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Hoyt, in his sonna love this year Two classes together?” Hoyt chuckles to himself, shakes his head, then pats onna be onna ace that class”

And out the door the trio goes Julio gives me a onceover on his way by, snorts dumbly, then moves on

I stare after the I can do but bear the childish antagonizing There’s an alarainst the big football stars of Spruce High, and I’ve never been one to tattle In Texas, football is the religion, and I’ is too blinded by that face-paint-wearing, bleacher-filling, hotdog-guzzling fact to notice his nuant tools

I glance back toward my locker for some reason, perhaps just to see if I remembered to shut it in my hurry to leave

That’s when I find Vann standing there, dressed, his dark eyes trained onscowl on his face He saw the whole interaction

Great Even the new guy sees what a loser I am at this school

Soover and all that

PE begins with a war which I keep hearing Benji snickering somewhere No, Coach Larry doesn’t silence hiy at a more leisurely pace with the rest of the class, Hoyt and his buddies show off by running twice as fast, passing everyone as they fly Every tiy it) a shs froain with another happy swat on iveof his hands like they’re a pair of bongos and doesn’t stop until I swat him aith a “Cut that out, Nowak!” That only sends hi filling the gy

When we’re sent to the locker rooer than I intend, threads popping on ed back into my trusty Tetris shirt and black shorts, I sla on the bench pulling on his boots I give hireet hiry about the stupid jocks to care about anything else

I just want my day to end

The bell rings, sending me to the cafeteria for a much-needed lunch period The tables fill up fast, and even after being one of the first in the lunch line to get ies, and a buttered bread roll, I finda room full of people I have no desire to socialize with The entire table of theatre people I used to sit with last year have graduated The table has now been claimed by a bunch of choir kids I don’t knoho are already well into their meals

That’s when I spot a green-haired wonder cheerily waving at me from across the room

Oh I sort of forgot about Kelsey

I cut across the noisy cafeteria, dodging a distracted pair of guys who nearly knock my tray over as they pass by, and make my way to the end of a table that Kelsey has claithe summer Upon reen out of her hair from the summer, but it’s left her messy blonde strands tinted somewhat, like a shiny metal that’s been oxidized by exposure She’s a thick-boned, busty girl with a cheery-yet-devilish expression on her face Always looking like she just caator somewhere, she wears a ripped tank top and dusty jeans, and her arles

“Dude, all the cool people graduated last year!” she gripes the second I join her at the table

I sink my teeth into my bread roll “Tell me ‘bout it”

“Do you like your classes? Do they suck like mine? I have Ms Jones for third period history, which is super cool, but then I go to Ms Bean for English right after who despises onna eat all your strips?” She takes one anyway Then, chewing on it, she asks, “Hey, have you seen the new guy?”