As she headed in what she thought was the general direction of the school, she pulled out her phone to message Himo, saying, “All right, heading to the school now,” but to her disappointment, he didn’t answer her.
“Rude,” she mumbled to herself jokingly.
Then she unintentionally slams into someone, falling on her behind.
“Watch where you’re going, bitch,” Comes a shrill voice.
When Clarabird looks up, she sees a girl with icy blue hair and maroon eyes, wearing a mint green halter top with a black plaid print miniskirt and thigh-high tights underneath. She was also wearing mint-colored flats to match her top.
“Uh, sorry, I guess?” Clarabird responded, tilting her head in confusion.
“Yeah, you’d better apologize! Don’t you know who I am?!” The girl with icy blue hair exclaims.
“Put them in their place,” her mom’s voice echoes in Clarabird’s head.
Then she stares dead in the girl’s eyes from her position on the ground and says, “No, but from my perspective, you’re definitely an insufferable jerk.”
“How dare you?!” The girl screeches, “I am Erykah Green, Queen of Silver Valley High, and don’t you forget it!”
“Uh-huh, sure, your Majesty,” Clarabird responds sarcastically.
“Are you mocking me?!” The girl, who was now known as Erykah, shrieks in Clarabird’s face.
“Congratulations, you figured it out. It certainly took you long enough,” Clarabird responded, and Erykah growled in frustration and stomped off.
Clarabird grinned and thought to herself, Man, that felt good. I need to do that more. Then she got up off of the ground, dusted herself off, and continued going in the direction she had been heading before accidentally bumping into that Erykah girl.
When she finally found the school, the sun was just barely cresting over the horizon, and she stared at the massive two-story building sprawled in front of her in awe and slight fear. She saw a courtyard in the school’s front with outdoor couches and chairs, picnic tables, large trees, and two gardens as she approached. One was a vegetable garden, and one was a flower garden. She instinctively went over to the flower garden. She pulled out her phone to take pictures of the Marigolds, Black-Eyed Susans, and Dahlias, only for a guy to slam into her, knocking her phone out of her hand and saying, “Watch it, Freshman, next time it might be your face that hits the ground and not your phone.”
Clarabird looked up at the guy yelling at her. He had black hair in an undercut, green eyes, and tan skin. He was wearing a green hoodie and grey, bleached and distressed skinny jeans with large holes in the knees. He had to have been about two years older than her, from what she could tell anyway.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was against the rules to take pictures of the flowers,” She shot back.
“You’d better watch who you’re-” The boy started, but he got interrupted by a Cat-Boy with yellow-green eyes, red medium-length, wavy hair in a ponytail, and his ears and tail were a long tabby coat that matched his hair, “Aiden, it’s not worth it,” the Cat-Boy said, “Let the little Freshman disrespect her superiors, we’ll see where that gets her.”
“You’re probably right Matteo, she’ll learn in time,” the boy named Aiden replied, backing off. Before the duo left, Aiden got in her face and said in a grave tone, “Remember my warning,” his green eyes piercing her steel blue ones.
“Got it,” she replied just as gravely, staring dead into Aiden’s soul, if he even had one.
Then both boys shoved past her and spat at her feet as they passed, and she glared at both of them, making eye contact with the duo. When they were well past her, she picked up her now cracked phone. My mom is gonna kill me, she thought and looked at the time, which read six fifty-two in the morning.
“Shoot,” she mumbled to herself, “I need to find where they’re holding Freshman Orientation.”
When she went inside the school, she was thankful that signs directed her to the Main Auditorium, where she needed to go for Freshman Orientation. She ran as quickly as she could, just barely making it in time before they shut the doors.
“I hope you won’t be this late to your classes,” said a man she assumed was a teacher.
She chuckled and said, “Don’t worry, I don’t plan on it.”
The man she thought was a teacher laughed and let her into the Main Auditorium. The room was packed, and the only seat available was one close to one of the exits. Clarabird shrugged and sat down, figuring that it was the best choice, and the only option anyway. Almost immediately after she sat down, a woman with burgundy wolf ears, a burgundy wolf tail, and long blonde hair stepped onto the stage. She had on a floral print dress that went past her knees and baby blue pumps that matched the print on her dress. After a moment, she began to speak, her voice having a southern accent,
“Good mornin’ new Freshmen of Silver Valley High, I am your principal, Narcissa Kaulen, but you’ll refer to me as Doctor Kaulen. I’m here to talk to you about our school, our expectations of our students, and a bit of information about your classes. After that, I’ll hand the mic to Mr. Samus, one of the assistant principals, who’ll tell you about the programs we offer as well as clubs and extracurricular activities y’all can be a part of here. If you want to make a new club as well, he’s the man to talk to.”
Still feeling a little uncomfortable in a new school, Clarabird tunes out the rest of the speech and looks around. Sitting next to her was a Cat-Girl with long lavender hair in a french braid with black ears and a black tail with a royal purple ribbon tied to it. She was wearing a half black, half pink, short-sleeved crop top, a black choker with large metal hearts on it, and a black skater skirt with pink and lavender sparkles and hearts on it. She also had white fishnet tights and black platform boots that went to her knees.
“Um, hello, what’s your name?” Clarabird asked hesitantly.
The girl turned to her and smiled, “Hi there! My name is Kohana, but my friends call me Hana. What about you?”
Clarabird sighed in relief at finally finding someone friendly, “My name is Clarabird, but you can call me Clare if you want.”
“Nice to meet you, Clare,” Kohana said with a smile, “Maybe we’ll have some classes together!”
“Maybe we will,” Clarabird replied with a small smile. When she turned to pay attention again, a portly Cat-Man with saffron eyes, a dark brown complexion, curly brown hair in a mid-length ponytail, and a mid-length, dark brown coat for his ears and tail began speaking. His voice had a very thick Irish accent,
“Good morning, new students. I’m Tuathal Mac Muircheartaigh, but the students and staff call me Mr. Samus because it’s easier, where they get ‘Samus’ out of my name is beyond me, though,” he said with a laugh. “We have many programs, clubs, and other extracurricular activities you can partake in. If you don’t fancy any of the current options, you can make your own club. You just have to come to me and ask about it. For it to become an official club that stays after you graduate, however, you’ll need at least five people to join at the start and five or more people attending every week. A list of everything we have to offer will be on the back of your schedules, as well as the doors of the principals’ and counselors’ offices on the second floor.”
Slowly getting bored again and tuning this presentation out, Clarabird took her phone out of her pocket and texted Himo, “Hey Himo, are you up for talking? The principal and one of the assistant principals seem nice enough, but this presentation is boring af. I’m not sure how some of the students aren’t falling asleep this early.”
“Ryn, it’s seven-fifteen in the morning… For me anyway.” Himo texted back instantly.
Clarabird glanced at the time on her phone, it was also seven-fifteen, and she texted back, “Yeah, here too, that’s still early though,” with a laughing emoji at the end.
“Maybe for you, but I’m used to being up this early. Then again, I’m a Junior, but still.” Himo replied.
“Exactly! You’ve been doing this longer than me! This is all new to me.” Clarabird texted back, slightly frustrated, but she knew he meant well.
“You’ll get used to it eventually, but hey, I gotta go. First block starts soon, and even though I can text in my Homeroom, I can’t in my actual classes. Tell me everything about how your day went later, and hey, at least we know we’re in the same time zone now. TTYL!” Himo messaged back with a smiley face at the end.
“That’s very true! Bye!” Clarabird replied
When she looked back up, the mic was back with Dr. Kaulen, who said, “Thank you for giving us your attention. We know it’s a lot of information so early in the mornin,’ but it’s crucial information. One last reminder, we go by an A-Day and B-Day schedule. When we release you, you will go to your first-period A-Day class, which will be listed on your class schedule right under your Homeroom. If your last name begins with A through G, go to Mr. Sylvester Phelps to get your schedule. Mr. Phelps, please stand.”
A man with a dark brown complexion, mid-length graying black hair, and small dark brown eyes stood up and waved. He was wearing a light blue button-up with a blue and white striped tie and black dress pants.
“If your last name begins with H through N, you’ll go to Doctor Faith Kent,” Dr. Kaulen continued, and a Werewolf woman with medium brown colored ears with a tail that matched stood up and waved. She was wearing a blue, sleeveless, split-leg jumpsuit. She had a very dark brown complexion, wavy mid-length graying brown hair, and large hazel eyes.
“O through T last names go to Mr. Ollie Reed,” The principal said, and a man with a fair complexion, graying straight purple, mid-length hair in a ponytail with small, dark brown eyes stood up and waved. He was wearing a white button-up under a navy blue blazer and black, straight-leg jeans.
“Finally, last names that start with U through Z will go to Mrs. Jamie Briggs,” Principal Kaulen finished, and a Cat-Woman with a pale complexion, straight mid-length blonde hair, and dusty yellow, average-sized eyes stood up and waved. Her ears and tail were a long solid coat that matched her hair, and she was wearing a plum-colored, sleeveless, rib-knit dress that just barely went past her knees with stilettos that matched.
Just then, the bell rang to signal passing period, and Dr. Kaulen said, “No need to worry, your teachers know you’ll be a little late. Now line up single file in front of your counselors to receive your class schedule for this year.”
Clarabird got up and walked over to the line in front of Mr. Phelps. Within a few minutes, she’s face-to-face with the counselor.
“Name please?” He asked with a slight German accent.
“Clarabird Griffin,” The teenager responded, a bit nervous.
“What an interesting name, give me a moment,” The German counselor replied. A few moments later, he pulled out her class schedule and said, “There you go, young lady. I hope you enjoy your first year of high school. If you need to change any of your classes, set up an appointment with me in the counselors’ office.”
“Thank you, sir,” Clarabird replied, taking the paper out of his hands. Then she made her way towards one of the auditorium exits to wait for Kohana.
The Cat-Girl she befriended ran over to her a few moments later and said, “Hey! I have Mr. Parkes as my Homeroom teacher. What about you?”
Clarabird glanced at the paper in her hands and cheerfully said, “I do too!” Grateful that she had a new person to talk to.
“Sweet!” Kohana exclaimed, “What’s your first class on A-Day after Homeroom?” she asked.
“Creative Writing, what about you?” Clarabird questioned.
“Physics, but you might meet my older brother Alika. He said he wanted to take Creative Writing this year. Be careful, though. He likes to flirt with any girl who breathes in his direction. If he tries, tell him you know his little sister. Slap him if that doesn’t work, maybe it’ll knock his ego down a peg. Talk to you later! Hopefully, we’ll have lunch together!” Kohana answered with a grin.
“We’ll see. See ya later!” Clarabird responded, and both girls left the auditorium and went their separate ways.
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