T F H igh R oxie's S tory

<(*.*<)
"YOU'RE DOING WHAT?!"

"Not doing; have, darling."

Roxie stared at her parents with the most dumbfounded/shocked/I-Can't-Believe-This face she ever did in her life. After three minutes her father waved his hand in her face then snapped his fingers. Roxie gasped and flopped down in her seat at the dinner table. Her light brown African American skin turned a little paler and she blinked her purple eyes quickly again and again.

"I'm g-g-going to p-public school?!"

"Yes, darling." Her mother said as she stirred her coffee. "You're enrolled into Cybertron High and you'll be going once we move. Everything's ready."

"B-but mom! How could you just put me into public school without even asking me?" Roxie asked sounding hurt and angry and shocked. "I don't want to go! What can be so great that going to public school is better than my home school?"

"Friends." Her father says.

"…Friends?" Now she's confused. "What do friends have to do with it?"
Roxies' father sighed and pulled out his iPad 3. As he started messing with it he talks sounding concerned. "Roxie, when I was a teenager, the best part of my life were my friends. Friends I saw every day, talked to, were in chess club with. But you don't have any friends-"

"I have friends!" Roxie cut in insulted and annoyed. They've been over this…

"-Like that. Close friends you talk to more than just whenever you see them in church. And so you've never experienced the joy of having close and constant friendships."

"Don't you have one friend going to collage soon?" Roxies mother asked receiving a slow nod. "Well this way you'll have more friends your age and grade level."

"…So you're forcing me to go to school to make…friends?" Roxie asked slowly. Her parents nod and she starts rubbing her head. "And let me guess: you have already paid for it, you won't pay for homeschooling and I have absolutely no way to change your minds?"

"Pretty much." Her mother says.
"In a nutshell." The father adds still messing with the iPad3. Roxie sighs and moves her empty dinner plate to the side. Then she drops her head onto the table. "Hurray. I'm doomed to walk the halls with weirdo strangers. They'll smell my newness from a mile away."

"Aw, don't be so dramatic. The school is very well known, has a wonderful track record, and has many good reviews. And you haven't even seen the pictures yet. Here," the dad holds the iPad over her and waits. After a second she takes it.

<(*.*<)

That was a month ago and today is the first day of going to public school for Roxie Drake. As you might expect she's not thrilled. First she had to go shopping for serious school supplies, then clothes, then thanks to the move she didn't get the tour of the school like she was supposed to. And now she is going to school during the school year that's just started.

"My life stinks sometimes." She muttered in the back seat of the car. In one ear was her earphones plugged into her iPod Touch and music played faintly. She was dressed in blue jeans, flip-flops, a silver t-shirt with a sport motorcycle and a silver and black bandana. Covering her right eye mostly is a long bang and her hair is in a long ponytail.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Just the new car smell is getting to me, ma." Roxie sighed as she petted her new and full backpack. She had decorated it the night before with the names of her favorite authors, mangas, TV shows and movies. No one will get hers mixed up. When they finally stopped in front of the high school, she couldn't help but gasp.

"Wow, its cooler up close." She muttered to herself as she climbed out of the 2012 Nissan Leaf her mother owns. After a good-bye hug from her mom Roxie swung her backpack on her back and walked up the steps. She stared at the door for a moment, steeled herself, and with a deep breath she opened the door and walked inside.

When she walked in, Roxie was gratefully surprised no one was looking her way or gave her more than a second glance. She really didn't like being stared at. It didn't take her long to find the principals' office and she walked in, pulling the earphone out first. Quickly noticing the woman behind the desk Roxie walked up to her. "Excuse me ma'am."

The woman looked up and something in her eyes made Rox feel a little on edge. "Hello, miss. You're the new girl right?" she asked. Roxie nodded and the lady hands her the schedule. "I'm Mrs. Mooncrystal. Have a nice school day."
Roxie nods with a smile and turns to the door.

"Good luck."

Huh? Roxie thought as she turned around to Mrs. Mooncrystal, but she wasn't looking at her. After a second she slowly walked out.

After a quick glance at the paper Roxie headed to what she hopes is her History class. She peeked into the window on the door. "Found History! That was easy." She giggled to herself. It wasn't that hard to guess; there was a sign right across that said 'Welcome to History class' on the wall. Steeling herself again Rox opened the door. The teacher looked over and smiled.

"Ah, there's my newest student. I'm Mr. Brakes." He said as Roxie walked over to the desk.

"Please introduce yourself to the class."

She nodded then turned to the teens. "Hi," she started the quick speech she's been practicing for a month. Roxie noticed that only a few were even looking her direction though. It kind of ticked her off but she held it in. "I'm Roxie Drake and I'm a 10th grader. I've just moved here from Cincinnati and this is my first day in public school. I'm a dancer and I hope that I do well here. Thank you." She ended with a little bow.

Mr. Brakes nodded. "Thank you, Roxie. You can pick any of the empty seats." He said then stood and started the lesson. Roxie walked to the empty desk by the window and sat. After slipping the backpack under her seat and slipping the history book onto her desk she glanced around under her bang. Weird. It's almost like I'm nothing important…which make me offended and a bit happy. No one's staring at me or trying anything funny. She thought as she flipped open her book. Well, never look a gift horse in the mouth.

<(*.*<)

After Math, English and a quick Health class Roxie headed to lunch. Silently she got in line and picked her meal. Very hungry she picked a table with only one girl sitting at it. She walked over and cleared her throat. The girl looked up and Roxie opened her mouth. "Heh-hi." She said looking anywhere but her eyes. Shoot! The shyness is kicking in again, Rox thought angrily. For a long time Roxies' had trouble just talking to people of any age if she doesn't know them or related. Mostly the introductions or asking for things, like now. "May I sit?" she asked.

"Sure, go ahead." The girl nicely and scooted down a little. Roxie, now smiling brightly, breathed a sigh of relief and sat down. "Thank you." She said then picked up her fried chicken. As she picked off the top skin for later Roxie noticed out of the corner of her eye that the girl was looking her over. Pretending not to notice Rox took a bite into the chicken. "Mmm, wow this is good." She said happily.

"So, are you new here or a Neutral?"

"Huh?" Roxie said after swallowing. She looked at the girl and slightly jumped at her look. Her long black hair and black t-shirt really brought out her blue intense eyes. "I'm new, just started today."

"Ah." The girl nods and leans back a little. "Then you probably haven't been asked."

"Asked? Asked what?" Roxie asks confused. "To join a club?"

"Sort of." The girl says then sighs. She looks around then nodded. She turned back to Roxie. "Have you noticed the little symbols some of the students are wearing? The red and purple faces?"

Roxie nodded slowly. "Yes, but I didn't think much of it."

"Well you should. Those are the symbols for the two groups, or I guess you can say gangs, that are fighting to run this school."

Roxie straightened up at that. "'Fighting'? What kind of fighting are you talking about?"

The girl shrugged. "Any kind. Both sides bring weapons, some they make themselves, and they often have battles. Some are so bad the school areas their fighting in are destroyed. And that's not the worst part." The girl looked Roxie straight in the eye again.
"Sometimes, someone leaves here without their heart beating."

… Roxie gulped. "You-you mean…there have been deaths?" she stuttered. The girl nods once and Roxie looks at her plate shocked. "…if that's true, why the heck hasn't this school been shut down? Were the killer and/or killers expelled at least?"

Roxie gapped at the other girl when she shook her head sadly. "Sadly no. The superintendent won't let the principal do that. He tried very hard but Alpha Trion, the principal, couldn't beat him.  So instead he helps the 'better'," here she does air quotes. "Of the two."

"Why the air quotes?" Roxie asks, taking a sip of Sprite. "Well I don't like ether side since both wreak the school and just make it harder for the rest of us. While one is trying to save the school, they aren't as powerful as the one trying to take over. Those people are downright crazy and that's the side with the killers. I want nothing to do with ether group, so I'm Neutral. No badge, no allegiance."

"So you don't have to join one or the other?" Roxie asks. The girl shakes her head. "Nope. But that doesn't mean you won't be asked or in some cases, threatened."

"Well this is just great. Not only am I forced to go to public school without my say-so, my parents put me in a school with a war going on."

"It could have been worse."

"How?" Roxie asks with a raised eye brow.

"You could have been put in Galactic High. That school is way worse."

The two eat there food in silence, both deep in their thoughts. When both finished they put away their trays together. "I like you," the girl says suddenly. Roxie looks at her.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. I just wish I would see you more."
Huh? Roxie thought. "What do you mean?"

"Today is my last day here. I'm moving to Texas tomorrow." The girl says then quickly writes something on a piece of paper and hands it to Rox. "Here's my cell number. Call or text me if you like; your honestly the closest friend I've hand in a while."

Roxie smiles at the girl. "Wow, I'm honored. Thanks. In case I don't see you later, have fun in Texas." The two girl one-arm hug and then part ways. Halfway to her next class Roxie froze. "I didn't get her name!"