Sentiment Is A Chemical Defect

Chapter 1

Staring at the ground, I felt my stomach flutter nervously. Why did we have to move in the middle of GCSEs? Everyone would have their friend groups and the work will be different. I hated change.

I could feel everyone's judging eyes on me as I stood there waiting to be introduced. Ugh! Why did I have to be introduced? Why couldn't I just sit down and get on with life?

"This is Gwenevieve," my new form teacher said in a sickly sweet voice.

"Gwen," I corrected in a harsh tone, not looking up from my battered Doctor Martins.

"Hm," I imagined that she didn't smile so sweetly now and her pink lips pressed together in a line, "Gwen."

She had a petite hand laying on my shoulder. Her nails were the same shade of pink as her lips.

She resumed her polite, happy tone, "Is there anything you'd like to tell us about yourself, Gwen?" her head ducked slightly to whisper in my ear, "Look up."

I reluctantly obeyed and regretted it instantly. My form teacher backed off and walked toward the front row of the classroom. She leant casually against the desk, crossing her long, slim calf over her opposite shin and smiled brightly, showing unnaturally white teeth.

Everyone else was looking expectedly at me, waiting for me to say something, occasionally whispering to each other.

"No," I said after what seemed like minutes but could have only been a few seconds.

My form teacher frowned for a brief moment and then quickly regained her composure and moved strands of her (dyed) blonde hair out of her face.

"All righty then," she said, "You may sit down, Gwen."

"Oh, I may? Thank you!" I thought to myself sarcastically.

I glanced around the room. Most students had lost interest in me and were in the midst of bubbly conversation, laughing loudly and smiling widely. Others stared into space, bored and waiting for the bell to ring for first lesson.

No one in particular looked interesting nor inviting to me.

 A girl with long, straightened red hair looked up at me. She had a spare seat besides her. She smiled kindly and said, "Sit with me if you want to live."

I smiled back at her sense of humour, now feeling more at ease and sat down besides her.

"Heya, Gwen. I'm Jen!" she greeted enthusiastically.

"Hey," I smiled in return.

She got to work asking why I've started a new school, where'd I move from? What GCSEs did I take?

From our brief first conversation, I could tell that Jen was a bubbly character and clearly very friendly.

I felt a darker presence and turned my head.

A boy was lurking by the door looking in my direction. Clearly because I was new in class. But, he wasn't just looking at me. He seemed to be observing me. Maybe trying to figure me out? I watched his piercing blue eyed scan my body repeatedly. At one point, he stopped and looked at one part, smirking. I realised he was staring at my chest and turned away.

"That's Eron," Jen said after watching this, "He's sort of the attractive, flirty bad boy."

I glanced back at him. He was attractive. I could admit that. He had a chocolate brown mop of hair on top of his head, sharp cheek bones and I've already mentioned the colour of his eyes but, his blue eyes were soft and kind looking. Eron looked me in the eye, not blinking.