After a quick shower, I got dressed in a plain colored sweatshirt and jeans. Then I grabbed my backpack and I headed out the door to my beat up little black car. It wasn't a very pretty vehicle but it was mine so that is all that matters to me. Dominique's paranoia caused us to move a lot so we don't have many possessions, hence the reason my clock is on the floor instead of a bed stand. I've gotten used to living frugally over the years so it doesn't bother me that I can never decorate my room or that I'm not allowed to watch the television in Dominique's bedroom the way it would other teenagers. I have a cellphone and a car so that's good enough for me. Even if I wasn't allowed to have a say in which I wanted. Even if I only have them so I don't stand out. Dominique knows what is best for me.
I pulled into the semi-full parking lot and parked in my normal spot near the back of the school. There was a Jeep a few spots away that I hadn't seen before but I dismissed it in favor of grabbing my backpack and heading toward the school building. I paused at the entrance to take a deep breath and prepare for the onslaught of emotions that were about to hit me like a bus.
After a second or two, I finally gathered the strength to push open the doors. I took a few hesitant steps forward to get used to all the emotions in the air invading my brain. I like to compare the emotions to a swimming pool, you have to take some time to adjust to the water's temperature before jumping in. I took inventory of what the other students were feeling, sorting and filtering so I could still decipher my own emotions. From the girls, I got mostly excitement and nervousness; the boys were giving off jealousy and apprehension. I looked around the hallway, most of the girls were in little groups with friends whispering excitably to one another, a few were even blushing as they recounted some event. The boys remained brooding and silent, I think I even saw a few pout as they listened to the chatter. I catch little snippets of the conversations as I head to my locker.
"Have you seen him?" One girl asked her grinning, flushed friend.
"He is so dreamy!" Another said.
"I wonder where he came from." wondered a sulking guy.
"I bet he's a wimp." His friend responded.
So we have a new student, a new male student at that.
'Great!' I thought sarcastically, 'More emotions to sort through.'
When I got to my locker, Delaney Carter and her little group of followers were already gathered in front of it to gossip in front of her own locker unfortunately located next to my own. I had to push a few people to get to my locker, earning a few annoyed looks but the rest of the group ignored me as they continued listening to their queen.
"So yeah, I like, totally helped him around the school and stuff! He is totally cool and cute, it's like we already had a bond or something." Delaney bragged, her bright red lips forming a satisfied smirk as she flipped her equally red hair. "We'll probably be dating by the end of the week." She continued to mess with her hair and popped her gum while the rest of her cronies sighed. I rolled my eyes when the group's jealousy levels spiked while the smugness rolled off Delaney in waves.
"Oh my gawd! That is just so totally cute!" Delaney's number one follower, Britney, said. "What's his name again, D?"
"His name is Ander Blake. Isn't that like totally adorable?" Delaney responded.
I felt my heart jump into my throat and the textbook I had just picked slipped out of my hands. The bang it made caused all the girls to turn and look at me. I could feel my cheeks color at the attention.
"Way to go, Spaz." Delaney sneered while the rest of the group laughed before all suddenly turning away, "Come on girls, let's get to class." I breathed a little sigh of relief when they left, I hate unwanted attention. Then I gathered the books I would need for first period and began walking down the hall, my heart still fluttering.
'Calm down,' I chided myself, 'there are probably lots of boys named Ander in the world. He can't be my Ander.' I paused at that thought.
My Ander. The boy I haven't seen since the night Project S was shut down. One of the four people I haven't stopped thinking about for weeks. I entered the English classroom in a daze and took my seat near the back. I barely glanced up when Mr. Gordon called my name for attendance. He said my full name, of course, no one here knows I prefer my shortened name. 'Althea' just sounds so much older than 'Thea.'
"Okay, pay attention now class." Mr. Gordon clapped his hands to make us look at him. "We have a new student who will be joining us today. I asked him to wait outside for a moment so I could get you all to pay attention while I took attendance."
What? That doesn't make any sense. I would have felt their emotions if they were outside the door. Looks like the new kid skipped. I put my head down and zoned out of class as our teacher continued speaking, zoning back in when I heard the door open.
'I can't sense anyone near the door so how did it open?' I asked myself.
'You already know the answer.' My subconscious-self replied.
