Joy Ride-Chapter 1
1
New School
A block away, I’m pretty sure they heard us coming. I sank into my seat, hoping no one noticed me. Swerving onto a foreign road, the van rattled to the tune, “Brickhouse.” Morrehouse High was coming into view, and students were already eyeing fresh meat.
“What’s the matter Virgil? You love this song.” My father spoke, finally turning the music down.
“Yeah, but you don’t have to parade it around.” I said, flustered. He chuckled, shaking his head.
“Okay, I get it.”
When the minivan pulled up to school, I immediately jumped out to avoid further embarrassment. Student nearly doubled in size compared to my old school. The campus was huge, fit with a playground, race track, and parking lot. Every section had some type of activity going on. I felt lost at sea, scared to make my way through the endless crowds.
“Have a good day, Virg!” my father’s voice rang out from behind me. It was only seven-thirty in the morning, meaning thirty minutes until classes began. With nowhere to go and nothing else to do I took a seat under the cool shade of some in the playground, clenching my book bag. Though I probably passed Morrehouse almost all the time, it was shocking to find out how big the school was upon further inspection. Scarlet brick walls covered at least four blocks, its main entrance decorated with golden letters introducing the school’s name and mascot, a white tiger.
“You new here?” a voice came from behind, startling me. It belonged to a pale, freckled faced kid, with a set of dark frames hanging on his nose. Nodding, I shifted my weight under the shade as he sat down.
“Name’s Curtis.”
“Virgil,” I replied, shaking his hand. “Transfer student from Lake View.”
Curtis gave the thumbs up, scanning various crowds. “What year you in?”
“Junior.”
He grinned. “Me too.”
Silence crept between us. Another summer gust floated by, bringing with it a girl. Like Curtis, she had pale skin along with curly blonde hair that fell to her shoulders.
“Why’d you run off?” she asked, taking a seat next to him.
“Because Robert and his friends are a bunch of jerks. But never mind that. This is Virgil, he’s from Lake View.”
The girl waved at me, smiling. “Nice to meet you, I’m Leavitt.” I returned the wave.
“So you’re a junior too?”
“Yep,” She said. “Do you live around here?”
“Just up the street.”
I spent the remainder of the morning with Curtis and Leavitt. Unlike my stay at my previous high school, things at Morrehouse were setting off right.
