Ch 1 of Wings

This is the first chapter in my book!

I am, to most people, unremarkable. Brown hair, brown eyes, light skin and no distinct features that would make me stand out. I go to a small, public school and don’t really have that many friends. And yes, I am completely and utterly, normal. But today, for some reason, something not-normal happened. It might not seem that cool, or great, but it is. You just have to wait.







“Salbatora Schaeffer, please come to the front.” The principal boomed. He looked at me in his usual, buoyant way, as I shuffled to the front. “Ah, there you are” He nearly yelled, slapping me on the back. “We have a new student for you to show around” As the attention of the room shifted from me to the new kid, I looked to see who it was.

He was so completely out of place, it nearly hurt. His dark, blue hair and bright clothes, made him stick out among the other children. “This here, is Chiam Greenville and I expect you to welcome him warmly” Chiam looked nervous, as the entire middle school stared him down. He shifted from foot to foot and bit his lip. The principal said a few things concerning new seating arrangements in a couple of rooms. While he was rambling on, I started to zone out. “Assembly dismissed!” he said, actually yelling now. I jumped at this sudden ending, but quickly gathered myself and led Chiam to the office.

The hallways are lined with trophies from decades ago and art by the students. It smells like a school should, like whiteboard markers and dust. The tile is white, but because of the considerate wear, was more of a yellow. They say our school was built in the 50’s and I sure do believe it. All of the décor screams mid-20th century. The oranges, the lighting. All of it original. In fact, our school is just about stuck in time. As we pass the cafeteria, I smell burned popcorn. That’s the weird thing about our cafeteria, it always smells of burnt popcorn. I have no idea why and it’s become a little joke around school. The art room passes on our right. The art teacher, Ms.Fain, has painted just about everything in that room. It’s literally covered from floor to ceiling in different forms of art. After that is the office, where we sit down

“My name, is Salbatora, but most people call me Sal. ”I said, extending my hand. ”welcome to New Castle” He sheepishly took it and shook.

“H-hey, Sal” he said an obvious stutter to his voice. “S-s-sorry it only h-happens when I’m n-nervous” He fiddled with a loose string in his jacket and looked at the floor.

“Hi, Chiam.” I smiled “is there anything you want to know about this school? Oh, and when I’m nervous, I stutter too.” His shoulders relaxed slightly and he stopped playing with the loose thread, but he still wouldn’t meet my eye. “You can pick up your class assignment in the secretary’s office.” I said, still trying to engage a conversation. “So, where are you from?”

“Minnesota” he whispered. I pestered him for a few more minutes, but he didn’t say another word.

“Well, Bye” I said, frustrated at his silence. He stood up to go, but a picture fell out of his pocket. I stooped to get it and when I stood up, he snatched it away like it was his prized possession. The picture was of a girl. She looked similar him, but happier, full of life and wonder. He stared into my eyes for the first time, but they weren’t sad, they were angry. I then realized that he was not looking at me, but just over my left shoulder. When I turned, I saw no one, and when I faced him again, his eyes had returned to normal. I turned to leave, but was stopped when he tapped me on the shoulder.
"Please, don't tell anyone about the picture. It's private" I nodded, confused as to why a picture whould be so important, but was cut short when the bell rang. "Bye" he said. As he walked out, I grabbed my things and headed towards math.

Author's Note

Grammar! Always a problem!