Chapter 1 - Something new

The day started as usual, he got up, had breakfast, brushed his teeth packed his bag and off to school. Then something unexpected happened. There was a new student, a girl, average height, blonde hair with a natural dark tint to it, blue eyes, white teeth, healthy build. She seemed very bright, he'd never seen anyone like her.

He didn't pay much mind to it though. "just another average student", he thought, "she won't bother with me." he was mistaken, she walk directly towards where he was standing and looked him in the eyes. "hi! My name's Madison, you can call me Maddy" she said with a bright smile. He looked down at his feet to avoid eye contact. "she'll go away if I ignore her" he thought, but he was wrong. She bent down and looked up at his face with a somewhat goofy expression on her face, he turned his face to the left, she followed as if it were a type of game. "what's your name?" she asked intently. "Klyde.." he said quietly. "that's a very unique name, I like it!" Klyde stood there in shock and surprise, no one had ever said they liked his name, no one's ever been so insistent to talk to him either. "I'm new around here so I'm just tryna meet as many people as I can to get off to a good start."

She smiled sweetly, looked as if she was expecting him to offer her a tour of the school or something.

"Soooo, mind showing me around? No one's said they would yet so yeah, just thought I'd ask." He knew she was going to say that, but wasn't sure what to say as he'd never interacted with anyone so much before, let alone a girl. He thought for a moment, then nodded, he didn't want to be rude.

" Yay! Thanks Klyde you're amazing." More things he'd never had said to him before, he was shocked. "what's with this girl?" he thought, "surely people told her to steer clear of me, the weirdo who lurks around silently." He looked around to see what others were doing, they were all watching them, almost as if they were expecting something. Suddenly he jumped in front of Maddy and put his hand out, catching a rogue basketball that was hurtling in her direction. Everyone glared in shock and amazement, they'd never seen him do that, sports, or protecting someone. He dropped the ball in a way that it bounced back to those who were using it then shot them a quick warning glare.

"Oh my goodness! Thank you!" Maddy said from behind, he just turned a little and gave a slight nod, then signalled for her to follow him.

"You don't talk much do you?" she asked watching him curiously as he pointed out rooms and things. He shook his head. "How come? I bet you have a nice voice." He froze, twisted towards her a little, then twisted back and continued the silent tour. "You don't have friends, do you" she said, sounding somewhat sad, and apologetic. He shook his head again. "You ever been in a relationship?" Once again shook his head. "Wow, that's a long, sad and lonely life." He nodded a little in agreement. "Hm, well I'll be your first friend, and you can be my first friend at this school! How does that sound?" she said, this time sounding energetic.

"This girl is really something" he thought to himself, "she'll get bored of me and go off soon anyway, might as well just go with it for now."

He nodded as if to say yes to her proposal. Then she did that excited squeal thing that girls do when they're really happy about something. "Oh sorry, didn't realise I did that out loud." He shrugged it off them took her to get her timetable.

"This place is huuuge" she said looking around the place as if she was seeing the whole world for the first time. "how do you find your way in here? There's so many buildings, and rooms and things!" He just shrugged and continued to lead her, ignoring the people watching them. Maddy seemed completely oblivious to the fact that they were being watched.

"Oh hello! I'm here to get my timetable thing?"

"Ah yes, new student?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"name?"

"Madison verdensel."

"Ah, one moment miss Verdensel."

"Madison verdensel, I've heard that name before.." klyde thought to himself, then realised he heard it from the TV news channel his siblings had been watching the other day. "Unbelievable." He thought, "a celebrity, of all people, has asked to be my friend, and decided to come to this sad excuse for a school."

"klyde?" Maddy had said his name three times before he realised she was trying to get his attention. "there you are, I was worried for a moment, you were staring off into oblivion" she laughed it off. "anyway, I was wondering if you could show me to this class? It's the first one I have and the bells about to go." He nodded and started to lead the way.

It was now the end of the day, Maddy had followed him the whole time, coincidentally she had all the same classes as him. "why is this girl so interested in me? I'm a nobody.." he thought as he walked out of the school, almost not noticing the fancy car parked in front of him, slightly to the left. He watched as Maddy gave him a bright smile, waved, and got in the car.

This day had been strange, he wasn't sure what to make of it. Part of him enjoyed the sudden attention. He walked, music playing softly in his ears. He didn't notice the fancy car drive past him, until it pulled over just ahead and as he got up close, the window winded down. "are you walking home?" Maddy said with curiosity. Klyde nodded. "where abouts is your house exactly?" he pulled his phone out and showed the street on the map. "Holy cow! You walk all the way there from school?!" He nodded again. "how long have you been doing that?" she sounded somewhat surprised, yet concerned, he held up 3 fingers. "3 YEARS?!" the sudden yell gave him a bit of a fright. "sorry, sorry, it's just. I've never met anyone that's walked that distance on a daily basis, especially not for school, that's so much effort, you must be really fit." she was suddenly blabbing on, he lost focus as he noticed something, they were being watched? He wasn't sure but that's what it seemed like.

" Klyde? Klyde." he looked back at Maddy realising she was still talking to him." you keep zoning out, are you alright?" he nods. "OK, if you say so. Anyway would you like a ride?" Klyde pulled his phone out and typed something, 'would your driver be ok with that? Your parents?' She looked at him and laughed a little. "They won't mind at all silly, you're my friend after all." He shrugged then did a gesture as if to say, sure I could use a lift, then got in the car and they drove off.

"This is where you live?" Maddy asked as they pulled up on klyde's driveway, he nods. "Wow, not bad, could use some tidying up though." He felt he should be annoyed at the statement but instead nodded in agreement. "Is your room visible from the front?" He nods. "Where abouts?" He points at the top window. "you live in an attick? Cool,wish I lived in an attic." She laughed. "you got a good view up there?" He nods. "same with my room, I live on the third floor."

"third floor" he thought, "imagine that."

"Anyway, guess I'll see you tomorrow, bye!" they drove off. He turned back and saw his entire family glaring through the window of the kitchen which was located right next to the front door. "oh boy" he thought, "here comes the unwanted family attention..."

Sure enough, the moment he walked in the door the whole family started being pushy and asking lots of questions. "whose that klyde? That your girlfrieeend?" one of his sisters said in a somewhat mocking tone. "when are you going to introduce us to her klyde?" said his parents in unison. "This is creepy." he thought. He just ignored all of them, pushed passed and went up to his room.

Dinner was ready so everyone gathered at the table and began to serve food. "So klyde", his mother began, "you gonna tell us who that was?"

"depends." "On what?" "You done nagging me about it?" "We weren't nagging to begin with." "Sure. Fine I'll tell you, she my friend, from school." "since when did *you* have friends?" said one of his sisters naggingly. "since today." He said, as he gently moved a spoonful of food into his mouth. "When are you gonna introduce us son?" His dad said, he just shrugged and continued eating, took his family a couple seconds to realise he was done with talking. And now the table was silent, it became rather awkward, except for klyde, he didn't mind the sudden peace.