Chapter 1: Chapter One
"Maya hurry down! You're going to be late for school!" Mrs Anderson yelled, as she beckoned her daughter to come down the stairs.
"I'll be down in a minute," faintly came the reply.
Maya Anderson, an average teenager with an average height, black hair, face for daze, brown eyes, and a nose as cute as a button with an unusual reading disorder, the often heard about, Dyslexia.
Dyslexia is the inability of one to connect words, letters, or even symbols together.
Often times, the society fails to realise that a student's inability to perform well at school doesn't solely depend on one's intelligence. It also encompasses one's intellectual ability.
10% of Americans suffer this fate as their reading is either distorted or blurred, making their assimilation and ability to comprehend slow.
Unfortunately, Maya Anderson suffered this fate and had because of this has been withdrawn from over five institutions. Apparently, the teachers and students confuse her disorder for dumbness and just until then had she been admitted into yet another school in her last year of high school. Of course, the arousing sensation of anxiety welled up within her.
"Excited about your first day?" Mrs. Anderson asked as she controlled the wheels of the Family's SUV.
"I don't know what I feel, Mum." Maya replied.
"You will be fine." Mrs. Anderson assured within her motherly tender smile. It was her work to calm and assure all will be well, but she wasn't quite sure if that was going to be the case anymore.
She felt like she was a burden. Although, her mum continually tried to erase that budding thought from her, it didn't quite erase much.
"We are here." Mrs. Anderson said pulling over at the parking lot of the school.
Hallmark High School Alabama was situated just after the Central Park Alabama, and it was a forty five minutes drive from Sunrise Residential Suites where the Anderson's dwelt.
They quickly alighted shutting the door behind them as they trod towards the principal's office one leading the other.
Mrs. Anderson had been to the School a couple of times and could easily make her way around, but that was Maya's first day at the school, and she shyly glued herself to her mother's shadow.
A couple of students were seen attending to their daily business when they arrived and turned when they noticed a new face in their midst.
"She's a new student." One commented.
"Yes, most certainly." The other affirmed.
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"Mrs. Anderson, it's so lovely to see you again, this time with your daughter, Maya." Principal Rowlings addressed as he gestured towards the seat he offered opposite of his.
There was a uniform grateful response, from both of them, as they sat. His office was well furnished with the most recent and beautiful furniture. A flat screen television hung, well balanced, and adjacent to his seat. He wore a suit adorned with a red tie with which he usually adjusted even though it required no tweaking.
Some say it infers respect of some sort. Others believed it was his impeccable neatness that called for that.
After a thorough survey of his office, Maya was quickly briefed on the do's, don'ts, and the usual regulations schools abide by. He didn't fail to add the facts that since his resumption of duties as a principal, the school had won a ton of awards which were quite visible on the shelf as they shone glamorously behind him.
He spoke about so many things, so many that Maya barely remembered a hand full, but her mom who sat right beside, her noted every single fact with keen interest which was unlikely as far as she was concerned.
Finally, her mum squeezed her hand and gave her a kiss on the forehead which the principal had perceived to be a breach, and after being given her books, she headed off to explore.
The written note by the principal on her new class was 'Down the hallway, beside the gymnasium.' She said it quite often that it blended in with her steps, and she was expected to meet one Mrs. Heather that she remembered.
Then again the thoughts came back. What if she wasn't accepted...
She was thinking about this when she tripped over but was caught by her arm from behind..
"Easy the floors get quite slippery." A voice said. "Hi I'm Scott Richardson. I don't believe I've had the pleasure to meet you." He said.
"I'm Maya Anderson. Thanks. I'm new here."
"Oh that's why, I'm kinda like a popular face around here, so get used to seeing this," He replied grinning.
"I bet I should," She replied. He spoke fast but fluently. He was of an average height, light brown hair, and brown eyes. He was heading to the gymnasium, with a soccer ball on his arm, and since they were going towards the same route, he led her and showed her the gymnasium. Apparently, they were preparing for an event, and when she asked on that note, she was affirmed and was told about the Annual Sporting Festival.
"The what?"
"Annual Sporting Festival... It's a once in a year compilation of sporting events with neighbouring schools. The best team and footballers are usually announced and taken to represent the school on the National level.
"When I become the best footballer, everyone is gonna be sorry they doubted Scott." He said with a thirst for competition.
They were the only ones in the gymnasium and he had gone to call the rest of his teammates when Maya took the opportunity to pace about the gym. While he was there, she dared not express her overwhelming reaction to the size of the gym. It was ten times, the size of the gym from her previous school. She had never seen a room like that.
She had suddenly forgotten she was to be in class and had left her books on a nearby chair. She had only come to realize she couldn't find it when the rustling sound of boys in their numbers approached.
Two came in first, before the mass of others did. There was a slope filled with seats in each step and whilst they came through the back door, she stayed at the bottom in the front row.
"...that was how I was grounded. So absurd!" she heard one voice say.
"Your grandma is quite the character" The other replied his words buried within a resounding laughter.
She had found the books and headed right straight for the door when she perceived others were near.
"Hey, look. Who's that?" The former had whispered.
"I'm seriously expected to know every single student in HHSA." The latter replied scornfully.
"No that doesn't look like anyone I've seen from HHSA." Jack the former added.
"Whatever man, we have a lot to practice." Daniel the latter said as he headed for his water bottle to drink and get rehydrated.
He had inadvertently turned in the process and noticed the girl who had just walked out.
"She's new indeed." he commented not much to the hearing of his counterpart.
Daniel Bryant, the school's homecoming King and best player in the Hallmark High School soccer team 'The Jaguars' who had a history of being a good student with clear cut distinctions and a regular balance with his social curricular activities, just got nominated that year as the best player yet again which didn't go down well with some people as they bluntly expressed their dissatisfaction. Although, he was only nominated, and it depends on his performance in the festival to figure out if he would win again. The whole school could bet on his competence and were certain he would win as he had done for the past five years.
He was tall, a brunette, relatively thin, with blue fiery eyes.
Due to his unflinching competence, he was made the captain of the team and Scott the assistant.
He had, alongside Jack Dushey, played for a couple of years. Jack on his part was plump, had a silky feel black hair, brown eyes and not only had he played with Daniel, but they too had been best friends since kindergarten. Just then, a gaggle of boys in uniformed jersey trooped in.
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