Chapter 3 -First Day of School
1895 Words
Third-Person Limited (Kendra)
Three days later, on what was technically their first day of school in the new country, Kendra was already over it.
She was exhausted—mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, all the above. Sleep had apparently decided she wasn’t worth the effort last night. She’d spent most of the night staring at the ceiling, scrolling through her phone, rereading old chats, and watching YouTube videos on low volume while the house creaked around her.
She hadn’t even been anxious in a dramatic way. Just… restless. Wide awake. Thoughts buzzing. New house. New town. New school. New people. Everything new.
Her body finally gave in around 5:30 a.m.
Which was exactly why, at 7:30, she wanted to fight her alarm clock.
“Kendra!” Jennie’s voice floated through the closed bedroom door. “We have to leave in fifteen minutes!”
Kendra groaned, rolled onto her stomach, and buried her face into the pillow for a full five seconds of silent protest against life. Then she forced herself up.
Her friends were somehow already dressed, hair done, bags packed, and downstairs. Traitors.
By the time she’d dragged on jeans, a T-shirt, and a hoodie, brushed her teeth, fixed her hair into something that vaguely resembled a style, and thrown necessary books into her bag, she was the last one still in the house.
“Finally,” Erica said as Kendra stomped down the stairs. “We thought you died.”
“Mi wish,” Kendra muttered, yawning.
They all ran out the door toward Sofia’s car. The exchange program had promised them three vehicles, but of course, those hadn’t arrived yet. So, for now, they were stuck carpooling with their overly enthusiastic neighbor, who seemed determined to be their unofficial host, tour guide, and part-time babysitter.
Sofia didn’t mind driving them, though. She seemed honored.
“Good morning, girls!” she sang as they packed themselves into the car.
“Morning,” the group chorused.
Kendra buckled in slowly. “If I fall asleep and die, just toss my body in a KFC, please. That’s where I belong.”
Sofia laughed like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. “You’re so dramatic.”
They stopped at Wendy’s on the way, grabbing breakfast sandwiches and fries. Kendra ate in silence, staring out the window at the unfamiliar streets while everyone else chattered about classes, outfits, and possible cute guys.
She pretended not to hear that last part.
Eight minutes later, Sofia turned into the school parking lot.
The building loomed ahead of them—big, modern, and loud even from a distance. The parking lot was packed, students weaving between cars, groups talking, laughing, yelling across the asphalt. Even though they were late, it looked like everyone else was too.
Sofia put the car in the park. “Okay, ladies, welcome to your first real day at Garrison Academy.”
Kendra made a face. “Already hate it.”
“You haven’t even walked inside yet,” Jennie said, nudging her with an elbow.
“That’s enough for me to know,” Kendra replied.
They got out of the car and fell into steps behind Sofia, who led them through the main doors. The inside of the school was even more intimidating. Glossy floors, tall windows, bulletin boards lined with posters of clubs and sports, and way too many people who looked like they had their entire lives together.
They went straight to the office to pick up their schedules. An older woman with glasses on a chain around her neck handed each of them a paper.
“Welcome, girls,” she said kindly. “If you have any questions, feel free to come back.”
They stood in the hallway afterward, comparing schedules.
“We have English together,” Erica said excitedly. “And History, and Gym.”
“Yesss,” Jeah added, pointing. “Math too. Okay, we’re solid.”
Kendra scanned her sheet, following the lines down. Three of her classes were circled in red ones where none of her friends’ names appeared.
“So,” she said, keeping her voice flat, “I’m the only one with three classes alone. No friends. No Sofia. Just vibes.”
“Aw,” Jennie said, leaning on her shoulder. “You’ll be fine.”
Kendra shrugged. It was disappointing—she wouldn’t admit that out loud—but something about the idea of having space without them, without being “the group,” was also… sort of nice. She liked her friends, loved them even, but she also liked breathing.
“Come on,” Sofia said. “Let’s show you your lockers.”
Kendra had always wondered what having a locker would feel like. In Jamaica, they hadn’t really used them. Bags carried everything. Backs suffered.
Here, a slim metal locker with a shiny number tag waited for her in a long row.
“That one’s yours,” Sofia said, pointing.
Kendra spun the combination a few times until it opened, then stared inside. So… this was an American teen movie staple. Kinda underwhelming. Just an empty metal box.
She started unpacking her bag, pulling out textbooks she didn’t need for first period and stacking her notebooks.
The noise in the hallway was loud: people talking, laughing, doors banging shut. But then, slowly, the sound began to fade, like someone was turning down the volume on a radio.
Kendra didn’t notice at first. She was too busy deciding whether to leave her hoodie in the locker and risk freezing or keep it on and risk sweating.
The silence hit her in one strange wave.
She frowned and glanced at her friends.
They weren’t talking.
All four of them stood frozen, eyes wide, staring at something behind her. Their expressions were a mix of amazed, flustered, and starstruck.
She raised an eyebrow. “What now?”
None of them answered.
Curious—and a little annoyed—Kendra turned her head.
The entire hallway was staring in one direction. Students, teachers, random people passing by—everyone’s gaze locked on something coming down the center of the hall. Faces were a mix of awe, envy, and, in some cases, hunger.
She finally turned fully to see.
Six guys walked down the hallway like they owned the building.
They were tall. Not “taller than average,” but tall-tall. Broad shoulders, muscular builds, faces that would’ve looked perfectly at home on a TV show or billboard. They moved in a tight formation, people stepping aside as if some invisible force had pushed them out of the way.
It reminded Kendra of Moses parting the Red Sea.
If Moses was arrogant, genetically blessed, and irritating.
“Damn,” Jennie whispered beside her.
“Those must be the popular guys,” Erica breathed. “They’re like… wow.”
Kendra watched them approach, unimpressed.
Yes, they were handsome. Sure, they looked like trouble. But she’d seen enough self-absorbed boys in Jamaica to know looks and attitude usually traveled as a package deal.
They stopped near a set of lockers a little way down from the girls, on the opposite side of the hall. They joked and shoved each other, laughing too loudly.
Then the biggest one paused.
He stopped laughing mid-sentence, sniffed the air slightly, and snapped his head in their direction like he’d caught a scent.
Kendra felt his eyes lock onto her.
He was bigger than the others, more intense. Dark hair. Sharp jawline. Eyes that seemed to pin her in place, reading her, weighing her, like she was somehow significant.
Her eyebrows pulled together in a small frown.
His lips curved into a slow, arrogant smirk.
Then he turned back to his friends, rejoining the conversation like nothing had happened.
Kendra blinked, annoyed at the weird little shiver that ran down her spine.
Probably just ego fumes, she told herself.
She turned back to her locker, shoved the last book into place, and slammed the door shut. “You guys ready?” she asked her friends.
They all said yes, voices still a little shaky. Sofia started walking, leading them to their first class—thankfully, one they all shared.
As they passed the group of boys, Kendra kept her eyes straight ahead. She had no intention of feeding any egos today. But just as she stepped in front of the biggest one—the smirked—he casually shifted his foot.
Her shoe caught his.
Her body pitched forward violently.
She didn’t even have time to throw her hands out properly.
“BAM.”
The sound of her body hitting the floor cracked through the hallway. Her nose smacked the ground hard enough to make her see stars. Instantly, she felt something warm and wet sliding from her nostrils.
A chorus of laughter exploded around her.
It started with the boys and spread like a virus, rolling down the hallway. Even some of the kids who hadn’t seen what happened laughed because everyone else did.
Kendra pushed herself up on her palms, blood already dripping from her nose onto the shiny floor. Anger shot through her veins so hot it drowned out the pain.
She turned around slowly and stood.
The group of boys was still laughing; some leaned against the lockers like it was the funniest thing they’d seen all week.
“You motherfuckers think this is funny?” Kendra yelled, her voice echoing off the walls.
A few gasps came from nearby students. The laughter dimmed.
“Well, yeah,” one of the guys answered, not even trying to hide his grin. “We just saw a whale fall. It was hilarious.”
The hallway went quiet.
Kendra’s vision tunneled. Her gaze locked on the boy who had tripped her—the big one with the smug smirk. He was still smiling, chuckling under his breath like he wasn’t bothered at all.
She saw red.
She took a step forward and swung her fist, aiming straight for his face.
Before her punch could connect, one of his friends darted in front of him. A strong hand grabbed her wrist and shoved her backward with enough force that she stumbled.
She would’ve hit the ground again if her friends hadn’t been right behind her. They grabbed her shoulders, steadying her.
Once her feet were firmly under her, Kendra stepped forward again. She walked straight up to the guy who’d pushed her and, without hesitation, punched him square in the face.
The c***k of contact was loud and satisfying.
He recoiled, clutching his jaw, eyes blazing. He reared back like he was about to swing at her.
The big one—the tripper—grabbed his arm. “Don’t,” he muttered.
At the same time, Kendra’s friends swarmed her, pulling her away, talking to each other, telling her to leave, and not getting expelled on the first day.
They dragged her down the hall and into their classroom, hearts racing, adrenaline still buzzing in her chest.
Most of the seats were already taken, but there were a few open ones left in the back.
“Perfect,” Kendra muttered, heading straight for them. She dropped into her seat with a huff. Nose still throbbing, she wiped at the dried blood with a tissue someone shoved into her hand.
She just needed to get through this day without committing murder. That was all.
- Writer
