“Guys,” I hear a voice from behind me. I turn around and see a very skinny girl with short, dark hair. She grins broadly and totally checks me out. I feel how I blush.

“I’m Shane, nice to meet you,” she says. She has a warm voice. The way she looks at me gets me nervous.

“I’m Bette, Bette Porter.”

“Oh, the newbie?”

Great. I have a name already. I’m the newbie. What do they already say about me? I want to get out of there. I don’t want to meet people. I’m fine on my own. But if I walk away now, they will think I’m a whine baby, or a freak, and I don’t want that either.

I am saved by the bell. Shane jumps up immediately.

“I’ve got English literature. Really interesting,” she mutters. She’s off faster than anyone can say ‘goodbye’.

“She has a hot teacher,” Carmen explains. “Shane only takes the classes to check her out.”

Are these all lesbians or what? Tina seems to read my mind.

“Bette, I hope you don’t mind but this is a dyke gang. I’m the only exception.”

Why do I feel disappointed hearing the latter?

“Well, I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Tina. I saw you looking at Sara the other day.”

“Seriously, Al, you’re getting paranoid. You just want me to be lesbian, I have no idea why. I am aware that I am very hot and available, but I was under the impression you were in love with one Dana Fairbanks.”

Tina sure knows how to handle Alice. I really like how she’s joking around with her friends, she seems to be so at ease with everything.

It’s really time to go to the class. Tina sighs.

“I really don’t feel like maths.”

“Why did you take that anyway?” Carmen asks, getting up. Tina mumbles something about ‘mom’ and the others nod comprehensively.

“I’ve got History now,” I say, remembering my schedule.

“Me too, we can go together,” Carmen says. Carmen looks like a really nice girl, I feel comfortable with her. She smiles reassuringly and I feel that she doesn’t judge me. We say goodbye to the others and go to the classroom. Maybe it’ll be alright.