Other students filed in as time went by, and eventually the clock chimed 8 in the morning, and the teacher, who had already been waiting for us in the classroom behind his desk, stood up with a well-practiced smile.
"Welcome, everyone, to another school year here at Woolingsby. I'm Mr. Macintyre, and I'll be your homeroom teacher. I also teach math, so I'll be seeing you all again after lunch. Now, I see a couple new faces here and there, but that's good! Why don't we start off by writing our names onto these cards so other people can see them?"
He passed out some big, thick, construction paper notecards to everyone, and offered pens to those who didn't have any. We all began to write our names down and then prop the cards up to let the rest of the class see.
Pretty basic stuff. But just as I was getting complacent, I felt someone tug on my shirt from behind.
Curious in spite of myself, I turned around to find a grinning face aimed my way.
"Hi! I'm Sam!" the smiling face said, and I blinked and leaned back, taking in the person who was staring at and grinning at me. They turned out to be a young boy with very short blond hair and a pair of glasses. "Who are you?"
"Err, Edward," I replied shortly. "Hi."
"You look bored," he commented. "Me, too."
"Cool," I said, unsure of what else I was supposed to say to that.
"Wanna be friends?" Sam asked, and I just stared at him, not sure I'd heard right.
'Wow, were all kids this outgoing when I was this age the first time around?' I wondered. I then realized I was still staring, and Sam was looking at me eagerly, waiting for an answer.
However, I could also tell that he looked… worried. Nervous, certainly. It was evident in his eyes and the way he was tensed up the longer I remained quiet. Was he afraid of rejection? Why?
'Do I even want to make a friend?' I asked myself. It wasn't something I'd planned on, but at the same time… the memory of the loneliness I'd felt while sitting in my apartment, alone and without anyone to talk to, stirred in me, and I decided to do something I'd not planned on doing at all.
"Okay, sure," I said at last, offering Sam my hand to shake. "Let's be friends."
Becoming a friend with this guy might cut back on some of the time I'd set aside for preparing for my future, but I didn't want to be lonely anymore.
Plus, I had the feeling this guy was like me. An outcast. The way he beamed ecstatically at me when I agreed to befriend him told me that he was used to disappointment, and that he savored every moment of joy he could get.
Classes were pretty tame for the first day, and they passed by quickly, being most introductions and overviews of what the teachers expected from us. When lunch rolled around, Sam and I (who also had History and Math class with me) found a spot in the cafeteria and chatted a bit over our lunches.
"…and that's why I'm no longer allowed to eat bologna," Sam said, ending a tale of chaos and childhood antics.
"How did you manage to get it into the electrical socket in the first place?" I asked, bewildered.
"With great difficulty," Sam replied with a chuckle. That caused me to laugh.
"So, where do you live?" I asked.
"Dawshire Grove in Surrey, up north from here by about ten minutes," Sam replied.
"Hmm, neat. Is there anything you can tell me about Woolingsby?" I inquired. "Who the best teachers are, and which cliques I should stay away from?"
"Cliques?" Sam asked, confused by the word.
"Err, social groups. Any kids that are notable bullies or anything like that?" I asked, rephrasing my earlier question.
"Well, there's a bunch of jerks a year above us, but since they're in Year 10 now, they won't be around much," Sam said, and there was a note of relief in his voice. "They have lunch schedules different from the rest of us lower years."
"That's good to know," I said, guessing that these jerks Sam mentioned were the reason he'd been isolated.
"So, what do you think to do in your spare time? I play football at my sports club, but I also like reading," Sam told me.
"I like reading too, mostly sci-fi and fantasy," I admitted. "Not much of a sporty person, though I do like baseball."
The true All-American sport was something of a soft spot for me. I'd played it throughout elementary and middle school in my past life, and enjoyed watching it.
"What about classes?" I asked. "I like history and science class the most."
"History's pretty fun, I guess," Sam shrugged. "Ever since Mrs. Delany retired two years ago, science class hasn't been that fun. Though I hear her replacement is nice. Though I can't wait to get to Year 11! That's when they let us dissect frogs!"
"Huh, neat," I hummed.
"Yeah!" Sam cheered. We then quickly went back to eating. We only got twenty minutes to cram our food down our gullets, unfortunately.
"Ever heard of something called Dungeons and Dragons?" I asked, an idea popping into my head as we continued to eat.
I couldn't help but grin as Sam shook his head and said 'no,' and I prepared to introduce my new friend to the best game ever invented.
....
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