Dear Rabbit

Chapter 2

The room was nothing special; rows of single desks and a blackboard on the wall, I'd never actually seen a blackboard before...but if that's their writing surface of choice I'd have to deal with it I suppose. I exhaled an uneven breath and gripped my stuff tighter as I stepped over the threshold and into the room. I felt sick. It wasn't anything to do with the faces staring at their phones absently or the bored look on the teacher's face, but all to do with the realisation that this was my new life. I was actually staying here, I was getting a completely different form of education and I was absolutely terrified. It was like culture shock had finally set in and all I could do was smile, wave, and try to act like I wasn't bothered one bloody bit.

Vice-Principle Samuels seemed to square his shoulders and place a pleasant smile on his face before addressing the congregation of teenagers that probably would much rather be sleeping right now "Everybody, these are our new students! Allison Argent and Charlotte Kite, please do your best to make them feel welcome!" It was clear they had anything but that in their minds; their stances varied from a couple snogging in the back of the room to staring longingly out the window as if they were stuck in prison. The only two who seemed even remotely interested were the boys from this morning; Stiles and puppy eyes.

Allison and I were motioned onwards, a sign that perhaps we should sit down. I don't want to be here, God, I don't want to be here. I watched Allison sit in the seat behind Stiles' friend from earlier. She had a grace about her as she did so...I on the other hand managed to bump into several occupied desks and stumble over my own feet before I managed to take my own chair next to a sniggering Stiles. It was the only other desk open, but I took some comfort in knowing that I knew at least 3 people in my class and that they all surrounded me.

I missed the security of my old friends, I missed the ease at which I could enter a class room, the way it all felt normal. I felt like I was going backwards. I was still in school despite having finished one already, rather than moving onto college. I felt like I was lingering like a persistent cough, but maybe this would give me the chance to have a more average teenage experience...I was never much more than an introvert who watched far too many movies and never got much of a second glance. Maybe this was my time to try and be something more-If that was at all possible. At the very least I'd come out of this with more qualifications than most...

I absentmindedly picked at and folded over the corner of my syllabus, dog-earing the page. I wasn't all too interested in it. I was more eager to distract myself from my nerves and watch the display in front of me; Monsieur Puppy-Eyes had turned around to Allison to offer her a pen, the giddy lovelorn expression on his tanned features enough to give someone a heart attack it was that sweet. It was nice to see. Sometimes just a sign of simple human affection was enough to help someone get through the day, and it certainly seemed to calm Allison down. I couldn't help the tender smile that crossed my features, glad at least one of us was making friends.

"So which one are you?" It was an abrupt question from besides me that caused me to jump in my seat, a hand coming to clutch at my chest. I turned to face my interrogator, only to find Stiles watching me with an expectant expression... I was a little surprised by his interest, considering we hadn't really talked much earlier. It wasn't that I hadn't wanted to, despite any anxiety I had, but that I had no real place in his discussion with Dori about Lydia and whatever competition they were now involved in.

"Pardon?"

"Charlotte or Allison...I mean we, um, didn't exactly exchange names earlier..."He was leaning so far to the side in his chair I was worried he'd fall out, with just one large hand holding onto the desk. The other was nervously palming the back of his neck, a habit I was sure I'd get used to over the next few weeks.