You Can Read Me

Dropped

During lunch, I was reorganizing my locker. 

Yet again. 

Why did I put my books here? And the water bottle looks absolutely terrible up against my sketchbook. And how did my homework get here? So on and so forth. I needed something to distract me. 

My first day was not going well. 

Apart from Shadow's persistent staring, Sally is in every one of my Monday classes and made a point to make my first day miserable. 

According to her thoughts, she's also planning to continue throughout the week, and the year, if she can get away with it, which she most likely can. 

The only good teacher I have so far is Miss. Kinglet, my art teacher, who shut Sally up and sent her to the office for laughing at my painting after she switched my blue with red. 

But not before she embarrassed me multiple times. 

So yeah, I was rather excited for lunch, an escape from all the noise and awfulness. 

I make my own lunches, trying new dishes from different cultures. It's sort of a hobby, and I enjoy trying new things. Also helped get rid of the one-type-of-food-only bullies who used to steal my lunch. I used to make Cream lunches too, before... 

I gulped, shoving that thought down, way down. 

I grabbed my food and books, before running down the halls to get outside. 

Heading out the doors, to my secret spot, it felt like embarking on an adventure, a great quest where I would triumph. 

I was not the hero in this story. 

My boost of exhilaration diminished as quickly as it came. The bounce in my step slowed as I neared my destination. 

A willow tree, one that was far taller than me, yet I always climb up into its highest branches, despite how dangerous it is. 

Protecting branches that hosted me and my friend so long ago. 

Branches that hold memories of laughter and secrets, hope, and friendship. 

It seems like a past life now, so far away now. 

It might as well be, with how I've lost contact with Cream.

I was also partly responsible for this tree's existence, most definingly at fault for it's size

I unpacked my lunch box, which has never been the same lunch box as the day before due to me constantly making new food. Today, sushi, which quite frankly, I do not remember making yesterday. 

Before I could even remove the chopsticks from my lunchbox, there was an ominous crack, and the ground was falling beneath me. 

I screamed, except I knew nobody heard me and nobody would care, but it didn't matter because it was short-lived.

My brain processed it before I did, Instinctively spreading out my arms, bunching in my legs, preparing for the impact. 

But instead, I fell into strong arms, and burning thoughts. 

I nearly screamed again. 

It hurt, the noise, it made my heart pound. 

It was even more terrifying than death.

It was Shadow.

He was holding me bridal style, looking at me like he didn't want to let me go.

"This girl just gets into trouble for fun at this point." He thought sternly, before setting me down gently. And reluctantly.