reason."
"No, no it was. It just wasn't what I thought you were going to say." 
"What did you think I was gonna say?"
There was a long pause.
"See you at dinner." Luke said, and walked off.
Andrew passed it off. Luke was probably having a tough time with moving, living in a new home, attending a new school, and already being bullied. He was probably confused, which was to be expected.

Reviews

[Calypso]

Another wonderful chapter.
At least Mrs. Smith is nice.