Emotionally dead

Chapter 4: Familiar Faces

          I look around and see so many faces that I've seen for the past 12 years, we rarely ever get new people at our school. Finally I can see Skylar coming toward me with her new clothes on, Skylar is my best friend. She's the only one that understands my struggles and past, I thank god for her everyday. I know I wanted to die that day, but without her, I wouldn't be here. As she's approaching me, I take off my coat and set my bag on the ground ready to jump into a comforting hug. "I missed you so much!" Skylar shouts. "I missed you too, why don't you talk quieter? I swear i saw 3 people look at me." Skylar laughs and looks around, "Lennox, there's no one looking at us, I swear your anxiety has gotten worse since you got out of the hospital." I nod my head and stare at the ground. "I mean, you out of anyone knows how bad my anxiety is Skylar." "well guess what!?" Skylar says, "We got a new foreign exchange student in our grade this year, isn't that awesome?" Oh yay, someone else was dragged into this horrible school. "Her name is Valentina, apparently she's from Mexico! isn't that cool?" Skylar says with so much enthusiasm. "I mean, I guess that is pretty cool, but there's no way we could be friends with her." "Why not!?" Skylar asks. "Really Skylar? You know the popular girls will swallow her up for a few weeks then throw her back up." She nods and agree's. "Well, let's go to our lockers, I need to put my things away." We walk toward our new lockers down the end of the hall and put our things away. "Alright, I'll see you after homeroom and we will compare our classes." She agrees and we walk into our new homerooms.
    As I walk in, I see the new foreign exchange student and sigh. She's so pretty and tan, I bet she has got her life together. I feel like I should stray from sitting beside her, I can't stand the pressure of being friends with the fresh meat. I sit across the room from all of the other students as they all whisper and talk amongst themselves. Looking down playing with my pen, I realize that the light has escaped from the top of my eyes and I look up. I see the tan girl standing in front of me and I try to avoid her by looking back down at the pen in my hands. She then begins to talk and says "Hi, I'm Valentina and I'm new. What's your name?" I look up and quickly say "Lennox, My name is Lennox." I then look over at the clock across the room and see that it says 7:44. "Well, I have to go now, we leave at 7:45. Bye!" I say, trying to avoid her. But as I'm getting up she follows me to the door and shows me her schedule and says, "We have all of the same classes, I was told by the homeroom teacher. So you have to show me where to go, if that is okay?" I feel the anxiety rush through my body and feel physically sick. "I guess that's okay." I say anxiously. The bell rings and we walk out of the classroom, "Well I need to meet up with my best friend Skylar quick to compare our schedules, so you can hang out there next to my locker." I say while pointing at my locker down the hall.
    I start down the hall and run into skylar at her locker which is a few lockers down from mine. She notices that the foreign exchange student is standing at my locker and she says jealously "I thought we couldn't befriend the new student." I laugh and say "I'm not her friend, she just has classes with me and I was apparently nominated to show her around the school. Believe me, She's not my friend. As soon as the popular girls find her, she will be out of my hair." Skylar sighs and looks at my schedule. "We literally only have lunch A together." "What?" I say anxiously, "I can't do this without you Skylar." She nods and grabs my arms. "It will be okay Lennox, it's a new year, you can do this if you trust yourself. Do you trust yourself?" I shrug and hug her for a long as I can. She then says "Okay, now go take Valentina to class and worry only about yourself, you are strong and I love you." She then walks the other way to her first period class. I look back at Valentina and I see her standing there with a big smile on her face waiting for me. 'Oh lord please help me today." I whisper to myself as i walk toward Valentina. "Are you ready to go to the first period class?" She nods and grasps my hand. "I'm nervous Lennox." I look at her and smile, "I promise it will be okay, now let's go to class, we can't get a tardy on the first day." We walk down the hall with the same anxious feelings and finally arrive to our first class. "Here we are." I say to Valentina. "Let's make today count." She agrees and we walk into the classroom.