This morning, I take my time to get myself prepared. I mope out of bed, and munch on some fish, that were set on the table. The sun hasn't even risen yet. "It couldn't hurt to get a little meer sleep." I think.
As soon as I cover myself up with the sheets. My mother notices and folds her flippers across her chest in disappointment.
"Skipper, I know, you're not used to getting up this early and we were both up late, but please, just do this for me."
"I don't wanna go to school! Can't u tell them, I don't feel well?"
"Come on, Skipper, u can't be late on your first day. You're going to make a lot of new friends." She reasons with me. I can't debate with that.
I moan. Wearily, I step out of bed. I splash my face with water, and head to school.
When we get to school, she shows me where to go.
"Relax, it's going to be fun. Bye, Skipper. I love you. Have a great day." She says, kissing my cheek. A crowd of boys from my class point and laugh.
"I love you, too. Uh, mom, you're kinda embarrassing me, though."
"Oh right! Bye." She leaves and I'm alone. Getting ready to introduce myself, I waddle over to the other boys.
"Hi, I'm-" They leave, like I am invisible. On the other side of the school yard, they are flirting with the girls.
There's only two penguins that don't abide to the pattern. Another guy pinguïn is talking to a astonishingly beautiful girl, who is smiling but rolling her eyes. She notices my gaze, and waves. I return the polite gesture. I waddle over.
"Hey, I'm Deliah!" She smiles.
"H-h-hi, I'm Sk-Skipper."
"Hi, Sk-Skipper! I'm Allen!" The other pinguïn says, and shakes my flipper.
"So, where u from, Skipper?" She asks casually.
"Uh .... the northern colony." I bluff.
"Oh, I've it's pretty interesting there." She says.
"Interesting?" I ponder.
"You know, how close it is to zeehond, seal terf." She explains.
"Oh yeah, totally."
"I wouldn't waste your time on him, Deliah. He probably isn't even from the northern rookery." The guy says glumly.
"No, I am. I've even got scars to prove it." I prove. It pains me, but I reveal the bruises that shame me.
"Ha! He's got a flat head!" Allan chuckles, uncontrolably.
"At least he's not crazy. Unlike you." Deliah defends me.
"Crazy?! I was crazy once! I was so crazy, they put me in a rubber room. Rubber room?! I hated that rubber room! I was soo crazy, that they buried me in a box of krill! Krill?! I hate krill! They make me crazy! Crazy?! I was crazy once! I was so crazy-" Allan rants, I guess.
"We got it," I interupt. If I didn't, he probably would have kept ranting.
"See what I mean?" She giggles.
"Yeah," I chuckle back.
Out of nowhere a klok, bell chimes. Everyone rushes into the same building.
"What does that klok, bell mean?" I ask.
"Don't they have school, where u come from? That means the first class is starting." She explains.
"Uh ..... yeah, but there's no bell." I lie.
"I think we're in the same class." She says.
"Cool! I mean, that's neat." I say, trying to keep sounding cool.
"Well, see u in class."
"See u later. In class, I mean."
We head into the classroom, and of course, I just have to stand in front and introduce myself.
"Class, we have a new student, and his name is Skipper. Come on, and introduce yourself, Skipper. They won't bite." The teacher smiles.
"Hi, I'm Skipper."
After the most boring dag of class yet, the teacher, Ms. Snow, had John, one of my new classmates, toon me around. At recess, he leads me to the big group of boys.
"These are the populair penguins. A.k.a my group of friends."
Then we head over to Deliah and Allan.
"And, this is your group of uh ... friends: the losers."
"Waddle off, John!" Deliah says. Just when he is about to leave I catch up to him.
"Wait! What can I do to be populair like you?" I beg.
"You can't be serious?!" She crys.
"There is one, and I mean, one thing u could do." He answers.
"Really?! What?!"
"I seemed to have dropped my lunchbox on the reef's bottom over there, but u have to get it tied up."
"Deal,"
"Hold on, they gotta see this!"
He jogs off to get his crew.
"This is going to be great! I'm gonna be so popular!" I exclaim.
"You really want to be one of those jerks? After what he called us, especially. How could u do that to us, to me? I stook up for." Deliah asks, hurt.
"Deliah, wait, please," I plead.
"Save it, for the populair girls!" She ignores me.
"I'm sorry, okay!"
"Come on, let's go. He's just like everyone else." Allan shuns.
The crowd waddles up. The rope is tied around my waist. A wave of remorse caves in on me.
"Wait, I can't do this. I'm abandoning two great friends: my best friends. I just realized being populair doesn't mean anything if u don't have a true friend. I'm not going in." I admit. She runs to me with a forgiving hug.
"Too late," John says, and shoves me in.
"Skipper!" She yells.
"He'll be fine," Allan reassures her.
It seems like just to spite him, a dorsel fin emerges from the water.
"Shark!" The crowd screeches, and hustles off in terror. In the process of running for his life, John drops his end of the rope. I am on my own now.