I adjust my glasses in the middle of the orientation room, unsure of what to say. I just transferred to this school, and I arrived at school too early. The counselor isn't here, I have no friends, and everyone knows each other—I look like a loser. The desk I'm sitting on is pretty sturdy, but comfortable if I rest my head down. Luckily, I have a seat in the back of the room, so I can avoid looking somewhat like a loner.
The desk I'm sitting at is pretty sturdy, the chair proving to be very comfortable. I decide to lay my head down and rest my eyes, thinking of what to say when the school counselor asks me to introduce myself—that is, if they even ask me to do that. They only do those kinds of things in movies, right? If only those kinds of tropes were real, it'd be so much easier to make friends in school.
To my knowledge, every school has some sort of unspoken rule—something you pick up from being somewhere for a while. I know I'm only in my second year, but I should still be cautious. I've been on edge ever since my mom decided to move here due to her promotion; everything in this area is just plain sketchy. Don't get me wrong, the area is actually really well-funded, and it's clear that the streets are well taken-care of, but the people… I don't know. I've always had a knack for telling when the vibe about a certain person is off. It's probably not good to be so judgmental right off the bat. I just got here, after all.
How should I go about making friends? I will admit, my idea of friends is a bit… untraditional. Yes, I truly do value friendships, but I believe friends are resources as well. That isn't to say they should be used as tools, but they should offer some sort of benefit—even something as simple as emotional support. Of course this isn't the way I feel about every single friend of mine; I still love having friends simply for who they are. However, I should consider my first few friends wisely in this new school. Perhaps someone who is sociable and can introduce me to their friends. This may be much easier than individually having to reach out to new people.
My thoughts go on, before being interrupted by the sound of heels clicking towards the orientation, which reverberate in the empty hallway. I look up from my desk to see a teacher enter the room. She was a woman who seemed to be in her mid forties. She had short black hair that stopped at her shoulders. She picked up the dry erase marker and wrote down Mrs. Martin on the board, as well as the agenda on the board. The list was written from top to bottom: About me, Syllabus, and Ice Breaker.
The teacher speaks up in a loud, but kind voice. "Hello class of 2030! My name is Mrs. Martin, and I am going to be your counselor for this school year! Students who were here last year—you may be wondering why our orientation is in the lecture room. That is because this year's orientation is split by grade, so the crowd is significantly smaller."
As the teacher was speaking, I was too busy looking around to see anyone promising. The ice breaker doesn't specify if it's in groups or pairs, but I'll just find two or three potential partners in the meantime—someone approachable. I looked around, and a few people caught my eye: one guy was wearing a hat and had a basketball jersey on. He was quite tall and was clearly well-built. However, I've never had an interest in sports, and this guy had a mean look to him—He's no good.
The second person was a girl with beautiful hair, who had her earbuds in while doing makeup on a small mirror; her flippant attitude was a bit unnerving, and she had a bit of a smug look on her face—she's no good either.
The third girl was reading a book. I couldn't make out what the title was, but out of the three, she seemed the most promising.
"Syllius.."
I hear a faint call of my name as I'm still observing the students in the orientation room.
"Syllius Near!"
my scouting is interrupted by the loud voice of a woman. I look up from my desk to see the counselor looking at me with a kind smile on her face. Thank god she wasn't angry, I thought.
I clear my throat and straighten my back. "Yes, Mrs. Martin?"
Mrs. Martin speaks up with a soft voice. "You're new to this school, right? Why don't you give us a little introduction? I'm sure none of your classmates know you, so why not give them a brief overview of where you're from and the field of study you plan on pursuing in college.
Fuck, so this is happening. Wasn't ice breaker on the agenda though? I look back at the board, seeing that it was erased from the agenda written on the board. How… when… what? I didn't even prepare for an introduction.
Nonetheless, I stand up, determined to leave a good impression. I swallow down any butterflies and take a deep breath.
"Hello everybody. My name is Syllius. I was born and raised in Virginia, but had moved here to California due to a job promotion my mom received. I plan to study Psychology in college. I look forward to getting to know you all!"
I look around with a bit more confidence. Not a single stutter. I killed that. Or at least I thought. Everyone is giving me a weird look, especially the guy with the basketball jersey. Did I say something wrong? Did my makeup look bad? I don't get it. Even if our interests differ, he has no reason to look at me with such snark.
Mrs. Martin clasps her hands together gently with a bright smile. "Ah, that's lovely, Syllius! I have family in Virginia, so I have a special feeling about that place. Let's all give Syllius a round of applause! I hope you enjoy your time here!"
Mrs. Martin starts clapping, and my classmates start clapping after her—slow, insincere applause.
I brush it off, sitting back down in my seat and trying not to be too bothered by it.
This is the issue with going anywhere new. You're seen as an outcast. Almost anything you do will be viewed as foreign and weird. If you're lucky enough, people will just view you as a quirky individual, but even that is generally derogatory. I wish people just had a default setting to be kind; that would be great, wouldn't it.
I couldn't shake off this weird feeling that my little self introduction ruined my entire reputation. It may be a bit pessimistic to think so, but I know how society acts. One wrong move, then suddenly every move that follows is disregarded.
Just then, I felt a small tap on my shoulder. I turn my head to see a girl with medium-length hair, in pigtails.
She smiles sweetly, but keeps her voice down to not interrupt Mrs. Martin as she speaks. "It's lovely to meet you. My name is Maeve. I hope we can get along during the school year" She holds out her hand.
I reciprocate a warm smile, gently grabbing her hand into a firm handshake. Her hand was calloused and her grip was strong. "It's nice to meet you, Maeve. The feeling is mutual." I feel my heartbeat slowing, my earlier anxiety suddenly easing.
Mrs. Martin speaks up. "Alright everybody. I would like you all to get in groups of three for your ice breakers sessions"
Oh, so we did have ice breakers after all. There is a good chance someone just erased it off the board while she was distracted, hoping to get a good laugh out of it.
Maeve and I look at each other with the same knowing look, giggling quietly under our breaths.
All of the students stand up, most of them running to their friends to formulate ice breaker groups.
Maeve looks at me and smiles. "I guess we don't have to move seats, huh. It's pretty convenient that we're seated right next to each other"
This girl is so precious and sweet.
Everyone else in this school is dull and has a bad vibe to them, but not her. She radiates this positive energy, and I can't help but smile. It's always people like this Maeve who light up such a bright path when surrounded by this void of darkness.
Maybe settling here won't be so bad with a friend like her around. After all, I still miss my friends back in Virginia.
Just then, someone bumps into Maeve pretty hard. I catch her before she falls to hit the ground. I quickly looked up at who bumped into her.
How cliché and predictable. I look up at the tall figure wearing his hat and basketball jersey. He looks down at Maeve and I, not a single ounce of emotion present on his face.
I help Maeve stand up and get her seated on the chair to my left, away from the guy.
I stand up, still slightly having to look up at him. "You know, it's rude to just bump into someone and not apologize," I say, staring into his soulless eyes.
He continues gazing down at me, my muscles tensing up a bit due to fear.
"I'm sorry" He speaks, his voice a bit softer than expected.
My eyes widened a bit. He's more amenable than I thought, but I still don't trust him.
I sigh, the tension in my muscles slightly relaxing. "Anyways, what did you ne-"
He abruptly points at Maeve, which startles me. "What is your name?" he says, his voice carrying a bit of a menacing tone.
Maeve is looking up at him with a terrified expression, which is understandable. This big guy just nearly pushed you to the ground, and is now asking for your name. No doubt about it—this guy's up to no good.
Maeve speaks up in a shaky voice. "M-Maeve… and you?"
No Maeve! I thought. With weirdo's like him, It's important to end interaction as soon as possible. However, I obviously can't say this in front of his face. I just continue standing between them while staying on guard.
He puts his hand on his chin and tilts his head, presumably thinking about something before speaking up. "Bulwark"
For a brief moment, I take note of his broad, large figure and think to myself: Maybe leaving a good impression will be useful. After all, if this guy were to develop some kind of hatred toward us, I can't say he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. For now, I should be kind. I don't want to risk anything at this new school, where everyone weirds me out—aside from Maeve, of course.
I clear my throat. "Ahem…. Bulwark, I apologize if I came off as rude just now. I was just unclear if what you did was intentional or not, but you seem like… a nice guy"
I struggle to find the right words.
Bulwark continues to stare at Maeve, not baring much mind to my presence. "It was intentional."
I smile, looking at Maeve, who still has a bit of a frightened expression. "See, Maeve? It wasn't even inten—wait… huh?"