Much Like Falling

Chapter One

She sat alone by a table at the back of the classroom. Her chin resting on her crossed arms with her school books in front of her. Typically, she was staring straight ahead or maybe at nothing, but one thing I knew for sure was that she wasn’t paying attention. Not before crumpled paper collided with the side of her head from the left of her.

She blinked several times before sitting up, her eyes glued to the crumpled paper next to her. Her expression was something passed irritated as she began to unravel it, smoothing the creases with her reluctant fingertips. “Freak,” I wasn’t sure who shouted, but it was either Clare or Patricia who sat a few seats down from her. The girl’s chest was rising rapidly as laughter erupted from their direction. Her face dropped.

As if on cue, Mr. Kerr entered the classroom from his office, but still completely oblivious to what just happened. He fumbled with the collar of his shirt before looking over his students. “Alright, alright,” he said with his thick South African accent. “Settle down. I know it’s the end of the day, but please bear with me,”

As the fits of giggles started to die down, Mr. Kerr smiled and wrote his plan for today’s lesson on the whiteboard. I always thought his cursive handwriting was hard to read, but today seemed worse, and maybe that was because we only had a few weeks left of school until the end of the year. We were all getting restless. A few students around me started talking, while I glanced back at the girl. She was halfway through ripping the wrinkled paper into millions of pieces when another hit her square on the nose. She flinched back and a few people laughed. It was none of my business, but I was still curious as to what the notes said. I had never even realised she existed until now. I felt somewhat obliged to know more about her.

I peered at my only friend in my English class. She stared back at me. “Dude, since when was she in our class?” I asked.

Talia narrowed her dark eyes at me, “Who?”

I sighed, “The chick at the back,”

“Oh,” Talia smiled. “She’s been here all year. Don’t tell me you’ve never noticed her before,”

I shrugged. “What’s her name?”

“How am I supposed to know?”

“Well, you’re a girl, right?” I smirked. “You’re supposed to have a good memory.”

“So what’s your excuse?” she shot back. I shook my head and lifted my hands in mock surrender. “I can’t remember something I don’t know.”

I nodded. She made a fair point. “Thanks for nothing,” I muttered and she gave me a menacing glare. In return, I gave her an exaggerated closed-mouth smile.

For the rest of the lesson, we attempted revision worksheets Mr. Kerr handed out. I couldn’t be bothered, though. I was too focused on the girl at the back of the room. Her russet-brown hair fell over her slumped shoulders as she rested her forehead on the table. It was obvious something was wrong, and the glares of those around were only a small part of it. I felt like I should talk to her, but I was bad at making first impressions. I hated starting conversations, and couldn’t approach those I didn’t know. Talia on the other hand…

“Want to do me a favour?” Talia was resting her chin in the palm of her right hand, giving me a sideways glance.

She sighed, “What is it?”

“Ask that girl if she’s alright,”

Talia wrinkled her nose, “Why can’t you?”

“Please?” I dragged the word longer than necessary. Widening my eyes at her, my lower lip trembled.

She shook her head, rolling her dark brown eyes. “No, I’m not doing your dirty work for you. You do it,” she said, pushing my face away.

I sighed, “Last time I do something for you.”

“Since when do you do things for me?” she snapped.

I shrugged.

“Exactly, you don’t.”

I poked my tongue out at her and returned my gaze back to the girl, to see that she was looking at me. My breath got caught in my throat, and I nearly choked on my own saliva. Her fringe was just shy of her long eyelashes, and her eyes were almost a mirror image of my favourite kind of blue. Her expression was blank, but I could see the sadness behind her eyes. She was the first to look away, her fingers sub-consciously running through her hair.

What was that about?

The bell rang to mark the end of the day, and students quickly packed their stuff and ran for the door. We only had a few weeks left until exam leave. A few weeks left of being a year twelve... scary, right? Fuck yes.

The girl rushed out of the room before anyone could stop her. Somewhat dissatisfied, I hugged Talia goodbye for the weekend, then made my way to my locker. I was just shy of the corridor’s doors before I heard low-rider-Jordan sing, “It’s-Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday!” I rolled my eyes. Since that song came public, he’s sung it every Friday. I admit, it got on my nerves, but no Friday felt the same without him doing it. “Hey Emerson, know what day it is?” I could just about feel his straight-toothed smile boring into the back of my head.

I rolled my eyes before turning to face him. “Let me guess, Friday?”

Jordan smiled at me through his dark hair, no one knew if his hair was black or brown. “Yes!” he grabbed my wrists and started jumping with joy, I quickly joined in, ignoring the weird glances we seemed to attract. No one would think we were seventeen, but we had fun and that was all that mattered to us. Our lockers were down the same corridor, but on separate sides. Once we stopped doing our usual Friday-after-school routine, we parted ways to our lockers, shouting at each other from our separate sides of the corridor.

I stopped mid-sentence once I realised who else was at her locker- the girl from my English class. I was going to miss my bus if I didn’t hurry up, but still I watched, unsure of what to do when Patricia and Clare came up behind her, pushing her into her locker and making her drop all her books. Giggling, they walked off, high-fiving each other.

Clearly, no one would think they were seventeen, either.

Without hesitating, I rushed to her aid, picking up her fallen things before she could, with Jordan following close behind. After mumbling a “Thank you,” she slammed her locker shut and stormed passed us.

“What was all that about?” I asked, but I wasn’t expecting an answer.

Jordan shrugged. “I don’t know. They always do that to her.”

I watched as she exited the corridor and disappeared around the corner. “What’s her name?” I was dying to know.

Jordan looked at me. “Beats me. See you Monday, bro!”

“See-you dude,” I called after him, quickly returning to my locker. When I was done, I rushed to the front of the school, just in time to see my bus drive off. I should be used to it, but walking from school to my house, or vice versa, was a pain in the ass, literally. Watching your bus depart the stop just as you got there was like a baby getting their favourite toy taken off them. All humanity was lost. I mean, seriously, the bus driver saw me, I waved out to him, and what did he do? He smiled, waved back, and then drove off. I could still see the satisfaction in Hayden’s eyes as they drove away. Yeah, ha-fucking-ha-ha brother, laugh all you want, I’d just get you back when I got home... whenever that would be.

 All well, at least it gave me time away from my siblings, it gave me time to kick stones and ponder my life, but more importantly, it gave me time to get over the girl in my English class, who I never even knew existed until today. She seemed so different from every other girl, and maybe that was why I felt drawn to her. Who knows?