World Hopping Chapter 01

Author's Notes anyone?

So here's my very first original fiction called World Hopping.

I don't have many AN's to make, but if you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments, I'll respond wholeheartedly!

Chapter 1: First Impressions

Hello! My name's Mathilda and I'm thirteen years old, but don't call me that... I hate that name… it's so ugly… I ask people to call me Matt, but that can cause some confusion due to my appearance.

"Mathilda! Breakfast!"

"Don't call me that, dad!"

"But Mathilda's such a nice name. Your great-grandmother had it."

I groaned and mentally cursed my great-great-grandma for naming her child like that. Well it could be worse… I could've been called Mathilda Junior…

"Brr!" I shivered at the thought as I got dressed.

As I was saying. My name's Matt and I'm a Senior at Brightroad Middle School. The un-happiest place on earth. I'm not what you'd call a "Greek Goddess", but I was born naked, covered in blood, toothless and bald. Things could always be worse.
Yes, as you may have noticed, I'm the positive, half-full glass type of girl. But enough of that.

I am (again) Matt Willows and, as you heard, I go to Brightroad Middle School in Haven, Michigan. I'm not too tall, but not too short. Neither skinny nor fat, I have short, red hair, dark green eyes and freckles. My hair sort of sticks up no matter how hard I try to comb it down, and that, plus the fact that I'm completely chest-deprived and I refuse to wear any bottom garment that's not pants or shorts gets me often mistaken for a boy.

Yes, a boy. Even though I've been in this school for three years. That's my number one problem in school. Convince other people I'm actually a girl. My goal is to finish the year with everyone knowing my correct gender. Weird, isn't it?

"Matt! What are you doing?"

I hurried to my closet and opened the wide wooden doors.
"Ah, so much to choose." I said sarcastically as I put on the only type of clothing consistent in my wardrobe. A grubby alien t-shirt and my favourite green cargo pants.

I hurriedly combed my hair; not making an effort for it never actually looked combed and dashed down the staircase.

"Eat your cereal."

"Mom makes pancakes…"

"Well mom's not here."

That charming man is my dad, Albert Willows. He's an artist. But not those weird, modern artists. He's a classic artist who can't stand modern art and adores the Renaissance period. Personally I like modern art. It's colourful and easy to make.

As for my mom, Debora Willows. She's a teacher, but she always travels a lot (don't ask me, I don't get it either) going to conferences around the world. Right now she's in Bombay, India doing god-knows-what. As long as she brings me a postcard for my collection I'm cool with it.
I love Geography and History and travelling. When I grow up I want to be a Geographer and travel all around just like my mother.

"Are you done?"

"Yeah." I chewed one last spoonful of cornflakes and scurried upstairs again to brush my teeth. Once that was finished I grabbed my (heavy) backpack and ran out the door.

Haven is a peaceful little town where nothing happens. School is close by, so I go by bike. I rode there for about five minutes. Brightroad Middle is actually pretty clean and nice compared to the High School section right next door (like I said: small town) I've only been there once and I hope I get a transfer before I get there again.

"'Morning!" I looked up at the person who greeted me.

"Oh, Clair. Good Morning!"

Clair's my best friend. She's amazingly beautiful. She has long wavy hazel locks, blue eyes and a C cup. She's popular too. You wouldn't imagine the times she had to turn someone down. And of course. Due to my company. I always get confused as…

"Hey, Clair! Is that your boyfriend?" I slapped my hand against my forehead.

"Here we go again."

"She is my best friend." The boy who had called out looked from me to her in bewilderment.

"Uh… I… you… girl… sorry about that!" And he frantically ran away.

"Seriously, Clair. Don't I screw your life too much?"

"Don't say that! I'm sure by the end of the year everyone'll recognise you by the end of the year!"

"Yeah… the tomboy geo-geek."

"Aw, come on! What's your motto?" I sighed. "Say it." She insisted.

"It could always be worse." I blurted.

"That's the spirit! I wish I could be like you!" I gazed at her from top to bottom with an incredulous expression plastered across my face.

"You? Why in hell would you want to be like me?!"

"I dunno. You're really positive and all…"

"And…?"

"Okay, fine. I'm me. You're you. We're fine the way we are."

"Yeah…" I thought about it for a while. I wouldn't make a fuss about something that's been going on in my life for years.

"But then again. You could let your hair grow just a little, Matt."

"Nah, too troublesome."

"Oh, come on! You can't expect others to figure out you're a girl if you don't even try! I know! I could come over to your house and let you borrow some of my skir-" I covered her mouth with my hand in a quick gesture.

"We do not speak of the "s" word, milady."

Clair giggled. "Do you hate them that much, geek?"

"Hey. I may be a geek. But I'm your geek!" I said happily.

"Oh no. Maybe you have become a boy. What to do… I'll eventually have to marry you." She chuckled.

I laughed sarcastically. "That'd be too much of a burden for you, right?"

We stared at each other seeing who'd burst out laughing first. I always lost at that, but this time the bell rang before anyone could proclaim victory.

I directed myself to the first class of the morning; Math. I had Math separately from Clair so I was mentally prepared to be ignored and looked down at for one agonizing hour. Then followed Science. Science and Math are my weakest subjects. I'm not what you'd call a genius, you see.  P.E. was next. I'm relatively good at it. I can dodge at the right times and actually catch a ball decently. Not that I'm targeted much since people hardly ever notice me.

After P. E. was English and then, the happiest moment of the day; Geography. I know it's weird for a thirteen-year-old girl to say this, but I love this class. It teaches me all I want to know about the world. Where to travel, what to see, what to avoid and what I can't miss. The hour went by so slowly it almost seemed like a minute. I took in the teacher's utmost sentence in amazement.

"Someday… I'll visit all the countries in existence." I thought to myself as I picked up my things and sloppily threw them into my backpack. Afterwards I got to my way home. Clair has dance practice today so I have to walk alone. Not that I mind that much.

"Excuse me, young man." I sighed and turned around.

"May I help you?" I asked, not bothering to point out the equivoque on my gender.
It was a lady… in her 40's I guessed. She was wearing a rainbow-knitted scarf although we were still in the middle of October. She also had a distinct accent… something that sounded Italian… The woman pointed to a map of town on her hand.

"Could you tell me where this place is?" She pointed to a place on the top half of the map and I, being the Geography studious I am, knew that map like the palm of my hand.

"Let's see… I think that's the St. Catherine's church. You go right around the block and walk in a straight line for about half a mile."

"Thank you, boy. My gratitude."

I waved "No problem, lady."

Oh, there's another thing about the town that I forgot to mention. It's a tourist trap, you see. All these weird people pop out of nowhere wearing the strangest garments. Thick woollen hats and scarves in the middle of the summer.  T-shirts in the winter. Strange bunch actually. Most of them stop people on the road asking for directions. I myself have been called on several times. It's like Haven's the "weirdo meeting point" for some reason.

I advanced some more by foot until the front gate where I had my bicycle when something caught my eye. Under one of the High School section trees was a boy sleeping.

"That's awkward. I thought High schoolers also had afternoon classes…" I slowly treaded towards him, trying not to wake him up. To put it bluntly; He's kind of cute. I stared at his face wondering if I should wake him up for classes or not. He didn't look much older than me. Maybe a Junior. Never saw his face around. I'm sure I'd remember if I had. He had a soft expression and pale hair. Almost the same length as mine covered by a baseball cap.

*****

Dun dun.

Thus, the first chapter ends.