Life in Nowhere IC

As promised. There're a few sources of interest in town; a theatre, a large arcade, a shopping centre, a camping zone, large woods, and a nearby Lake where teens like to play, along with a little kid's playground. The town IS mostly suburban, so keep that in mind and have fun.

The bus made a "krrsh" noise as it stopped in front of the front entrance. Here he was, his second year of high school. He hadn't seen any of his usual friends thus far, since none of them lived close enough. He stood up, after sitting in the front, and grabbed his personal journal before walking off. He breathed in the air and walked into the hall checking for his homeroom. Room 124... Right. With that he was off, today wearing long fishnet gloves.

Natalie was sitting by the window in some obscure middle row, as she had for as long as she had ridden the bus. The back was full of shouting, and the front was as well. Like normal.

Looking out her window, the bus came to a hissing stop. Everyone started shoving their way out from the back, causing a huge jam next to the seat she was sitting near. She wondered why she never sat near the front, temporarily forgetting about the noise.

After this sort of a mosh dissolved, Natalie stood up and slowly made her way toward the door. She would have been the last one off if there weren't two chatty kids caught up in some babble about Facebook or something. Exiting the bus, she looked up at the front of the building she had become accustomed to. Joanne Mills High. The building looked new, like it had been built sometime in the last 10 years, but in her mind it was a relic.

No time to think about the mundane, Nat thought to herself. She needed to get to her homeroom. Room 126, she remembered.

He smiled at his friends he ran across in the hallway, making idle chatter before resting in front of the door to room 124. It seemed empty. Teachers late on the first day... Feh. He reapplied some nail polish before putting on his black lipstick and yawned. He noticed a line building up at the room right next to the one he was meant for. "Ahh another year here in the middle of fuck all nowhere.. Home terrible home.."

Sure the halls were crowded, but Nat felt lonely as ever. Sure the people were familiar, and the occasional person recognized her, but she didn't know them. She'd made it through the tenth grade without as little interaction with others as she figured was possible, and she was sure it would be the same this year.

She coiled as she passed through the halls of faces. Checking the numbers above the doors, she came to room 126. She stayed near the edge of the door, hesitating as if to be invited in. At least it wasn't bustling like 125, she thought to herself.

After a few seconds, she peered around the doorway and mustered up the courage to enter the room. As she walked in, some of the other students (there were about 10 of them) looked up from their conversations and phones to see who entered. They didn't even need to see Nat's face to know it was her, from one glance they could see her old black hoodie. Those eyes... she coiled again. No one said hi to her, she was just a shadow to them.

She chose a seat in the back to place her belongings. She sat, and waited for the teacher.

132. Class for her final year, all she had to do was get through it reasonably well, keep her position with the other girls, and not regret it. Letting the door swing open, she casually made her way toward the back, sitting down near the door but far enough from the front to give her a much needed edge.

No problem, she intended to continue on with the cheerleaders, hopefully getting a position with a professional team.

He went into the classroom when the flustered teacher finally arrived. Just his luck; Latin II was his homeroom. This language was really his strong suit, and he could probably be a braggard above all his class. But of course he wouldn't.

He sat down and sighed. To shy to speak up and impress others. The only real people he could trust weren't even in his class. He had broken up with a boyfriend during the summer, and life was getting to be a real drag. He couldn't help but wonder how long he was going to be stuck here.

Nat stayed to herself as more people arrived. There were people she recognized from last year, plenty of those. Every once in a while there would be someone she hadn't seen before. New students. She had been one last year, which probably became one of the reasons she was sitting in the corner. She didn't need more people. The less, the better.

While her classmates were conversing among themselves, or operating concealed electronics under the desks, she did little but looked around. The posters displaying the Periodic Table and the different equipment on the counters to the side told her this was a science room. She wasn't totally sure of what kind of science, but it surely it was science. Besides this observing, Nat sat. Hopefully she wouldn't have to talk to any of the naive new students.

He sat through the boring orientation, relaxing. He had no one sitting in front of him so he had his feet elevated. He waved playfully at a nerd who was staring at him. He had this manner of looking like a female that could trick many people, and so he often did this to amuse himself.

He sighed and leaned his head back. First period was almost over; lucky them this school had a rotary schedule. First through fourth period every other day, while the days that were left were fifth through sixth. He stood up as the teacher asked for his name and mumbled the phrase "Vale serenitatem" before making idle chatter about his previous grades. It's true; out of the entire school, no one could speak latin as fluently as him. This was because out of the entire school, he was probably the only one who entertained the thoughts of daemons of old and the idea of summoning them forth for his amusement.

Orientation, a necessary chore. Fortunately it didn't require much effort to live through, so long as she kept her nuisance level down, as well as the hem of her skirt. She had deliberately arranged her classes so that she had the perfect balance of grades and arcade time.

Finally the teacher entered, and as he wrote his name on the board, everyone seemed to get louder. This prompted him to hush the class. Finally some quiet, thought Nat.

Orientation wasn't too terrible. She had already heard the same rules and introduction last year, but having them said again wasn't a terrible thing. Probably the worst part was when she had to say her name. She was nervous to do it, but she knew she had to. After this, she listened as attentively as she had before.

Her head slowly slumped forward as sheer boredom began to set in. The bell couldn't come sooner. Fortunately she was wearing a long shirt for once, it'd be hardly the first time she caught peeks at her exposed lower back. One more year ahead, then she was out to the gymnastics academy, or the arcade Hall of Fame.

The bell rang and he rose. He smirked and walked towards the door, holding his single journal that he had brought for the first day. That was all he needed after all. He had gotten his schedule from the teacher; next up was room 224. Ugh. The dreaded Alg II/Trig class for sophomores. God he'd wish someone would just cut out his heart with a sacrificial dagger already. Made him wanna vomit. He stood out in the hallway, scanning the people. He was always one who enjoyed physical relationships; whether he be abused or pampered didn't matter.

The miracle of bell ringing saved her from inevitable slumber. Perfect, English wasn't much of a hassle to get through, it was first session back with the girls down on the field after that she was really looking forward to. Picking up her things, she left the room rather hurriedly and began making her way towards the department.

After walking the meager three-quarters-mile to the school, sitting attentively through a dull orientation, Emily had arrived at her first period - Gym class.

Luckily for her, not a lot of people seemed to ever care about doing whatever activities the teachers had planned. Emily spent most of the time walking in long, slow, thoughtful circles about the gymnasium, and when the bell rang it was with great eagerness that Emily fetched her things and strode off through the building to her second period - Advanced English.

In her experience, she thought, English teachers could either be the best to be around or the worst. She had fond memories of both English and math teachers from her junior high, and as she navigated the busy and unfamiliar hallways, she hoped for the best.

Oh, great. Now was time for some ungodly math class. He walked in and set his stuff down. The teacher was blabbing about the importance of math. He took out a mechanical pencil. He began the old cycle. Outside thumb, thumb and index, index/middle, etc.

He sat down next to the only other kid seeming to resemble a goth in his class. At least some familiarity would keep him from dying of pure boredom. He sat there, tapping the desk before taking out a coin and flipping it through his fingers much in the fashion of some rather famous pirates, one of whom was akin to a bird.

She paced herself through English class, fortunately their subject was a novel study, which was better than other things she could think of. Following along with the class in taking notes, she felt quite comfortable. Last year of school, she couldn't get the thought out of her head.

A little while earlier...

Finally, the bell had rung, notifying that a new class was starting. While everyone rushed out of the room, Nat tenderly put her bag over her shoulder and slipped out of the room near last. This was of, course, not before she got her schedule. Some kind of Comp/Lit was next. Not too bad a class, she thought. She pretty much knew the way she was supposed to write, and she took notes on pretty much everything.

Nat went to the room, hesitated at the door, went in, and took a spot in the back. The other students were definitely more controlled than at the beginning of that other period. That was good, she thought.

The English teacher, Mr. Cranby, seemed pleasant enough. He started things out with an icebreaker assignment (which took the form of a 1-page short story), and amidst the sighs of her classmates, Emily took to the project with great enthusiasm.

In fifteen minutes she had completed the paper and began to review it for grammar and conceivable improvement. It was nothing special - the inner thoughts of a boy, kneeling on the seashore, comparing the events of his short life to the variety of shells he found and collected - but Emily hoped that her imagery would stand out to the teacher. Smiling faintly, she was the first to rise and hand in the paper to Mr. Cranby.

The beat of the running soles flying across the desert in the basking sun, I begin my journey on the escape from my captors. Ahead lies the great desert, and salvation from years of slavery. Behind lies death. My purpose is clear, I must survive. Nothing can interfere with that...

She might actually enjoy this one. Reading through to the end of the first chapter, she took some more notes and went over her schedule again. Break was next, perfect. Year's beginning meant more or less for the cheerleaders hook-up season. She smiled secretly as she closed her book.

For the past few years she'd declined any who approached. Perhaps now she should consider it. Probably someone in a younger year who couldn't follow her out of school. So long as she didn't get... too occupied. She'd seen three of the girls before her leave the cheerleaders because of pregnancy. Definitely not the path she was taking.

"Man it just stinks, I can barely walk two feet without someone saying shit to me! Or okay that's an exaggeration, though it's close enough to the truth! You literally can't do much about it I mean hey it's my fault for trusting someone with knowing that I was gay. I'll try not to make that mistake in future, and stick by myself.. but it really is horribly lonely and I hate it.."
"mhm, go on.."
"There isn't much to do though I mean hell I can't keep moving schools because of getting bullied! Though I guess as long as no one at this school finds out I might be alright, though I doubt it wont be obvious.."

The conversation repeated itself over and over again through Todd's head, like a broken record player that had just been stuck at a single part, and would snap back before just replaying once again.

And oh he hated it.

The conversation was becoming a pest, and he just felt worse each time it played over in his mind. But alright, therapists were there to help, and that's what she had been trying to do by listening to him, and Todd was grateful for that. He didn't particularly like the fact that most sessions were during school hours, because he certainly didn't want to be missing out on work, then just having to catch up with it all over again. No he would definitely prefer to get it over and done with during school.

He sighed, watching his feet take each step on the ground below him, kicking loose gravel in all different directions. He'd be at school soon. His thoughts were beginning to contradict himself once again. He wanted to be at school, and yet at the same time he didn't. It was horrible really, fearing that someone would find out about him being homosexual and then just bullying him about it. It had happened plenty of times before, and he certainly didn't want it to happen. Moving around schools was becoming a real pain.

He took one deep breath as the school came into view, slowing his pace a little, and heading straight towards it.

Next class now. English. The teacher was one you could only describe as a crone. It was "blab about all the unnecessary fucking rules" day. AKA day one. The crone began to talk. "I cannot stress how important this year will be to you, students. I expect, of course, you read the guidelines in the letter?" Silence. "Very well, then. Rule number one: Students are not permitted to speak during assemblies or when prohibited by teachers. Rule number two: Having gum will result in a detention. Rule three: You will have all necessary supplies, every day. Rule four: You will do as you are told." She looked up. "Are we clear?" she asked. No one answered.

Lunch for students came. He went to the cafeteria like a dumbass; he knew his friends were all outside. He sighed and took his meal to an abandoned table, sitting and relaxing himself. He sipped at his coke, took a bite from the boring burger and just sat there. Waiting. Watching. Time went bye..

Well fuck. Lunch. He went and sat at a nearly abandoned table, near the kid from math class. Nothing to do now but wait. Maybe even catch up on sleep. He out his head down on the table. He crossed his arms around his head as to keep light out.