Chapter 3

It's August. My alarm goes off and as I switch it off I read "7:30." One good thing of America is that I get to sleep a half hour longer. In Italy school starts around eight. A very bad thing is that the beginning of the year is in August, while in Italy it's in September. Anyway, I wake up and go have breakfast. I met a guy on Instagram that goes to my school. We've chatted for most of July and went out a few times. His name is Mitch and he's quite nice. From what he told me, I figured out that on the social scale my new school works like my old one, the only difference is that they are anti-discriminatory, even the teenagers. Well, they're anti-discriminatory when you're popular. After saying good morning to my grandparents I go back in my room. My mom already left, she found a job at the bakery so she has to be there by five in the morning. I check my phone and I see three new messages.

Yes bro!!! First day of school, good luck!

Hey nice one, good luck

From Martina and Lorenzo on the group chat. I type a quick thanks and open the other message. It's from Mitch.

Carpool? Pick you up at 8:15 ;)

I tell him ok and send him my address. I get a yellow semi-transparent shirt, a pair of high waisted jeans with scratches and little holes in them, some socks and a pair of white Converse. I make my way into my bathroom and get cleaned and changed. I then put a blue bandana on my head, letting escape two strands of hair on each side of my face and tuck my shirt in my jeans. I go out and get my backpack. Just before walking out the door I inform my grandparents that they won't have to drive me there and that I'll come back by foot. I go and meet Mitch and his mother in a car in my driveway.

"Damn, nice house." Mitch says.

"Hello to you too. From when do you talk like that?"

"Never. It doesn't fit me, I tried."

We get to school five minutes later and Mitch explanes me how american schools work. By the time I'm in my homeroom the bell rings. The teacher stops me and shakes my hand.

"Nice to meet you Rose..."

"Bianchi."

"Ah, Rose Bianchi. What a weird name, where are you from?"

"Italy."

"Oh, what a beautiful place"

I really don't want to do a presentation, I just want to sit in my desk and be the girl that passes unnoticed. But I'm stuck here because the teacher is holding me by my wrist.

"Class," he announces when everyone settles down. "welcome to a new year. We also have a new student here with us on our long cruise towards knowledge. Her name is Rose...remind me your surname again."

"Bianchi."

"Ah, yes. Bianchi. She comes from Italy and I hope she will be happy in this school. By the way my name is Mr. Stance. You know English like the rest of us, right?"

I give him a nod.

"Good. I was going to offer Savannah to help you learn English since she's italian too. Mmh, I'll put you two together anyway. Ava, please move next to Jane. Savannah, your job is to make sure to stay close to Rose for the next four weeks and help her orient herself. If she needs help, you have to be there. You can go to sit next to her, Rose."

I sit next to the girl with the short hair and a slim, perfect body. A tomboy. A tomboy I know…

I don't want to say anything about this. I don't think people know who she is and if she went away there must be a reason. She looks kind of nervous, but it lasts only a second. I look at her and take out my hand saying my name. She doesn't shake it, she just looks at it with a disgusted face and says "Yeah, I got your name." Wow. I didn't expect her to be like this. She used to be kind and cute. As in I-want-to-hug-my-crush-and-cuddle-her-and-tell-her-how-much-I-love-her-for-eternity-and-kiss-her-until-our-lips-can't-go-on-any-longer kind of cute. She really was very nice. And very sexual. Apparently she would do a different girl each night out. I don't know who the girl sitting next to me is. All the excitement from getting to know her vanishes. I look at her, a bit hurt, then take out my glasses. I wish I had contact lenses, glasses don't fit me. Some people look at me weirdly. I don't think I like this place so much. When the bell rings again Savannah asks me what's my locker number and to follow her. We get to my locker and she explains how to open it. She talks with an irritated voice and as if she is late for something or can't stand being close to me. I don't understand why, I haven't done anything to her and she behaves like this. She then gives me indications for my next class, maths, and goes to a group of girls. I see Mitch in the hallway and he stops me.

"Hey, how's it going? We have maths together by the way."

"Hi. Kinda ok. Not really, shall we go?"

"Ok, wanna talk?"

"Yeah, it's just that Mr. Stance told me to stick with this Savannah girl but she treats me a bit weird."

"Arrogant?"

"Yeah."

"Savannah Petroli. She's like the most popular girl in school. Every girl goes behind her and she keeps sleeping with people. It's better if you keep a distance, lots of people love her but hate her at the same time. She's hot and a lesbian and everything but she treats people like shit."

"Oh." I really thought she was a nice person. But I hate that even if she treated me like that I still have butterflies and feel as if I have clouds floating around my head.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, totally. Why?"

"Nothing, it looks like you're about to puke."

"What nice pictures you paint, Mitchy."

"Yeah I know, I could be a psychological painter."

"We have problems."

"Most definitely."

We laugh as we make our way to class.