School, Prejudice and Survival

Chapter 7, Part 1

Chapter 7: Friday

"Indigo!" The silence shatters around me, and every single eye in the room turns to face me. Great. "Would you care to share with us what it is that is so interesting outside the window?" Mr Hobby states, with a glance towards the window I am sat next to. Just perfect. I can't exactly tell him that I was willing time to move faster, can I? Don't get me wrong, I really like Food and Nutrition. Unless I can get a really awesome job like a comedian or (my dream job) a music composer, I would like to pursue a career in this field. That does not mean, however, that I am going to pay attention 24/7. It's me, what did you expect? Staring silently at a teacher clearly isn't a smart thing to do after being put on the spot. But does my butterfly brain realize that in its current state? No.

Eventually Mr Hobby gives up, gives me a warning glare, then goes back to his lecture on the Germ Theory and its impact on milk production. I place a blank expression on my face and look towards the front of the room for the remainder of his lecture. That does not mean that I paid attention. My mind was filled with other things, such as:

 'What should I wear skating tonight?'

 'Hobby is an appropriate name. He looks like a hobbit.' 

 'If the majority of the world was still as religious as it was some centuries ago, would I even exist?' 

'How awesome would it be if I was a vampire?' 

 'Is Matt back in school yet?'

When the bell rings for us to go to lunch, it takes me a while to develop enough motivation to get up. Annie and Em wait for me by the door, chatting away about Scarlett and Chrissie's little word-fight a few days ago. I pay no attention to this conversation as we walk across the school campus towards the food hall. I get that strange feeling again. That everyone is looking at me, or talking about me. Since Tuesday, I still haven't figured out why people were looking; I'm running on the idea that I was just being paranoid. But paranoid about what? Why should people need to single me out? Why should I care?

"Anyway, has Scarlett mentioned what happened since then?" Em asks, looking sidelong towards me. "What?" I zone back in. 

"Oh. We haven't actually talked much since then." 

 "Why not? That's really sad!" Emelia exclaims, sorrow in her voice. 

 "Not really. Sister stuff, it will fade in two days tops." I reply as we reach the restaurant, hiding the faint feeling of pain I have ignored since Scarlett shouted at me. I still don't know where it came from, we were fine up until that fight. I walk through the hall faster than usual today, trying to escape the paranoia I feel that people are watching me. But I don't think they are.

Grabbing a bottle of water as I pass, I let my eyes scan the room. I pay quickly then weave my way towards the table I usually sit at with my friends. Suddenly, something catches on my shoulder and holds me still before I can reach my friends. I don't scream; I'm used to Matt doing things like this, so it never scares me anymore. 

 "We still on for tonight?" A familiar Italian accent glides its way into my ears, like a skater glides across the ice. And that's exactly who it is; a figure skater. 

"Of course!" I smile, turning around to face my friend. Naomi stands there, looking as if she just woke up, but woke up fabulous. She smiles at me, pulls me in for a tight hug, then turns and leaves.

Ellie throws a grape towards Kathy right as I reach the table. As I pull out my chair to sit down, Kathy catches it perfectly in her mouth and the table cheers. 

 "That should be an Olympic sport." I laugh.

 "What? Eating? If it is, then sign me up and expect to see me wearing the gold medals!" A voice joins in from the table behind me. Chrissie.

 "Hey Chrissie!" I say, as the majority of the table laugh at her joke. A few people here are on touchy terms with Chrissie, being so close with Scarlett and all. The rest of us ignore the drama and hope it fades eventually. 

 "God, look at her." Chrissie says, turning towards Naomi (who just reached her table with the Queens again). "Can't stand that girl."

 "Wha...Really?" I ask, genuinely confused. I thought she was loved by everyone. 

 "She's too perfect, ya know? It's like, don't even pretend that you're shy. Bitch." She says with a scowl, before turning back to her table.

I never thought of it that way. I understand that many girls see prettier- and more popular- girls as competition, yet I never seem to feel that. Especially not with Naomi, but that may just be because she also skates. When I think this, a small bubble of joy rises in my chest. I can't wait to go skating with Naomi! She will always be miles better than me at figure skating, but she can teach me new things. Plus, skating with friends is just generally a favourite pastime of mine.

"Maybe that's why you and Scarlett aren't talking." Emelia says to me from the other end of the large table, nodding at Chrissie's turned head. 

 "No, trust me, we are talking. Just not as easily as usual. It's like we are actually sisters right now." I shudder at that thought. I love Scarlett and I couldn't ask for a better sister, but from what I have heard, sisters aren't supposed to be friends. At least, not until they grow up. 

 "This thing with her and Chrissie, she's taking it much more seriously than I would have thought. Normally I would expect her to be shy, but she has been really brave about the entire thing." Annie pipes up.

 "Scarlett can be extremely brave when she needs to be. She just chooses her time and her place wisely." I say confidently. 

"She is smart enough to know when things are wrong. So maybe we need to take her more seriously right now. Maybe something really bad happened between her and Chrissie."

As I say that, I realize a little too late that I have been speaking a little too loudly. My friends all nod and take in what I just said, but my ears are trained on the squeaking of a chair behind me. Oops. Turning sightly, I catch sight of Chrissie's pale hair bouncing as she storms out of the restaurant doors. However, it is then that something better catches my attention.

Scarlett walks past our table, just a few feet away. It's clear she had stopped to listen. As she passes, she turns her head towards me and gives me a small smile. I return the smile happily. Even if I just lost Chrissie, I am overwhelmed by the feeling of warmth. I didn't realize until now just how much I missed my sister. If I can barely take a few days of half-hearted small talk with her, I don't know how I will survive if I ever lose her.

I vow that I, Indigo Jones, will forever put my sister before anyone else.