It Starts With a Glance

(O/N —> Object Name)

O/N woke up by the sound of their alarm, which they stopped but didn't bother to look at it. They got out of bed and stepped out of their bedroom. The house was silent. They sighed, knowing their parents weren't home.

With sleepy eyes they made their way to the kitchen and fixed themself a quick lunch for later. They grabbed their backpack and lunchbox. They looked at the clock only to gasp. I missed the bus!!

O/N quickly ran all the way to school. No no no! How can I be late on my first day?! They thought when they finally made it to the front doors. Everyone was already inside, so they quickly ran in.

A majority of the students sat in the cafeteria. Thankfully the classes haven't started. O/N doesn't even know what classes they have yet. No one really noticed their sudden entrance. Breathing heavily, they made their way to the front office.

They were in the office for a few minutes but eventually walked out with a paper. They quietly read what new classes they have.

Mr. Pepper Spray in Chemistry.
Mrs. Swiss Cheese in Geometry.
Ms. Collar in Spanish.
Mr. Chips in PE.
Mx. Squeaky Toy in Goiky History.
Mrs. Bottle in Biology.

They sighed at the list. They're not a big fan of school in general but they already knew these classes would be less than fun.

Just when O/N was about to try to find their assigned locker, the bell rang. They groaned internally and tried to find their first class while everyone else walked past. They made their way through the hall with other students bumping into them in the process.

Where is it..? They thought, as they looked at all the numbers above each door. It took them a good minute or two of being lost and nervously wandering the halls, but they finally found it.

Chemistry.

They entered class and sat in the only available seat they could see, which was in the front. They tried not to make awkward eye contact with any of their new classmates.

Mr. Pepper Spray stood and made a small speech about it being the first day of the year. He explained the rules of his class, along with how bullying should be left in the past because they're seniors and bullying is childish. The class silently listened and nodded along with him.

Eventually the speech ended and Mr. Pepper started roll call. He mispronounced a few names along the way. "Candy?" He called in the middle of reading the list. "Here." One student called back. "Spork?" He called again.

"Here." The student that sat directly next to O/N spoke, a small crack in his voice, which earned a few quiet chuckles from other classmates. They glanced and silently took in his physical appearance. He was a tall and thin spork with square rimmed glasses and braces. As they looked at him, he glanced back out of the corner of his eye. His black orbs met their's for a second.

The two quickly looked away with awkwardness filling the air around them. He fiddled with his knuckles and looked back down at his desk. They looked back at the teacher, who finally called their name. "O/N?" "Here." They called with a quiet tone.

When roll call was done, Mr. Pepper Spray started class. He handed out papers to everyone. O/N looked down at the paper and read it silently. It was a guidelines and permissions sheet. Something their parents will have to sign if they want to participate in any experiments.

They sighed slowly and rubbed their eyes with clear frustration. They knew it would probably take a while to get it signed. There's no specified date when their mom and dad will be back home.

Spork glanced at O/N after hearing their sigh but quickly looked back to his own paper. "I know most of you are 18 and can sign it yourselves, but I also know there are a few of you who aren't yet." The teacher gave a small shrug of his shoulders as he spoke. "This paper will be due by next week, so make sure you've turn it by then. I don't be taking late papers." He sat at his desk.

He then explained that there won't be any specific assignments for today. Apparently the school likes to ease the students into their work. O/N was a little surprised by this explanation. The other schools they've been to didn't really do this, they just bombarded all the students with assignments on the first day.

The classroom was moderately calm with students now speaking to each other. A few classmates were already friends, but a good majority of them didn't know each other.

O/N quietly stared at the paper for a few seconds before they just shoved it into their bag for later. When they sat back up in their chair they heard someone clear their throat. They looked over. It was the spork. He gave an awkward smile and a small wave. "Uh.. hey."

They waved back. "..hi, do you need anything?" They asked now with furrowed brows. He quickly shook his head. "No no! I-I just wanted to say hi.." His voice slipped into a mumble. He looked down at his desk and his plastic skin slowly turned a soft hue of red. "...and say.. you look nice." He added silently.

O/N looked surprised for a second but they quickly composed themself. "Thanks.. so, do you like.. wanna be friends or something?" His face lit up at the mere suggestion and he smiled again, showing off his braces. He nodded happily and agreed but stuttered a little. "I-I.. I'd like that."

Despite O/N being a little nervous for their first day at Ablethorn High, they were happy to make a new friend. Especially on the first day.