A month into school, I’ve already made it a habit to be late to my classes every morning.
Milo and I used to walk to school together in the mornings, but since he got that one time in detention, Jennifer takes him to school. I only know this because Milo is constantly fucking complaining about how he’s in high school, yet his step-mom takes him to school because he’s been grounded for talking back to his dad in vocal class. I mean, Milo has been dead silent in that class since, but it’s definitely weird to go to our vocal class and not get my best friend anymore. His mind has definitely been in other places, but hey; that’s what happens when he’s a dual major in this school. They’ll work you like a dog.
I ran into school Wednesday morning, hoping to slide by the front desk security guards. I’ve been getting pretty good at being undetected by them; the last thing I need in my life is for my mom to be on my case about being late to school. I can’t help that the only person to get me to school on time got himself in trouble.
While the security guards talk to each other and do not pay attention to the front door, I slide into the cracked back door, leading to the auditorium. When I get into the school, I run up the auditorium to get out of it, just in case someone catches me in there. It’s kinda sad just how good I’m getting at this.
I looked at my phone for the time while I kept walking until I bumped into someone. Fuck, I’m done for. I quickly get up from the floor, beginning to apologize, playing it off just so that the teacher doesn’t tell the main office a student is roaming the halls.
“I am so sorry, I was trying to find my class,” I said as I tried to see the person I bumped into. The person picks their things up from the ground. It was not a teacher as I thought it was; it was another student. It was Aaron. My body immediately relaxed. “Oh shit, hey! I’m sorry about that.” Aaron pulled his wavy hair away from his face and smiled at me.
“No worries, Mollie,” Aaron replied. After getting myself together, I noticed that Aaron is holding two big binders in his hand. I nodded my head towards the binders, not really thinking about the words coming out of my mouth.
“Damn, what’s with the big-ass binders?” I pointed out. Aaron laughed out loud, so loud that I thought we were going to get in trouble for being out in the hallway.
“It’s kinda my whole school life in these binders,” he answered. “One for band class; the other one vocal.”
“Sheesh,” I began to say. “What are they teaching you; the first ever instrument to make a sound or some shit?”
“Oh Nah, nothing like that,” Aaron answered. “We covered that already. That’s in the first two binders back at home.” I laughed at his response. Homie got jokes.
“Well, on the plus side; you guys will easily be the most fit people in this school but the time we’re seniors,” I said. I looked at Aaron, realizing that he was more relaxed than most freshmen in this school. He’s also really confident in class, which most of us do not have yet. “Unless you are a senior already.” I spat out, again not realizing the words coming out of my mouth.
“Are you secretly a senior?” Aaron asked. “Because your talent screams ‘experienced and too advanced for a freshman’.” My face got hot; am I fucking blushing? I tried to wipe my face hard enough to make it seem like I made my own face red. I just hope he buys it. After that, we don’t really answer each other’s questions; we just hear the bell ring, which meant I missed my first class.
“Fuck,” I said more to myself than to Aaron. “I’m totally gonna fail my algebra class.” Aaron looked down at me when I spoke and started to walk down the hallway, now becoming more crowded with other students passing by.
“Do you need help passing algebra,” Aaron confidently asked. I looked up at him, kinda confused at where he was getting at. “Maybe we can help each other out.”
“You need my help with something?” I asked, a bit surprised that anyone would ever need my help with anything.
“I actually need some help in our vocal class,” he confessed. I scoffed, not believing him one bit. Aaron Serrano, the dual major, needing help in one of his majors?
“Vocal is literally one of your majors; how do you need help in that?” Aaron stopped in the middle of the hallway, which then made me stop. Oh, fuck. Did I upset him?
“I’m… not confident in vocal a lot of the times,” Aaron began to explain. “I keep fucking up the parts in our assignments and, well, Mr. Kamalani seems to trust you to always know all of your music.” I crossed my arms, amused that Aaron was asking for my help. I guess it made me feel good about my abilities, like I actually belonged in the program I’m in.
“So, you help me in algebra, and I’ll help you in vocal,” I stated more than asking him. He gently nodded his head as looked at me. Aaron always spoke directly to me, which I never had anyone really do. It felt nice to feel like someone was actually listening to me when I spoke.
“Are you busy during lunch today?” Aaron asked.
“You want to start today?” I asked, surprised at how last minute this was.
“We have quartets today, which I am scared as fuck for,” Aaron answered. His blunt answer made me giggle; it truly felt good to feel like I was good at something. I was still unsure; Milo and I always hang out at lunch together, even if there has been days where I was blown off by him because he was so busy with his band stuff. Oh, and Sophie; he spent all of his free time with Sophie in school, which pissed me off. Milo is my best friend, but it feels like I’m being replaced by Sophie as the days pass by.
“It’s okay if you can’t today,” Aaron said. I looked at him, wondering if he saw the look on my face. Maybe he felt bad for asking me. He shouldn’t, considering he’s been the only person to actually want to hang out with me, even if it was to help him with his vocal music.
“It’s okay, I can come and help with you that,” I agreed. Aaron smiled at me, and I returned the smile back. It wasn’t until a few seconds later that I heard my name being called from down the hall. I look down the hallway, and see Milo wave his hand up in the air.
“Cool, I’ll meet you by your locker at 6th period?” Aaron asked. I looked back at him and nodded.
“Number 618,” I said. He smiled and held out his fist in front of him. I gave him a pound, wondering when and how Aaron got so comfortable with me. I barely know the guy, but he talks to me as if we’ve known each other forever now.
Aaron walks down the hallway, opposite of the direction I walk to Milo. Let’s get this day started.
Letters From Liz. 