James Mason always remembered every student who walked through his door. The jocks, the nerds, the valley girls, all of them were actually forgettable. They were all the same. Here because the state required them to. He’s seen everything from the ones who study to the ones who copy. He owned several copies of Cliff’s Notes to several novels he taught to keep up with the kids. Everyday, the kids file into their seat and give James half their undivided attention.
But today, it was different. Everything about it. He had two new names added to his roster. Two seats in the back have been filled. This was a special day. He had new students. The other kids didn’t seem to notice. To them, they were part of the crowd. Or not, it depended on who accepted them.
These two new students were like any other new student James has encountered: quiet, shy, sticking together. But the girl was quieter than the boy. Maybe they were step-siblings whose parents just married.
“Class, settle,” James called out to the sea of messy hair. “I have some announcements before we begin.”
“Friday’s quiz has been canceled?” one student quipped. The class exploded in laughter.
James laughed too. “No. Nice try, Nathan. I would like to announce that we have two new students among us.” He gestured to the new students. “Can you guys come up to the front?”
“First day, and you’re already in trouble,” Nathan spoke up. The laughter ruptured once more.
“Enough, Nathan,” James glared over in Nathan’s direction. Sometimes that boy doesn’t know when to stop.
The two kids got up from their desks and made their way to the front of the room.
“Can you tell us your names?” James asked.
The boy spoke up first. “My name is Will Byers, and this is my sister, Jane Hopper.” He gestured to the girl.
“Are you two stepbrother and sister?”
“Kind of. You can say that.”
“And a question I ask all my students: what is your favorite book?”
“That’s easy for me to say. It’s The Hobbit.”
“And you, Jane?”
Jane looked at the teacher, but she said nothing.
“She’s a bit shy,” Will came to the rescue.
“That’s okay. We have plenty of time and books. By the end of your year here, Jane, you will have five favorites,” James smiled at her.
Jane just glared at the teacher, still saying nothing.
* * *
Mouth breather, Jane thought to herself. Who does this guy think he’s fooling?
She hasn’t been exposed like this since the days of Papa at Hawkins Lab. She was used to it, but at the same time, she wished to be at home with Mrs. Byers. Why did she need to go to school? She hadn’t needed to go before. As the World Turns is on right now, but she has to tell the class her favorite book.
Hopper tried to read to her, but he didn’t have many books. Mike and his friends all read comic books. So did Max.
“Well, you guys may take your seats,” James said kindly. At last, this little experiment was over. Jane and Will returned to their desks.
The rest of the class time was rather boring like the shows say they are. The teacher droned on about London and Paris, and a broken wine cask in the street.
Finally, the bell rang.
“Be sure to read chapters three and four for tomorrow,” James announced. “Jane and Will, your books are on my desk. Come pick them up before you leave.”
Once out the door, Jane could breathe easier.
“Now, we don’t have the same classes for the rest of the day,” Will said, “Just follow the classroom numbers, and you’ll be fine.”
“Okay,” Jane let out a heavy sigh. Her brief moment of happiness was gone.
“Lunchtime is after fifth period. That’s Biology for you. I’ll meet you in the lunchroom afterward.”
Jane marched forward. She knew it wasn’t Will’s fault, but it wouldn’t hurt to realize that she can handle this.
The rest of the day flowed smoothly with short bursts of chaos. Jane was on display in every classroom, then it was over. This regiment reminded her of when she was in the woods with Hopper. His rules, and his instructions. But it was like being with four different Hoppers. Four sets of rules, four sets of instructions.
Biology came at last. Jane filed into class and sat in a desk in the back.
Just one more hour, she thought.
“Hey!” a voice exploded in her left ear. She jumped.
a girl in a blond ponytail stared at her.
“This is my assigned seat,” the girl barked.
“Assigned?” Jane was confused. Hopper told her the word assigned for their word of the day, but it was never used in this context.
“Are you retarded?” the girl exclaimed.
“Michelle!” another voice called out from the front of the room.
The teacher was looking in their direction. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t use that kind of language in my classroom.”
“But this little moron just took my assigned seat.”
The teacher looked at Jane. “Are you new?
Jane stood up. “Yes. I’m Jane. Hopper.”
The teacher looked at his seating chart. He pointed to a desk in the front row. “You’re here.”
Jane picked up her bag and shuffled to her new seat. Michelle snickered as she sat down.
Jane plopped down in her seat. She sighed in defeat. Now she’ll be on display for the rest of the class period.
“Rookie mistake,” a voice said. A young girl, with dark skin and black curls, was drawing in her notebook. “You’ll learn quick.”
“What?” Jane questioned.
“Michelle is very sensitive about things that are hers. Consider yourself lucky that Hanson interfered, or else you’d be Michelle’s new seat cushion.”
Jane didn’t say anything.
“All right, let’s begin,” the teacher, Hanson, called out.
The class dragged on, what felt like, much longer than normal because of the extra pressure from Michelle. Once the bell rang, signaling lunch, Jane jumped up and bolted out the door.
“Hold up!” the girl, who sat next to her, called out. Jane ignored her.
“Jane! Wait up!”
“Just leave me alone,” Jane said.
“Listen, you need me. I was the new kid once too.”
Jane stopped. She turned to face the girl.
“Do you think Michelle is the only bully? This place is swarming with them.”
“What is your name?” Jane asked.
“Rebecca,” the girl answered, “but my friends call me Becky.”
“Becky for short,” Jane smiled.
Becky scoffed, “Yeah, you can say that. Come one, I’m starving.”
The two strolled down the hallway to the lunchroom.
The lunchroom was everything Mike said it was and Max said it wasn’t. A game of dodgeball where everyone was it and the lunch trays were the dodge balls. Plastic forks flew into the air like bullets, and milk cartons bombarded the floor.
Jane followed Becky through the chaos to the lunch line.
“The first task every new kid struggles to accomplish is to find a place to sit at the cafeteria,” Becky said. “Luckily, you know me, and I will help you. You’re ahead of the game.”
A glop of something plopped on their trays.
“What was the cafeteria like at your last school?” Becky asked.
“I didn’t go to school,” Jane answered.
“Homeschooled?”
Jane paused for a moment. “Yes,” she finally responded.
“Nice. I wish my mom would home school me. I’m not learning anything real here.”
They reach the end of the line. Becky paid for them both.
“My treat,” she said.
They began to make their way through the battlefield once more. Through it all, Jane spotted Will sitting alone.
“Hey, there’s Will," she said.
Becky whirled around, “Who?”
Jane took off towards Will.
“Jane!” Becky called after her.
Will looked up at Jane as she approached.
“There you are," Will said.
“Do you want to sit with us?” Jane asked. “My friend, Becky is showing me around.”
Becky caught up to Jane. She was about to tell her what’s what when she eyed Will.
“Oh, he’s cute,” she said, breaking into a smile.
Will blushed.
“Oh, I’m definitely sitting here,” Becky sat down across from Will. She looked at Jane, “As long as it’s okay with you.”
Jane nodded and sat down.
“So, how do you guys know each other?” Becky asked aloud.
“We’re brother and sister,” Will answered quietly.
Becky’s eyes widened. “Jane, you didn’t tell me you had a cute brother.”
“Didn’t occur to me that he was cute,” Jane said.
Becky laughed, “Ouch.”
“You’re about to say ouch if you retards don’t get out of my seat!”
Jane jumped when the voice boomed behind her. She turned to see Michelle standing over here. She sighed and began to rise with her tray.
“Uh-uh, Jane, you sit down,” Becky pulled Jane back down. “Michelle is forgetting that this isn’t Hanson’s class.” She turned to face Michelle. “We can sit where we please.”
Michelle scoffed and marched around the long table to sit with Will.
“I see you’ve met Michelle,” Will said.
“Quick, Jane,” Becky leaned toward Jane, “we must save Will before she sucks on his brain.”
Jane and Becky snickered.
“You know I can hear you, retards,” Michelle barked.
“Michelle is actually quite brilliant,” Will stated.
“Uh, I think something is lacking in that department,” Becky said.
“She’s rude,” Jane commented.
“She can be rough, but she’s really sweet when you get to know her,” Will responded.
“Thank you, Willie,” Michelle cooed.
Becky and Jane stared in horror.
“Jane, let’s go somewhere else so we don’t barf up our lunch,” Becky said, “I hear by the garbage cans isn’t so bad.”
Jane and Becky got up and left Will and Michelle alone.
“What does that demon see in that beautiful angel?” Becky whined.
“Mouth breather,” Jane let out the phrase faster than she could comprehend it.
Becky was also surprised. “Not what I was going for, but it’ll work.”
Jane smiled.
They sat in an empty corner of the cafeteria.
“I don’t know about you,” Becky said, “but I think that this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”
Jane looked at Becky, “Really?”
“Yeah.” Becky picked up her milk carton. “To friends?”
Jane picked up her milk. “To friends.”
They clinked their cartons with a thup.
Jane and Becky spent the rest of lunch swapping backstories. Becky was from Omaha, and her father was a retired military veteran. They moved two years ago to a quiet life away from the armed forces. Jane told about Mike and the party. Becky was impressed that Jane was able to snatch up a relationship with Mike. Jane blushed, but she didn’t want to tell Becky that she broke up with him. Not yet.
The rest of the day flew by. Before Jane and Will rode away on their bikes, Jane and Becky had exchanged telephone numbers and addresses.
Jane entered her room and flopped on her bed, exhausted from the day.
There was a crackle from her bedside table. She turned to see what it was.
“Scott Summers to Jean Grey, do you copy?” a voice cracked from the walkie talkie on the table.
Jane sighed in relief. It was Mike and his code names. She reached for the walkie and pressed the "on" button to talk.
“This is Jean Grey, I copy.”
The walkie exploded with excited chatter. Dustin, Lucas, and Max were also there. They wanted to know everything. How was her first day? What did she eat for lunch? Did she see any cute boys?
The walkie went silent.
“Real mature, Max,” Lucas said.
“I’m right here, you know,” Mike chimed in.
“I was looking for options,” Max giggled. “You boys take everything so seriously.”
There was another crackle.
“Can you guys keep it down?” Will asked. “I got a lot of homework to get through.”
Jane seized the opportunity. “Oh, Will met a girl.”
“NO, I DID NOT!” Will quickly shouted. But it was too late. Everyone was congratulating Will.
“All right, Will,” Dustin spoke.
“I’m proud of you, buddy,” Mike said.
“Is she cute?” Lucas asked.
“Oh, now that’s mature,” Max said angrily.
“I hate you guys. Over and out,” Will cut out.
Jane smiled and laughed, “I’m gonna get the business end of that in a bit.”
“I assume you met her,” Lucas said. “Is she cute?”
“Lucas!” Max shouted.
Jane wanted to tell them about what a horrible person Michelle is, but instead, she said, “She’s okay. Look, I got homework, too.”
Everyone told her goodnight and they’ll talk to her tomorrow.
“Goodnight, El,” Mike said.
“Goodnight, Mike,” El held her breath.
There was a pause.
“Talk to you tomorrow,” Mike finally said, “Scott Summers, signing off.”
The walkie went silent again.
Jane sighed in disappointment. She longed to be in Mike’s arms once more. But she also wanted to hear three magical words from him. For some reason, he won’t say it to her.
Jane sat up and pull her book out of her bag.
She began reading, “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times…”
