Eli Goldsworthy Moving On

Eli Goldsworthy Moving On ~2~

It was in Honors English.

That day he had heard and learned a lot about this mysterious new girl. She had corrected a teacher in class, which meant she was smart. She had defended a bullied nerd, she was outspoken. She had told off someone for calling her emo, she wasn’t . . . then what was she?

She walked into Ms. Dawes Eleventh Grade Honors English class seconds before the bell. She went to Ms. Dawes desk and said something Eli couldn’t hear. Ms. Dawes nodded and point to a desk in the back of the room where there was an empty seat, the farthest from Eli . . . good, right?

Ms. Dawes said, “Ok, class, everyone settle down. This is a new year, so you have new partners. There are an odd amount of students so someone will work alone.”

“I will,” Eli said, before anything else could be stated.

Ms. Dawes nodded. “Thank-you, Eli.” Ms. Dawes looked around the room. “Josh and Andrew. Claire and Serena. Karen and Mike. Lily and Kyle. Sarah and Liam. Heather and Johnny. That’s everyone, any questions?”

“Ms. Dawes?” Claire said, raising her hand.

“Yes?”

“I didn’t mean to interrupt, but who’s Serena?” Claire looked at the teacher with her light brown brows bunched. She looked around the room lost, when Blue Bangs raised her hand.

“I’m Serena,” she said.

Ms. Dawes smiled. “Good. Everyone get into your groups.”

“Serena, I almost forgot. Is there a piece or anything you’d like to share with the class, so we can have an idea of what type or writing you’re into?” Ms. Dawes asked.

“Sure,” Serena said shrugging. She dug into her black messenger back and pulled out an old looking notebook. She flipped through it, not stopping until she found what she wanted.

Serena walked to the front of the class and began:

My emotions are hidden so well

They have been forgotten

The smile I plaster is so ‘genuine’

They believe it is real

The mask I built is so well structured

I barely remember who I am

My laughs are so well acted

No one can tell it’s fake

The lies have escaped my lips so many times

The truth no longer exist

All the changes I have made

Is to make others happy.”

Eli began the clapping, everyone else joined in afterwards. She began walking back to her seat when someone said, “Great, another emo. Just what we need, like Eli isn’t enough.”

Serena turned to look at Liam Harrison, a blond, blue-eyed. “Listen, jerk. Watch your mouth or my fist will be in it. ‘Kay? ‘Kay. Leave the Eli kid alone, too.”

Serena didn’t even know his name and she was defending him. Eli couldn’t help the smile that played on his lips. He felt eyes on him, turning, he saw Claire watching him watch Serena. She had that meddling Claire face on. Great.

*

Eli waited for Serena by her locker after class. She walked over with an iPod in her ears, first day and she was already breaking the rules by using electronics during the school day. She looked up when she noticed Eli and smiled wickedly, “Hello, Mr. No-Manners.”

Eli smiled at her, too. “Sorry, I just had a bad morning.”

“Don’t stress,” Serena said. She opened her locker, putting things in, taking things out. She looked at Eli out of the corner of her eye. “Need something?”

“That poem you read in class,” Eli began.

“Don’t stand there and give me that suicidal, emo crap, or I’ll karate chop you in your neck,” Serena said, venomously. “Don’t think I won’t cause I will, I swear.”

“What?” Eli said, eyebrows crunched. “No! I wanted to say that I thought it was really good. I loved it and Liam was an idiot to say that.”

“Liam? That jerk in class? Mmm. I almost karated chopped him in the neck.”

“Why is that your biggest threat?” Eli asked, amused.

“You ever karate chop someone in the neck, or been karate chopped in the neck?”

“No.”

“Then don’t judge. I’ll see you around. Bye, Green Eyes.”

Green Eyes? Eli liked the sound of that.