Black Hearts

Chapter One

Maria sat in the back of the class. Drawing a black Iris, floating in a river full of red roses. She could care less about what the teacher was talking about. She knew the material already from middle school so there was no need to refresh fresh information. Each desk was put together in groups of four, all either next to each other or facing one another. Maria sat in the back, in a desk all by herself.
Seeing everyone in their own little groups annoyed the hell out of her. She reached into her messenger bag and popped a red pill in her mouth when no one was looking. She smiled before going back to her drawing. All of a sudden, she heard giggling.
These two girls sitting next to each other were driving her insane. One of them, the girl with her hair tied in a bun, was in almost all of her classes except first. The other girl was one of the girls she sat next to at lunch. Every five seconds they were lean forward and whisper another thing into each other's ear and laugh like damn maniacs. Maria couldn't help but think they were talking about her.
She couldn't concentrate on her drawing anymore. Sighing, Maria reached into her pocket to get her money out. Her pocket was empty. She had five dollars in there and it was gone. She cursed silently as she punched the desk. Again, the girls giggled. She shot them the death glare but they weren't even looking in her direction anymore. Then she got an idea.
She hated the idea as soon as she had thought about it, but it was a good idea. She ripped out a piece of lined paper and wrote the following note...
"Hey, can I borrow a dollar fifty for the vending machine? Please, I'm really thirsty and I skipped out on lunch today. Thanks, Mariana."
The teacher was on the phone, it was the perfect opportunity. If only they would look in her direction. She tried whistling, banging, and snapping her fingers but it was like they were deaf. Finally, her pencil "rolled" off her desk and she used it as an excuse to walk over to their table and slide them the note.
The girls giggled a bit before reaching for the note. The girl with the hair bun unfolded the notes and the other girl looked over her shoulder as she read it.
They giggled again before the girl with the bun looked up to face Maria. It was the first time they made eye to eye contact. Maria felt the need to look away. The girl nodded and gestured for Maria to come over to their table. Maria bit her lip and looked slightly annoyed, but when the teacher wasn't looking, she got up and sat at their table. She sat across from the other girl who was their and quickly stuffed her drawing in her binder.
The girl with the bun handed her a five dollar bill as the bell rang, concluding the first day of school. Maria got up, slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder and gripping the bill tightly in her hand. Maria awkwardly scratched her head before approaching the two girls, who continued to whisper and giggle.
"Ummm thanks... I'll make sure to pay you back tomorrow." Maria said as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
"No it's okay!" The girl with the hair bun quickly said as she adjusted her backpack. "My name's Eva."
"And I'm Arianna." The other girl chimed in with a smile.
"We're cousins." Eva clarified. They both smiled and side by side, they did look related. They both had a pale complexion with dark black hair and brown eyes.
"Oh, cool. Are you sure you don't mind by the way? I can pay you back easily." Maria asked again. She felt awkward asking another person for help, especially financially.
"It's fine!" Eva ensured. "Hey, why don't you sit with us during lunch tomorrow?"
"Yeah! That's a great idea!" Arianna agreed eagerly.
Maria hesitated for a moment. She honestly wanted to be alone, she kept telling herself that. But at the same time, she yearned to get to know these girls more and to make friends.
"S-sure. Sounds great." Maria said finally. Both of the girls smiled and told her where to meet them during lunch period. Maria rushed out of the classroom and walked as fast as she could to catch the bus without seeming desperate. She didn't want to lose her seat, but didn't want to get known as that girl who always runs in the halls. She nearly bumped into Alice, who had just come from a crappy day from physical education.