I'm sitting here, looking out my window at the falling rain. I have these precious moments to myself before my family wakes. This is my first day at a new school.
My aunt knocks on the door and asks, "Can I come in?"
"Sure," I reply. She sits on my bed and looks at my room, all shades of gray, from white to black. Her blonde hair and green eyes make her look like a princess dropped into an Edgar Allen Poe creation, while I blend in with my white skin, gray eyes, and naturally black hair.
"You wanted to talk to me?"
"Yes," she pauses and blurts, "You have such weird taste." I look at myself, at my room, black and white photos of pipes and thunderstorms; computer graphics of gothic creatures. My door of Bumper stickers proclaiming that I'm a "Freak", "Fashion model", "Playmate", and "Drama Queen" won at a friend's b-day party in the 6th grade. Others saying, "Protect the Humans" "Guns don't kill people, Postal workers do" and "America is about choice; Vote Pro-choice" cover it until I'm not sure of the color the paint." A row of stuffed animals from birthdays and fairs long past sit on a shelf next to my collection of goblets in varying shapes and colors. I'm not weird; I'm eclectic.
My aunt starts to get uncomfortable and leaves the room. I go to my closet and grab a white shirt and black jean bottoms, put on my claddagh ring and bloodstone dragon earring, drop my pentagram necklace around my neck, blow out the white, black and silver candles lit around my room and drive to school.
I sit through my drama class; nothing I haven't already learned. People look at me strange. One girl comes up and introduces herself as Ashley. I smile as she uses "like" for every other word, hold out my hand and say "Kat. Nice to meet you." She looks like she doesn't want to touch me with a ten-foot pole, much less shake my hand, but she gingerly grasps it.
I walk down the main hallway after 1st period and see a wall of kids who look like cool people and sit down in the corner. A guy with a blue spiked Mohawk comes and tells me his name is Dan. I smile up at him.
"I'm Kat."
"First day?"
"Yeah."
"What music do you like?"
I shrug, "Punk, Metal, Green Day." He smiles.
"Ozzfest or Warped Tour?"
"Ozzfest." He smiles again.
"Come over and meet some of my friends." He introduces me and his friends smile mile-wide.
"Hey Kat," they say.
Maybe this won't be so bad after all.
