The Taming Read Free Page B

any of this was an example of the behaviour in this school, there wasn’t going to be much that I could do that would get me into trouble. Sometimes the key wasn’t to try harder but to simply lower the standards. It was like hanging around with fat people so you look thin. Here I’d be practically anorexic, or at least compared to these people, a star.
    I looked down at my sheet again—Drama, Room 273, Ms. Cooper. Room 273 was right ahead, the door was open and I walked in. The chairs were arranged in a large circle with a big opening in the middle. Already some of the seats were taken and there was a group talking and laughing in the corner. There was no sign of any teacher. I didn’t know if I should just sit down or if there were assigned seats. Awkwardly I stood beside the teacher’s desk at the front of the room. I’d have to wait, but standing there while people filed in was just plain wrong—anxious and unsure of myself was not the image I was going for. It was hard enough to be new but worse standing up there like I was on display. I just wanted this Ms. Cooper to arrive so I could sit down and blend into the—
    “Hi, how’s it going?”
    I turned. It was one of the students from the group in the corner. She was dressed in a mismatch of floaty colours and clothing and she was wearing sandals—with socks! Why was it that the pretty and popular girls never came up to say hello without asking? Then again, they didn’t need to.
    “Fine. It’s going fine,” I answered. I hoped she’d just go away.
    “Good. You’re new.”
    “First day.” I wouldn’t be unfriendly but I certainly wasn’t going to be friendly.
    “I hope people are making you feel welcome,” she said.
    “So far people have been very friendly and helpful.”
    “Good to hear. Class should start soon,” she said. “Just take a seat.”
    “I will. I just want to let the teacher know that I’m here.”
    She gave me a confused look. “The teacher does know you’re here.”
    “Well, I’d like to talk to her.”
    She then turned to the other students. “This gentleman is waiting to talk to Ms. Cooper before he sits down.”
    There was a murmur of comments and giggling. Didn’t anybody in this school have any manners? And who was she with her sandals and socks trying to give me a hard time? I was just trying to do the right thing and—she reached out and took my timetable.
    “Well, hello, Evan Campbell. Glad you’re here.” She paused. “And by the way, I’m Ms. Cooper … your teacher.”
    I felt a rush of heat signalling embarrassment and anger.
    “What confused you?” she asked. “Was it my cutting-edge fashion sense, my youthful appearance or my casual and sarcastic attitude?”
    “I think it was all three of those things,” I said. Now, I’d have to pour on the charm to make up for my misstep.
    “Obviously a very bright young man. Bright and perceptive enough to suck up to his new teacher. Now, here’s your timetable. Just take a seat anywhere.”
    I took back my timetable and slowly walked across the room, trying to move confidently, calmly. I knew everybody was looking at me, but that was okay. I wasn’t making that bad a first impression, even if I hadn’t realized the teacher was a teacher.
    A big knot of people came barging in through the door, noisy and unruly—and the bell rang out. They filtered in and sat down until there were only a few empty seats—one on each side of me. Way to make me feel welcome.
    I looked around the circle at a mishmash of people, dressed in a dozen different styles, or lack of styles, including some guy with heavy black makeup. Certainly nothing like the crisp conformity of school uniforms I was used to. I knew this drill, being the new kid. I knew it too well, having played it too often. I was going for cool and detached. The best way to fit in was to act like you didn’t need to fit in.
    Equally different were the faces. In my old schools there had always been a couple