O
After what Zeymira and Cecia brought up at the snow cone place Tuesday afternoon, the next day I was more vigilant than talkative on the bus. I wouldn't say Lazuli Heights was a stereotypical school with its cliques and blonde haired bitches, but it was...what I'd call a smooth running machine.
The more so quiet kids sat towards the front, the sports kids sat together on the bus, the more popular people sat together, and then you had everybody else. Along with me deciding to dedicate this day to observation, I didn't say a word to Cecia.
Our afternoon hadn't ended so well.
She didn't want me to go to the party anymore and I was even more determined to go the more I observed. Walking into the building was like walking onto a movie set. They all talked about the same shit. The party. Because of one rumor. That's how this place worked.
Everybody relaxed and minded their own at my other school.
Then the stares.
I hadn't really noticed that before.
Yea, some eyes were on me but most were on Cecia. Maybe it was because of her almost fight with Linda. Or maybe it had something to do with that mysterious ex she didn't want to talk about. This whole time I thought it was because of me and my quick temper yesterday. But no, for everybody to be so infatuated with Cecia and this mystery girl nobody wants to speak of, that would mean something big had to have happened between them.
I glanced over at Cecia by my side.
It was almost uncanny the way they stared.
You'd think...she had been the murderer and not me.
"Alrighttt, Lazuli Lions! Who's reppin' that white and gold this mornin'?" cracked over the speaker.
Everyone's attention was taken away from us and I instantly frowned. What was it that Cecia wasn't telling me? What was she hiding? And why didn't anyone wanna just tell me straight out? What was up with the secrets? I had bared myself in front of everyone, with my biggest mistake.
A fatal one, might I add.
"...next Friday, our first...game!" the person shouted through the feedback.
Some people in the halls let out a cheer, especially some of the girls with their cheer tops on and faces streaked with the school colors. They had a scrimmage today after school, that I knew. Maybe it'd be good for me to join an activity or at least witness a few extracurriculars.
"Well, I guess I'm gone," I said to Cecia, looking at her again. She seemed used to the odd attention. Unbothered by it at the least. This attention had to have been happening before I came here.
"I'll walk you to class," she said as we approached Mr. Reeves' room.
"Cee," a girl came up to us, her hair in a claw clip ponytail, her dark eyebrows neat. "You gotta skip lunch today."
"Hi," I said awkwardly.
Maybe she didn't see me? Maybe normal people don't overthink others not noticing them when they walk up to friends they're walking with? Maybe I'm not normal.
I grabbed my other hand, nervously playing with it.
The girl seemed to suddenly notice me. "Orabella, right?" she took me in with her eyes; my black shoes, my black jeans, my grey Marc Jacobs shirt. "You finna rob somebody in style?"
I laughed, "Maybe. Maybe, I will."
I felt more at ease now.
"I'm Cy'Moni," she nodded, then slid her gaze right back to Cecia. "Elodie and Linda plan on fightin' you at lunch."
