The First One

Chapter 2: My Year

Maya Rodriguez’s P.O.V

Today is the day, I’m starting school. I feel like I’m about to die from excitement but I’m also nervous and feel like I'm about to past out. I just want everything to go well, I don't want to live the same nightmare as I did before. I really want the school to be as good as I read in the article two weeks ago when we just had moved in. Will I make some friends or will I be a-loner like I was? Will others see me as a weirdo? Will I be bullied like in the past or worst? I don't think I could live with it, I don't want that. I want to be happy. I want to be able to wake up each morning with a good feeling of wanting to go to school and enjoy it. I want to be able to make real friends, friends who will always have my back and with whom I will be friends even after school is over. 

I'm pulling out of my thoughts when I hear my mom yell. “Alex! Maya! Wake up it’s time to get ready for your first day of school!”

“Okay” Alex and I yell at the same time. I open my bedroom door to look at the hallway at Alex's bedroom door and I see him doing the same as me, we start laughing at our silliness. My little brother and I despite being 8 years apart we have a really good relationship. “Kids! I know what you are doing! Start to get ready or I will come and believe it will be worst!”

When both enter our rooms to get ready, I don't want to see a mama bear mad. She can get really scary when she wants to. 

I go to the bathroom that is in my room which is so convenient for me and way easier. All the bedrooms in the house have bathrooms which is so great. There’s my parent’s room, Alex's room, my room and a guest room then there’s the kitchen/dining room and living room. We are lucky to live in such a cozy house. A lot of things are near our house which is also a bonus for us. We have been exploring the neighbourhood since we moved to get more familiar with it and we’re getting used to being around by ourselves without using the GPS. We were pretty hopeless. 

I don’t like to take showers in the morning so I do my morning routine which consists of washing my face, brushing my teeth and try to get my hair as normal as possible. It takes forever. It’s the same each morning, I’m already used to it but it doesn’t make it less annoying when I doesn’t want to cooperate with me. The thing is that my hair is super difficult to manage, I have black curly hair which is waist length so imagine my struggle. In the morning my hair gets all tangled and gets everywhere, I kind of got that from my mom but hers it’s more decent in my opinion. I finally manage to get two mini braids at the front and put the rest of my hair in a high ponytail. 

For the makeup part, I don’t like putting makeup on so I save time for that part. I find it so uncomfortable so I just don't put any on but I sometimes put some on but it has to be a really special occasion. If I do wear makeup I usually put some mascara and eyeliner that’s all, I like it simple. What I enjoy doing my make up is trying new styles and colours and it makes my blue eyes look brighter. I got that from my mom as well, it’s refreshing. 

I then go to my room to put some clothes, it’s already on my dresser since last night before going to be I prepared the clothes that I wanted to put on today. I will be wearing yellow mock neck long sleeves and high waist black jeans. I like my outfit to be as simple as possible.  

Well for my bag I don’t really have much, they will give me my books and schedule today. So I just have my pencil case, a few notebooks, binders and shoes since I will have to take off my boots. 

When I see that I have everything ready so I go downstairs to have my breakfast.

My mom and Alex are already having breakfast. “Good morning!”

“Good morning!” They say at the same time, we then all start laughing so hard at that. 

“Where’s José?” I ask seeing that he is not here. My mom looks up at me. “He had to go to work earlier since today is his first official day at work.” 

“Oh, okay” I sit beside Alex and begin to eat my breakfast. I’m eating fast because I want to be at school early to get my books and schedule and not be late in my first class. 

From what my mom told me she registered me in dance, theatre and art class besides my regular classes. I’m thankful for that, my mom is really the best. I’m going to be in an advance class, apparently, the smartest students are in that class. I will only have dance theatre and art with students from other classes if not I will always be with the same students in my other classes. Maybe it will get easier to make friends. How I got there I don’t know, I may be good at school but I’m not that good. It’s probably from my reports card from my previous school back in Canada. 

After finishing my food I got to my room to grab my bag and coat. I go to the kitchen to say goodbye to my brother and mom. 

At the entrance, I put my boots, hat and scarf and finally got out of the house. It’s pretty sunny today, not much snow and the cold is not so bad today. I’m used to it already, the weather here is not much different from Canada but in Canada is much colder than here so it’s okay I guess. 

After a 10 minutes walk, I’m at the front of the school, Riverlane High written in big on the really big building. Wow, this school is huge, I get a feeling that I’m going to get lost many times in this school. I already see some students entering the building. I finally gathered my courage I enter the building. 

Passing a set of doors I see a wall with a map of the school and start looking for the registration office. I finally found it and walk to where it is. Passing many hallways, students and classes. 

After a good 5 minutes, I still haven’t found the registration office. I’m about to walk back to the entrance when a girl starts approaching me and ask me. “Are you lost?” I take a good look at her, she’s gorgeous. She’s taller than me probably 5’5 not like me I’m barely 5’3. Her blond hair is shorter than mine it’s mid-back length I think from what I see. Big brown eyes, perfect eyebrows, a little nose and a beautiful smile. How can somebody be so pretty? 

I’m so lost in my thoughts and I get startled when she starts waving her hand in front of my face. “Sorry what?” 

“Are you lost? Do you need help?” She smiles at me. She’s pretty!

“Yes, could you help me find the registration office please?” I mutter while looking at her through my lashes. I sometimes wish I wasn’t so shy. 

“Sure let me show you where it is.” I follow after her. 

“So, what’s your name?” She asks looking at me while still walking.

“Maya Rodriguez. What’s yours?” I smile at her. I feel loosen now. I’m starting to feel comfortable, she gives me a good vibe. Hopefully, I’m right with this.

“Nice name!” 

“Thank you” I blush, probably becoming as red as a tomato. I then look at her wondering if she will actually tell me her name.

She seems to get the message from my look since she responds. “Oh, right! Sorry. Mine is Catherine Smith. A pleasure to meet you.”

“Thank you same for me.”

After a minute of walking, we finally arrive at the registration office, I was actually not far from it. Gosh, I’m so hopeless. 

I turn to her and give her a big smile. “Thank you for helping me, I’m really thankful.”

“It’s nothing, my pleasure. I will wait for you so I can help you and so you will not get lost.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes”

“Okay, then I will be back in a few” I enter the office and see a lady in her fifties she looks up and smile at me. “Hi, how can I help you?” 

“Hi, I’m a new student and I came to get my schedule and books for my classes.”

“Sure tell me your name.”

“Maya Rodriguez”

“Okay let me see.”

After 2 minutes she gives me my schedule and locker combination. “Here is your schedule and locker combination and for your books, each teacher will give you the books for their classes.”

“Okay thank you miss.” 

“Your welcome sweetheart, have a good school year. Well, what’s left from it” She laughs at herself.

“Thank you” I go out and see that Catherine is still there and that she is sitting in a chair outside the office. “Hey, so got everything?”

“I got my schedule and locker combination and for the books, they will be given by each teacher.” We start walking through the hallway.

“Okay let me see where is your locker.” She takes my schedule where my locker number and combination is. 

“Your locker is in the same block as mine, so I assume you have dance or art classes that are great! And for your basic classes, I see you are in all advance classes, Woah that’s awesome. You must be pretty smart.”

“Oh no, believe me, I’m not.”

“Oh shut up, liar! Your schedule says it all. Oh, I was right you have a dance, theatre and art class with me. We will be seeing each other a lot then. I forgot to ask you if you will be in the art or sports department but got the answer just now.” She then starts laughing and makes laugh as well. 

We turn in a hallway where there’s like a block where I see many lockers and students. From what I see every student here studies in the art department, this is great. “Is everyone from the art department?” 

“Yes, those who are in this block of lockers are mostly dancers like us if not they are from art classes.”

“Apart from my dance classes I have a dance crew with some of my friends we have practice after class you should come and meet my friends.” 

“That’s great! I surely will, thanks for inviting me.” I tell her with a big grin on my face. “My locker is 1283.”

“Okay, it’s near mine then.” She guides me where my locker is and as we walk to it I get to see some faces. Catherine greets many students, she must have many friends. She super friendly so I don’t doubt she does.

“Here it is, you can leave your things here and take what you need for class. Mine is over there, we’re not far so if you need anything let me know. I have to get ready for my first class but before going to mine I will show you where your first class is.” She points at the end of the row, hers is at the end while mine is at the beginning of the row. It’s super convenient, I feel better knowing she near.

“Okay, thanks.” I put the combination on the padlock “130613” and it opens. I take off my hat, scarf and coat and put them in the locker. I then take out my shoes from my bag, take off my boots put them in the locker and put my shoes on. I grab my pencil case and a notebook to take to class. 

Catherine seems to have finished as she walks in my direction and stops in front of me. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, I am.” We walk outside the locker block. 

I’m ready for this school year, I got the feeling that it will be a good year. 

My year.