"To Ansel, it was an insightful point on the idea of a home. To Saiph, it was a hit to her heart. A reminder that this will never really be her home, not without Alcor."
Saiph and Alcor have been inseparable since they were young, so it hurt her ter...
After two weeks of going to St Francis, Saiph now remembers the route to the table her new friendship group sits at for lunch. Ezra's locker is closest to hers, so he was usually the one showing the way. But now she can do it on her own, and she can't help but feel that it's a tiny accomplishment. Saiph was starting to settle into her new home, and it made her feel guilty.
The feeling haunts her all the way to the lunch table. Ansel, Ezra, Rue and Franny were already eating their food, laughing at some joke Ezra had just spilled. Saiph feels more comfortable around them now as if they're her true friends. She knows Rue is strict about taking care of the environment, Ezra uses jokes to cope in loose or tense situations, and Francesca is the soft and beautiful butterfly you catch on rare occasions in your garden. Then, there's Ansel, her first friend in Melbourne.
"You found us!" Ezra smiles and waves at Saiph.
"All on my own, too. You were a great tour guide," she tells him.
"We heard about your photoshoot with Franny," Rue pipes up. "Can we see the photos?"
Ensuring no teachers are around, Saiph slips out her phone and pulls up the gallery of pictures. Her friends circle around her as she swipes through the photos. Francesca, in particular, gushes over the photographs. Saiph begins to feel the warmth of their friendship warp around her, and she can't help but smile. She doesn't realise it, but she doesn't think about Alcor for a moment.
"Could I post these? I love the way you've done them!" Francesca asks.
"Of course, I'll send them through now," Saiph sends them through to her.
A shadow Saiph notices grows in front of her. Her friends scrambled to get her phone, but it was too late.
"Saiph, is that a phone?" Mr Peters asks behind her.
"Of course not, sir," Saiph jokes. It's the first joke she's made in a while.
Mr Peters doesn't say a word. He just presents his hand and waits for Saiph to place it in his hand. She sighs and defeatedly gives her teacher the phone. As the rules follow, Saiph won't be able to collect it until school is done. Mr Peters still smiles at her as he walks away.
"Other than that, what do you think about the whole photography thing?" Ansel looks to Saiph.
She looks down at her hands and fiddles with her thumbs. "Um, it was fun. I don't really think it's for me, though."
Ansel nudges Saiph's shoulder to get her to look up at him. The minute their eyes lock, she can't look away. He smiles, and she can't help but smile, too. It was like there were only the two of them at the table. Ezra, Rue, and Francesca weren't there in Saiph's mind—at least they weren't until Rue speaks up.
"How about netball?"
"What about it?" Saiph asks.
"As a hobby. I have practice this afternoon, and my coach won't mind if you join."
Saiph doesn't say a word for a few seconds as she thinks. Ansel helps her thoughts by leaning in to whisper, "It wouldn't hurt. I think you should do it."
Saiph's cheeks form a light blush as goosebumps trail down her ear.
"That sounds good."
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Saiph had been nervous all day. Ansel had become the person to help her pursue these potential hobbies, but he wouldn't be joining her this time. Rue met Saiph at her locker before changing into their sports uniform. She tried to make Saiph as comfortable as she could. They went around the whole team, and they introduced themselves. To Saiph, some seemed nice, but most seemed...bitchy.
"Don't worry; there are a few good apples here. Even though some of us don't like one another, we still work as a team, ya know?"
No. Saiph didn't know. She wasn't sure she could be in a team with girls who weren't that nice. But as long as some lovely people like Rue were on the team, Saiph could at least get through this training session.
"Alright, girls!" Rue's netball coach comes into the building. Let's start warm-ups! Saiph, could you come here, please?" Rue squeezes her friend's hand before jogging over to the other girls. The coach smiles at Saiph as she extends her hand to shake. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Mrs Callian. Have you played netball before?"
"No. I'm not sure if it's even something I'm interested in. I'm just trying to find a hobby."
Mrs Callian smiles, "If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Take your time today and just have fun."
"Thanks, miss."
Saiph jogs back to where the girls are warming up and sits beside Rue. She oversees their movements as she attempts to do every step right. The girls with her help her out, while she can hear snickering at the other end of the line.
"Just ignore them. They're being assholes," Rue says loudly with a death glare at them.
The girls roll their eyes and continue their warm-up routine. Soon after, they get into a practice game. Rue shows her the ropes for running and the rules for each position. Mrs Callian rotates Saiph to different places on the court to give her a taste of each placement. But nothing clicks for Saiph.
Unfortunately, she can't help but feel like there's nothing for her out there. She thinks she'll only ever be a name and nothing more.
"So? What did you think?" Rue asks as they change into their formal uniform.
"Another thing that isn't right for me, unfortunately. I appreciate your help though. I'll see you later, Rue."
Before Rue can pitch anything in, Saiph quickly escapes and gets to the office to collect her phone. After a long day, she needs her brother and so, Saiph drafts up a text message for Alcor.
