the season girls (slow updates)

chapter three

♚Autumn♚

A group of popular girls floated by, their shirts pressed to perfection, their skirts just a few inches over indecency. They looked like they came out of those awfully scripted movies, those characters that you couldn't help but dislike completely.

One of them, a red-headed girl, knocked my shoulder hard, weakening my hold on my books and causing them to crash to the floor. I tightened my jaw but refused to say a word.

"Oops," she tittered before continuing to walk away, her head held high; her friends following suit, giggling amongst themselves.

I waited until they turned the corner, not wanting them to have the satisfaction to watch me crawl on the floor to pick up my books.

I crouched on the floor, balancing my too skinny body on the heels of my Vans. My hands reached out for my books when another body knocked me flat on my face. I expected it to be the red-head and her rag-tag band of brainless blondes when I heard:

"Oh shit. Shit, I'm sorry...God, what the hell is wrong with me?" a girl's voice apologized, sounding so geninue and concerned that I couldn't help but look up.

She looked familiar, with her long auburn locks and snowy skin, like I'd seen her walking through halls, which I probably had. It was so strange to see someone who actually cared for my welfare, probably the first in a long, long time.

"Here," she mumbled, picking up my books as I stood, brushing the nonexistent dust off my jeans, "So sorry, I swear I didn't mean to knock into you."

I stared up into her bright gold eyes, glistening like stars and said timidly, "It's fine."

She rubbed the back of her neck uncomfortably, "I mean, don't take this into offense or anything, but why were you on the ground in the first place? Aren't grounds used for, you know, walking not sunbathing."

Her casual yet witty demeanor made me smile, even if it were a fleeting small one, "Technically, sunbathing wouldn't fit into this scenario since this a hallway in a school with no skylight."

She raised a dark red eyebrow,"Well, I see we have a smart aleck over here. Always love meeting one of my fellow people. I'm Winter Kingswood."

Her smile was infectious, so I couldn't help but smile back, "Autumn Brooks."

By the way she smiled and joked, you might have never noticed how it didn't reach her eyes. That bright light and humor that surrounded her never once in her golden eyes, which were solemn and red, as if she had just finished crying.

You might have never noticed the way she wringed her hands as she smiled sweetly or quickly blinked her eyes side to side as if she were trying to make her eyes less red as she listened and looked as you spoke. You might have never noticed the way she bit her nails when she thought you weren't looking.

This facade she hid behind was pretty darn strong, but I managed to see past it.

"Is everything okay?" I inquired, clutching my books in a tight hold.

It was as if the sun had just set and darkened into nothing; that was her facial expression. Her golden-brown eyes narrowed and bordered on dangerous lines, "Why?"

Why? What kind of question was that? "Oh, no reason. Just...."

"Just what?" There was a strange catch in her throat, almost too sharp and too cold. The look in her eyes was caged, as if she were a wild animal just caught and placed in captivity, like she couldn't escape the situation I placed her under.

"You just seemed sad. You don't have to hide it all the time; I don't," I responded instantly, blinking when I realized what I just said. Never, ever have I said something like that, and it wasn't like I meant to. My secrets were mine to keep and hold and lock in my heart. For whatever I felt to tell this recently met girl, I didn't know.

Winter's face didn't change, a sneer over a guarded look, but her eyes swirled with curiosity and something else I couldn't decipher. After a moment's pause, she cleared her throat and looked away, "Sorry, I didn't mean to get all defensive. I've just had a really long morning. Seriously, sorry for everything."

When she said that, I didn't think she just meant sorry for knocking me down and offending her. It was as if she also meant something deeper, darker down the line, like she was apologize for me being sad and depressed.

"It's fine," I replied, "What were you--"

I was surely interrupted when a boy's face from down the hallway yelled, "Winter!"

My eyes flicked questioningly toward her and I saw her face was scrunched up with annoyance and what looked like amazement.

"Shit. Can't he take a hint?" she muttered, putting her head down, her auburn hair completely covering her face, "Excuse me. I have to leave before I'm hurdled toward another obstacle I've been avoiding all morning."

Before I said anything else, she dashed out of the hallway and into what looked interestingly like the Art Room.

The sharp staccato of someone's sneakers made me turn back around to see a tall boy with a backpack bouncing against his back came coming down the hallway, his dark hair a messy mop on the top of his head.

His silvery eyes landed on me, and he asked, "Hi, sorry, did you see a girl about yea high and about as snarky as fucking possible. She's got like red hair and hazel eyes."

There was no mistaking he was talking about Winter but she didn't seem to be looking for him as he was for her. I didn't understand why, but I felt compelled to help her out, "No, sorry."

He raised an eyebrow and I held his demanding gaze before he huffed and stormed down the hall, past the door she had gone through.

She didn't come back out, and I didn't think she would, so I turned around and started walking down the hallway, wondering how people could be so sad yet so lively.