The Art Of Pretending

Chapter 2

Beep Beep! My alarm blares its more than annoying sound in my ear. Is it really time to get up already? I groan loudly and slam my hand down on the clock, silencing its relentless beeping. I rise off my creeky bed and stretch my tight muscles. "Thats what you get for a long night," I thought to myself. "Well it was worth it, you performed perfectly." Or so said my relatives. After I came down into the house of the theater I was smothered in praise and congratulations. Now there's nothing wrong with a little boost of confidence sometimes, but excessive complimenting makes me uncomfortable. I don't need other people telling me how I did, I can make that judgement for myself.

I trudged into my bathroom with achy legs and looked at myself in the mirror. Dark circles under my eyes the color of a bruise, red patches of irritated skin courtesy of thick coats of stage makeup, and my unruly, curly chestnut brown hair fanned in all directions. "This is my day after the play look," I joke to myself. I shake my head, as if to shake away the tiredness, but who am I kidding? I'll be trying to catch up on the lost sleep for a week!
I make myself throw on a tank and a flannel, and squeeze myself into some jeans. "Gotta lay off those girl scout cookies Harmony..." I laugh quietly to myself because everyone knows that isnt going to happen. I pack my Jansport backpack and head out the door.
At school the hallways were flooded with seas of people, from all walks of life. I had my headphones in, playing a Broadway showtoon that was not too over the top, but distracted me just enough that I walked right into a boy in front of my locker. Oooph! I grumbled as I looked up but then did a double take. Jason Teeka, captain of the debate team, was brushing himself off right in front of me. Jason was well known around the school for being a genius, but despite his nerdy credentials I had never spoken a word to him. He looked me up and down, and I felt a blush creeping onto my already ruddy cheeks. Is he silently judging me? Do I have something on my flannel? He cocked an eyebrow and smirked, "Watch yourself smalls, the hallways are pretty dangerous." I looked at him with my mouth agape, not quite registering the off-handed insult that was delivered, and before I could, he waltzed away, and I watched his lanky figure disappear into the mass.

As someone who is easily offended, this comment rubbed me the wrong way, and I told Cora through a mouthful of salad at lunch the entire story.
"Well he's not the sweetest berry on the bush, but he's the sharpest knife in the drawer." She commented, laughing at her corny word play. I rolled my eyes at her, but thought I can't just write him off. Maybe if I could avoid him, I could just forget that happened.

OK hellloooo everyone, I know this is a short chapter and I haven't updated in a while, but I promise I will update more often. Thank you for reading!
-Makenna