Life Written in Black (chapter two)

Qestions and gossip about Kimberly Dobbs buzzed through the hallways, as people who had seen her enter first period began filling in thier frieds about the new addition to South Bridge High's student population. It seemed to Seth that the chatter was more hushed than usual, the students seems almost scared of disscussing Kimberly Dobbs in open corridors. He actually saw a few girls pulling thier frtiends into bathrooms or empty classrooms, glancing nervously up and down the hallway as they whispered Kimberly's name. "why on earth does everyone seem scared of her?" Seth wondered about this for a moment before realising that they had all been scared of him, too, when he had arrived at South Bridge on his first day of 9th grade, 3 years ago. They seemed to have gotten used to him though, as he was mostly ignored by all but his one friend, unless of course one of the other students needed help with homework or required a partner for a lab who they knew could get everything right. In such circumstances, it seemed that the student body in general was willing to risk association with Seth, in return for the excellent grades he could tutor anyone into acheiving. When he felt like it, at least. Right now, all he felt like doing was finding the farthest available seat from the front in his second period chemistry class, so that he could start writing down all the lyrics that were bouncing around in his head without the teacher noticing. However, when seth walked in to chemistry, the first thing he saw was the quiz announcement written in huge curliqued letters on the chalkboard. "Damnit" though Seth, but then another thought surfaced "Maybe she will be in this class, too..." Seth turned and surveyed the class. Kimberly dobbs wasn't there. But half the desks were still empty. there was still time for her to arrive if she was in this class with him. Seth made his way throguh the rows of desks to the back corner and sat staring at the door. After a minute or so, Kimberly Dobbs appeared in the doorway, holding a map of the school and another note, wich she handed to to Ms. Park. The teacher read the note, then glanced up at Kimberly, and said something Seth could not hear though she indicated the quizz announcement on the chalkboard, and handed her a textbook. Kimberly nodded and began walking throguh the rows, and only when she was a few feet from him did Seth realise that the desk next to his was unoccupied. She sat in the empty seat, and pulled from her bag a pen, a pencil, and a notebook labeled "chemisry." Seth had never seen anyone so prepared on thier first day at a new school.Seth though she might skip the quiz though, since she had not been there for the labs and lectures that the quiz adressed. But when Ms. Park passed the test papers around to the students, Kimberly took one and wrote her name in the upper righthand corner, then set to work answering the questions. Seth was impressed. He hoped for Kimberly's sake that she did well, and turned to his own work. He finished about fifteen minutes later, turned his paper over, and fished a paperback novel out of his bag. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw movement to his left, and glanced up to see kimberly turning her paper over and taking a sketchbook from her bag. Seth opened his book to the page he had left off at, but couldn't concentrate on the words. If kimberly Dobbs was drawing something, he wanted to know what it was. He glanced back at her desK, and saw her hand sketching the shape of a beauiftul bird, surrounded by dancing flames. It It was a Pheonix.