Chapter Two

"Miss Maya Anderson, right?" A woman inquired. Apparently, she was the teacher the principal had earlier described.

She did fit the description. She was of a reduced stature, a blonde but had packed her coils in neat folds, although she wore glasses, behind those frames, Maya could see gentleness and reservation in her eyes.

She was middle aged and something about her reminded her of her mother though she couldn't exactly find out what that was at that moment.

"Yes Ma'am." Maya feebly replied. She had earlier been standing for a quarter of an hour, and only after the teacher realized her grumpiness, did she permit her to have a seat as she searched for her academic records.

The teacher formally introduced herself as Mrs. Heather and further included that she taught American History.

When Maya had finally arrived at the class, she only met the teacher. She had taken note of that and probably figured out they were off to practice for whatever was mentioned by the boy she had earlier met.

After some moments of awkward silence, the teacher finally spoke up.

"I've found your class record sheet, and since it's a new folder, your new scores would be recorded in it. I'll advice you to try your best and make good grades at the end of this academic semester."

"Thank you." Maya replied.

"That's not a problem. It's recess, and I'll be heading over to the teacher's lounge, so since you are new, I'll get someone to show you around." Mrs. Heather added with a smile as she took out from her desk a bottle of Ivy table water and quickly pushed it back in.

That was it. Her hospitality and motherly smile. That was what was peculiar between this lady and her mum.

"Tess!! Come over here." Mrs. Heather beckoned on the unsuspecting Tess that coincidentally ran into the class.

"This is Tess Montes, the Deputy Student Body President Female. I can entrust her with your safety and exposure. She'll show you around." Mrs. Heather concluded and with that, bade goodbye.

"Hi, Maya is it?" Tess asked.

"Yes it is" Maya replied adjusting a hair strand, that perched on her face.

"So I have so many things to show you. We can't afford to be late." Tess replied grabbing her wrist, and they both headed out of the class.

***

"....and this is the school's library" Tess said demonstrating with her hands. On the walls lay the past and present presidents of America. Aside from the gymnasium, she had seen yet another magnificent building and she stared around absent mindedly.

"Hey.. Tell me about your previous school." Tess demanded.

"Not much to say, it wasn't as glamorous as this." Maya replied.

"Are you starving because I am. Let's head to the cafeteria and grab a snack." Tess said. She was quite spontaneous.

"That sounds refreshing, but won't there be classes held today?"

"Well, the whole school is getting ready for the annual festival, so we would miss a lot of classes till after that. Talking about the festival, I need to head back to the gym for practice. Would you like to come over?" Tess asked with a grin, and after receiving a positive response, they headed for the gymnasium. She was starting to feel a lot more comfortable.

✳✳✳

"Tess, you are late, and you know you have a major stunt to perform." Mrs. Banks, the gym teacher said as she faced her direction.

"I'm so sorry. I took our new student on a brief tour, I'm here now." Tess replied, maintaining her grin.

"You aren't even dressed. Are you going to do your stunts in those thick red blazers?" She asked rhetorically.

"I guess not. I'll be back shortly." Tess said as she dashed off, for a change.

The width of the gym made it so possible that everyone practiced within that confinement except those field games.

The basketball team were also seen jumping, throwing, catching, and recording scores when a ball was successfully thrown into a hoop.

Just then, a brisk walking student barged in from the exit, attracting attention as her feet made resonating noises in the hall.

She walked till she got right to the middle of the gym and ascended a podium where she intended to be heard from. Adorned on her jacket were badges which either represented good works of charity or leadership responsibility. Judging from her esteem, it should be the latter.

"Listen up everyone, the principal instructed me to announce that the festival that was scheduled to take place exactly one week from today, has been rescheduled to three days time. Everyone is expected to give in their best, and the teachers record each practice for a brief survey before that day.

"Remember, we are to compete against Hadleigh High which as we all know also have a recorded prestige in sports, so all the best." She concluded and without a single word from anyone, she stumped out through the exact same route as she had earlier came.

Maya had long been seated on one of the chairs, and had asked Tess when she returned, who the orator was.

"Oh you must mean Patricia Gustavo, she's the Student Body President for both male and female. That's because our Male President was a transfer student, and since his departure, no-one else had been elected. I'm just the deputy for female.

She's been elected and reelected for five times in a row." Tess said, putting on some lotion.

"That smells nice. Why are you moisturizing?" Maya asked lamely.

"I'm performing a major stunt. A quadruple back flip and I need to moisturize, so that my hands can be greasy and I can successfully land on the shoulder of my team mate."

"A quad... What was that again?"

"A quadruple back flip. It's just like the triple and double, except that this involves spinning four times in the air backwards before landing. It's quite advanced, and not everyone can do this, so let me go practice. You can help yourself around if you won't be comfortable sitting all by yourself." Tess replied.

"Thanks once more."

❇❇❇

"That's an offside." Scott pointed out.

"Dude we are in the same team." Martins, a fellow soccer player, replied.

"Nevertheless, we are practicing against each other. You see, that's what he does, he goes close to the goal keeper of the rival team waiting for an assist so he can shoot it right into the post and now people think because he's the highest goal scorer, he's the best footballer. I won't allow you record that as his goal." Scott fired out fuming with untold rage and exhaustion from running around.

They were at the school's field and had long been trying to score. Practicing tediously, day after day.

He was referring to Daniel, who was at the other end of the field and who had to jog down towards their direction to restore order as the apparent captain of the team.

"What's going on here?" Daniel asked rather relaxed for someone who had just jogged. He referred to no one in particular.

When he received no response, he asked again and Martins was the one to give a concise detail of what had happened.

He had particularly taken out some words, and substituted for another where he saw his opportunity to prevent an unrest between the two parties.

"Is this what this is all about? Well fine, do not record the score Martins. He's right it was an offside. With that settled, let's keep playing Scott. You are a pretty good striker but you need to.. "

"But what... You are the best, and so the rest of us wouldn't stop receiving endless corrections from you."

"That wasn't how I meant it though. You know what, maybe we should just keep on playing." Daniel said dissolving the budding argument simultaneously, before it even began.

He had his ways with words, but since Junior High, he couldn't just figure out what he had ever done to Scott.

He never stopped showing his discontent, but usually took it in for the sake of his team mates.

His dissolution of arguments, wasn't pretty much what Scott had liked himself. He was always ready for a fight and that just made him seem more foolish, and he would never take that in, too.

He needed an opportunity to have a good fight with him, but that opportunity wasn't forthcoming. Soon their coach came running into the field with his whistle and huddled them up.

"How's practice going? I was with the Principal, and he spoke about the festival saying that he had earlier talked to the regional body on Sporting Festivals Alabama and that they would be awarding a scholarship to the best three footballers, Amazing right? It shows you all have to put in extra effort to attain that." Coach Ryan, the official team coach of The Jaguars, said.

There was murmuring amongst them, and he called back order then left them to practice more.

Meanwhile, back at the gymnasium, the vast population of students, had been reduced and only the cheerleaders were left in that big auditorium. Needless to say, everyone was having a great time at school No Classes! That was the case for all, with the exception of Maya. She had occasionally checked her wristwatch restlessly, hoping the practices will come to an end, and they can resume lessons. She had excused herself and left for her home. It was her first day at school not the perfect day to stay up late at school.

Most people didn't take to notice her presence, probably because the atmosphere was so worked out. She took the cab, and before long, she had arrived home.

"Mum I'm home... Dad, anyone home?"

"Oh hello, dear. Your mum is at work." Mr. Anderson replied

"How was your first day at school, baby?" He added.

"I thought I was the baby." Lisa, Maya's sister, called out as she descended the stairs sleepily.

"Oh come over here Lis. You will always be my butterfly." Mr. Anderson replied reaching out for her.

Lisa Anderson was just like any other six year old; caramel brown colored iris, dark creamy brown shaded hair, her front teeth had fallen off, so her spoken words were sometimes misquoted.

Maya had to contend with the fact that she sought much attention, but it was unlikely that she would compete with her. She had quickly excused herself from the mesmerizing father-daughter games, went to fetch a snack, and flew the stairs till she got to her room. Well furnished as it were, Maya's thirst for neatness spiced the decor and she kept it that way as her heart pleased.

Her bed was of soft cotton, and her pillows fluffy, she lived a normal life, but most times, she is being reminded of her health, especially when she tries to read or write as she tried doing then.

She sat on her bed, trying to scribble some words in the diary she had gotten for her sixteenth birthday. It had been a while, and she recorded her daily experiences in it.

She quickly took a bite from an M&M's candy bar which occasionally stuck in between her teeth as she did. Her handwriting was quite repelling, as most times, she jumbled up words but what remained paramount, was that she understood what she wrote. Thus, she began..

Dear Diary,

My first day at school wasn't the worst. So far, this was how my day went...