“Skylar,” my homeroom teacher Ms. Bean said, “thank you for being part of the buddy program for your sophomore year. I’ll get you introduced to your buddy as soon as they’re here.”
I’d been deeply focused on doodling pictures of my cat all over my new notebooks, trying to forget about the school year ahead and grateful to get out of the cramped chaos of the hallways.
A couple of minutes later, Ms. Bean came back. “All right, Skylar,” she said as I noticed the boy standing beside her. “Please meet your high school buddy for the next two weeks, Marcus King.”
For someone with the last name of King, Marcus was far from royalty. Instead, he looked like he was patiently waiting for a growth spurt and in need of a decent haircut. Most surprisingly, he had a receptive look on his face that said I’m actually happy to be here. Meanwhile, I’d spent the past summer wishing on every sparkling star and dandelion poof that I wouldn’t be stuck in this place again.
“He just moved here from Georgia,” Ms. Bean continued.
Marcus was almost beaming and I suddenly felt at risk of matching his smile and gaze, so I looked back at Ms. Bean.
“Skylar was part of this program last year, so I’m sure she’ll help you get acquainted and feel welcomed. Class will start in a few minutes. I’ll give you two some time to get to know each other.”
Last year, the school had paired me with Kyle DeLaurentis as my buddy on my first day. At first, it seemed like everything was actually going to be okay. He helped me find my classes, he was nice to the teachers, and he introduced me to some of his friends. But right after the buddy program ended, he’d leaned in to kiss me, saying something about how he’d waited so long and knew I must feel the same.
But the thing was, I didn’t. I moved away from Kyle even quicker than he’d moved toward me, then the rumors started just as fast. Kyle told his friends, who subsequently told the entire student body, that I had been the one to kiss him. And not just any kiss, but apparently one that inspired the name “Crazy Kisser.”
“Hi,” Marcus said with a southern twang and an outstretched hand. “I’m Marcus.”
If he didn’t look like such an innocent lamb and sound so sincere, I would’ve been tempted to say that I did indeed know that already, but there was something about him that led me to want to leave out any added zing.
I looked over what I imagined was a Georgia-influenced outfit, complete with a pastel shirt and leather loafers. I rose to meet him in my best I-don’t-want-to-seem-like-I-care-about-my-first-day-of-school-outfit-but-I-actually-do look and watched as his eyes didn’t leave my face.
His hand was sweaty as I shook it, but I didn’t feel an urge to immediately wipe away the clamminess.
“I’m Skylar North,” I told him.
I always thought there was a certain weight to my name. Like, I’m a nice person but also don’t mess with me. Plus, it was cool to have a direction built into it.
“I… li-like your cat drawings,” he said. “I always wanted a cat.”
“Oh, thanks,” I replied, not sure if he really liked my work or just didn’t know what to say.
“I know these things can be k-kind of awkward,” Marcus stuttered as he took a seat beside me at the front of the room, “so I just want to say thanks. It’s n-nice of you to do this whole buddy thing.”
“Oh, well, yeah,” I said, almost spewing out that it’s just part of the gig since I did it last year. The school believed the best buddies were ones that had already experienced the program. “I know what it’s like to be the new kid. I’m happy to do it.”
And, really, it was the truth. It was a fresh and unexpected truth, but it was the truth nonetheless.
Just when I felt like I could be making a real connection, Kyle DeLaurentis walked in with his hyped-up crew and zapped all the zen right out of the room.
Kyle and his friends had a way of making their presence known. I had admired it for the first two weeks last year but hadn’t enjoyed it for second since.
“Hey, look,” Kyle said to his friend Leon as they positioned themselves between my desk and Marcus’s, “Crazy Kisser’s got a new guy,” he continued just softly enough for Ms. Bean to not hear him.
I glanced up at Kyle while I bit the inside of my lip and pressed my feet into the ground. Here we go, I thought. Goodbye, potential new friend Marcus. And goodbye to my real name once again.
“Look out for her,” Leon warned Marcus as he walked around our desks. “She’s got that name for a reason.”
Kyle and Leon both laughed obnoxiously before joining their friends in the back of the room.
I looked down at the white knuckles of my hands before checking to see Marcus’s reaction.
“Stammer Kid,” Marcus whispered as he leaned toward me.
I scrunched my brows as I looked back at him.
“That was m-my n-nickname at my last school,” he continued.
“Oh,” I said, “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s all good. I don’t always stutter. It’s improved a lot this past year, so maybe people will actually just know me by Marcus here.”
“Good luck,” I said with a smirk, thinking about how I was probably stuck with “Crazy Kisser” for life.
After a moment of silence, I looked back over to Marcus. “It’s not even true,” I said. “I didn’t even kiss anyone.”
Ms. Bean stood and announced that class would be starting in a couple of minutes.
“Kyle tried to kiss me,” I continued. “He lied to his friends, and then everyone in the school stopped calling me Skylar.”
Marcus nodded and despite his stunted stature, suddenly seemed more mature than any other high schooler in the building.
“D-did you ever tell anyone that?” Marcus asked.
“No,” I said while looking down at my doodled notebook covers. Well, just my cat, I thought. Beyond that, I didn’t really ever think that was an option. But after hearing the name uttered before class had even begun, I knew something would need to change if I was about to make it through another year at this school.
“Well,” Marcus said, “take what you want from the Stammer Kid, but it could be worth a shot.”
It probably was, I thought. I didn’t have to keep dealing with this. I could try saying something.
“I think you’re right,” I replied. “I can’t stand that name, especially after having an entire summer free from it. But hey, aren’t I supposed to be the one helping you?”
Marcus and I both let out a light laugh.
“I didn’t see anything in the buddy rules stating I can’t call things like I see them,” he said stutter-free with a grin. “And look, if you decide to set them straight and it goes terribly, I promise you’ll still have at least one friend here.”
“Ha,” I said, “And who will that be? Ms. Bean?”
Marcus shook his head as he looked down and smiled.
“But really,” I said, “that’s nice of you to say. And I mean, I really don’t have anything to lose.”
“Exactly. They’ll either continue or they’ll stop, but at least you will have tried.”
I took a deep breath. I had no reason to stay silent. I pictured myself walking to the back of the room to reclaim my name and tell the truth. First days are probably good for trying new things, I told myself. It’s now or never.
“Here goes nothing,” I said as I pushed back from my desk and went to face Kyle and his posse.
“Oh, hey, it’s Crazy Kisser!” Leon said. “Kyle isn’t interested in you if you haven’t caught on yet,” he stated as the group laughed.
I took another breath and let my words come out as I started to exhale. “My name is Skylar,” I said with the added zing that I had refrained from using earlier. “It’s a new year, so maybe you forgot.”
Kyle’s friends rolled their eyes while others in the back of the room started to watch. I had an audience now and it wasn’t just my cat. I stood tall before continuing.
“Oh, and I didn’t kiss Kyle. He tried to kiss me.”
Leon scoffed while Kyle took a tiny step back.
“I’m not a crazy kisser,” I said to make myself as clear as possible. “I’m Skylar North.”
I felt the full weight of my name as I walked back toward my desk.
I’m Skylar North, I repeated in my head. I can always change direction.