-Jessica-

Oh, that's lovely. First day of ever going to public school in my life, and the drama is already here.

Yeah, that's nice and all, your name is being mispronounced. Big deal. Could you please keep quiet?

I give a huffy sigh, under my breath. I keep bouncing my knees and hitting then on the underside of my desk, with a thud. I'm board.

What do you gain by arguing, you two? How is goods use of your time, or everyone else's in the room, for that matter? We have a finite existence, how is this a productive in any way?

It's not. It's not doing you people anything.

So please shut up.

Why does this even matter, Emma Zang, or Zong, or whatever your name is, why is this important enough to take up my time?

Oh and you know what l'll do? If I am to talk to you in the future, l'll mispronounce your name. Every time. That is going to be fun. Just for taking up my time.

The teacher peers over his glasses, at the paper in his hand. He seems to be a bit thrown-off Emma Zane.

“Oh and er, we have a new student.” He raises one eyebrow at me. I blink back. I'm supposed to do something?

I stand up, with an obviously cheesy smile on my face. I am given board looks.

Yes, I know, sunshine. I don't want to be here, either.

“l'm, er, Jessica York. I'm excited to be here and to learn new things, because life is all an big adventure, right?”

Cue cheesy smile. Maybe I should have done that in a British accent. I sit down. I am a bit disappointed that he didn't mention that I was home schooled for most of a my life. I cold have said I was from an Arctic research base or something. Ha. That would have been something to talk about.

“Everyone, why don't you introduce yourselves, and make Jessica feel welcome.”

Oh, no no. You really don't need to do this.

“Say something about yourself. Maybe a few of you have common interests.”

Is that so, teacher? Does common interests include philosophy, botany, and economics? I think not. Maybe photography and Latin? No?

Raise your hand if you're surprised.

Nope, me neither.

I'm being an egomaniac, and I know it. I don't care.

The kids around the row began to says their names, one by one, some mumbling, other sitting up straighter with a a charming smile on their face, like they're just so eager to be here.

Yay. I don't care at all. Can we move on please?

~~~~~~~ 

I, too, am a jerk in my head. l'm still pretty rude when l talk.                                                       

Does anyone want to start? I can't right now. (I know, I'm sorry, I haven't been on in a while! And, I apologize, but I can't write right now! )

OK, well, here goes nothing. (By the way, I got a haircut, so it's gone from ponytail to short wavy bob)

Arabella~

I was hearing the Emma Zhang spectacle in the back of my mind. What I was paying more attention to was the paper in front of me and the earbuds that were plugged into my ears. I was drawing a girl with wings, flying away. Away from what, though, I didn't even know. My favorite song had just come on, but I yanked the buds out of my ears and stuffed my drawing in my folder as some new girl walked to the front of the class. The teacher probably wanted us to say something.

The girl gave a brief introduction, and we started introducing ourselves. She looked extremely bored, so when it came to my turn, I said, in a monotone voice, "Hi. My name is Arabella Carter, I was raised by the Klingon, and my hobbies include sucking the souls of my enemies."

I gave her a movie-star smile and turned back to my drawing, which I'd pulled out of my folder. As the next kids went, I finished the winged girl. She looked a little seasick up there in the sky. Wow, Arabella, great job convincing yet another potential friend you're crazy. What's that, number seventy-six? You should start keeping count.

~

I wish I had a buck for every time I mentioned sucking souls as a hobby in real life. I'd be rich. 

Caroline~

"Why don't you all say a bit about yourselves?"

C'est impossible. I do not say "a bit" about myself. I talk and talk and talk about myself.

But who knows? Maybe I can pull this off. I'm horrible at wit, but that's what I want to do: be witty. Figure out something to make this new girl laugh. Or at least not think I'm yet another very boring stranger.

"My name is Caroline Preston. I moved from New York about a year ago. I'm your resident medievalist, Greek mythologist, and Ireland fangirl, with a slight addiction to Harry Potter and an aspiration to become an author. This is flat and boring as all introductions are so talk to me sometime other than now and I'll be a lot more interesting."

No finale. I need one, some good tie-it-up sentence, but it's too late because the person next to me has already started talking.

Ah well.

I'm gonna change my first name to my real first name, alright?

Hannah ~ I raise an eyebrow at "Emma Jong" or however it's pronounced. I'm surprised the teacher allowed her to sass him. That's just … I dunno. I can't think of the right words. 

"Why don't you ask say a big about yourselves?" Oh great. Of course. Although, this will give me a chance to figure out who to talk to, and who to not. I only just recently started going to public school a year ago or so, so this is a new experience.

"I'm, er Jessica York. I'm excited to be here and to learn new things, because life is all a big adventure, right?" She shoots a huge cheesy smile at us. Maybe …

"Hi. My name is Arabella Carter, I was raised by the Kinglon, and my hobbies include sucking the souls of my enemies." Interesting …? She made a Treky reference. Maybe she likes Star Wars too.

"My name is Caroline Preston. I moved from New York about a year ago. I'm your resident medievalist, Greek mythologist, and Ireland Fangirl, with a slight addiction to Harry Potter and an aspiration to become an author. This is flat and boring as all introductions are, so talk to me sometime other than now and I'll be a lot more interesting." Seriously? She sounds the most interesting so far!

"My name is Hannah Levine, and I am a faithful Fangirl to ask my fandoms, which would take more than five minutes to list them all, and wish to become an author. I also enjoy drawing manga and watching Studio Ghibli movies." 

Can we use our friends in real life as side characters?

Abigail~

This has been an interesting morning, and I am not quite sure whether that is good or bad.

One, I think Emma has utterly confused our teacher to the point of if he ever looks at her again he'll shudder. I feel her, though— I want to punch people when they pronounce my mom's maiden name, Nguyen, as Neegyen. 

Second, we have a new girl—Jessica— and the teacher has instructed us to introduce ourselves to her.

The kids are going around the classroom, dutifully reciting their hobbies and interests as if from a script. Except for Arabella's soul-sucking comment, this is unbearably dull. I flip open my book, The False Prince. 

"Abigail?" 

Someone's calling me. Wait a second, I think frantically. Let me just finish this page...

"Abigail!"

But Sage just found the secret passage...

"ABIGAIL!"

I look up. The teacher is giving me an annoyed stare. Blushing, i slam the cover shut, pretending not to hear the snickers resonating around the classroom.

"Tell Jessica something about yourself," he says.

"Uh, right," I stammer. "I'm Abigail, I like, wait, no, love, reading, my writing has been published in a magazine, I have two parakeets, plus I play soccer, am on pointe in ballet, and adore Shakespeare,"

Why am I even allowed to talk to any human beings?

Hannah ~ Urgh. I should have said something a little more pizzazy. That's a word, right? Oh well. It sounds like pizza. 

I flip my notebook over to the front, and continue to sketch Doctor Whooves and The Tenth Doctor. TTD's hair is a little tricky since it's all ripply.

I glance around the room. I really need to talk to that Caroline during lunch. She sounds like me. I should've actually named some of my fandoms. I don't even look like a geek. How sad. At least, not a stereotypical one.

Don't have glasses, prefers T-shirts to sweaters. The only thing I do have is wavy hair. Eh. WHO CARES WHAT THEY THINK AN AWESOME GEEK LOOKS LIKE. 

I forgot to add that I love cats.

Parker-

As class starts I see what I think if my classmates. One girl makes a big show of her name being mispronounced. I can tell what lots of the kids are thinking. Big deal. But I like what she did. It takes bravery to do that. Now there's a new student. Of course we have to talk about ourselves. Well being sarcastic and grumpy is my specialty (according to all the boys that know me at least) and that seems to be the thing to.As the other kids talk I plan what I'm going to say in my head. Then I stare into space.

"My name is Parker S.," I say slowly and without enthusiasm. "Of course I love Harry Potter because almost everyone in the world does. Now you can stop staring at me because I have nothing interesting to say unless you want me to recite all the cat breeds I know in alphabetical order."

There we go. That should be enough of an introduction for now. When the teachers are gone I'll go a little more into detail. 

Hannah ~ Yeah. That Emma is a total show-off. I hate show-offs usually. The bell rings. I gather all my stuff into my bag, and then I hear the Chinese girl talking.

"Hey Jessica," So she's talking to the new girl. Well, poor Jessica. But I don't want to get mixed up in that. I'm a bit of a coward at times. I act brave on the outside, but I'm not always on the inside.

"Can I call you Jess?" Seriously? Jess? Jessica sounds much better. "No." Good. The newbie can hold her own.

"Jess, I'm going to show you around. Come." I look in time to see Emma drag Jessica off. What is she doing? Jessica obviously doesn't want to hang out with her. 

I glance around the room. Oops. Everybody has already gone except for me. I run out of the room, slinging my backpack over my shoulder.

"Hey!" someone yelps in protest. I whip around, seeing that I acidentally whacked someone in the arm. "Sorry ... Abigail?" I say.

"Yeah," Abigail says. Yeah? Yeah to what? My apology? My questioning her name? What? 

I look at her. Oh. She's reading. That's why she isn't paying attention. "What are you reading?" I ask as we walk out of the room.

She shows me the cover quickly, walking on. "The False Prince. That author provided a review for The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle." 

"Mm." I raise an eyebrow. "How far are you willing to go so that you can avoid talking to me?" I ask.

She looks up, obviously annoyed. "Really? Can't you go hang out with your own friends?" she says. "I really can't talk right now."

I sigh. "Fine. I'll go and find those friends who don't exist at the moment."

"You don't have any friends?"

"My only friend here moved away last month. I have some friends who are homeschooled, so they aren't here right now, so if you'll excuse me." I push past her, walking out into the crowd.

~~~~

Abi,if you aren't satisfied with anything, please let me know, and we can compromise.