Finally Noticed Trilogy: Finally Noticed (being revised)

Accalia

"Wow. You're pretty good at this, senorita. Where did you practice?" I and Ember were sitting on some wooden benches to relax after the training and pole dancing that she had me do. 

"I had a lot of free time since I had no friends and my parents didn't watch me. I would often go climbing trees in the forest and sometimes if I wasn't paying attention a bear would track me down so I had to climb high and quick. I eventually learned how to bend my body so then I can fit in small crevices where they couldn't get me. I also learned how to be flexible when running through trees and having to avoid branches," I explained.

"You never actually did gymnastics or pole dancing?"

"Sometimes after school I would practice in the gym. The teacher didn't care as long as I didn't make a mess or brake anything. We have a gymnastics team so after practice the coach would let me practice as long as I put everything back and clean up."

"Wow. I wish I had as much free time as you did. If I'm not training these dummies then I'm spending my time practicing my own moves or teaching a class." Ember took another sip of her water.

"It's nice I guess. No one paid attention so I really just got to do whatever I wanted. At times I did wish I had someone to join me. It gets lonely when you're always by yourself," I said.

"I hear ya. I wish we would of met sooner. I feel like we got a lot in common," said Ember.

"Heh, ya. It would of been nice to have someone helping me climb a tree when I'm trying to avoid being mauled by a bear," I said.

"Will if it makes you feel better, bears don't really trespass into the territory. They kinda avoid us and we respect them. Just don't get near a mother and her cubs. Grimsley was once dared to try and pet a cub by Grant and he nearly got mauled by her if it weren't for Luna stepping in and calming her down. Luna has a way to calming down anyone and anything. Even angry mother bears."

"Why would he agree to it?"

"Because he was stupid? He isn't really his own person you know? He's kinda whatever people want him to be. His father wants him to be a ruthless and emotionless alpha so he plays that role. Luna wants him to express his interests and pursue them so he starts painting and drawing like crazy. At your school they want him to be the stereotypical jock so he does every sport imaginable. Teachers want him to be a model student so he aces every class and takes every honors or AP class there is. He's never truly doing something that HE wants you know?"

I think about all the times I've had a class with him. I would see him sleeping in the middle of class or not paying attention at all but when a teacher holds him back after class he's suddenly alert and answering every question that is being asked. When I've hung out at the bleachers I would see him at football practice and then later that same day he was running around the track until dusk.

"I guess you're right," I mutter to myself.

"Rethinking your decision of accepting his rejection?" chimes in Orchid.

"No. I'm just thinking about how stressful that would be. Constantly changing yourself to meet someone else's ideal idea of you. Never being able to do what you truly want or allow yourself a moment to relax, constantly on edge for being that ideal person."

"Ember did mention his mother encouraged him to pursue his interests which it sounds like art was his interest," said Orchid.

"Ya but I never saw him step foot in the art room. The only time I saw him there was to ask the teacher something and then leave immediately after."

"You spent a lot of time on school grounds even after school right? Maybe he was doing that as well."

"Maybe..." The doors opening brought my attention to Grimsley who has a grim look on his face. He looked stressed and tired but at the sight of I and Ember he quickly covered it up with a look of alertness and straightened his posture.