I arrived at the school at 7.20. Mary was in the front office talking to a black girl. There were a few other students in the foyer. No-one gave me a second glance.
I approached Mary. ‘What are we supposed to do?’
‘Oh Laura, this is my twin Sam. Laura is also a cheerleader’ Mary was all smiles.
‘Hi Sam. Nice to meet you. Your certainly not identical twins’ Laura gave a big cheery smile.
Mary continued as if we were best friends ‘I've already handed in the enrolment forms, we just have to wait. Laura is starting today as well’ I hated the smug smile she was giving me.
Just then a man came across and asked ‘Laura Tingle?’
‘That’s me’ said Laura.
‘I’m Mr Johnson Year 12 co-ordinator. Your notebook and books are ready to pick up. You just have to sign’
‘Ok. This is Mary and Sam they are also starting Year 12’
The man consulted a clipboard. ‘Sam and Mary Collard? We are just altering some arrangements. There was a mistake on your original enrolment but we will be able to fix that. I’ll be back for you as soon as I have Laura’s signature’ He gave us a smile. Laura and Mr Johnson disappeared through a door.
5 minutes later they were back Laura was smiling as she brandished a tablet computer and a key. A brunette girl in the school blazer carrying a box of books was with them.
Mr Johnson introduced her as ‘Katy who is head prefect of Jefferson house. Katy I think you will find Mary here’ He pointed to Mary ‘is also in Jefferson’
‘Welcome to Jefferson. I’ll be back as soon as I have shown Laura her locker’ She gave Mary a big smile.
‘Bring Angela back. Sam has been changed to Kennedy’
Laura and Katy left. Mr Johnson beckoned for us to go into the office.
We had to sign for our own Samsung tablets and collection of books. Mr Johnson made us check that our subject selection was correct and that we had the appropriate text books. I was studying the Maths and Sciences. Mary was largely studying arts subjects so we had quite different books. We were not going to share any classes. That suited me fine.
He then explained that we had both been assigned a to a ‘care group’. I was with a Miss Perkins. Evidently 10 care groups made up a ‘house’. As he had told Katy I was in Kennedy house. There were 6 houses named after former presidents.
Mr Johnson also supplied us with an individualised timetable and map of the school. He showed the rooms where each of us had classes and also where to find our home rooms. Evidently we would start each day with a 15 minute gathering of our care group. It was an opportunity for roll call and air grievances or discuss problems. He explained that as seniors he expected us to show leadership for the younger students in our care group.
By the time this had finished Katy had returned, with her was a Latino girl introduced as Angela. Angela was also in a blazer and greeted me with a smile. I gathered Angela was the prefect of Kennedy house.
I followed Angela to my locker. I had a lot of books so we each carried a box. My locker was in an adjacent room to Mary’s. On the way Angela pointed out a toilet block ‘That’s where Year 12’s go’. It was only female toilets where she was pointing. I had to assume the male toilets were on the other side. Evidently this wing of this building was mainly used by year 12’s. After depositing my good’s in what was now my locker I followed Angela to what was the year 12 ‘Home room’
In it was a collection of boys and girls half in blazers, I judged them to be prefects and the rest in blue, my fellow newbies. About a dozen in total. Laura was there chatting to one particularly attractive girl. She looked like a younger version of Penelope Cruz. They both squealed when Mary came in following Katy.
Angela introduced me to a boy called Ben. He was evidently also in Kennedy house. I found out he was the Math whiz of the school and captain of the Chess team. He was socially awkward. I was also introduced to a short fat black girl, like me she had a boy’s haircut and wore a long sleeved shirt and trousers but unlike me she had a face covered in piercings. Her name was Gracie. She was also a new student transferring from a neighbouring school. She seemed a tough chick.
5 minutes of awkward conversation later Mr Johnson came in with another two students. One was a skinny guy in a blazer while the other was a tall Latino guy. Obviously Angela found him attractive. As she whispered to me ‘What a hunk’. I supposed he probably was attractive. He looked a bit like Ricky Martin. He certainly made me feel inadequate.
It turned out ‘Ricky’ was actually this guy’s name. The skinny guy was Rob. They were both also in Kennedy house.
Mr Johnson called the room to order and welcomed ‘School leaders and new seniors to orientation day’. He did a 10 minute speech about leadership then introduced the school captains who also made a speech. One was the Penelope Cruz look alike. Her name was Maria. The other school captain was a 6’4 black guy by the name of Leon. He was evidently also skipper of the football team.
I was trying to listen carefully but half of what they were saying was lost on me. It was all about school community and I was getting bored. I was shocked out of my lethargy when we newbies were called up to the front of the room. We were asked to say a few words about ourselves. Unfortunately I was selected to go first.