Bring Me Light [Editing]

Chapter 3 - Elena

As my mom pulls up into the school's driveway, I look around my school.

"So, how does it feel to be a junior now?" Mom asks.

"Not much different," I reply blankly.

"Oh. Well have a nice first day. Are you going to walk home?"

"Yeah, sure."

As I step into my new classroom, I look around to see everyone reuniting with their old friends, talking about their summers. I see one of my old friends from my freshman year, when Joy was still around, but I don't go and say hello. I haven't talked to them since. We just nod at each other as I walk past. I sit myself down at a desk in the back of the room. No need to be the center of attention, not that there'd be any reason I would be. The morning goes by really slowly, mostly introductions, and learning people's names, blah, blah, blah, more uninteresting stuff.

In my 4th period class, however, there's something slightly interesting. A new boy has enrolled at our dump of a school.

"My name's Jackson, and I'm from Boston," the new boy says. He seems uninterested in being introduced, for he's probably already said that line 3 times today. As the boy sits down, I take more notice in his physical features. He is dressed in all black, a leather jacket hanging loose around his shoulders. He has dark, chocolate colored hair, with bright blue eyes that seem to glimmer in the sunlight that shines through the window. He's tall and lean, probably a good six feet tall, and is maybe a bit attractive. All the girls seem to be looking his way at least, including me.

I look down at what I'm wearing, suddenly a bit self conscious about my outfit. I'm in some rolled up boyfriend jeans, a dark purple velvet long sleeve shirt, and some gold ballet flats. Not exactly the cutest outfit I could have on.

No Elena. Stop it. You don't find any interest in boys, and it's not like they'd ever find any interest in you. You shouldn't care about this stuff.

I force myself to look away, and it works. He's out of my mind for the rest of the day.

At lunch, I buy myself a slice of pizza, and try to find myself a table. I find an empty one at the corner of the room, and sit myself down there. Eating really measly bites, I read a book while eating. A few minutes into lunch, I hear a scream, then a bunch of 'Ewww's . I stand up in my seat to see what happened, and find a guy hunched over, running in the direction of the bathroom. From the direction he was running, is a pile of throw up. Poor guy. What a great way to start off the school year. And his name is Zach. I can already picture the names he'll be called.

-

When I get home, I flop down on the couch with my laptop in hand with Netflix and some Pringles. It feels nice to finally be out of boring old school. I'm in the middle of an episode of Friends, when my mom walks in.

"How was your first day of school Elena?"

I just shrug. How dare she interrupt my favorite TV show.

"Elena, put down the computer, and talk to your mother."

I reluctantly close the laptop and set it aside. Sometimes, I wonder why I even bother to talk to anyone. I walk over to one of the barstools in our kitchen, sit down, and look expectantly to my mom.

"Well, anything you want to tell me? Anything exciting happen?" she asks.

I shrug, think about it, then shake my head. "Unless you call having someone throw up in the cafeteria exciting, then no," I say glumly.

My mom just sighs. As I walk back to the couch to grab my computer, my mom stops me.

"Honey, can't you do anything but sit around watching television? There is a new family that moved in across the alley from us. Why don't you go and say hi to them. I hear they have a son your age," my mother gives me a small smile.

"Nah," I say, picking up my computer and Pringles. "Maybe some other time," and I walk into my room, closing the door behind me.

After dinner, my mother asks me to take out the trash.

"But mom, that's gross," I argue.

"It's either that or the dishes, your choice."

"Fine." I absolutely hate doing the dishes.

As I'm unlocking the alley gate, I hear a voice come up in front of me. I look up to see the new boy from our school. What was his name? Common Elena, you can remember this.

"Hey," he says.

"Umm, so you're New Boy?" I feel kind of bad because I sound kind of grumpy. Plus I called him New Boy. Great job at making a good impression Elena.

He just stares at me. "You could call me that I guess. Jackson is my name though," he says, holding out his hand to shake.

I take it. "Elena," I say in a monotonous tone. We stand there in the alley in silence for a few seconds, then I turn to put the garbage in the bin, then walk back up the pavement to my house.

"So I'll see you tomorrow I guess?" New Boy asks.

"Sure thing Jackson," I say, trying to give him a genuine smile. It probably just looked like one of those funeral smiles though. Like the ones that you give to the family of the dead person.

Jackson turns around then, and walks back into his house. See you tomorrow, Jackson.