bus ride to a new life

"Hi," I said politely as I could and even shook his limp hand when he offered it to me.

"Ooh, he's so butch." One of the boys in the back said to another.

"What?"

"Do you play sports?" Bobbi asked.

"I did at my old school. I was on the swim team."

"So...you'd wear the speedo and everything?" Another boy asked, presumably the one who called me butch. Whatever that was.

I looked at my brother who looked just as confused and creeped out as I was. "So do you play any sports?"

The gathered boys giggled like a gaggle of girls. "Bobbi? Play sports? Only if chasing boys is a sport!"

"It is if you do it right." Bobbi giggled. While they giggled I slipped my Bluetooth on and faced the front. Michelle seemed to be getting along better with her seatmates than I was. Maybe I'll find friends in class.

The bus finally came to its final stop at the school and we crowded in the narrow walkway of the bus. Even with my headphones on I could see Jerry was getting on with these...strange boys. He always was pretty friendly with just about everyone.

Jerry and Michelle broke off from their groups and we headed to the front office to get our schedules. The secretary snapped at me and pointed at her ears wanting me to take off the Bluetooth. "No headphones or blueteeth while in school." She recited from whatever rulebook she memorized, "Here are your schedules."

"So, how are your new boyfriends?" I teased Jerry once we had left the office and into the already emptying halls.

"Bite me barnacle butt!" Jerry fired back with a smile.

"Ooh, Jerry has a boyfriend already?" Michelle joined in.

"We should get to class!" Jerry waved his schedule around furiously.

"What've you got first?" Michelle asked.

"Uh..." His brow furrowed in confusion, he even checked to make sure he had the right name, "Uh, home ec?" Michelle and I laughed loudly at the thought of Jerry, who tried to be so masculine, sewing and cooking. "Well, what have you got?!" He demanded over our laughter.

"English." was my first class.

"Her..herstory? Must be a typo."