New Kid

Cole entered the middle school for the first time. He was back. Excited kids ran about. You could tell the seventh graders from upper classmen. They weren’t seasoned. They didn’t belong.

Cole knew about not belonging. His family always on the move, he was the perennial new kid. He’d been the new kid four out of his first six years in school. He would have called it migration, but birds returned to where they’d been.

Until today. Now Cole was back, starting again where he’d once lived. He only needed to connect with old friends to feel like he belonged. He’d never known what ‘fitting in’ felt like. 

Seventh graders are all new kids. But Cole wasn’t like his classmates. He knew things the others didn’t. He’d been around. He’d seen things.

Cole sought one face he in the crowd. Kirsten would know. They fell in love when they first met back in first grade.  

But his parents moved. They took him from the love of his life. They didn’t understand.

Now he was back. New school, new life. Old love. He would reclaim her. They would be happy and together forever.

Where was she?

Cole imagined her reaction on seeing him for the first time in years. He couldn’t wait. His heart pounded in anticipation.

The corridor grew quiet. The running stopped. Locker doors stopped banging. A hush settled and he saw her, beautiful as ever, talking to a friend.

Kirsten.

His life was complete.

Was that a heavenly chorus singing?

No. It was the bell for homeroom.

Cole rushed to her. Startled, she held her books up in defense.

“Kirsten! Hi! Remember me?”

Emotions swept across her face. “Cole?”

“Yeah! Hi! I’m back!”

Her friend watched with wide eyes. Kirsten turned to her. “Save me a seat, Patty...” Her friend ran but looked over her shoulder at them.

She said, “Home room. I have to go.”

“Right. Okay. See you.”

Kirsten had already left.

‘Homeroom. What is that again? Where do I go? Why doesn’t anyone tell you stuff?’

Cole found his homeroom number on the paper they gave him. He stood in the doorway. The teacher, already addressing the students sitting at their desks, looked at him.

Cole said, “Cole Stewart. My first day. The paper says this is my…”

The teacher said, “Home room. Congratulations, Mr. Stewart. It’s everyone’s first day.” The kids laughed. “You’re late. If you’d been on time you’d know that I’m Mr. Ambrose. There’s a desk in the back. Sit down and be quiet. Pay attention.”

Cole made his way past tittering students. Some kid tried to trip him. Was it raining spitballs? He found the open desk and slouched into it. He scanned the room for familiar faces.

Kirsten sat by the window next to her friend, Patty. Busy whispering, she didn’t look at Cole.

‘Yes!’ He was thrilled to be sharing space with her.

Homeroom ended almost before it began. Cole couldn’t get close to Kirsten as the crush of students hurried to their first period classes.

As Cole finally left the room, a tall kid stepped into his path and loomed over him. Cole could feel his breath.

“Hey, Doofus.”

Cole looked over his shoulder. ‘Oh. He means me. Why’s this giant in my homeroom? He’s taller than Mr. Ambrose, he needs a shave. He get held back, what, five years?’

“Hi. I’m Cole.”

He poked Cole in the chest. It felt like a knife.

“What I said, Doofus. Why you talking to my girl?”

“What girl?”

“You know what girl, Doofus. My girl, Kirsten.”

Cole stood his ground with difficulty. He had to lean back and look up to see the mug’s face.

“First off, she’s not your property… What’s your name…?”

“My friends call me Bull. You better call me ‘Sir.’”

“Right. Kirsten and I go way back. You have no idea…”

The bell rang. Bull shoved Cole sending him into the door frame.

Cole said, “Wait… I’m not done with you…” But Bull had already disappeared into the throng.

Kirsten didn’t surface for the next several hours. Cole hoped the stress of her first day in middle school hadn’t been too much to bear. He had to conclude their schedules didn’t match up.

Lunch time arrived. Each grade’s break was staggered into half hour segments. Cole spotted Kirsten as she sat at a table filled with girls. He approached the table and set his tray down next to Kirsten.

“Mind if I join you?”

Kirsten’s mouth dropped open as her friends burst into laughter. Mortified, she looked down at her tray.

Patty said, “This is a girl’s table.” She pointed. “You belong over there.”

Cole saw a table occupied by boys throwing food at each other. Bull sat at the head of it, pounding the table and guffawing. Other tables had one or two students eating by themselves.  Needing a quiet space to think, Cole found an empty table.

Things had gotten unexpectedly complicated. Kirsten hadn’t welcomed him back the way he’d always dreamed.

He thought about their mock wedding. Kirsten’s older sister presided over it that summer, long ago. Cole remembered their first kiss. ‘My only one. Hopefully not my last. Did it mean nothing? I never forgot…’

Only six years had passed. Not even half his life. His family’s move had been out of his control. He hadn’t died. Now he’d returned. Reminding Kirsten about their wedding would fix everything.

He ate while she chatted and laughed with her friends. ‘She’s so cute…’ When they rose to leave, Cole intercepted her.

“Kirsten, hi. I don’t want to be a pest.” She stifled a yawn. “Could we talk for a minute?”

Kirsten looked at Patty standing close by, stifling her laughter.

“Sure, Cole, but class is about to…”

“Yeah, I’ll walk with you. It won’t take long.”

Kirsten walked and Cole did his best to keep up.

“I’m glad we reconnected. It’s been too long, I know. I wondered if we could, maybe, hang out. You know, like we used to...”

Kirsten glanced at him. “Of course, Cole. We’ll always be friends…”

“Do you remember that summer after first grade? What your sister, Anita, did for us? You remember our wedding?”

Patty guffawed but stepped away when Kirsten threw her a look.

Kirsten slowed her pace and turned to him. “Sure Cole. I remember. I also remember you bragging about peeing in the swimming pool.”

Again, Patty laughed out loud. Shaking her head, she walked away.

Cole said, “We were just kids. Six!”

“I rest my case.” Kirsten turned away and then paused. She handed an envelope to him. “My mother made me give you this.”

Kirsten and Patty entered their classroom. The warning bell rang. Careful not to drop the envelope, Cole rushed to his class. Once seated he tore it open. Inside, he found an invitation to Kirsten’s birthday party that next Saturday afternoon.

Everyone in class looked at him when he shouted, “Yes!”

He beheld the card with mixed emotions. This could be his chance to get back with Kirsten. ‘I need to get her a nice present. What does a husband buy his wife? We can renew our vows.’ But her manner toward him didn’t add up. ‘Why is she acting so weird?’

After school, he ran to show his mom the invitation. Somehow, she already knew about it. And she already had a present for Cole to give Kirsten.

His anticipation ran wild over the next twenty-four hours. This would be his first real party. And with Kirsten, no less. Saturday couldn’t come soon enough. But Cole also reveled in his delicious anxiety.

On Friday, wanting to be cool, he gave Kirsten wide berth. Passing her in the hallway, he would nod and smile. Patty always whispered something to her and they would laugh.

He couldn’t help wondering, ‘What surprise does she have for me?’

Saturday came and Cole was up early. His mom suggested appropriate clothing.

“Shouldn’t I have a tie?”

“It’s a kid’s party, Cole. I’m sure everyone will be casual.”

He deferred to her greater experience in such things, but it seemed wrong. ‘Our renewal deserves a tie.’

Cole’s mom dropped him to the party right on time.

The family room was decorated with balloons and bright colors. The snack table had a birthday themed covering. A pink banner strung over the fireplace mantle read, ‘Happy Birthday Kirsten!!!’

Kirsten’s mother welcomed him in and made sure to introduce him to everyone. The guests gathered in two camps, girls and boys.

The girls congregated by the table covered with snacks like pigs in a blanket and cookies, but none of them ate. All the girls seemed amused by Cole. Sophisticated beyond their years, they smiled mysteriously while holding plastic cups of juice. A maraschino cherry anchored the decorative paper umbrella in each cup. When he turned away, they laughed together at secret jokes.

The boys nodded at Cole but couldn’t care less. Only Bull smiled at Cole, but he wasn’t friendly. Bull held court near the fireplace. His friends hung on his every word. To Cole, their loud laughter felt forced.

The sound system was set to play Kirsten’s favorite songs. The music was great. Cole couldn’t stop himself from moving to the beat.

A couple of the girls stood on the periphery, also moving to the music. But no couples danced.

He walked up to Kirsten.

“Happy Birthday, Kirsten. Let’s dance.”

She pouted, “Thanks, Cole. But with all my guests, I can’t just now. Maybe later. Okay?”

“Oh, sure. I’ll be here…”

She turned away and busied herself with arranging presents.

Cole thought of asking another girl to dance but it didn’t seem right. He was Kirsten’s.

He felt so good. Cole didn’t want to waste the opportunity to celebrate. His moving to the beat became full blown dancing. Before he knew it, he’d moved to the middle of the room and had cut loose with his best moves.

The guys stood pointing and laughing. The girls whispered and giggled behind their hands.

The song ended. Cole became self-conscious. He walked to the snack table and chose a couple delicacies for himself. He nodded at the girls and got blank stares.

Kirsten’s mother entered with the birthday cake. Everyone sang and Kirsten blew out the candles. The girls laughed. Her mother served everyone a piece. Everyone exclaimed how good it was.

A chant started, ‘presents… presents… presents…’

Kirsten acted shy and then rushed the table piled with gifts. Opening them, she made a show of each and held them up for all to see. Envy filled the room.

Cole held his breath when Kirsten picked up his gift. She opened it and held up two pairs of socks. Some of the girls laughed.

Looking at the tag, Kirsten said, “And who is this from?” She didn’t bust him by saying his name. But her expression said it all. She dropped the socks onto the table and said, “Moving on…”

Cole waited for all the presents to be opened before deciding to leave. He thanked Kirsten and her mother for inviting him.

He walked home from the party. The night was cool.

It wasn’t planned, but that was the last time he spoke to Kirsten. Cole couldn’t deny their lives had diverged.

Life at school didn’t feel very different after that. He didn’t know anyone. The classes were what they were. He liked some of them, and others less so. His grades were good. Everything remained as it had always been.

One day, a girl spoke to him while he moved down the lunch line in the cafeteria.

“You’re Cole, right?”

He nodded.

She said, “I’m in your Algebra class. I’m Mimi.”

“Hi Mimi.”

“Can I ask you… do you get it?”

“What? Algebra?” She nodded. “I guess so.”

“You think, maybe, you could go over some of the problems with me? I’m really struggling…”

“Sure. Okay. If you want… Uhm, when?”

“Any time. Whenever would be good for you. I mean, you’re doing me a favor and all.”

“No, it’s no problem. I can look now, if you want…”

They sat together and ate lunch.

Mimi said, “I heard you and Kirsten were an item.”

Cole laughed. “Back in first grade, maybe. But not now.”

She smiled. “Yeah, I can’t see you with her. They’re such soshes.”

“They’re what?”

“You know…” She tilted her head back by gently pushed up on her nose. Cole nodded. He got it. She continued. “You’re not like that.”

“That’s interesting, Mimi. Tell you what… I’ll coach you in Algebra, and you can give me tips in…”

“Navigation?”

They laughed.

He said, “Yes… See? I didn’t even know the term…”

She opened her Algebra book and pointed. “Begin at the beginning…”

Cole had made a friend.