prepare to be noticed.

lilac walls.

--Anna--

"So from looking at your timetable you have English with me and Derek," Ryan glanced around,"...who isn't with us right now.."

We were walking through the halls and Ryan and Tony were looking at my timetable to see what lessons I had with who.

"Tyler, where did Derek go?" Tony asked him. Tyler was slightly ahead in the hall, obviously in a rush to get to class.

My mind wondered who this Derek was but I wasn't too bothered to find out anytime soon.

"....Tyler.....Bro...." Ryan said, confused by his lack of reply.

We'd slowed down as we'd neared a classroom but Tyler seemed to caught up in his thoughts and carried on to his class without saying anything.

I looked around the hallway and peeked into the, yet to be people filled, classroom.

Posters on word types and punctuation were tacked to the wall on top of badly painted lilac walls.

"It ain't much but it's better than nothing." Ryan said, shrugging his shoulders as I inspected the classroom further.

The door swung open and a tired, middle aged looking woman stood in the door way.

"Boys, come in first, the girls will be placed next to you so make you have an empty seat next to you." She said sternly with a hardened look.

As she'd finished her words, the boy from the janitors closet, stumbled up the hall, with the girl trailing behind him, slipped into the classroom without a word.

"Nice to see you Mr. DiScanio." She greeted him with an eye roll.

Tony and Ryan began to leave my side and I grabbed Ryan's wrist with a look of desperation.

"You'll be fine, the guys here are chill. It's the chicks you need to worry about." He said with a forced chuckle.

Ryan was trying to lighten the mood for me but he came across and plain and pushed.

"Okay girls, stand around the edge of the classroom so I can place you in a seat." The yet to be named teacher said with a soft voice.

About 15 girls happily trotted in before me, all glancing at the boy from earlier, who was sat towards the back of the class.

He seemed too pleased with himself, obviously he's the one everyone wants a piece of which means I need to stay clear.

I stood next to the only other girl who seemed to be wearing jeans that didn't come half way up their stomach paired, with a badly made crop top from forever 21.

"I'm Karina and you look normal and new, hi." She greeted nicely.

"I'm Anna and don't understand the fashion here, but I'm not too fussed on the look anyway." I smiled back.

"I like the way you think, Anna."

"Thanks, it's not hard."

She laughed and then got seated next to Ryan who seemed quite happy to be sat with her.

A few more girls got seated around the class, next to boys and didn't and probably won't ever care to know.

"Emily. Sit by Tom please." The teacher said plainly.

She heavily sighed, cocked one hip out and shrugged her shoulders.

It was the girl who was with the cute boy.

"Why can't I sit over there?" She whined, pointing the boy.

"Because you're publicly dating and I don't place couples together in my classroom, Emily."

She stropped to her seat and threw herself in her seat causing a few people, including myself, at her brattiness.

The attention was then diverted to me.

"Oh, you must be the new girl." The teacher said looking at me with wide eyes.

I adjusted the straps of my backpack and nodded at her.

"Okay, Miss. Anna Miller, next to Derek please."

I nervously glanced around.

"Who's Derek?"

The whole class sniggered, along with shocked faces and a few quiet gasps.

Mine and his cheeks flushed red.

This was not what I had planned.

"Um, me.... I'm Derek."

The boy.

He pushed himself up in his chair and pulled the one out next to him as I walked towards him and the desk.

Ryan gave me a thumbs up and Tony shot a smile at my direction. Maybe they knew him.

I dropped into my seat as the comments about me were thrown around the classroom.

"How does she not know who Derek DiScanio is?"

"As if she gets to sit next to him and she doesn't even know him. Not cool."

"Gross. She's not even dressed good enough for him. He deserves better than that, everyone knows it."

Everyone else was seated and the lesson began.

She introduced herself as Mrs. Duncan and gave us a short speech and then proceeded to ask us to write about anything we wanted. "But only talk to the person next to you."

The silence was unpleasant but bearable. Until Derek decided it'd be a good idea to speak up.