Nothing (ON HOLD)

Prologue

Prologue

I sat staring into the space that occupied the left hand corner of the front of the classroom. Tina a smelly 'large' pupil came to sit at the desk beside me. She knew no one would want to sit by her (just like me) so she always opted for a chair at the back away from everybody else (again, just like me). Normally she would sit on the right side of the room but that empty chair was now filled with a new occupant. Everybody in the classroom was actually interested in what was happening back here for once. Who is this mysterious new person? Is what's probably whizzing through their empty heads right now, but no, not me. Yes there's a new guy, who cares?

The stench of sour milk seeps up into my nostrils, activating my gag reflex, causing my stomach to churn and for me to start retching. I try to move away from the rancid odour but it follows me like a menacing nightmare. My movement and obnoxious sounds draw all of the classroom's attention away from the new comer and on to me. Each set of eyes bears down on me with disapproving glares and looks of disgust.

Most of the boys turn back in their seats and begin to laugh and joke with their friends again, but this time, the subject will be me. The girls continue to stare daggers at my head as if to say how dare you. How dare I what? Exist? April, Miss Popular, flips her head away from my direction to someone who is more in need or deserving of her attention (as she so nicely puts it), the new guy. All of the April clones heads whip in that general direction defiantly (More like following the shepherd).

I turn my head towards the new guy to see that Tina is flushed bright red. I feel a kind of humiliation for embarrassing her like that. There was really no point in over reacting the way I did. Even though she's not my friend, I believe I should have been nicer or just to have been more subtle as to not emphasize her smelly condition (as I like to call it). Sometimes I wonder how I became so mean. Then I remember all of the hatred lunged at me over the years by friends, (and family).

I start to dwell on my misery when my train of thought is cut short by the principal walking in the classroom. Is something wrong? He starts to babble on about something in his boring monotone voice that almost sends me to sleep. (This could take a while). I reach into the back pocket of my skinny jeans to pull out my three year old phone (so top of the range (note the sarcasm)). It's off so now I have to wait for it to load up. The screen shines open and the time flashes onto it. 9:34 AM, form only has one minute left. I can't believe I went a whole twenty minutes without noticing there's no teacher. I wonder where Miss Roberts is? The principal has piqued my interest for once. Let's see what's going on. Besides solitude, school is the most important thing to me at the moment. It acts as a distraction and who doesn't need a good education. But in order to become educated, one would need a teacher.

The school day passes by in a flash, (unfortunately). Chiming rings of multiple bells erupt through every classroom. I awake from my zombie like state as once again the realisation sinks in. Time to go home. When the class is dismissed I follow the herd of people down the crowded hallway, dragging my ragged satchel behind me.

Students spill out of every opening, rushing to their cars. I'm the last to exit the building (as always,) heading not to the car park, but straight for the gate. (No car for me).

Exhausted from a hard and tiring day, the walk home seems even longer and further than usual. Two flashy cars speed past me, then skid as they turn back to pull up beside me. I keep walking because I know who it is. The cars creep at my pace, still beside me. The roofs are down so the people can lean out toward me and shout.

"Hey, bestie! Need a ride?"

"We'd be so happy to have you join us"

"Yeah! Cause ya so cool!" The girls' high pitch voices and giggles drip with the obvious fake sincerity. April raps her hands around the inflated muscled arm of the male driver.