Beyond Words

4. First Day Of Hell... *Of School* (sorry)

~ September !st ~

The fateful day came – I had both dreaded and anticipated it with a surprising sense of peace. On one hand, I feared having to explain to every student why I had white hair and white skin – this tedious task of getting to know people drained my energy for several days. On the other hand, I told myself that I didn't need friends, but rather peace. Solitude had been my best friend in the days following my disastrous encounter with Gale. As if to echo my thoughts, when I left the house, Mom stayed in the doorway and called out behind me:

"Try to make some friends, my dear!"

I refrained from sighing in front of her.

I walked slowly to school – last year with the little pre-teens! (yes, I am a school year behind due to my fragile health) – with my denim hat pulled down firmly on my head. I briefly thought of Gale, hoping both to see a familiar face in the crowd and to avoid any new friendships. I walked around the schoolyard, much like a bird of prey circling its hunting ground, except that I was the prey, circling my enemy – the noisy, disorderly swarm of wasps (students, sorry) – before it could trap me. Uh oh, I felt spotted: two girls looked at me for an abnormally long time. I boldly returned their gaze and they approached me.

"Do you have a problem?" I asked them coldly.

They exchanged a look. The brunette with bangs falling in front of her eyes spoke first; her curly-haired companion smiled slightly, but I couldn't decide if her smile was friendly or mocking.

"No, but what's your name?"

I quickly thought of the most socially awkward reply. Despite myself, my mother's words resonated in my head: "Try to make some friends, my dear!" Damn it.

"Romane," I said in a bored tone.

Now, get out of my sight.

"Are you new here?" asked Brunette.

"Why is that your concern?" I retorted.

Curly Hair (brunette like Brunette, but I had to distinguish them) smiled wider, then shrugged and said:

"You looked lonely, so we were just wondering, that's all."

Spoiler alert: when someone is "just wondering," it's NEVER just that.

"I have albinism. Are you satisfied with your curiosity now?"

They looked at me, seemingly puzzled by my reaction. I felt reassured to see that my slight efforts to "socialize" were bearing fruit. I stepped around them and moved away quickly, head held high. Was the bell going to ring soon? I felt my eyes tiring under the morning sun, and I didn't particularly want to talk to anyone, as every individual filling the schoolyard with noise and mess seemed horribly unappealing in terms of sociability.

"Wait!" a voice called out behind me.

Curly Hair caught up with me before Brunette.

"Are you going to follow me around like duck tape or what?" I said, trying to rid myself of their intrusive presence.

"No, we just want to be your friends," replied Curly Hair.

"Well, I don't want friends," I said.

Curly Hair rolled her eyes.

"We can get to know each other. She," she said, glancing at Brunette, "is Charlene, and I'm Scarlett."

The bell rang, saving me from spewing more venom at them. I followed the crowd of jostling students who dispersed according to their grade. I joined the back of the sixth-grade line, which moved like a snake towards the dark hearth that served as the entrance. Near it stood a lady dressed in medieval garb, holding a long parchment and a quill. I noticed that the other adults were also dressed according to various eras. When I reached the medieval lady, she asked for my name, which I reluctantly revealed. I liked anonymity, but oh well...