Happiness [Book 2]

Chapter 2 - Freakshow

For our very first performance of the week, we decided to perform in the cafeteria at lunch. Kitty picked a song that supposedly "suited us perfectly!" I had an inkling that she was trying to insult the rest of us with it, but everyone else agreed so quickly that I never even got to raise that point.

I entered my last class before lunch - study hall - and spotted the curly haired, green-eyed girl sitting at the front of class, scribbling in her book, just like I did. I was excited to see her - this was my chance to recruit someone for Glee club! I sat down in the seat beside her and pulled my notebooks and textbooks out of my bag. She didn't notice me at all. 

I watched her face as she drew on the page. Her lips were pursed, her eyebrows in a deep furrow, her face was... dirty. She looked so young. But she was in my class. Could she have been my age?

After a moment, she finally noticed me and flinched. "Oh, uh, hi," she stuttered out, slamming her book shut, 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." I said softly.

She bashfully shrugged and looked around the classroom. She pushed her curls, some greasy and stringy and stuck to her face, out of the way. "There's a lot of other seats. You don't have to, uh, sit here if you dont want to sit here." 

I didn't even think to ask whether I could sit there. I immediately got embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry, I should have asked!" I started scooping up my things to put in my bag. 

The girl got embarrassed, as well. "Oh, no, that's not what I meant! You can sit here, it's fine! I-I don't mind. I just- I didn't- I thought-"

I stared right into her bright green, worried eyes. "Are you sure? 'Cause I can move?"

"No. Stay." She nodded, adamant. 

"I'm Marley Rose." I blurted out. 

"I'm Angie," she smiled, sweetly, picking at her sleeves. 

"Angie...?"

"Oh, uh, Angie McGraw!"

"Like... Dr. Phil McGraw?" I asked with a giggle. 

"Oh, no, McGraw's a very common name." She straightened her posture and turned to the front of the room. Angie didn't realise I was joking with her. 

"Me too, I love Dr. Phil." I laughed awkwardly. "Did you know, I met Dr. Phil? Last year? He was so cool."

Angie laughed, too, looking down at her hands on the desk. 

"Are you... a junior?" I asked. 

"No! I'm actually a sophomore, I enrolled like a couple of days ago and they had no room for me in the study hall with the people my age so... here I am," she sighed, rubbing her eye. "I moved because of uh, bullying."

It felt like I was having a conversation with a past version of myself. Angie was just like me - she was bullied, she was awkward, she was reserved. I thought about what I would have wanted to hear at this point last year. 

"I was the same. It'll be better here, I promise."

Angie clicked her tongue. "We'll see."

There was a brief silence between us. I kept the conversation going. "Are you interested in joining Glee club? I saw you by the door this morning."

Angie awkwardly shuffled in her seat. "I like dancing, I do, but I don't think a Glee club is my thing."

"Well..." I racked my brain for a convincing way to get her to join. I needed her to join. If not for my benefit, or for our benefit, then for her benefit. Glee club saved me, it could save her, as well. "You don't have to sing! We're looking for new dancers."