My new blonde friend has to leave for maths. My schedule is clear and so is that of the others. Shane is supposed to be in Economics, but she couldn’t care less. I hesitate a bit, I don’t really know if the others want me to hang out with them.

I remind myself I’m not supposed to make any friends. I’ll have to leave them anyway, once my dad ends things with Kirsten. But hey, it seems like he’s gonna stick with this one, right? So there’s no harm in making some friends… all the same, I don’t really know if they like me. Carmen is nice, but I don’t know about the others. Maybe they just pretend they like me because of Tina.

I am sneaking away as I hear name.

“Hey, Porter, where you going?” I recognise Alice’s voice. She talks so much you would have to be deaf not to know her voice after two days. She seems to call everyone by their last names, except from Carmen. I guess it’s just not really convenient to shout ‘hey, de la Pica Morales!’ across a hallway.

I turn around and see them all looking at me in surprise. I feel myself turning a shade of red that is deeper than I like.

“Oh… I don’t know, I just thought…” What did I think? Would they be offended if I told them I wasn’t sure if they wanted me to hang out with them. “I have to go to the toilet,” I give the lamest excuse.

“That’s there,” Shane points in the opposite direction of where I’m going. “Not there.”

“Oh, thanks,” I smile. “So, I’ll be right back.”

I walk to the toilets, it would be weird if I wouldn’t now. When I’m finished and I want to wash my hands, the door opens. I look up and see ms Kennard in the mirror, Tina’s mother. In old schools I never saw a teacher at the toilet. I didn’t really wonder how that came, but it’s still weird for me to have this happen.

The blonde teacher smiles broadly as she recognises me.

“Hey, Bette, how are you doing?”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“Have you made any friends yet?”

I consider the question and think of the people that are waiting for me in the hallway. “Yes, yes I have. It are your daughter’s friends, actually. Shane, Carmen, Alice, Dana, Helena, Lara…”

“I’m glad to hear. Just beware of Shane, okay?”

“Why?”

“Oh, nothing special. Just… well… she’s a bit of a bad influence, you see. I don’t like her hanging around with my little girl, but who am I to stop them, right? Children should be encouraged in making friends, not stopped. So I am really glad.”

“Oh. Okay. I have to go now, tough.”

“To your next class, I take it?”

“Euhm… no, actually I have a free hour now.”

“Enjoy it then.”

“Thanks.”

I hurry out. What does she mean, Shane a bad influence? Okay, in the two days that I know her I’ve noticed she’s a real lothario, but I can take care of myself. It’s not like I’m really charmed by her; okay, I am, but that doesn’t say anything. Every girl is charmed by Shane.

I decide to forget about it and go back to the others. I join them as they go to Dana’s house. I understand that Dana’s parents are rarely home and that they don’t much care about their daughter. They make good money, but are so busy with their jobs that they don’t have time for her. They try to make up for that by giving her whatever she wants.

So we go there and the others all drink a beer. I hesitate at first; I don’t drink beer that much and certainly not that early. But I don’t want them to think I’m a wuss, so I accept one if Dana offers me. Imagine they’d tell Tina, what would she think of me. You’re not supposed to care, Porter. I took a sip from the bottle. Whatever.