I Don't do American's
Luck of the Skunk
I entered the already crowded hallway of Dulaney High School. It was my senior year. I had just moved here from Ireland. I hated America already. I sighed and found my way to my first class, not bothering to find my locker. From what I heard, no one really uses them anyway…right? I should probably introduce myself; I’m Marissa, but people call me Mar for Mari for short. The first bell rang, indicating it was time for homeroom. I found where I was seated. Next to me was a boy with skunk like hair. Why were Americans so weird?
“Hi, I’m Jack!” He smiled at me, offering a hand for me to shake.
“I’m Marissa, or Mari fer short.” I smiled and shook his hand.
“You’re Irish?! That’s so cool!” He suddenly focused all of his attention on me.
“Yes I am. Okay, dis is botherin’ me. Why is yer hair like dat?” I asked.
“I got bored one day.” He shrugged. I just rolled my eyes. “So why’d you move too America?”
“You know how it goes, one parent gets a better job offer, den dey up and move dere whole family.” I looked down.
“You miss it, don’t you?” He asked.
“A lot. I plan on attending college dere.” I smiled at the thought of moving back.
“Oh.” He seemed taken back. I was about to ask why, but the obese teacher came in.
“Welcome to EPI.” She started. I began doodling on my notebook. This was going to be a long day. I was writing down song lyrics when I saw a piece of paper with random numbers on it.
“What’s dis?” I whispered.
“My phone number. Text me.” He stated simply. I nodded and pulled out my phone.
“Mrs. Allen, I understand you’re from a different country so I’ll let you pass, but NO phones after 7:45 until 2:15.” The obese woman said.
“Sorreh.” I sighed and put it away. I saw some blonde scoff at me. I glared and returned to my doodles. The sound of the bell disrupted me mid-doodle to dismiss us from class.
“Where’s your next class?” Jack came up too me in the hallway. I just handed him my schedule.
“Oh cool! We have English together! This teachers a bitch though. She’s a lesbian apparently.” He rolled his eyes.
“JACK JACK!” I heard someone yell. Then suddenly Jack was engulfed in a hug from a blonde haired boy.
“ALEX!” He hugged him.
“Who is this?” Alex I presume, asked me.
“I’m Mari.” I smiled.
“She’s Irish! That’s bloody awesome!” Alex enthused.
“Where ya going?” Alex asked us, as we resumed walking towards the next classroom.
“119.” Jack said in a mocking tone.
“Sweet, me too!” Alex beamed. We made our way to the classroom. The teacher stood at the front of the classroom.
“Pick a seat, any seat!” She bellowed. From the Lax décor, I assumed she was the lacrosse coach. Jack and Alex pulled me to the back corner of the room and we sat down.
“So, when’d you move here?” Alex asked.
“July.” I sighed.
“Hey, give me your number?” Jack asked, whipping out his phone. I rambled off my number and watched him put it in his phone. He then sent me a text.
“Okay class! Welcome to twelfth grade English!” The teacher bellowed, getting everyone to quiet down. She looked like a tomboy almost. I sighed and resumed to my doodling. Alex leaned over my shoulder.
“Whatcha drawing?” He asked.
“Swirls and shit.” I whispered, not even looking up at him.
“Mrs. Allen? Do you have the answer?” The teacher asked me.
“No sorreh.” I looked at her.
“Well maybe if you stopped doodling and started listening, you would.” She jeered.
“Maybe if you talked ‘bout someting more interesting, I wouldn’t be doodlin’.” I snapped. A chorus of “Oohs” followed my comment.
“Stand outside.” She pointed to the door.
“Yes ma’am.” I mocked her authority, grabbing my things and walking out the door. In Ireland, teachers didn’t give a shit, as long as our work was done. I was in self-paced classes. I didn’t understand the American system yet.
“What was that?” The teacher asked. I hadn’t noticed she had come out to scold me.
“I’m sorreh, in Ireland our system was self-paced. I’m not used to havin’ a teacher go on and teach it.” I said apologetically.
“Alright. I won’t write you up this time, but next time…I won’t hesitate.” She said, motioning me to go back in the classroom. Once I sat back down, Jack and Alex both looked at me.
“You have balls.” Jack muttered, a smirk spilled across his face. He had a big nose.
“You have a big nose.” I muddled. I decided that maybe I should listen to this teacher, she actually gave a crap. She was droning on about how Shakespeare’s plays could have been plagiarized. I already knew half this shit. In Ireland, I was in the highest classes. Luckily, the bell rang and we were dismissed.
I learned that Jack and I had most classes together, so I knew someone at least. He was actually really nice. Alex was different, but nice and funny. I swear him and Jack are gay for each other. At lunch, I met Holly and…Maria? There were others I didn’t quite remember. I was walking home when my phone went off.
Jack: Hey, live right next to Alex?
Me: I guess I do?
Jack: Turn around
I turned around and saw Jack standing there. I smiled and waved. Jack jogged up next to me.
“So, I guess I’m walking with you.” He smiled.
“I guess so.” I giggled. I was close to my house already. Walking with someone tends to help.
“What type of music do you listen too?” Jack asked, breaking the silence.
“Anything from old rock t’ punk rock.” I smiled. “You?”
“Anything really. I’m in a band actually.” He beamed.
“Really?! Dats cool!” I beamed.
“Yeah, we’re called All Time Low.” He seemed so proud of it. Before I knew it, we were at my house.
“Well this is where I live. Hey, wanna come in?” I asked.
“Sure. Lemme just text my mum and let her know.” He grinned.
“Hi, I’m Jack!” He smiled at me, offering a hand for me to shake.
“I’m Marissa, or Mari fer short.” I smiled and shook his hand.
“You’re Irish?! That’s so cool!” He suddenly focused all of his attention on me.
“Yes I am. Okay, dis is botherin’ me. Why is yer hair like dat?” I asked.
“I got bored one day.” He shrugged. I just rolled my eyes. “So why’d you move too America?”
“You know how it goes, one parent gets a better job offer, den dey up and move dere whole family.” I looked down.
“You miss it, don’t you?” He asked.
“A lot. I plan on attending college dere.” I smiled at the thought of moving back.
“Oh.” He seemed taken back. I was about to ask why, but the obese teacher came in.
“Welcome to EPI.” She started. I began doodling on my notebook. This was going to be a long day. I was writing down song lyrics when I saw a piece of paper with random numbers on it.
“What’s dis?” I whispered.
“My phone number. Text me.” He stated simply. I nodded and pulled out my phone.
“Mrs. Allen, I understand you’re from a different country so I’ll let you pass, but NO phones after 7:45 until 2:15.” The obese woman said.
“Sorreh.” I sighed and put it away. I saw some blonde scoff at me. I glared and returned to my doodles. The sound of the bell disrupted me mid-doodle to dismiss us from class.
“Where’s your next class?” Jack came up too me in the hallway. I just handed him my schedule.
“Oh cool! We have English together! This teachers a bitch though. She’s a lesbian apparently.” He rolled his eyes.
“JACK JACK!” I heard someone yell. Then suddenly Jack was engulfed in a hug from a blonde haired boy.
“ALEX!” He hugged him.
“Who is this?” Alex I presume, asked me.
“I’m Mari.” I smiled.
“She’s Irish! That’s bloody awesome!” Alex enthused.
“Where ya going?” Alex asked us, as we resumed walking towards the next classroom.
“119.” Jack said in a mocking tone.
“Sweet, me too!” Alex beamed. We made our way to the classroom. The teacher stood at the front of the classroom.
“Pick a seat, any seat!” She bellowed. From the Lax décor, I assumed she was the lacrosse coach. Jack and Alex pulled me to the back corner of the room and we sat down.
“So, when’d you move here?” Alex asked.
“July.” I sighed.
“Hey, give me your number?” Jack asked, whipping out his phone. I rambled off my number and watched him put it in his phone. He then sent me a text.
“Okay class! Welcome to twelfth grade English!” The teacher bellowed, getting everyone to quiet down. She looked like a tomboy almost. I sighed and resumed to my doodling. Alex leaned over my shoulder.
“Whatcha drawing?” He asked.
“Swirls and shit.” I whispered, not even looking up at him.
“Mrs. Allen? Do you have the answer?” The teacher asked me.
“No sorreh.” I looked at her.
“Well maybe if you stopped doodling and started listening, you would.” She jeered.
“Maybe if you talked ‘bout someting more interesting, I wouldn’t be doodlin’.” I snapped. A chorus of “Oohs” followed my comment.
“Stand outside.” She pointed to the door.
“Yes ma’am.” I mocked her authority, grabbing my things and walking out the door. In Ireland, teachers didn’t give a shit, as long as our work was done. I was in self-paced classes. I didn’t understand the American system yet.
“What was that?” The teacher asked. I hadn’t noticed she had come out to scold me.
“I’m sorreh, in Ireland our system was self-paced. I’m not used to havin’ a teacher go on and teach it.” I said apologetically.
“Alright. I won’t write you up this time, but next time…I won’t hesitate.” She said, motioning me to go back in the classroom. Once I sat back down, Jack and Alex both looked at me.
“You have balls.” Jack muttered, a smirk spilled across his face. He had a big nose.
“You have a big nose.” I muddled. I decided that maybe I should listen to this teacher, she actually gave a crap. She was droning on about how Shakespeare’s plays could have been plagiarized. I already knew half this shit. In Ireland, I was in the highest classes. Luckily, the bell rang and we were dismissed.
I learned that Jack and I had most classes together, so I knew someone at least. He was actually really nice. Alex was different, but nice and funny. I swear him and Jack are gay for each other. At lunch, I met Holly and…Maria? There were others I didn’t quite remember. I was walking home when my phone went off.
Jack: Hey, live right next to Alex?
Me: I guess I do?
Jack: Turn around
I turned around and saw Jack standing there. I smiled and waved. Jack jogged up next to me.
“So, I guess I’m walking with you.” He smiled.
“I guess so.” I giggled. I was close to my house already. Walking with someone tends to help.
“What type of music do you listen too?” Jack asked, breaking the silence.
“Anything from old rock t’ punk rock.” I smiled. “You?”
“Anything really. I’m in a band actually.” He beamed.
“Really?! Dats cool!” I beamed.
“Yeah, we’re called All Time Low.” He seemed so proud of it. Before I knew it, we were at my house.
“Well this is where I live. Hey, wanna come in?” I asked.
“Sure. Lemme just text my mum and let her know.” He grinned.
9/27/13