Overcome

Chapter 1- Truth

A smile, the most beautiful sign of strength. Strength in confidence or strength to put on a smile when its the hardest.

As I walked down the halls of Cherryville High I couldnt help but think about this. There's so many beautiful confident girls here who seemingly have no problems. I would be naive to believe that but just because I don't believe it doesn't mean I don't think it feels like it. Some people just don't understand, that little voice in your head can tear you apart. The people who have that voice in their mind eating away at their confidence shredding their self joy, yet they still smile to make you happy. Those are the true beauties. The fighters. I put a smile on my face through the pain but I'm not beautiful. Not the material beautiful anyway.

I looked up and took a deep breath before walking in to my AP chemistry class. Today we have a new seating chart.

I hate them. I get so used to sitting next to one person and talking to them then a new seating chart comes along and I have to talk to a completely different person. It doesn't help that the seating chart I have now is perfect. My best friend Ansley on my right and my other best friend Ryan on my left. But after every new semester Mrs.Kinsley decides she needs to change our seats around.

I sat down in my normal spot and waited as the rest of the students trickled in and the bell rang.

"I hope I get put next to Luke," Ansley said dreamily while drawing swirls on her paper.

"In your dreams Ans, Luke always gets put next to Allie and you'll probably be put next to Gloria,"

Ansley looked over at him and groaned. "You're right teacher's always puts me some where near him,"

Gloria is in fact a boy. As sad as it is his parents are from some weird religion where its sacred to name your kid Gloria. The sad part is hes not really hot or super muscular to make up for the feminine name. He's a heavyset boy with many pimples and a nasally voice. He's always been particularly out spoken and quite frankly doesn't care what other think about him. I admire that in a person, especially when you have a name like Gloria.

"Aria next to Ryder."

I look over at him and groan. The only one of this kind I can handle is Ryan.

"What is that?" Ryder asked as he looked at my picture with a very confused gaze.

"Well," I turned the paper around trying to decide. "A.....pond, surrounding a forest." I shaded in the trees and outlined there shape. "See," I turned the paper so he could see it and he looked at me weird.

"How? How did you do that?" he said looking as if he was processing the fact I just drew the picture.

"I just started drawing, it kinda just formed into what it wanted to be." I answered awkwardly.

"Draw a beach with a sunset." He said blankly.

"Ok...." I grabbed the paper cautiously and flipped the page then began to draw a beach with a sunset.

I could feel his eyes on me as I reached in my bag for colored pencils. I brought them out and colored the sunset and sand then turned the paper to him.

"Can I have it?"

"Yea.....sure." I awkwardly ripped the page out and handed it to him.

He didn't say anything and just looked at the paper. I set my hand on my chest and pulled at the skin on my collar bone, something I always do when I'm nervous, as I looked at him.

"This beach, I'm gonna take you here one day." He said and looked me right in my eyes, not even a speck of hesitance in them.

"OK....." I said hesitantly and laughed at the out of the blueness of that sentence.