White Horse

Mobs of people around the hallways of the school surrounded Olivia as she stood in the hall with a piece of white paper in her right hand, in the other she held onto the left strap of her backpack. She was lost in a sea of high schoolers who wouldn't give her a second glance.

"Are you lost?"

Olivia turned around to see a girl a few inches taller than her and she had a friendly face.

"Um, yeah. I'm new here."

The friendly face girl held out her hand and looked at Olivia.

"Let me see your schelchle."

Olivia handed over her peice of paper and the girl ripped it out of her hands and quickly read over Olivia's classes. Her brown eyes went from the paper back to Olivia and she handed her back her classes.

"Follow me."

Then she took off into the swarm of students. Quickly's Olivia's feet moved after the girl down the hallway. As she walked she tried to keep the girl in her line of vision, but every now and again a body would move in front of her or Olivia would just simply lose her because of the height of the students around them. Something and the only thing so far that Olivia found comforting was that most of the kids were dressed like how kids at her old school dressed.

Soon the friendly girl stopped walking, making Olivia almost walk right into her back. Olivia looked up at the door and saw the correct room number on it.

"Here we go."

The girl said turning around looking back at Olivia. Before Olivia could say thank you the girl was gone, possibility to her first period or to her group of friends. She looked back at the door of her first period class, she didn't know what to do. She knew that she should open the door and go in and sit down, but what she wanted to do was throw up and run back home. Olivia went to open the door when a boy who was much taller that her, pushed her out of the way as he walked by. She almost lost her footing and she whipped her head back to look at the boy to see that he didn't even turn around to say sorry. Letting out a sigh she turned back to the door and put her hand on the door handle, then opened it.

Entering the classroom she looked around and saw that it was a somewhat large room with four long rows of tables with computers in front of every chair. In the far corner of the room sat a fairly large man in front of a desk, nose deep in his computer screen.

"Meet in the gym."

The man said not removing his face from the screen to look at Olivia.

"Uh, where is that exactly?"

"You're smart, you'll find it."

"Um... but-"

"Go to the gym."

Olivia sighed and turned to open the door back up, but it opened to show a girl who looked to be ten years old.

"Go to the gym."

The fat man said again. Now Olivia guessed that the man was the class teacher, T. Walker. Olivia looked back down at the girl as she looked over at man in the corner.

"Do you know where the gym is?"

Olivia asked the much shorter girl, just hoping that the girl wasn't a freshman and knew about as much as she did.

"Yeah, follow me."

The girl said with a smile and held the door open for Olivia as she walked out of the classroom.

"Thanks."

Emilee said to her and the girl smiled up at her, then they two walked down the hall together.

"No problem. Are you in grade 9?"

"No. I'm new here."

"Oh, cool. Grade 12?"

"No, not yet. I still have one more year to go, sadly. You?"

"Grade 10. Where'd you move from?"

"Enumclaw."

"I'm sorry, I have no idea where that is."

Olivia let out a sight laugh and shook her head.

"I figured most people here won't have the slightest idea where it is. It's in the States. I'm Olivia, by the way."

"Karen."

The two girls walked through the crowded hallways, and they walked past the spot where the friendly girl had found Olivia. Soon Karen and Olivia turned a corner and found themselves walking down an almost empty hall.

"Are you in Exercise Science?"

Olivia asked Karen, hoping that she did too so that she would have someone to talk to.

"Yup."

Karen replied as she stopped to open a big blue door, but she pulled it and it didn't open. Karen pulled the handle hard, hoping that someone was on the other side. Olivia took a step forward and banged on the door with an open palm and as hard as she could.

"Open the door."

She said loudly then stopped banging on the door and waited. Then the door opened to an older red haired woman in exercise clothing.

"You need to go around the other side next time."

She simply stated when she opened the door more so that Karen and Olivia could walk inside the gym. In the gym there was a handful of students in groups on the nice new looking plastic blue bleachers. The gym was smaller that at Enumclaw. Folded up wooden bleachers were on the opposite side of the gym, and they looked to be not even half the size as the ones that her old school. She remembered that in gym class if the wooden bleachers were put out they would have to run up and down them, and the rows had numbers on them all the way up to 34.

"What class are you two in?"

"Walker's."

Karen told the woman. She looked at the two girls then looked over at the bleachers.

"You two are on the far right."

She told them then walked away. Karen and Olivia walked over to the bleachers on the far right together and sat down in the first row. Only a few students were sitting in the Walker section of the bleachers.

"So, do you like it here at Prince Andrew so far?"

"I've been here for less than ten minutes, but so far it's a big fat no."

"Oh? How different is it then you're old school?"

"Well, school here starts earlier, we had an outdoor campus, and we had a little bit more kids going there."

"Really?"

"Yeah. That's was the first thing I noticed to be honest."

"How many were at your old school?"

"About 200 more kids. I went to school kinda in the boonies."

"What are the booneys?"

"Nevermind."

"What classes do you have?"

Olivia put her right leg out and dung her hand into the pocket of her jeans, pulling out her schedule and handed it to Karen. She unfolded the paper and looked over the printed text.

"Looks like we only have this class together."

"Oh... do you know any of these teachers?"

"No, I'm sorry. Here you go."

Karen said handing back Olivia schedule. Olivia just smiled and took her schedule back, putting it safely back in her pocket.

"Oh..."

She said half heartedly as she looked down at her feet. Her and Karen sat there for a few moments in awkward silences before the bell rang and what looked like the rest of the class rushed into the gym. The high schoolers sat on the right bleachers according to what the red haired woman told them. When everyone was sitting down and were somewhat quiet, a woman with short blonde hair dressed similar to the red haired woman spoke up.

"Okay, we're going to take roll, then us teachers are going to show you all a power point. I'm Mrs. Cooper, this is Mrs. Rinehart, Coach Oliver, and Mr. Walker. Make sure you are in the right class."

Mrs. Cooper said then looked down at the clipboard in her hands and walked over to her section of the bleachers, and called out the first student's name on her list. Mr. Walker, who indeed was the large man from the classroom, walked over and started to ask students their names, then checked them off the list.

Olivia looked across the gym to see a red digital clock on the wall and it read 7:25. She had only been at school for ten minutes. There were almost seven more hours before she could walk back home.

"You."

"What?"

Olivia looked up to see Mr. Walker in front of her with his meaty sausage like fingers. Olivia now had a good look at her teacher. He was about six foot, looked about 30 years of age, and he was a large man. He had a beer belly that protruded from his gut and his belly hung over the waistband of his pants. He wore a pale yellow polo shirt, dark gray shorts, pushed down ankle high socks, and worn out Adidas soccer shoes. His head looked like a pumpkin set on a scarecrow's body. His head did in a funny way look like a pumpkin. The glasses that he wore cut off some of the fat from his head, causing it to budge over the arms of his glasses.

"Name."

"Olivia."

"Olivia what?"

"Olivia. Olivia Sherman."

Mr. Walker looked at his list then back at her with a look of annoyance on his face and tapped his pencil on the clip of the clipboard.

"Did hear me, stop wasting my time, go to your right class."

"I just transfered in. My schedule says that I'm in your class."

She said pulling out her schedule and handed it to him. He ripped the piece of paper out of her hand and looked at the first period line. Letting out a groan he took his pencil and wrote down her name. When Olivia name was written Mr. Walker turned away from the bleachers and walked over to the large pull down screen and projector that was near the centre of the gym.

"Um, Mr. Walker-"

"Welcome to the physical education department of Prince Andrew High School. In first period there are three different classes going on. We have Intro to PE with Mrs. Cooper, Weights and Conditioning with me, and Exercise Science with Mr. Walker."

Coach Oliver said with his hands behind his back as he passed in front of the pull down screen. Coach Oliver and Mrs. Cooper were the two teachers that looked like gym teachers. They were both fit and younger looking people, they looked like they knew what they were doing.

Olivia didn't listen to what else was being said, she couldn't care less. All she was focusing on was how much long it was going to be till she could go to her second period. Olivia would have been looking at her schedule to see what the rest of her day instead but Mr. Walker still had the paper. She tried to remember what was her second period class was it math or was it history, she couldn't remember for the life of her.

Sadly, first period felt like it had gone on for two hours, when the bell finally rang Olivia sat up and walked over to her teacher who was sitting at the little desk they had brought in with a laptop on top. Olivia heard Karen walking beside her and looked over to see that the shorter girl was indeed walking beside her.

"I'll help you find your second period."

"Thanks Karen."

Then the two girls stood in front of their teacher, who still hadn't looked up from his computer screen.

"Mr. Walker."

Quickly, the man's small and what looked like black beaded eyes looked up from the screen to see his two students and he let out a sigh.

"Yes?"

"You took my schedule while you were taking roll, and I need it back."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did. You need to see if Olivia was in your class or not."

Karen said coming to Olivia's defence. Mr. Walker let out another groan and looked at his clipboard to see that Olivia's schedule was on top of the papers on his clipboard. Grabbing the paper he handed it out for Olivia to take back. When she did she said a quick thank you, then her and KAren turned back around and walked out of the gym.

"Who's your second period?"

"Um,"

Olivia looked down at her schedule and looked for the line under T. Walker.

"Ellis, German 1-2."

"Oh, I knew where that is. Her room is near my Spanish class."

Karen said with a smile on her face. Together her and Olivia walked down a few more crowded hallways until they came to the World Language wing of the school.

"Look, I have my next class on the outside of the school. So, German is four doors down. It was nice to met you Olivia."

"Thank you Karen, it was nice to met you too."

With that Karen turned around and walked the way that they had came. Olivia started walking down the hall and counted the doors to her right. One. Two. Three. Four. At the fourth door she looked to see that German posters cover the windows that looked into the classroom. The door was open and Emilee peered inside to see that maybe six other students had already arrived. Taking a deep breath, Olivia walked into the room and looked around. On the whiteboard there was only one thing written: Welcome students! Take a seat wherever you like.

Olivia looked at the row of desks. They were paired up into twos and there were four rows and about six columns. The students who had already come into the class were sitting at the desks closer to the front of the room and closest to the door. Olivia walked across the room and sat in the last possible seat in the back. She placed her schedule on the desk in front of her and looked down at the rest of her classes. Next period she had Marketing, then Language Arts 5-6, Math, and then finally History. Why does my favourite class has to be sixth period, Olivia thought to herself as she looked at the word History.

"Is this seat taken?"

Olivia looked up to see a boy around her age, he had an athletic build to him and he looked like he was nice enough. But in the back of her mind she knew he was just probably asking so he could take the chair.

"Uh, no it's not."

"Cool."

He said then pulled out the blue chair and sat down next to her.

"I'm Nathan."

"Olivia."

"How come I haven't seen you around before?"

"I just moved here."

Nathan nodded and looked over at her with a smile on his face. Olivia looked over at him to see that he was actually interested in her and was wondering where she came from.

"Let me guess. Vancouver? No wait, Edmonton."

"Nope, you're close with Vancouver actually. I'm from Washington."

"Oh, you're American?"

"Well, a half blood. I was actually born in Vancouver, but my parents called it quits when I was little and my mom moved back to the States. And now I'm living here."

"Why?"

"My step dad works here now. He's a captain of a fish boat."

Nathan nodded and Olivia couldn't help but smile. She pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear and looked back down at her schedule.

"Do you mind if I take a look?"

"No, not at all."

Olivia said handing him the schedule. Nathan looked over the paper and a smile came to his face.

"Looks like we have fourth and sixth together. And I'm in Coach Oliver's class when you're in Walker's, maybe we could see each other sometime in class."

"Wow, yeah maybe."

Nathan gave her schedule back then Olivia looked around the room to see that the class was filling up now.

"Look's like we are the only grade 11's in here."

Nathan said with a smile, making Olivia smile as well.

"Looks like we're going to have to stick together."

"Looks like it. So where in Washington are you from?"

"I lived in Renton, which isn't all the far from Seattle, the main Boeing plant is there. But I went to school in Enumclaw, it's a small farming town. I went there because my mom was a teacher out there and she drove my sister and I out there everyday. Plus, before we lived in Renton that's where we grew up."

"Does your sister go here too?"

"Yeah, she's a freshman."

"A what?"

"I mean, she's in grade 9."

"Wait you guys call grades what?"

"Well in elementary and middle school you'd call them which ever graders, like third graders or sixth graders. But in high school there's the freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and then the almighty seniors. It's kinda like college."

"That's weird. So, if you're from Seattle, or near Seattle, you like the Seahawks?"

"You better believe it. The Hawks and the Packers are my two favorite teams."

"So, you like sports?"

"Totally, I love 'em."

"What do you feel about hockey?"

"What do I feel about it, I love it. I love it more than football."

"Well, great we have something to talk about."

Nathan said with a smile. Olivia let out a laugh, the first time that she's laughed in a long time. She smiled at him and could tell now my looking at him that he had to be a hockey player.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you play?"

"Ever since I was a little kid. I actually moved here to play. I play for the Mooseheads."

"No way. My mom's college buddy loves the Mooseheads, he was born and raised here."

"Small world. So who's your favorite team?"

"My boys are the Canucks and the Habs, but I find that there are reasons to like every team."

"The Canucks, really?"

"Yes, really. They are my team, okay."

Nathan laughed and then the bell rang. the students around the room sat down and then the teacher who was sitting at her desk the whole time stood up and walking up the front of the class. Everyone was looking at her and then she started talking and everyone was lost right off the bat, she started talking in fluent German. Everyone looked at the people around them, hoping to see that they were as confused as they were.

"She does now that this is first year German,right?"

Nathan whispered to Olivia making her giggle and the teacher looked over at her and Nathan. She looked right at them then started spitting things off in German, and Olivia was guessing that she was asking them a question. When her and Nathan didn't say anything, the teacher let out a sigh then looked at the rest of the class.

"My name is Frau Ellis and welcome to German 1-2."

All the students let out a sigh a relief upon hearing their teacher speak English.

"I'm going to come around and take roll, to make sure that you are in the right class. Please do not take your phones out."

Then Frau Ellis walked over to the first row of students and asked their names. Everyone else in the classroom turned to the people around them and started talking.

"You just moved here too?"

Olivia asked Nathan as she looked at her hands again.

"Yeah, I had my rights traded away, at first I thought I was going to go play for a team in Montreal, but at the last second, I was traded here. But I grew up in Cole Harbour, which isn't too far away. It's nice that I'm playing close to home."

"Oh, that's cool."

Nathan was about to say something back when his name was called from the other side of the room, looking up both Nathan and Olivia looked over at the door to see a boy walking into the classroom.

"Sorry, I'm late. I went to the wrong class."

He said to the teacher. He walked over to Frau and said a few things, she nodded and then checked something off on her clipboard, then he walked to the back of the room. He walked up to Nathan and the tow said hello then he asked the small blonde girl that sat in front of of Nathan if the spot next to her was open. She said yes and he sat down, and looked back at Nathan and Olivia.

"I didn't know you had this class."

"I just got put in this morning. I couldn't take art with that crazy ass teacher. Hi, I'm Jonathan, by the way."

He said to Olivia when he saw her looking at him. Olivia smiled and saw that he was holding his hand out for her to shake.

"Olivia."

She told him as she put her hand in his. Jonathan said hello again as he shook her hand then Nathan spoke up.

"She just moved here from Seattle."

"Oh, you're from the US of A."

"I was born in Vancouver, but raised in the States."

"That's sweet. You a Seahawks fan?"

"Yup."

"Sweet."

Before they knew it Frau was standing next to Olivia and Nathan's row, asking their names.

"Nathan MacKinnon."

He said as he looked up at Frau. She looked down her list and saw his name, crossing it off the list, then she looked down at Olivia.

"Um, Olivia Sherman."

Frau looked at her list again, and then did a double check.

"You're not on here."

"Well, you see, Frau, I just moved here a week ago. I'm not sure if they have my name on the the lists, but here,"

Olivia said handing her teacher her schedule. Frau took it and looked at the second period class. Nodding she handed Olivia back her schedule then wrote her name on the piece of paper.

"Welcome to Prince Andrew."

She told her new student with a smile on her face. Olivia returned the smile, no matter how fake it was, and said thank you.

Notes