Mackenzie

This is it. This is the day my life begins. This is my first day of high school.

I would always lay awake, wondering what it would be like. Would these four years really be the best four years of my life? That's what my middle school principal told us. But I doubted anything he said; everyone did.

Freshman got the whole school to themselves for the first day. I guess one extra day is supposed to get us used to the new school. I know I'll need more than a day. Much more.

I walked in through the front doors of the school, which I have entered before, but never for this reason. I always thought of the high school as the place where our band and chorus concerts were held, never as a school which people actually attend. Even though my sister goes there, I still never thought much about it.

I looked up at the large blue sign that was hung above those front doors. "Be the one!" it said in large white font. I never really understood what that sign was all about.

I took one more deep breath.

Slowly, I reached for the rusted silver handle on the door labeled DOOR 2. I walked into the front lobby, and starred at the dirty green tiles.

When I looked up, I was shocked to see an empty room. Not one person. Should I turn back and see if my mom's car is still waiting outside the door? Should I walk around and see if anyone is there? There were so many questions I had at this very moment.

I had wondered if I came on the wrong day, the wrong time, the wrong school. There were a million thoughts running through my head.

I had a sudden urge inside of me that told me to look inside the auditorium. It was right next to the lobby, so I managed to calm down for a few minutes and peek in the auditorium window. Sure enough, there were about 150 students in there. Some were talking, some were hugging their friends. Others were sitting alone doing nothing. I looked to see if there was anyone I knew.

My eyes caught Amy, who was my ex-best friend. We were so close until she started to change in the fifth grade. She talked behind her so-called-friends' backs, she even made a fake Facebook page about someone from our school. She also did some pretty nasty things for money a few months ago with James, a boy from last year. I guess middle school really did change her.

If middle school can change you, I wonder what high school will do.

By this time, I knew I had to enter that auditorium sooner or later.

My hand slowly reached for that freezing door knob.

I hesitated.

I had finally forced myself to turn the knob and open the door. It seemed heavier than I remembered.

The door made a loud screech as I opened it. When I walked in, 150 pairs of eyes looked up at me. It was now dead silent. They starred at me as I headed straight for a seat close to the back of the auditorium. I managed to keep my eyes on the ground as I walked.

Just as I sat down, a tall, young looking man stepped up to the microphone at the front of the stage.

"Welcome, freshmen, to your first day of high school!" the man shouted. He expected everyone to cheer, but we all just groaned.

One skinny boy in the front was the only one who sarcastically cheered. I realized it was Georgie, a boy who was in my 7th grade homeroom. Georgie was a class clown, he always made the whole class crack up.

"Settle down, kids. You don't want to wake the lunch ladies up!" Nobody laughed. Not even Georgie.

I scanned the auditorium, looking for any one of my friends. They must not have came yet, which wasn't a surprise. My friends are always late to everything, especially when we make plans.

This morning I woke up at 5:30. I straightened my curly hair, which isn't really curly, its more like puffy. I like it better straight. Everyone does. I got my nails done yesterday, but I already messed them up. I was coming into high school with new everything; new clothes, new backpack, new hair do.

First impressions last a long time, and that's the golden rule I'll be following for the rest of the day.

Alexander

No one knew that I was coming back. Everyone thought I had moved away for good. I wish I had.

In the 7th grade, I went to Hadley Middle School. It was the one and only junior high school in this terrible town.

The year had started out fine, until I opened my big mouth. I had told a few untrustworthy people my darkest secrets.

I was depressed for almost a year. My family was the biggest problem. They didn't understand me. I don't think anyone did.

I couldn't hold all of these problems inside me anymore.

I am bisexual.

I never told anyone until 7th grade.

Rumors spread. The whole class knew. Then the whole grade knew. Then the whole school knew. More than enough people asked me, "Is it true you're bi?" They laughed as if they thought it couldn't be true. But it was true. And it always will be true.

I never should have told anyone.

When I walked through those hallways in 7th grade, I would always hear people say, "That's the kid who's bi". it didn't even matter to them that I was right there. They knew I could hear them. They laughed harder.

This was all too much for me to handle. One day I seriously considered committing suicide.

I was pulled out of school and put into the mental hospital for two weeks. That didn't help. I still was cutting myself. And I still am.

Later that year I had a girlfriend named Angela. I had thought of her as the best thing that ever happened to me. She changed me and made me a better person... for a few weeks, anyways.

One Friday afternoon, we both had stayed after school for a while. We were in the chorus room while it was empty, so we started kissing. Angela started to go too far. I told her that I couldn't do that yet. I could tell she was angry.

The next day I was called down to Principal Smith's office. My heart pounded. I didn't know why I was being called there. I was so confused.

"You have been caught demonstrating explicit behavior on school grounds. This is not tolerated here at HMS," the principal said firmly when I walked into his office. "I have an extremely trustworthy witness to what you did. I will be calling your parents today. Stay here." He didn't even give me a chance to explain myself. He didn't even ask for my side of the story.

I waited alone in his office for about a half an hour. Sure enough, he walks in followed by who else but my parents. They glared at me and didn't say a word.

"What your son did is unacceptable."

"I realize that, but don't you think you're overreacting just a-" said my mom, but she was immediately cut off by Principal Smith.

"Not at all, ma'am. This is a school of learning. Not PDA, thank you." I wondered if they had cameras in the chorus room.

Then I had remembered something else. Angela could've been the witness. She could've told Smith that I tried to go too far, even though she did.

And that's exactly what she did.

At the time, I thought I could trust Angela with anything.

"I'm sorry, but we have to expel your son from HMS," said Smith. My heart dropped.

My father didn't say anything, he just left the room. I knew he would be the one to go insane on me at home. And he did, but I deserved that.

There went my 8th grade year. I'd have to go to a new school, make new friends, and change everything.

I guess you really never know people.

Courtney

Well, here it is. My first day of high school.

I wasn't going to go to Hadley High at all. I really don't even want to be here now.

I applied to Crawford Academy, which is this really expensive private school in the North End of Royalton, the next town over. I got in to the school, but my parents can't afford 15 grand a year for high school.

So, it looks like I'm stuck at HHS for the next four years. Its not a bad school, but the media makes it seem that way.

Last year someone got stabbed after a football game, this year they went into lockdown once a month. And the students aren't so great either. It's the nerds and smart kids like me that make the school alright.

At least I'll be with some of my friends like Emma, Mackenzie, and Megan.

This morning I had to walk to school because my mom's car was broken. And I was NOT going to wake up any earlier than I had to, so of course I ended up a few minutes late. Well, an hour late.

I was in homeroom 306, which is at the top floor of the school. It was so easy to find. All I had to do was walk up the stairs and boom, I'm there.

When I walked into the classroom, I thought it would be all silent, but no, kids were just sitting on desks and chatting like it was the last day of school. I was so relieved.

This teacher, probably in her mid-thirties, came up to me and asked my name.

"Courtney Vo," I said. She must be Mrs. Reynolds. The letter I got said she would be my homeroom teacher for room 306.

"Ok Courtney, you're next to Riley Valley." Perfect! I knew Riley from the tennis team meeting the high school coach held at the end of the summer. She seemed pretty cool.

This year is off to a great start, and I just got here five minutes ago!

Angela

Well, it looks like I'm back in Hadley again.

I moved to Rockland around the middle of eighth grade. I had started out at HMS in 7th grade, and I was going to stay there all of 8th until my mom's work forced us to transfer to Rockland. I was actually happy to move out of Hadley, because everyone hated me there and things weren't going well at all.

But now, I'm back in stupid old Hadley. Everything here sucks. The schools suck, the people suck, the lunches suck. Yes, Hadley Public Schools have the worst food you could ever put into your stomach.

I walked into the auditorium for some stupid speech from the new principal, Mr. Agosto. It was really long, but its alright because Mr. Agosto is CUTE. It may sound weird because he's a teacher, but I heard that he's only twenty six.

Only Courtney and Emma knew I was coming back. They are my only two real friends in Hadley, accept for Christina, who isn't going to HHS. I'm not in either of their homerooms, but hopefully we'll have some classes together.

At the end of the speech, Mr. Agosto told us that we'd be going to our homerooms and staying there until further notice. Each teacher held up a sign with their homeroom number, and those kids would follow their teacher to the classroom. I was stuck with this old guy, Mr. Fresno. I knew some of the kids in my homeroom, but they were all rude.

"Angela! You're back!" said one of the girls, Amanda, that I didn't like.

"Yep. I am." she hugged me like we were best friends, then just walked away.

The classroom looked like a normal classroom; desks, chairs, and weird posters. But the desks were set up in rows, so everyone had to sit alone.

Mackenzie

Wow. That was a long speech, Mr. Whatever. I almost fell asleep and missed when he told us to find our homeroom teachers. I was in homeroom 317, which was a long walk. Great, I thought. I'd have to waste a ton of energy every morning just to go to homeroom for five minutes in the morning.

There was an awkward silence in the classroom for a while. Nobody talked at all. I recognized a few people, but I wasn't close to them or I barely ever talked to them.

Everyone just looked around in confusion, trying to figure out when we were getting out of this hot and humid classroom.

A few minutes later, a blond woman appeared at the door. She must be the assistant principal, I guessed. She wore a name tag that said Ms. Bence. She peeked in the door and got my homeroom teacher, Mrs. Churchill's attention.

"This is Alexander. He'll be in this class." said Ms. Bence. She motioned for someone to come to the door.

Is that? No, it can't be. Oh my God. It is him!

I suddenly got goose bumps. And it was ninety degrees in there.

This was the boy I liked in 7th grade. This is the boy that... I still like.

We stopped talking months ago for some reason. But in May, I accidentally sent him a message that explained my feelings for him and how I never go a day without thinking about him. Stupid send buttons. I always hit them by mistake.

This was awkward.

I hadn't seen him in over a year. He still looked pretty much the same as he did in seventh grade, except his mustache was gone. He looked better with it off. Way better.

I tried to hide my face with my hand and look in the other direction, but it didn't work out to well.

"Mackenzie?" Alex whispered as he walked passed me. I smiled and whispered 'hi'. seeing him made me remember how much I still liked him. A lot.

I knew my face was turning red.

Mrs. Churchill sat him at the back of the classroom. There was an empty seat next to me, but that probably would've been even more awkward if he sat there.

I don't know what he'll say to me later. I don't think he'll even talk to me at all.