Walking After You | Dave Grohl

one

1

1987

"VANESSA," a bubbly voice called from behind her.

Nessa immediately rolled her eyes, groaning under her breath as she recognized the person calling her from across the street. Stacy Monroe, the next-door neighbor that always latched onto her every time they ran into each other.

When she got out of bed thirty minutes earlier than usual, which absolutely never happened, she had planned to use the extra time to walk peacefully to school in the company of her music, opting out of the crowded yellow bus that she despised so much. Well, not really the bus, but those who rode in it. But, of course, that plan had been interrupted by the mass of blonde long hair and colorful shiny necklaces running towards her.

"Gosh, you're fast. Hi," Stacy greeted excitedly once she caught up to Nessa's fast and steady steps. As usual, the blonde carried a wide smile on her face, bouncing up and down on her feet and keeping both hands stuffed under the straps of her bright pink and yellow backpack.

"Hey," Nessa replied, maybe a little more harshly than she'd intended. She noticed Stacy's smile faltering and her confident high shoulders drop and immediately felt guilty for being too rigid.

"Do you want to walk alone?" The blonde asked, looking down at her feet as they stood side by side. "I can leave you alone if you want"

Although Nessa wanted to say yes and send the girl away so that she could fulfill the wish of a solitary walk to school, she couldn't get herself to do it. Instead, she sighed defeatedly and interrupted her.

"No, it's okay. We can walk together. I'm just in a bad mood, I guess"

Stacy's smile returned to her face, now carrying a hint of empathy, and Nessa kept her eyes on the path ahead of them as they walked in silence. She knew that Stacy usually got dropped off at school every day by her parents, so Nessa wondered if the blonde girl had decided to walk that morning on purpose. And if she did, Nessa couldn't understand why.

It wasn't as if Nessa wanted to purposefully act hostile towards Stacy or as if she had something against her. She just couldn't understand why Stacy tried so hard to be her friend, when nobody else seemed open to that and when she didn't consider herself to be in any way friendly. Besides, she found that they looked ridiculous together.

Stacy was all bright colors, energy, and happiness. The true definition of a social butterfly, surrounded by an endless list of friends. And Nessa was and looked tired, with her dark clothes and closed down facial features. Very few people seemed to notice her presence, or at least notice enough to be intrigued by it, and she enjoyed it. Or, at least, she'd gotten used to things being that way.

"Are you going to Mark's party on Friday?"

Nessa couldn't help but scoff at the blonde's question. Mark was one of the popular kids at school, probably one of those who used to make fun of her in elementary school, when her teeth were crooked and her weight turned her into a vulnerable target. Although things had changed through high school, and people usually left her alone, she wouldn't be caught dead hanging out with those people.

"Sounds insufferable," she mumbled, dismissing Stacy's indirect invite to what sounded like a nightmare Friday night plan.

"Well, I think you should come. You'd be pleasantly surprised if you did. Perhaps your preconceptions would be proved wrong"