Embracing Mia

A new friend

As our teacher delved into the intricacies of grammar, the school principal made an unexpected entrance, accompanied by a boy. That was certainly unusual.

"Hello, students. Today, we have a new admission joining us. Please give him a warm welcome," announced the principal, gesturing to the boy beside him.

"Hi, guys, I'm Noah. I don't really know what more to say about myself... but yeah, I recently moved here, and I would love to make some new friends," Noah introduced himself with a shy smile.

The girls in our class erupted into whispers and giggles, already swooning over Noah's presence. I couldn't help but feel annoyed by their reaction, though I couldn't pinpoint exactly why.

After a brief conversation with our English teacher, the principal exited the classroom, leaving behind a palpable sense of excitement mingled with curiosity.

"Kids, I would want you all to behave yourselves, and Noah, you can go and take a seat beside..." The teacher's voice trailed off, and for a brief moment, I prayed silently, "Please don't look at me. Please don't look at me."

"Mia! Noah, take a seat beside Mia," the teacher announced, sending a shiver down my spine.

As Noah walked towards me, the whispers around the classroom grew louder, stabbing into my ears like daggers.

"Did our teacher really have to make Noah sit beside this fat bitch?" one girl remarked, her words slicing through the air.

"Exactly, why her?" chimed in her friend, their voices dripping with disdain.

"He's so handsome, and look at Mia! Lol, what a pair... reminds me of Beauty and the Beast. Beast being Mia," they burst into laughter, their mocking words ringing in my ears.

I felt a wave of shame wash over me, my cheeks burning with humiliation. Why me, God? Why did I have to endure this cruelty?

Noah settled into the seat beside me, his gaze briefly meeting mine. In that fleeting moment of eye contact, I saw a flicker of understanding in his eyes, as if he sensed the turmoil raging within me.

Unable to bear the weight of his scrutiny, I quickly averted my gaze, my heart heavy with shame. I was certain he had heard the hurtful comments, adding to the burden of my humiliation.

After what felt like an eternity, our English class finally came to an end, and our teacher exited the room, leaving us to await the arrival of our art teacher.

"Hi, I'm Noah," Noah's voice broke through the heavy silence. I looked at him, still consumed by shame, but managed to muster a fake smile and replied, "Hi, I'm Mia."

Noah's next words caught me off guard, "Mia, will you be my friend and show me around the school?"

Whispers began to circulate around the room, incredulous at Noah's request. I felt a surge of anger rising within me, and without thinking, I lashed out at him, "You don't need to pity me! I know you don't want to be my friend. A boy like you would never talk to a girl like me!"

Noah's expression softened, and he reached out to calm me, "Hey, calm down, Mia. I don't know why you would think like that, but I genuinely want to be your friend. Please don't think so low of me."

Ashamed of my outburst, I looked down, my eyes brimming with unshed tears. With a shaky voice, I apologized, "I'm sorry, Noah," wiping away the tear that threatened to fall. "Let's start again. Hi, I'm Mia."

"Hi, Mia, lovely meeting you. I'm Noah... let's be friends," Noah said with a genuine smile, extending his hand towards me.

As our art teacher entered the class, a sense of excitement washed over me. Art was and always would remain my first love, a sanctuary where I could escape the harsh realities of the world.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Noah observing me with a smirk. His question caught me off guard, "Is it our art teacher you're fond of? Or just the subject?"

I couldn't help but laugh at his inquiry. "Art is my first love, Noah," I replied with a wide smile, my eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"Interesting," Noah remarked, his expression unreadable. There was a hint of curiosity in his gaze, as if he were trying to unravel the layers of my personality.

As our art lesson began, I immersed myself in the creative process, losing myself in the strokes of the brush and the vibrant colors on the canvas. Despite the lingering discomfort from earlier, Noah's presence beside me brought a newfound sense of comfort, and for the first time in a long while, I felt a glimmer of hope flicker within me.

Today felt like a miracle! After our art class, Noah and I caught up on so much happening in our lives. For the first time in forever, I felt... happy!? Yes, happy! It was a strange and unfamiliar feeling, but one that I welcomed with open arms.

As the noon bell rang and students began to leave, Sam called out to me. Noah and I turned to see her approaching.

"I'll leave now, Mia. I'm running late. I have some plans for tonight with my family... but hey, don't forget you still have to show me around the school, okay?" Noah said with a teasing smile as he walked away, not waiting for my reply.

"He is so strange," I thought to myself, watching him go, a smile playing at the corners of my lips.

"Mia!" Sam's voice brought me back to reality as she reached me. "Looks like someone likes you, huh?" she teased.

"No, Sam, nothing like that. He's just a friend," I replied, my smile bright and genuine.

To be continued...