-My Life is a Lie...Who Would Have Guessed?- (Prologue)

RECAP:

“Beej, I’ll talk to you more about it at lunch when Mike is with us. See ya!” Tre` shouted, stuffing his things in his backpack. He gave Billie a manly hug and rushed out of the classroom.

I laughed and put my new book into my own backpack. “Onward to history!” I shouted dramatically, pushing Billie out the door.

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It felt like a river of water. I was pushed one way, away from Billie as we entered the already crowded hallway.

“Yeah, it’s tough! C’mon–“ Billie said, grabbing my hand and dragging me to him through the people. I blushed slightly when my hand was engulfed in his, but he didn’t notice as he guided me through the river of students to our next class.

A few minutes later we exited the river in the hallway into a new classroom. It was covered in posters about ancient times like the Myans and the Egyptians. One wall was covered in different kinds of world maps, and a fancy large globe sat in the front next to the teachers desk.

Letting Billie go take his place in the back, I walked up to the teacher like I did with McCratt. He was short and bald with large glasses and a blonde moustache.

“Excuse me…” I said softly, getting his attention. “I’m Arianna Roden, I’m the–“

“New student! How wonderful, I was told I was getting someone new today,” he said very cheerfully. His smile was almost completely hidden under the large moustache. “You can call me Mr. Hurst. Pick any seat, oh, and here—“ he said and picked up an old book off of his desk. “–this is your new book. Just sign the inside cover and your all set.”

I thanked him and nodded, walking over to where Billie sat. I picked an empty seat next to him just as a familiar face strode up to us.

“Hey Arianna, what’s up?” said Darren as he walked up next to me. I smiled back as he took the seat in front of me.

“Pretty good. If it wasn’t for you guys, I’d be so lost. Especially Billie, I almost got swept away in the crowd trying to get here,” I said, ignoring Billie’s smirk.

Darren laughed. “Yeah, that happens a lot. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.”

Mike came up and dropped his bag heavily on the ground and sat in front of Billie.

“Hey man,” Billie greeted. Mike nodded and yawned loudly.

“Tired?” Darren asked. Mike nodded and lay his head down on his desk.

The class filled up quickly and the bell rang a minute later. Mr. Hurst did the same introduction of me to the class but without the questions and started class immediately with attendance.

“Armstrong?” He started.

“Here,” Billie mumbled before turning back to Mike. “Hey, Tre` wants to have practice after school, is that alright?” Mike lifted his head up and turned around, giving Billie a sleepy nod. “You didn’t get your coffee, did you?” Billie asked. Mike shook his head. Billie shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled out his car keys. He handed them to Mike and said, “Here, go by the Espresso stand down at the middle school during study hall. You get annoying when you start snoring in class.” Billie smirked as Mike flipped him off but mumbled a ‘thanks’ as he took the keys.

“Emmett?”

“Here,” Darren shouted.

“You guys have study hall?” I asked Billie.

He laughed and Mike flipped him off again. “We didn’t used to. Billie here got us kicked out of art class for drawing unneeded pictures…so we were put in study hall…” Mike said, annoyed and stifled a yawn.

“Well Hadley had it coming. I can’t draw a human face in one class period!” Billie said defensively.

“I still don’t know why she kicked me out with you. I was doing fine…” Mike said.

“Pritchard?”

“Can’t you please just change it to Dirnt? I hate that name…” Mike argued to Mr. Hurst.

Hurst shook his head and said, “No, I can’t. The office has you down at Michael Pritchard, not Michael Dirnt.”

“At least just call me ‘Mike’ then…”

“Alright, I’ll call you Mike…and Roden is here…okay –“ he continued listing off last names until he was done and he began the new semester lesson.

Mr. Hurst is pretty cheerful, sometimes a little too cheerful. But so far he was a pretty good teacher.

I found out that I had history, math, and science with Darren, and history, PE, and science with Mike. So far I had a friend in every class except for Spanish. School was more comforting already.

I told Darren about what happened in english. He didn’t seem happy but liked the idea that Billie and Tre` got amusement out of it. Mike had to be filled in but he laughed when he was told about Tre’s comments to McCratt.

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Mike led me to my art class after history ended. Billie had to go to study hall but Mike was going to get coffee so he would be leaving anyway. He pushed me through the crowd to the art hallway, which was much less crowded than the main hall, where I found Sidney walking up ahead. I got her attention, thanked Mike and ran up to her.

“So how’s first day going?” Sidney asked, shifting her bag to her other shoulder.

“So far so good. The hallways are what get me, really,” I said.

She laughed and said, “Yeah, they suck. Don’t worry, it gets better.”

I copied the same procedure with the art teacher, Mrs. Hadley, as I did with McCratt and Hurst. I didn’t get a book this time though, and I sat in the far corner of the room with Sidney and an excited Tre`. I was introduced to the class and I chose not to be asked questions. I laughed when Tre` told Sidney about the english incident, who, like Darren, was pissed at Lana but liked what Tre` had said.

Mrs. Hadley was a tall, young woman with poofy hair and an odd sense of fashion. She wore a sort of Indian theme which I was told changes every week. I like her lesson: cartooning. Sidney and I got a huge kick out of Tre’s cartoon of Lana with hot dog wieners poking out of her everywhere and covered in what looked like condiment goop.

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Sidney led me as far as she could to my math class without getting herself late. As soon as she left me though, I took a wrong turn and got swept down a different hallway. It emptied quickly as the bell rang and I was forced to find my way on my own.

A few minutes later I found the junior math class and walked inside cautiously. All eyes were focused on me, especially that I was almost five minutes late, and I felt really embarrassed. First day and your already late for class, good job you idiot!

“Are you the new student?” the teacher snapped. I nodded shamefully. “I do not tolerate tardiness in my class. But, as you are new, I’ll give you a warning. My name is Mr. Orel, here is your book, now go take a seat. Quickly, we have much to cover today!”

Renae waved me down and I hurriedly sat next to her, embarrassed that I was so late. I heard Billie and Darren snicker behind me and I shot both of them glares.

Mr. Orel looked lanky but he was very strict and tough. He covered, ironically, trigonometry very thoroughly I was surprised to find that Billie still didn’t get it. Well he was almost falling asleep half of the time and he didn’t take notes. I took notes, and so did Renae. I kind of liked math because I liked that sort of challenge, but after a while it just got on my nerves.

The class was dead silent almost the whole period, so I couldn’t talk to any of the people next to me without getting yelled at. Towards the end of class, however, he gave us ten minutes to start on our homework and immediately everyone broke the silence at once.

Billie was sleeping and Darren put everything away, not wanting to do math right now. Renae started on her homework and I just looked over the problems to get an idea of what I had to do tonight.

Darren poked Billie awake as the lunch bell sounded, and I laughed when he looked up, a string of drool hanging from his mouth.

“That is so incredibly attractive, Billie Joe,” I joked as he wiped his saliva off of his cheek.

“Oh you know you want me,” Billie smirked sleepily, closing his math book.

“C’mon guys, no sex in school. It’s lunch time!” Darren said excitedly. “I’m fricken hungry as hell. I need to eat more than toast in the morning.”

I thought to myself as we walked to the large cafeteria at the other side of the school, and realized something: how am I going to get food? I was always prepared a lunch back in Riverlake…

“Hey, Darren?” I asked as he was closest to me.

“Hmm?”

“How do I get…food? I have money but…yeah…” I said, embarrassed.

Darren laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you out. The school lunches kind of suck but, they’re good enough to eat.”

I followed the guys over to a table where Mike sat, clutching a large latte, his sleepiness gone from his eyes.

“You got another one?” Billie asked, amazed.

Mike nodded. “Yeah, I still felt tired, and if we’re gonna practice after school, I need to not be sleepin’ on my bass.”

Darren helped me through the lunch line as I got my chicken sandwich, mushed green beans, a crusty roll, and a milk. Yummy. I gave the lady a ten and she got me change, annoyed that I used such a big bill for a two dollar meal.

Darren and I joined the others at the lunch table, immediately drawn in the heated discussion between Billie and Mike and Tre`. I was surprised to see Tre` a little more serious as he took Mike’s side in this argument, but he smiled to show that he was still happy when he saw me.

“Billie, you write great songs and you know how they should be sung, why won’t you do it?” Mike said as he bit his roll.

“Because I don’t think I’m that good!” Billie whined, slamming his own sandwich on his tray.

“Billie, I’ve heard you, and you’re good. Besides, the lead guitarist always sings,” Tre` explained. Whatever they were talking about, he had a point there.

Billie looked like he had lost. He sighed heavily and grumbled, “Fine…we’ll see how it goes tonight…”

Tre` automatically shifted from serious to excited and bounced up and down in his chair. “Great! Who’s coming to watch us tonight?!” He shouted to the table.

“I am!” I said, grinning. “I want to see you guys play, and hear BJ sing.”

“I already agreed to go, and Sidney is going,” Renae answered after swallowing her food.

“I guess I’ll go. I haven’t heard you guys in a long time anyway, and I mean BJ is singing, I’ve got to see this,” Darren said, smirking at the upset Billie Joe across from him.

Mike laughed. “It’s okay Beej. Are we going to meet at Tre’s house? Since it’s easier to bring an amp and guitar, or bass, than it is to haul over a drum set?”

“Yeah! My mom is gone all the time and my dad doesn’t get home from work until later so, it all works out!” Tre` said, trying to eat his food while he bounced.