-Freaks-
01:43 ━━━━●───── 03:50
I'm late. I'm late. I'm late. Why am I always late? I don't know but I'm late. Will repeating "I'm late"make me arrive on time? No, absolutely no but I'm late. And this town is bigger than mine. I don't have a car so I have to walk because nobody can drive me to school. So I woke up late because I was tired and now I have to run so I make it before class.
I see the building! Thank god, I won't have to run anymore! As I thought those words, I bumped into a group of people. I'm already late so why do I have to embarrass myself like that? I mean it's my chance to know where the principal office is and not search for hours. A girl lends me her hand and helps me get up.
– Ah, désolée... euh tu sais où est le bureau du directeur?
... Why am I like this? Why do I speak French to ask for directions from an American girl? She probably thinks I'm some kind of weirdo or whatever nickname they can give. She looks at me before turning to her friends.
– Hey Silver, she says, where's the principal office?
Did she understand me? Can she understand French? Her friends look in our direction and a blond guy- probably Silver- walks toward us. He stands next to the girl with a big smile.
– I don't know, responds a guy with dull skin.
So the blond guy isn't Silver? I look at him and he smiles. What? Who is who? I don't understand. I confused...
– I can show you the principal office if you want, says the blond guy.
– Ah euh oui, s'il te plaît- I mean yes, please.
Oh gosh...he laughs and his friends join him. They aren't mocking me, it's a kind laugh. The blond guy waves at his friends leaving to enter the building before reporting his attention to me.
– I'm Liam Smith.
– Oh euh, je– I'm Carl Leroy.
– Nice to meet you, Carl. You're French, aren't you?
– Yeah, is it this obvious?
He laughs. I feel like I'm watching the sun. He's so bright. Am I going to burn if I stay too close to him? We walk in the school corridor as we continue talking. We're the same age so there is a chance we're going to be in the same class. That's great. At some point, he knocks at a door.
– It's here, the principal office. If you want, I can wait for you.
– I'd appreciate that, thank you.
He nods and I enter the principal's office. As expected, I'm getting scolded for being late. Not my fault, nobody woke me up. I arrived yesterday, late, because of the strike my plane got delayed. I love my country.
– Did you understand everything, Carl?
– Y-Yes, thank you, sir.
– I'll call someone to get you to your class.
– There's no need: someone is already waiting for me outside.
– You already met someone, who is it?
– It's Liam.... Liam Smith.
His smile gets bigger as I pronounce the name Liam. Is he some kind of celebrity? The principal stands up and opens the door. He greets Liam and lets him enter the room.
-It's perfect if you already met each other, Liam can you accompany Carl to his class?
He accepts and the principal thanks him. We leave the office after the principal told him what he needed to know.
– It's sad, we're not in the same class.
– Yeah, I would have known someone.
– Don't worry about that, some of my friends are in your class. I mean a lot of people in your class are my friends but what I meant is that three of my closest friends are there.
How many friends does this sunshine boy have? Is he popular or something? Even the principal seems to know him. The best thing is that he doesn't seem to fake it. He didn't say a single lie since we started talking.
–Do you remember the girl who helped you? He asks.
– The blond one with a scar? The one who asked for "Silver"?
– Yeah, she's in your class and so is Silver. The last one is the girl who was wearing yellow star glasses.
I try to remember their group, with the blond girl there was a brown one who was next to the Silver boy and ... a black-haired girl next to Liam before he came to meet me.
– Anyway, if I can give you some advice: sit next to Silver. He will gladly welcome you because he doesn't like the guy next to him.
– Alright, I laugh.
We enter a classroom. Liam greets everyone with a large smile. We progress to the back of the class as he engages small talk with every person we cross paths with. Remarkable. We stop before the last desk and I recognize the boy sitting there. Dull skin, brown hair and grey eyes. He notices us and takes off his headphones.
– Liam, what are you doing here? Class is about to start.
– I know, I know. Silver this is Carl, Carl this is Silver. And- where are the girls?
– Nice to meet you, Carl. Rebecca is with Max and "Marie" went to her spot to listen to her favourite music. The usual.
– You didn't go with her?
– I never go with her on Monday mornings, she prefers to be alone at this time. I will go with her from Tuesday. Right, she will not be here this afternoon because she has to go see Doctor Myers.
Liam nods and smiles. He turns to look at me.
– So over there, it's Reb's and "Marie's" desk. The black-haired is Rebecca. Silver, do you accept Carl as your new neighbour?
Silver looks at Liam. He is doing puppy eyes. They laugh.
– Please, Carl, I beg you to take his place.
– Are you sure?
– Of course, Liam wouldn't ask me if he knew we wouldn't get along. So sit.
I nod and install my thing on the desk next to him. Liam goes to talk to a guy in the crowd. After a little talk, they look at us and the guy nods. He was probably talking to Silver's former neighbour. He waves at us and leaves the class.
– So, Carl, after this morning's episode I guess you're French, he says laughing.
– Your guesses are right but how did you recognize my language?
– Some of my friends speak French: you'll see when you meet the rest of the group. That makes me think, wanna eat with us at lunch? "Marie" won't be here but you'll have plenty of other occasions to meet her. So what do you say?
– I'd love to, thank you.
He laughs, and we continue talking until the class starts. He waves at two girls who enter the class after the bell. They wave back and I witness an eye discussion -probably about me- between Silver and them. They sit at the desks Liam showed me earlier. I thought it would be harder to integrate but thanks to Liam, I met people pretty easily. I'm kind of excited to meet the rest of their group.
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