1

What was this, the fourth school in just over a year? Every other month it seemed like his family would move somewhere far enough away that he had to switch schools every time. His mother would get sick of one place and drag the rest of her family along with her to a new one. He had just started making friends in the last school too, but then of course she had to end it again.

Travis walked down the street to the bus stop on the corner, thinking about his past school and how this one would probably be the same thing; the kids in the cafeteria, separated by cliques, not daring to step out of the one they 'belonged to'. He would probably have to spend lunch in the library today, maybe by the end of the week he’d build up the courage to sit in the cafeteria with the other students.

He had never gotten close to anyone before now. He never had enough time to make best friends; he barely had enough time to even make acquaintances.Already at the bus stop was another boy who obviously went to the same school as Travis would soon be attending. He wore a team jacket with the words ‘West High Football’ embroidered across the back. All Travis could see of the boy was his back, but the boy was noticeably taller than him. From the back he could see that the boy had short black spiked hair, and that he was listening to music judging by the headphones stuck in his ears.

As Travis approached, he could hear the music from the other kid’s earphones blasting through the warm air. Travis noticed the warmth because in the last place they lived, it was cold now, as New York was almost in winter already. Here, in Florida, it was summer all year round, even in the middle of November.The other boy turned his head as Travis walked up beside him but didn’t say anything to him. The boy had dark round eyes and an olive complexion. His broad shoulders gave him a demeaning stature and even through the thick football jacket his biceps were noticeable. Travis politely nodded a greeting, and the other boy nodded back, still without speaking. From where he was standing, Travis could see something embroidered on the side of the boy’s sweater. ‘Quarterback’ it read. From what Travis could tell, this kid would definitely fit the definition of jock.

As the two boys waited, Travis looked up and down the street for any sign of the bus approaching. It was early in the morning, almost 8 o’clock so there were barely any cars on the road in front of them. Just as Travis was reaching into his bag to retrieve his iPod, he caught sight of the bus rounding the corner before it pulled up in front of him and the other boy. The doors squng open and Travis got on the bus after the boy and looked for a seat alone. A girl in the third seat from the front beckoned to the football player and he sat down in the seat next to her. Travis moved to find a seat two seats behind the girl and the huge football player.