Plain Jane

3. JANE

"Uuuh...Jenny?"

She aised her eyebrows in a questioning manner, gripping the straps of her backpack. I can imagine myself still squatted, looking for that map, without the part where I meet Jenny. I'd have probably run off or something. What can I say but I'm lucky.

"I kind of misplaced my map and..."

I didn't get to finish my question when she burst out laughing. She laughed so hard that she gripped her side. It must hurt from all that laughing. I just didn't realize she was laughing at me, because to me, there was nothing to laugh at. I misplaced my map on my first day and it's quite embarrassing. But funny? Nah!

"Really, girl. You should be grateful I'm the only one here"

"Why? The map..."

"Shush" she placed her index finger with glitter covered nails over her crimson red lips. "It's kind of... it's an inside joke. I don't think I can explain it without getting late for class."

"That's what I was asking" I retorted but she giggled some more. "What? You were talking about the damn map"

"No! I needed it to get to class"

"Are you majoring in science or..."

"Art"

"Cool!" She exclaimed, giving me a wink up. Just in case you're wondering what a wink up is, it's a combination of thumb up and wink. The name's lame right? Yup. I know. Blame us for being seven years old when we came up with it after watching series of movies way above our age at my house and wanting to code our conversations and have best friends slangs.

"So... Did you repeat any class or quit school for a while before..."

"No!" I retorted, rather too harshly than I had meant. She was being nice and I was being all defensive, but I obviously, she didn't notice because she kept that infectious smile plastered on her face.

"Darling?" she tugged on my sleeve.

"huh?"

"We're late for French class"

The class was almost halfway since we spent more than enough time in the hallway, from gushing over each other to her warning me to steer clear of some people then the map thing and now we're terribly late for... God! No! French! It's not like I can ever understand the language.

I was going to stay by the door, knock and apologize, but Jenny walked right in. Heaven knows I envy her confidence. I follow her timidly and I wished I'd made my hair like hers, maybe then, it won't be getting whipped with every step I take.

Jenny whispers something in her hair and she nods, smiles and Jenny walks off to sit somewhere at the back. I follow Jenny, hoping I won't attract anybody's attention. It's not like I'm hoping, I know it. I don't get noticed easily, except something terrible happens to me.

But my hopes of not gaining attention got dashed because the short, plump woman with way too much freckles on her face calls me back.

"Vien ici, mademoiselle"

That should be come here, so I retreat to the front of the class. There was not a time in my life when I got attention without getting humiliated, and if this is how I'd start my first day here, I'd rather stop schooling.

The short woman looks at me through her round rimmed glasses and smile. "You're new here?"

I nod and swallow hard, preparing for the embarrassing comment she's about to say. But No! She smiles at me and tells me to introduce myself to the class. I should, at least, be able to do that.

"I'm Jane. Jane Houston. it's nice to be here"

"Settle down, let's continue the class"

I hurry to sit beside Jenny and the rest of the class is blurred out. The comfort from knowing someone among all these people is really undescribable.

Jenny finds more interesting people to talk to, she asks me to wait. But naive and stupid me, told her I could find my way to my locker. I remember putting a bunny sticker on it during the tour. I head out to search for the locker when I bump into a really hard chest in a grey hood. I apologise and start to scurry away when the person in the grey hood calls me.

"Jane" No! It's not what my mind is telling me to believe. It's not the voice I think it is. It can't be... definitely.

"Jane? Is that you?" "Yes it is her, the ugly duckling, the plain Jane" my subconscious teased but my head keeps telling me it's who I think it is. It's Daniel freaking Frodd. Awesome! How luckless can I be to have moved to the area Dan lives in.