Shadows

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

My grey, paint-chipped locker door clicked loudly and popped open as I grabbed the small handle and pulled. Large, ragged textbooks were stacked at the bottom. Notebooks that looked like they had been attacked by an army of sharpies were stacked on top of them, and at the very top sat a tin of professional colored pencils and a color splashed sketch book.

I was a very artistic girl and had even gotten scholarship offers from colleges even though I was only seventeen, a junior. I always carried some sort of art material with me, most of the time that item being my well-worn sketch book.

I reached down to pull a math textbook from my bag and slide it swiftly into my locker, the notebook that went with it following soon after. After I had deposited what I needed to into the small tin container I pulled out my Chemistry textbook, slipping it into my bag. I then pulled out my sketchbook and art supplies, dropping those into my bag as well.

I was just about the shut the locker door and risk losing even more of the peeling paint when a perky, high strung girl’s voice appeared behind me.

“Hi Arina!” It called.

I jumped suddenly, slamming my locker shut in my fright. I turned, my eyes being met with a skinny, tan, blonde haired girl named Marley, also known as my best friend since the fifth grade. Her bright hazel eyes looked at me as if she was expecting me to say something back.

“Whatever,” She said before suddenly launching into a new topic. “Hey, did you hear about the new transfer student that starts today?” She asked me curiously, “I hear he’s really, really cute!” She squealed.

I had to think for a minute. Maybe he was the boy that sat next to me on the bus. “Um…I may have met him. I think he sat next to me on the bus,” I answered.

I barely had time to finish my sentence before Marley shouted out, “Seriously!? Did he talk? What did he say? Did he tell you his name?”

I suddenly flung my hands up, stopping her words suddenly. “Hold on for just one second Marley,” I told her, “I need a chance to be able to answer something.” Marley nodded and I began explaining my encounter with the transfer student. “He asked me if he could sit next to me on the bus and that’s all,” I told her, “He didn’t give me a name or anything. We just sat together.”

Marley looked extremely disappointed, “That’s it?” She asked as if she was expecting more, which she probably was. She more than likely wanted me to tell a whole romantic love story about how I feel in love with this mysterious boy who sat next to me on the bus. Well, she wasn’t going to get that at all.

“What?” I asked her, “Don’t look at me like that! It’s not my fault that I didn’t get every piece of information on this boy that you wanted.”

Marley sighed, “Ok, it’s alright,” She said. She looked up, opening her mouth for a second as if she was about to say something before her mouth crept into a gigantic Cheshire cat smile, her face lighting up like a child’s at Christmas.

“What?” I asked her, “What are you smiling about?” My obvious confusion showed in my expression. I noticed that her gaze was not directed at me, but at something behind me.

“He just turned the corner,” Marley squealed softly.

I turned around; following Marley’s gaze as I looked down the hall until my gaze suddenly fell on the navy tee shirt I had seen earlier. My eyes turned upwards falling on each distinct feature of his beautifully boyish face. The mysterious new student was right in front of my eyes again.

Every girl in the hallway, including Marley, was staring at him like he was sent from heaven. I just hoped I didn’t look like that as well. He suddenly turned his gaze, sweeping the hallway as if he was looking for someone. And then he stopped, just as quickly as he started, his gaze landing on none other than little, pitiful me. I could feel my cheeks flare with heat and quickly threw my eyes towards the floor as he continued walking. I dared to glance up as he passed, keeping my head down, barely catching the slight smirk that fell on his lips as he passed us.