The Art Of Sneezing

Chapter 2

Pic of Maggie at the side or top!

"Hi, I'm Riley Rivers." Achoo!

"Oh, yes!" The receptionist replies from her desk. "I have your schedule right here."

As she rifles through her papers, someone enters the office. "Hey, Aunt Kathy! I brought you THE BEST cookies again! Oh!" The beautiful blonde stops her babbling when she notices me. Compared to her, (or anyone) I look so plain - long brown hair and brown eyes. I'm pale and short and I could eat a little less.

"Hi," the blonde says to me in her country accent.

I sneeze. "Hello."

"Oh, dear. Are you allergic to something?" She switches the cookies to her other hand so she can place a hand on my shoulder.

"Dog fur. Do you have a dog?"

"Um, yes I do . . . Oh! I'm Maggie!"

"Maggie like Chris' girlfriend?"

She gasps. "Mouse!"

I chuckle, "Yes, that's me." The receptionist hands me my schedule. Maggie slides the cookies to her before telling me she'll show me around my classes.

"Okay, so we have first and third together and you have fourth with Chris. Ugh, math is a horrible way to end the day."

"Fourth is the last class? I don't get it."

"Oh, well we have A days and B days. A days include basic classes. You know, math, english, science, history. Each class is an hour and a half with an hour lunch and ten minutes between classes. B days are your electives which . . . you only have drama last period with me. Oh, and gym."

I blink a couple of times. What? However, I nod like I understand.

"Awesome! To English we go!"

At lunch I sit with Maggie and Chris. This school seems strange. There aren't cliques more or less, just like two groups. They seem split by some imaginary line and although I can't sense any conflict, no one seems to mingle with the other side.

By second period I've learned an interesting fact. Everyone at the school owns a dog. It's the only way to explain why I am sneezing so much. Even my teachers have taken to calling me Mouse.

Achoo! "Dammit!"

Maggie and Chris chuckle as I sigh. "This school sucks."

"So, the value of y is two times the value of x times the product of z and y in conjunction with . . ."

"What the hell is this?" I whisper to Chris. He's sitting beside me with his mouth hanging low.

"I have no damn clue."

"Greaaaaaat." I carry out. "Achoo!"

"Riley! Please refrain from interrupting my class. Honestly, how many times do you think you can get away with such a fake sneeze?"

I gape at the evil teacher. "I-"

"That was a rhetorical question!"

"But I-"

"Are you asking for a detention?" She demanded.

"No, I-"

"Rhetorical!"

"What the-"

"Riley." She chides.

"Mrs. Kim." I copy. Then, I realize- "Oh, shit."

Mrs. Kim looks like she's about to blow up. "As long as I am over you, you will respect me in my classroom. Do you understand?"

. . ."Was that rhetorical?"

So, here I am leaving the principal's office. What a nice lady. Not!

I sigh. This new school is going to be great.

Please. Note the sarcasm.