Chapter 14: Palisade High
After what felt like an eternity in the car, we finally reached our destination. My heart swelled with excitement. This was a moment I had never had the chance to experience in my past life. My childhood had been cut short, and I had missed out on all the typical school adventures.
As we pulled up to the school's entrance, I peered out of the window at the bustling crowd of students congregating on the grounds. It was giving me jitters for some reason, and I couldn't quite decipher what was going on inside me. I was feeling like a kindergarten kid who was going to a school for his first time. 'Let's do this.' I calmed my nerves and got out of the car. I just walked towards the principal's office with my parents. We after enquiring some students, found the office and as we arrived at the office, her assistant just greeted us. She instructed us to wait outside. While we were waiting outside, I could see some students walk by. Some of them took notice while the others just minded their business. After a few minutes the assistant came outside instructing us to go inside the room.
When we entered the office, I noticed a middle-aged man wearing glasses seated behind the desk. A nameplate on the desk read 'Principal Prince Brown.' As soon we entered the room he rose from his seats and shook my father's hand. "Welcome Mr and Mrs James. It's nice to meet you. My name is Prince Brown, but you can call me Mr. Brown.", he said while motioning us to sit down and he himself sat down. "I presume this is young Miguel. It's a pleasure to meet you," he addressed me cordially. "I've heard some excellent feedback from your previous school, Miguel. All of it was quite positive, and the teachers held you in high regard back there," he remarked with a warm smile. I returned the smile, feeling a bit bashful.
"Now, as we mentioned earlier, Miguel will need to take a written test as part of our comprehensive assessment of his knowledge and understanding of his subjects. This will help our teachers identify areas where he may need additional support," Mr. Brown explained, ringing the bell on his desk. The assistant promptly appeared at the door and escorted me to an available classroom next to the office. I took a seat at the front of the room, and the assistant handed me a question paper and an OMR sheet for the test.
The written tests were, for the most part, relatively straightforward. I breezed through subjects like history, English, and biology with ease, my pen gliding across the paper as I answered questions confidently. However, as I delved into the physics and math exams, I could feel the challenge. These subjects had always been a bit of a struggle for me, even in my previous life. Even though I could perfectly recall the formulas and theorems but using logic itself to crack them seemed to be a bit of a hassle but I got through eventually.
After approximately three hours of the test, during which I found most of the questions quite manageable. I took my sweet time writing it and finally I confidently handed in my answer sheet after a final review. The assistant then guided me to the locker section.
"Here's your locker, Miguel, and here's the key to it. Please be careful not to lose it; replacements won't be readily available, so keep that in mind. Classes have already begun for today. Here's your classroom number and timetable. Remember, our school is a drug-free and alcohol-free zone, so please adhere to these rules. We also have strict anti-bullying policies in place, so if you encounter any issues, don't hesitate to inform your teachers," she explained.
I nodded in acknowledgment and began placing my belongings in the assigned locker. "And Miguel, all the best and have a nice day," she added with a friendly smile. I returned the sentiment and closed the locker door. With my timetable in hand, I made my way to my next class.
As I walked down the hallway, the ringing bell marked the end of the previous period and the start of the next one. Checking my timetable, I noted that I had a chemistry theory class next. Upon entering the classroom, I spotted a woman, probably in her forties, engrossed in her cell phone.
About halfway through, she looked up and finally noticed me. Initially, there was no sign of recognition, but as she saw where I was headed, she quickened her pace and approached me. In a slightly raspy yet polite voice, she inquired, "Are you the new transfer student, Miguel James?"
I responded with courtesy, "Yes, ma'am. I'm Miguel James. Nice to meet you." I shook her hand as she introduced herself, "Nice to meet you too, Miguel. I'm Mrs. Anderson. I teach Theoretical Chemistry here. C'mon its my period now and let's meet your new classmates." With that remark she just led me into the class. The classroom was a bit bigger than what I had in my mind and the attendance was looking pretty full. As we entered the room, the entire classroom stood up and wished the teacher who just motioned to sit. 'Damn, the butterflies are back.' I thought while trying calm my nerves and facing the class.
I noticed several students engaged in hushed conversations, and a few girls were unmistakably checking me out. While I didn't want to come across as narcissistic, I couldn't deny that genetics had blessed me with good looks. Even so, the unexpected attention made me slightly uneasy.
"Listen up students. This is Miguel James hailing all the way from Texas and he will be joining us from today onwards. Let's give a round of applause and Miguel please introduce yourselves to the class." That comment was met with a round of applause and after it died out, I stepped forward. Standing in front of the class, I felt the collective gaze of my new classmates upon me. I wanted to make a good impression without coming across as cheesy, so I opted for a simple yet confident self-introduction.
With a self-assured smile, I began, "Hey everyone, I'm Miguel James, and as our teacher mentioned, I'm from Texas. I won't bore you with too many details, but I'm quite the outdoorsy person. I love hiking, camping, and I'm also into football and other athletic activities. Back in Texas, I trained in mixed martial arts." That comment got some wolf whistles and oohs from the students.
I paused for a moment, for the commotion to die. "Well I guess I will be in your care from now onwards and I am pretty excited to be here and hope that we will all get along." Polite applause and a few nods of approval from my classmates assured me that my introduction had hit the mark.
"Well, Miguel, we're also happy to have you. Please, take the empty seat near Aaron," Mrs. Anderson gestured to an available desk next to a boy of African American descent. He wore glasses but had an athletic build. I settled into the seat, and Aaron offered a nod in greeting.
" Wassup, my man. I'm Aaron, Aaron Yates, from downtown LA. Where are you from?" Aaron extended his hand. "Hey, Aaron, I'm Miguel, Miguel James. I'm originally from Texas, but I live in Cheviot Hills." I replied, shaking his hand.
The class began shortly after, and I found myself occasionally fielding questions. The class was otherwise normal and somewhat boring. Most of the things that was being taught here was already in my mind. But soon enough the bell rang and the teacher just left the class. When I looked at my new friend he was already halfway into sleep and it seems that the bell woke him up. "Damn, the period's already over?" he muttered while stretching a bit. I just laughed. "Man, you fell asleep at like ten minutes into the class." He laughed along with me. "Man wait till the history class. That puts you out in like five", he quipped.
While we were in the midst of our conversation, I noticed Aaron's eyes shift behind me, and his expression changed to one of surprise. When I turned to see what had caught his attention, I was met with the sight of an incredibly attractive girl walking towards me. I couldn't help but think, 'Damn, she's stunning.' And she truly was. Standing at a height of at least five-foot-eight, she possessed long, slender legs. She was dressed in a denim miniskirt paired with a pink top, and her outfit seemed to emphasize her curves. What stood out more was her platinum blonde hair that was left to flow freely.
"Hey there newcomer. How are you settling in?", she had seductive smile while she just sat down in a chair in front of me. "I am doing fine, miss…uh... I didn't catch your name", I said with a smile that matched hers. She leaned forward. She definitely was doing this on purpose. I just ignored it. "I didn't give you the name yet silly. My name's Ava. I know your name's Miguel." She said with a chuckle. "Nice to meet you Ava," I extended my arm and she shook it. She then proceeded to ask about my days in Texas and interests. It was a pretty good conversation and I could see my classmates look at my direction with evident jealousy and surprise. After a while the bell rang breaking our conversation. "Well if you have any troubles just call this number all right. I can help you solve them." She said while writing her phone number on my book and just walked away to her seat. I was too stunned to speak.
It was not my encounter with beautiful girls, but this was a first for me where the girl was this direct. While I was processing what was happening, Aaron just cleared his throat to get my attention. "Man, if I were you, I would keep my distance. She's like the Kim Kardashian of our grade and she's a walking trouble man. She just dumped a senior named Travis Conner and the news is that he hasn't yet moved on and he's bad news. Last month he and his boys just beat up Shane from our senior grade just because he hit on her.", Aaron said in an anxious manner.
'Right, what else is missing. He a son of a big man too?', I was warily thinking while Aaron spoke again. "Also, he won't get in trouble for all this 'cause his daddy is some rich man and he is in the school board." 'Seriously!' now where the hell have, I seen this plot. 'God, I hope you are having your laugh.' Almost every light novel I read had this scene of being in conflict with some 'young master' and some face slapping ploy that would follow.
Now I am not concerned with having a face-off with them. But I am surely not doing this with some guy who is still hung on his ex and I am definitely not competing in the skirt chasing match with him. While I was having my thoughts, the teacher came and another round of class began. It was the history period and Aaron was spot on. It was dry as the Sahara and I was again bored. After another period it was finally our break to have lunch. While I and Aaron were walking towards the cafeteria to have lunch, I saw a very surprised and cheery Haley Dunphy walk towards us.
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