The Gray Place

Chapter Two: First Day At Gray Hollow High

6:30 am

*alarm screams*

“Why…?” Courtney complains

“Honey, are you prepared for your big day,” Mom said.

“Mom! Don’t. I beg you.”

She had not slept properly in days and today felt worse. It felt like she had slept on a bamboo raft, her body was as stiff as that morning's silence. The air was too cold and everything was still weird.

“Welcome to Pine Harbor, I guess,” Courtney says as she tries to get up from her strong mattress. She walked to the bathroom that felt bigger than her room and took a long good stare at herself in the mirror.

“You’ve been here before.” “Number 13 is such a lucky number, you know you got this,” she said pointing at her reflection.

She dressed slowly, pulling on a blue jeans and a pink top. Everywhere here is grey, so why not?

Her parents were already downstairs eating breakfast with serious faces.

Courtney realized she doesn’t have happy breakfast memories from age 10.

Her dad was reading something on his laptop while her mom carefully ate her oatmeal—picking out the berries like she didn’t add them in the first place.

“Good morning, Dad” Courtney greeted.

Dad was not the one to talk much these days. Few words, solemn expressions. It made me miss my childhood, when the smiles poured in like group notifications.

“Big Day, huh, he replied.

“Oh Daddy Bear, I’m super excited. You won’t believe it.”

Mother rolls her eyes to make a quiet point.

The drive to Gray Hollow High was unbearable. The school had a lot of skyrocket junipers at the entrance and Northern White Cedar trees around it—why? Who would care? The building looked small, old, and “bright” — of course — the weather-worn signboard at the gate of the entrance with the school’s name begging not to be washed completely.

Mom tried reaching my shoulders to console me but I brushed it off.

Courtney stepped out, pulled her hoodie up against the drizzle, and placed her earphones into her ears so she wouldn’t hear her mom talk behind her. She was walking into another mood changer and she needed enough strength to face that.

Inside was worse, only if they knew how bad it looked especially to new eyes. Fluorescent lights flickered overhead, the hall smelled faintly of wet floors and morning breaths, lockers closing, friends waving goodbyes and everything looking routine. Everyone seemed to know where they were going except Courtney. She walked towards where looked like the principals office hoping she doesn’t embarrass herself by getting lost.

Standing in front of the office holding a map of the school, she made her way to the class stated on her class schedule.

1st period: American Literature – Room 109.

She stood in front of her class, took a breather, and walked in.

She was met with a light awkward silence and the kind eyes of the woman at the board. She was beautiful in her ponytail and chubby too.

“You must be the new student,” she smiled at me whilst beckoning me to stay beside her.

“You’re going to introduce yourself.”

“Can you do that for me?” She said as she turned to me with an eyebrow raised softly.

Courtney inhales. “Hi, my name is Courtney Sayers and I’m excited to be here with you guys.”

“I am Miss Elena,” the teacher replied.

“Please be nice to her,” she said to the class.

“The empty seat beside Lila is yours,” Miss Elena pointed then gave her a pat on the shoulder.

Courtney nodded and made her way to the desk. Heads turned to watch her go, girls giggled cheerfully and boys… well.

“Hey. I’m Lila,”

“Courtney,” she said, lowering her hood.

Lila is blond, and unlike the atmosphere she’d seen so far, she was surprised to see lightness in her smile.

“You’re not from here, right?” Lila asked, whispering under the teacher’s voice.

“Does it tell on me?”

Lila laughed. “Chill out, sis.”

“Lila, quiet. Will you?” Miss Elena moaned.

“Sorry ma’am,” Lila said softly.

Courtney looks around the class and sees another empty seat.

“Who could that be?”

The bell rang for lunch and everybody started packing up in a hurry.

Lila turns to her and says “Lemme be your tour guide for the day. Not like there’s any tourism sites.” “It’s very ordinary, you’d like it.” Courtney nods in acceptance.

The cafeteria was surprisingly big unlike what she had in mind, old but really clean. Students scurrying around with trays, the place felt alive unlike the weather outside. The novelty of being the new girl had started to wear off because now she knew where she was going and also had a hot “tour guide”.

She sat close to the window with her sandwich and yoghurt, away from the noise. As she placed the sandwich in her mouth, her phone buzzed—a text from her mom asking how things were going.

She didn’t answer.

The last thing she wanted was to ruin the feeling of belonging she was beginning to have even though she shouldn’t.

“Just having the best day of my life out here, mom.”

A soft voice broke through her thoughts, it was Lila.

“You good?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Courtney looked up from her table and saw two other girls strolling to their table.

“Hey, can we sit?” they sang together.

Courtney blinked, amused. “Uh, yeah. Sure. Lila?”

“Sure”

They took their seats in front of them.

“I’m Aubrey,” the red-haired girl said.

“And I’m Grace”

Grace looked timid but I could see a hint of feistiness in her.

“I’m Courtney, pleased to meet you too” I replied with a smile.

“You should smile more, Courtney. You look prettier plus this place has a lot of sadness,” Aubrey replied.

The statement sounded familiar but Courtney couldn’t remember. She just chuckled and continued with her sandwich. The drizzle had stopped few moments ago and so did her nervousness.