New start.

Penelope's thoughts

New starts are always difficult, especially when you're a teenager and moving around seems like the only thing you do. New schools, new people, new locality, everything becomes a hundred times more difficult when you are that socially awkward nerd who was mocked by everyone in the school. 

Not only my awkward ass became the reason people make fun of me but my divorced parents also become a reason now. Anyways, no matter what I do or where I go, a new start will always be difficult.

Penelope with her mother moved for the 5th time in a year and this time the place is New york city.

12th November '2020

It was my first day of school and as | stood silently outside my new high school. A gust of cold, harsh, November wind slapped me in the face and my cheeks turned red. | saw students walking in the entrances and chatting away. The school was huge. Actually, huge was an understatement. It was ginormous. 

| hesitated at the entrance before taking a deep breath and walking in. | was going to be the new girl, the loner and no doubt, I am going to be the nerd. | had no friends because | had left them all in Manhattan. | didn't like it at all. | wanted to go back home to my beach house and soak in the salted water with my surfboard floating beside me. | wanted the feeling of sand between my toes and the sound of waves crashing against the rocks. I especially wanted to go back to my dad. 

My parents had gotten a divorce right in the middle of the school year. But instead of me staying in nice, warm California, | was forced to move along with my mom to the New york  city.

| mean, | loved my mom and all, but she was always busy working late nights and was never around. It was like living on my own. We move alot for god knows why. I tried asking mom but she never gave me any answer exactly.

"Move, | was bumped to the side as a kid pushed past me into the school. | wanted to punch him, but that wasn't the best idea. I can't get detention on my first day here, can I?

| finally walked into school and followed the paper map in my hand to an office. The ceilings towered over me and kids crawled up the stairs. | heard the bell ring and suddenly the halls were empty and quiet. | reached the office doors. 

"Hello?" | asked when | walked in. There were red couches lining the walls and a lady sitting behind the desk. 

"Hi, how may | help you?" she asked. 

"Uh, I'm new here. | was just wondering where my classes were..." 

She hopped up from behind her desk and 

grinned widely. | noticed the gray hairs popping out of her bun. 

"Oh! Here, I'll show you!" then | followed the overly excited woman out of the room. 

She talked about the halls and all the teachers and the school's programs until we reached a classroom at the end of a long hallway. A plaque outside the door read 'Mrs. Tulson'. 

She smiled as she opened the door and | followed her in. Immediately, all the students' heads whipped towards me with curiosity. | just stared at the teacher, avoiding everyone. 

"Attention class, this here is..." she looked 

at me questioningly. 

"Penelope." | answered. 

"Ah, yes! This is Penelope! She will be a new student and is joining your class. Please let her feel welcome." And then she grinned, patted my back, and left. 

| looked around and finally at the teacher. 

"Hi, Penelope, I'm Mrs. Tulson, your history teacher." She stuck out her hand and | shook it quickly. 

"It may get a while to get used to, but this school's program is great! You'll feel at 

home in no time." | scoffed quietly. "Sure." 

Home… yeah I can never feel at home…again..

She told me to take a seat in the fourth 

row, also the last row. The only people in 

that row were me and a girl to my left who 

looked as if she is on drugs, maybe?

Everyone stared at me until | sat in my seat. | hated school, always have. | just didn't get the point. At my old school | had always skipped classes to go do random stuff. Yeah, there were many detentions, but | didn't care. If living your life means getting into trouble, then hell yeah. 

| sat back and propped my feet on the desk next to me. | zoned out as the teacher began talking about a war of some sort. This was going to be a long day. 

Suddenly, | was broken out of my thoughts by the door opening. A boy walked in. Instantly noticing that he was pretty good looking, | shook my head and slumped back into my seat. 

He had brown hair that looked softer than 

clouds with tufts stuck out in a messy but 

sexy way. His brown eyes held mystery to them, and as he looked around the class, 

they immediately landed on mine. 

"Mr. Daniels, why are you late?" the teacher asked. His eyes looked over to her. 

"I'm sorry Julie," he said, calling her by her 

first name. "l was busy." "Busy with what | may ask?" 

"You're better off not knowing." And then he winked at her. | rolled my eyes. 

"Sit down." She growled, and then returned to her speech about dead history people. 

| Zoned out again and began to text on my 

phone in my lap. 

George: | miss you loppy. :( 

Penelope: | miss you too G. Maybe you can 

Come visit this summer! 

George: | doubt it. My parents are talking about some cruise to Europe. Maybe you 

can come with us. Lol 

Penelope: | wish, but tell your parents that | 

miss them too. Miss you! Xoxo 

George: alright, | gtg babysit the neighbors again. Miss you too :) xoxo 

| turned my phone off and suddenly noticed that the boy who was late was looking over at me. He had taken the desk with my feet propped up on it and was smirking. "Texting your boyfriend?" he asked. 

"Nope. I'm texting your mom.'  I said with my big mouth that always got me on trouble

He raised his eyebrows and then his 

smirk widened. "You should watch your 

tongue missy." 

'And is that a choice for you to make?" | snapped back. 

He chuckled and leaned back in his chair. 

"I'm Swayer." 

| looked back at him. "Penelope" 

"Hm..." he said. 

"What does that mean?" I asked

He looked at me. "What does what 

mean?" 

| laughed quietly. "What does 'hm' mean?" "It just means that there aren't many people | know named Penelope. Actually, there are none.' 

| turned to face the front of the class and said

"There's a first for everything." 

He didn't speak to me for the rest of the class, and | didn't speak to him. | noticed him glancing over a few times, but | acted like | was engrossed in the conversation Mrs. Tulson was having with the history book. 

The day went by in a blur. Swayer was in two other classes with me. He was pretty much the only person | knew at this school so far. 

Back in California, | used to fight. Like boxing kind of fight. It was fun, and | was definitely getting better each day, so i decided to find a local gym nearby my house to join. 

| decided that | would jog since it was only a mile and a half away. The scenery was pretty | guess, but i still missed my daily runs along the beach in the evening. No way was | going to run in the morning. If you wake me up before nine o'clock, there would be hell to pay. 

| finally reached the old warehouse. It had foggy windows and the bricks were a dark brown-red. | walked in from the steel doors and looked around. 

All | could see were men. All different sizes of them. Tall, short, stocky, skinny, intimidating, weak. As | walked past them to the back of the warehouse, they all turned their heads and stopped what they were doing. 

| silently kept my head down and walked past them, hoping none of them would talk to me. Unfortunately, one came up and blocked my way. 

"What're you doin' here?" he asked. His tall frame made me look up into his dark gray eyes. He wasn't ugly, but he wasn't exactly hot either. Muscles that looked like they 

were mountains bulged out of his arms. 

"Training" | said in a 'duh' voice, and tried 

to sidestep him, but he only blocked my 

way again. 

"Girls aren't allowed," he looked me up head to toe shamelessly, "especially weak ones." 

That was it. | fumed with anger and punched his jaw with all the force in me. His head whipped violently back and blood trickled from his lip. | kneed him in the groin and he fell to the floor, gasping and holding himself in pain. 

"Don't call me weak you fucking moron." Then | walked past him to the empty 

punching bag in the back corner. 

Nobody dared to talk to me. Until HE shows up!