Chapter 1

My unmatching socks sloshed in my shoes. My headphones hung around my neck, playing my favorite old rock songs. The sky was gray, the air heavy. Worms crawled around on the sidewalk trying to find their way back into the Earth’s damp soil. My mom thought it would be a great idea to live walking distance from the new school, little did I know I’d be on my own, rain or shine. Even though I am halfway through my senior year of high school, I am still not a licensed driver… I couldn't pass the test. Not even on my twenty sixth try. At this point, I've basically given up hope. I flicked the hood of my sweatshirt over my spiky black hair and turned my music up.

When I reached the campus, the first thing I noticed was an old sign shedding it’s top layer of hunter green paint, revealing it’s original maroon color. The sign read “Port Angeles High School, Home of the Wildcats”. A pack of short, scrawny boys stood on the outskirts of the central group of kids waiting for the school doors to be unlocked. They were obviously freshman. The farther I looked into the parade of people, the more confidence I saw. The seniors, the kids my age, were closest to the front door. Before I’d left the house in the morning, my mother had told me to atleast try to enjoy my seniority. However, I think I’d rather enjoy it from the outside. I’m confident that I appeared to be a scared little ninth grader, and the truth is, I was probably just as nervous as they were.

The doors were opened and all of the students fled through like a herd of buffalo. At this point, even the freshman could comfortably navigate to their first hour class. I was the only one holding out my schedule and wearing a lost look on my face. Day one at the new school and I’m already the outcast. I guess some things never change. It’s the moments like these ones that make me wonder if I’ll ever fit in. Do I belong anywhere?