There's nothing that I want to do but try to make it up to you
So here I was. Standing in front of the Tree Hill High School and I was scared to death. I didn’t know what to expect. Everything in Tree Hill was so different from New York. Everything was … clean and well kept and the people here said, ‘yes ma’am’ and ‘no sir.’ I was a million miles away from everything I’d ever known … and everyone I’ve ever known. It’s not easy moving hundreds of miles away from your home and to still have to look over your shoulder to see if someone is coming to get you. Ever since being in Tree Hill, I’ve had to do that. Look over my shoulder.
I was tired of doing that.
Taking a deep breath, I walked inside of the building and headed to the administrators office to get my class schedule. I passed a few people who were generous enough to give smiles to me. In New York, you didn’t see that, ever. If they were smiling at you it was because they were planning to rob you later … or attack you. I still remembered why we came to Tree Hill and I don’t blame my parents at all. I wanted to get away, I just never thought in a million years that it would be this hard. My best friend was gone – who else did I need?
Pushing open the doors to the offices, I smiled a middle aged woman sitting behind the desk.
“Hi, my name is Adia Miller. It’s my first day of class. I just moved from New York and I need a schedule …”
“This is everyone’s first day of class. Did you miss orientation?”
Biting my lower lip, I nodded.
“Take a seat there,” she pointed and I did as I was told. I could just make my own schedule right now and be done with it, but I’d rather it just be given to me so I can appear normal. I just wanted to be normal.
Except for the night that my best friend died.
“Oh, look at you two. Walking all alone – all by yourselves.”
I reached down and held onto Eve’s hand and we both walked faster. I tried to remember if I had my knife on me that my dad always told me to carry, but I didn’t really like weapons, I was always afraid I’d cut myself. As we walked faster, the guy behind us walked even more faster. I saw Eve pull out her cell phone, but it was too late, he shoved both of us to the ground and then demanded our purses.
Quickly, I tossed him mine while Eve held on tight to hers.
“Eve, give it to him.”
“Yeah, listen to your friend.”
Everything that was inside of me … I felt it all just whirling around and before I knew it, I started speaking slowly, and then faster. Latin was coming out of my mouth so fast, that I wasn’t sure what I was saying anymore until everything just stopped and nothing happened.
I could feel the tears coming because the next thing I knew, my purse and her purse were gone and I was now leaning over my friend who was now cold beneath me.
“Adia … Adia?”
“Adia!”
Jumping a little in my seat, I got up and went to the desk. “Sorry about that,” I told the lady and grabbed my schedule. Glancing at it, I noticed all of the basic classes and cringed. I knew I had to take them, I just hated taking them. Turning around, I almost lost my breath when I saw Eve standing in front of me.
“You know I hate when you do that!” I scolded her and grumbled.
“I’m sorry?”
I turned around and shook my head to Miss Receptionist Lady.
“Nothing, sorry. I’m going now …”
With that, I walked out of the office and into the hallway.