5. Callie
Chapter 5
Callie
Freshman Year
“Come on, mom. This isn’t fair!” I yell as if that’s going to change her mind. As if freshman year isn’t bad enough, my parents have decided to move to a new town. I know that my arguments won’t win them over, but it never hurts to try.
“Honey, we’ve already talked about this so many times. We are moving closer to your dad’s job now that he’s in the supervisor position and has an earlier start time. It’s a small town, so it won’t be that bad. You’re overthinking it. Besides, Emily is excited about moving,” my mom says as she’s packing up more of our things.
“Emily is excited because she looks forward to meeting new people. She’s more outgoing than I am. I am already overwhelmed with the thought of starting high school but now I have to do it at a new school, with all new people?!” I storm back up to my room and slam the door. This is going to suck.
Knowing that nothing will change I begin packing up the things that I won’t need for the next week. I’d known about this move for months, but selfishly I hoped that my parents would tell me plans had changed, and we wouldn’t be moving. That didn’t happen, though… So here I am, a week before we move packing up my entire bedroom.
“Don’t forget to go to the office first. You need to grab your schedule and locker information,” my mom reminds me as we pull up to the drop-off area of my new high school.
I nod in response and get out of the car, closing the door behind me.
Deep breaths, Callie. We can push through this.
I keep repeating this mantra to myself as I walk toward the front door of my new school. Saying that I am not looking forward to today would be one hell of an understatement. New school, new people, new schedule, new town. So many new things that I can’t think straight. Leaving my old school was hard. Not only was I leaving behind all my friends… I was also leaving behind the only town and house I’ve ever known as home.
Walking through the front door, I’m faced with chaos . This school is so much different than my old school. Thankfully there’s a sign above the door to my left letting me know that’s the office, which is what I’m looking for. I walk in and join a handful of other students in line at the main desk. The line moves quickly and before I know it it’s my turn.
“What can I help you with today?” the secretary asks.
“I’m a new student. I am here to get my schedule and my locker information.”
“What’s your name, sweetheart?” The secretary, whose brass nameplate reads ‘Meredith’, taps her bright red fingernails on her keyboard as she looks up to meet my eyes.
I fidget with the hem of my shirt and say quickly, “Callie Callahan.”
She looks me over, not in an annoyed way, but more so out of curiosity. “What grade are you in?”
I watch as her brown eyes roam over the computer screen. “Ninth.”
She stops typing and looks up to me, smiling. “Found you. I’ll get that printed out for you right now. Just give me one moment.” She stands to walk over to the other side of the office where the printer is sitting. “Here you go. Your first class is at the end of the main hall on the right. Your locker will be located just outside that classroom. This has your locker number as well as your combination. If you need any help, come on back and we’ll take care of you. I also printed out a map of the campus layout, it’ll help you figure out the best route between classes.”
“Thank you,” I say before turning to walk out. She seems nice. Glad to have met someone I can go to for help.
Walking out of the office I take a left to head towards my first class. I don’t even bother with my locker. I can do that at the end of the day. I make a mental note of the bathroom on my right, about halfway down the hall. Then the library is further up on the left. Okay, here’s my first class - English.
Deep breaths, Callie. We can push through this. I have a feeling this will become part of my personality with as many times I can foresee having to tell myself this.
As I walk through the doorway, I notice there's one other student in the classroom. I can't help but stop dead in my tracks, he's gorgeous. He is tall with dark hair. Very dreamy but way out of my league. He's sitting towards the back, on the far right, next to the windows overlooking the football field. He's staring down at his phone, completely lost in his own world. Which is great for me, because that means he won’t notice me staring at him. What an awkward first day that would be.
I pull myself together and walk down the first row of seats. I pick one that's between the middle and back of the classroom. This isn't a very large classroom. There are five rows of four desks and centered at the front is the teacher's large oak desk. To the left is a dry-erase board and to the right are two bulletin boards.
I place my bag in the wire basket that's under my chair and sit there quietly waiting for the bell to ring. I really hope that I won't have to introduce myself since I'm the new girl . Glancing down at my schedule and the map of the campus I notice that my next class is only a few doors down the hall. Maybe this won't be as hard as I thought.
As I'm figuring out the best way to get to each of my classes on time, an older gentleman walks in. I think it's safe to assume he's the teacher based on his outfit and the briefcase he's carrying in his left hand. He's wearing a light blue button-down shirt and a pair of black slacks that could use some ironing.
A few more students have also made their way into the classroom. No one has spoken to me, but to be fair, I'm not trying to make conversation with anyone either.
There's a group of girls sitting in the front row, huddled together laughing and giggling. The vibe they give off is very cliquey.
I chance a glance across the room and notice he's no longer looking at his phone. He's chatting with two other boys who are wearing football jerseys. I look away, quickly, not wanting to get caught.
It's 8:57 and class starts in three minutes. I wonder if this is how small the class is. Small class sizes are one thing I’m not used to.
Thankfully, Mr. Stewart doesn't make me introduce myself. I'm not even sure if he realizes I am a new student. Oh well, I'm not complaining.
We spend the next 45 minutes going over the syllabus, class expectations, and how the assignments will be spaced out over the year. It doesn't sound like too much work, but I know high school English is all about writing papers and reading poetry so I'm sure there will be smaller assignments thrown into the mix to prepare us for our written papers. So much fun.
As the day goes on I realize that I've got a couple more classes with him. In our third class together I learn that his name is Mason. He's a football player and popular. Definitely out of my league. I will not humor the idea of him and me. It would never happen, nor do I want it to happen. No matter how cute and dreamy he is. He is a jock and I enjoy not being the center of attention, which would not be the case if I dated, or even hung out with, a football player.
Week three of my freshman year is off to a good start.
I have memorized my schedule and where all my classes are, gotten into the routine of the larger course load that high school requires, and I haven't had any issues at school.
It is Tuesday and I'm currently sitting in fourth period, Algebra 2. I've noticed that all the classrooms are set up the same- five rows of four desks, the teacher's desk centered at the front, dry-erase board to one side, and bulletin boards to the other. I'm still getting used to the smaller class sizes, but it's so much nicer than 30+ students in each class.
Mr. Wright is going over complex numbers, something I really have to pay attention to because what are those ? I’m so lost. I guess this will be the year I start questioning why we need to know all these math formulas and concepts that we’ll never use outside of school. However, since I need good grades to get into my dream college I suck it up and pay attention, making sure to get as many notes as I can.
The bell rings in the middle of the lesson and kids immediately jump out of their seats to run into the hall. The class schedule at this school is different than it was set up at my last school and took some getting used to. Fourth period is split in two with lunch time taking place between those two sessions.
I don’t need to grab any of my belongings before leaving the classroom so I close my laptop and textbooks before walking towards the door.
I spend a few seconds debating whether or not I should stop at the restroom now or wait until after I’ve eaten lunch. Deciding to go ahead and get it out of the way now, I turn right towards the bathrooms. I’d rather be late to lunch than late to class.
If only I knew that my decision would lead me right into an awkward situation.
I reach the cafeteria door and raise my hand to pull it open, right as someone pushes it open. I find myself walking right into the chest of Mason Ward.
Cue annoying face and that annoying giggle that I do when I am embarrassed. Ugh, if I had just run out of the classroom when everyone else did this would not be happening right now.
“I’m sorry,” I say backing up, hoping that he won’t make this into a huge ordeal.
He stares at me for a minute before saying, just above a whisper, “Callie, right?”
I didn’t know he knew I existed, let alone my name.
“Yes,” I reply, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt.
Mason opens his mouth as if to say something but nothing comes out. He’s staring at me like I have three eyes. His eyes, this close, are more mesmerizing than I originally thought. Who’s eyes are that blue? Ugh, I could stare into his eyes all day.
“I’m sorry for running into you. I better go grab something to eat before the bell rings.” I say as I quickly maneuver around him and try my best not to let the embarrassment I’m feeling consume me.
I take a deep breath and walk towards the line to grab my lunch. I need to get Mason out of my mind … and fast.
Grabbing a tray from the pile I add a slice of pizza and french fries before continuing forward in the line. I add a bottle of water before placing the tray down at the register. I pay for my food and begin the trek toward the tables. I haven’t made many friends, so I still eat alone. Oddly I am okay with that, so I walk to the table I have been sitting at for the last three weeks.
I’ve barely taken my first bite when I am distracted by movement to my left. I can sense someone is close, so I turn my head to find him standing there. Almost too close for comfort. What is going on? Why is he invading my space? I’m trying to get him OFF my mind yet here he is.
“Hey,” Mason says as he smiles down at me. “Can I sit here?” he asks after a short silence.
I nod my head yes, even though I’d much rather him go sit with his friends so I can finish my lunch in silence. His bright eyes staring down at me make it hard to say no. I don’t know why he’s making me react the way he is. Gosh, he’s very cute. His bright blue eyes, dark hair, and athletic build. He’s got to be six feet tall. I’m feeling things I’ve never felt before. Even though we’ve spoken all of maybe ten words to each other there’s a swarm of butterflies taking residence in my stomach. Oh no, this isn’t good.
Mason grabs the seat across from me, staring at me without speaking a word.
“I’d feel a lot better if you’d not stare at me while I eat,” I say, looking down at my tray.
Mason chuckles and looks down at the table. “Callie..”
I look up to find his eyes burning through me. “Yes?” I ask. I can feel my cheeks heating up, so I know they’re turning a not-so-cute shade of pink, maybe even red.
“You asking me to keep my eyes off of you is like asking a fish to live without water. You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever laid my eyes on.”