Frederica's black station wagon pulled into the parking
lot. It had been a gift from her Uncle upon her arrival to Trenton, and she
hated it. The black tyres crumpled over the white snow – a fitting metaphor for
her mood this morning. This was her first day at her new high school, Trenton
High, and she felt cold and nervous. The hoodie she pulled tighter around her
sported the logo of her favourite band from her home-town, Tampa. Nobody would
know them here. Just as nobody knew her.
Frederica took a few deep
breaths, and got out of her car. It was 8:35am. School started at 9:00am. This
had meant that she had been able to park very close to the school's entrance,
and also meant that the light drizzle of snow wouldn't mess up her hair too
badly. She didn't usually care about such things too much, but even Frederica
knew the importance of a good first impression.
As she went through the front doors she was hit in the face with warm air conditioning. The snow that had settled on her began to melt, and droplets of water trickled down her slightly messy, shoulder-length hair, and around her eyes before finally dripping off her frozen, ready lips.
She needed to pick up her timetable before she could attend any classes, but it appeared that the reception was empty. Perhaps she had arrived too early!
Frederica decided to take a seat while she waited. Because her legs were quite long – some had even said “slender” – she found it most comfortable to sit with one leg crossed over the other. It was in this position she sat, playing with her smartphone, for about ten minutes.
As she went through the front doors she was hit in the face with warm air conditioning. The snow that had settled on her began to melt, and droplets of water trickled down her slightly messy, shoulder-length hair, and around her eyes before finally dripping off her frozen, ready lips.
She needed to pick up her timetable before she could attend any classes, but it appeared that the reception was empty. Perhaps she had arrived too early!
Frederica decided to take a seat while she waited. Because her legs were quite long – some had even said “slender” – she found it most comfortable to sit with one leg crossed over the other. It was in this position she sat, playing with her smartphone, for about ten minutes.
* * *
“Hey.” A cool voice jolted her from her phone-induced daze. “Can I help you with anything?”
Frederica looked up.
Her eyes were met with a tall, slender boy. He had skin so pale that it almost hurt to look at – so delicate it looked like it would smudge at the slightest touch. He wore designer jeans, and a shirt and tie. However, the tie was loose, and the way his hands were hanging in his pockets – at a jaunty angle – made it clear that he was not one to completely follow the rules.
Frederica blushed immediately. She was always like this whenever she got attention from a handsome boy. A handsome boy like the one that stood just before her.
“Wow, you’re really just going to stare at me, huh?” stated the boy. “My name is Alex. I help out with admin from time to time.”
Frederica blushed again, stood up, and bowed slightly. She was a big fan of anime.
“I...” she paused and gulped audibly. “I mean – my name – is Frederica.”
“It’s funny you should say that,” muttered Alex. “I was just on the phone to my friend Richard earlier – he lives in England, you see – and we were talking about our favourite names for girls.”
“And Frederica was your favourite?” blushed Frederica.
“No. It was his. But it's a pretty good name, I guess.” He sighed, and walked through the half-door that led to the area behind the reception desk.
“You must be the new student starting today. I suppose you want your timetable?”
“That would be great.”
“In that case, here is your timetable.” With this, Alex handed over a laminated sheet of paper with a timetable on it. For a brief second their fingers touched, and Frederica blushed. Alex, however, seemed unfazed.
“I laminated it myself,” he went on, as if nothing had happened.
“Wow, that’s really cool.”
“The school doesn’t actually have a laminating machine, so I run them by the one at my house.”
“That must
take a lot of dedication. Do you live close?”
“Real close, yeah. We have to be, really.” He paused, as if Frederica already knew why it was that Alex’s family had to live close to the school. “Oh, right, yeah. You’re new. It’s just that my father is chairman of the board of directors.”
With this, Frederica dropped the laminated timetable onto the floor. She blushed, and quickly picked it back up, trying her best not to make a scene.
The school bell rang to signal the start of the day.
“I’d better be going,” said Frederica. “I’ll see you around, I guess, Alex.”
“Yes, you will,” smiled Alex. “After all, you’re in all of my classes.”
“Real close, yeah. We have to be, really.” He paused, as if Frederica already knew why it was that Alex’s family had to live close to the school. “Oh, right, yeah. You’re new. It’s just that my father is chairman of the board of directors.”
With this, Frederica dropped the laminated timetable onto the floor. She blushed, and quickly picked it back up, trying her best not to make a scene.
The school bell rang to signal the start of the day.
“I’d better be going,” said Frederica. “I’ll see you around, I guess, Alex.”
“Yes, you will,” smiled Alex. “After all, you’re in all of my classes.”
Before
Frederica could respond, Alex had already walked through a door behind the
reception desk.
* * *
Frederica’s first lesson of the day was English Literature,
according to the timetable Alex had given her. This made her smile as English
Literature was her favourite school subject. She loved to read, unlike a lot of
her friends. Sometimes she had even been known to completely neglect nights out
just to finish a book. She didn’t mind, though. In some ways, Frederica liked
being different to the others – to her peers. But this time around, she hoped
to make some friends that were more like her.
She was surprised when she walked into her classroom – 1.05 – to find Alex was already there. Knowing the school as well as he must do, she supposed he probably took a faster route.
Frederica approached Alex shyly. “Is this seat taken?”
“Yes, actually, it is,” frowned Alex. “But seeing as you’re new I don’t think they’d mind swapping.” He looked behind Frederica as he finished that sentence. “Would you, Melanie?”
“Oh, um, sure,” replied the girl that Frederica assumed was Melanie behind her. She was blonde and cute, but a little chubby. She slunk off to the back corner of the classroom.
“Thanks,” said Frederica as she tentatively sat down next to Alex. Only now, out of the stuffy reception, did she fully begin to appreciate Alex’s scent – or musk, even. It was pungent – almost overpowering – yet delightfully subtle. No. That’s the wrong word. Delightfully smooth. Yes, “smooth” was the word to describe it. And Alex certainly was quite the smooth character.
“Here,” said Alex, leaning towards Frederica so that his delightful smell made her cheeks begin to slightly redden. “I took the liberty of getting you a book from the front already.” He handed her a copy of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, waited for a few seconds, and then moved away.
Alex sighed heavily – almost as if he wanted someone to take notice – as he looked over the cover of his own copy.
“What’s wrong? Don’t like Ovid?” asked Frederica.
“I love Ovid.” His statement was so clear, so concise, so perfectly solid. Frederica blushed. She also loved Ovid. “It’s just I’m really not a fan of Raybury’s translation. Golding’s is much better. It’s so much more...”
“Intellectual?” offered Frederica.
“Yes. Exactly. He really knew how to treat a text. He was a great guy.”
“Oh, have you read a biography or something?”
“Oh, um, yes. Of course.”
“I’d love to read one at some point...”
“When’s your birthday?” asked Alex. The sudden change of topic startled Frederica. Alex was asking her questions? Personal questions? She blushed.
“January 10th,” she answered.
“I will buy you one,” he said. “An expensive one, probably.” He paused, and then added: “It should probably go without saying that my disposable income is quite high.”
“Even in this economy?” she asked, stunned.
“Even in this economy.”
The English Literature teacher entered the classroom. From her timetable Frederica knew that the teacher’s name was Mrs. Bradbury. She didn’t have to worry about introducing herself, though, as Mrs. Bradbury managed to spot the new addition to her class almost instantly. Her eyes fixed on Frederica, and then she smiled.
“Ah, Frederica Williams, I presume?” She did not pause long enough for Frederica to respond with anything but a nod. “Good to see you’ve started making friends already. Alex Murnau should help you get along fine in your first few weeks here at Trenton High.” With that, she turned to the entire class and asked everyone to open up their copies of Metamorphoses to the beginning of the first book.
Alex’s fingers ran slowly down the edge of his closed copy, then slowly back up again. When they had almost reached the summit of the book, they slowly worked their way underneath, into the innards of the book. He flipped it open a page away from the start of the first book of Metamorphoses. Delicately, he lifted and turned the page, then lightly he smoothed it down, being careful to not trap any air underneath. Finally, in what seemed to be habit, he stroked the bottom-left of the left page lightly with his left thumb.
* * *
She was surprised when she walked into her classroom – 1.05 – to find Alex was already there. Knowing the school as well as he must do, she supposed he probably took a faster route.
Frederica approached Alex shyly. “Is this seat taken?”
“Yes, actually, it is,” frowned Alex. “But seeing as you’re new I don’t think they’d mind swapping.” He looked behind Frederica as he finished that sentence. “Would you, Melanie?”
“Oh, um, sure,” replied the girl that Frederica assumed was Melanie behind her. She was blonde and cute, but a little chubby. She slunk off to the back corner of the classroom.
“Thanks,” said Frederica as she tentatively sat down next to Alex. Only now, out of the stuffy reception, did she fully begin to appreciate Alex’s scent – or musk, even. It was pungent – almost overpowering – yet delightfully subtle. No. That’s the wrong word. Delightfully smooth. Yes, “smooth” was the word to describe it. And Alex certainly was quite the smooth character.
“Here,” said Alex, leaning towards Frederica so that his delightful smell made her cheeks begin to slightly redden. “I took the liberty of getting you a book from the front already.” He handed her a copy of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, waited for a few seconds, and then moved away.
Alex sighed heavily – almost as if he wanted someone to take notice – as he looked over the cover of his own copy.
“What’s wrong? Don’t like Ovid?” asked Frederica.
“I love Ovid.” His statement was so clear, so concise, so perfectly solid. Frederica blushed. She also loved Ovid. “It’s just I’m really not a fan of Raybury’s translation. Golding’s is much better. It’s so much more...”
“Intellectual?” offered Frederica.
“Yes. Exactly. He really knew how to treat a text. He was a great guy.”
“Oh, have you read a biography or something?”
“Oh, um, yes. Of course.”
“I’d love to read one at some point...”
“When’s your birthday?” asked Alex. The sudden change of topic startled Frederica. Alex was asking her questions? Personal questions? She blushed.
“January 10th,” she answered.
“I will buy you one,” he said. “An expensive one, probably.” He paused, and then added: “It should probably go without saying that my disposable income is quite high.”
“Even in this economy?” she asked, stunned.
“Even in this economy.”
The English Literature teacher entered the classroom. From her timetable Frederica knew that the teacher’s name was Mrs. Bradbury. She didn’t have to worry about introducing herself, though, as Mrs. Bradbury managed to spot the new addition to her class almost instantly. Her eyes fixed on Frederica, and then she smiled.
“Ah, Frederica Williams, I presume?” She did not pause long enough for Frederica to respond with anything but a nod. “Good to see you’ve started making friends already. Alex Murnau should help you get along fine in your first few weeks here at Trenton High.” With that, she turned to the entire class and asked everyone to open up their copies of Metamorphoses to the beginning of the first book.
Alex’s fingers ran slowly down the edge of his closed copy, then slowly back up again. When they had almost reached the summit of the book, they slowly worked their way underneath, into the innards of the book. He flipped it open a page away from the start of the first book of Metamorphoses. Delicately, he lifted and turned the page, then lightly he smoothed it down, being careful to not trap any air underneath. Finally, in what seemed to be habit, he stroked the bottom-left of the left page lightly with his left thumb.
* * *
“So,” began Alex at
lunch, as his dazzling white teeth pierced a cheese and tomato sandwich,
“whereabouts are you from?”
“Tampa.” She watched Alex eat for a
few more seconds, completely oblivious to the noise and clamour of the busy
lunch hall. “Are you from Trenton originally?”
“Yes. I have lived here for quite some time. But my family originates from Europe.”
Frederica blushed. This explained why he had such gloriously pale skin, as well as perhaps why he had such nice cheek bones – something she had only just begun to appreciate as she watched his jaw work slowly up and down, obliterating the sandwich, and then, after he had finished that, a packet of Sun chips. They were plain original flavour.
“Are you going to eat that tuna salad sandwich?” asked Alex once he was done, gesturing at the open yet untouched tuna salad sandwich before her.
“No, I...”
Frederica looked away, a single tear forming in her eye. She did not want Alex to see her like this. The only two sandwiches that had been available were cheese and tomato, and tuna salad, because they had spent too much time on a tour of the school. Frederica did not like tomato in sandwiches. She hated the way the juices made the bread too moist. And if the tomatoes were dry, then what was the point in the first place? As a result she had felt obliged to choose tuna salad. She had thought she was strong enough now. But no. She was not.
“I’m sorry I...” she started as she stood up from the lunch table. “I have to go.”
“Alright, but can I have your sandwich?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll catch you later,” said Alex, as Frederica walked away.
“Yes. I have lived here for quite some time. But my family originates from Europe.”
Frederica blushed. This explained why he had such gloriously pale skin, as well as perhaps why he had such nice cheek bones – something she had only just begun to appreciate as she watched his jaw work slowly up and down, obliterating the sandwich, and then, after he had finished that, a packet of Sun chips. They were plain original flavour.
“Are you going to eat that tuna salad sandwich?” asked Alex once he was done, gesturing at the open yet untouched tuna salad sandwich before her.
“No, I...”
Frederica looked away, a single tear forming in her eye. She did not want Alex to see her like this. The only two sandwiches that had been available were cheese and tomato, and tuna salad, because they had spent too much time on a tour of the school. Frederica did not like tomato in sandwiches. She hated the way the juices made the bread too moist. And if the tomatoes were dry, then what was the point in the first place? As a result she had felt obliged to choose tuna salad. She had thought she was strong enough now. But no. She was not.
“I’m sorry I...” she started as she stood up from the lunch table. “I have to go.”
“Alright, but can I have your sandwich?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll catch you later,” said Alex, as Frederica walked away.
* * *
Frederica sat in her station wagon and cried solidly for somewhere between three to four hours. When it reached the end of school, she started up the car, and made it halfway to her Uncle’s house before having to pull in and cry some more. Why did life have to always be so unfair?
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