Oh, Marcel!

Hi, Want To Have Lunch With Me And My Friends?

~Marcel~

"Have good day at school, Marcel!" Mrs. Slovak smiled and waved as she drove away in my black Camero.

This morning I had woken up to breakfast in bed. She made eggs and toast with a little packet of butter on the side. The orange juice was also her infamous home squeezed. I was surprised when she handed me the tray and then strode over to my closet mumbling something in Russian. Mrs. Slovak picked out grey slacks and a gray polo. She also yanked out a dull blue sweater vest from the pile of clothes on the floor.

"Here you are going to wear these for school today. It's so great to be back!" Her voice sounded chipper and happy as she walked out of the room shutting the door behind her.

What had she meant by its great to be back? Was she not just a guest?

I hadn't gotten the chance to ask my parents yet because Mrs. Slovak was busy nagging me from my shirt not being tucked in to my hair not being properly gelled.

Laughter from inside the school broke up my thoughts as I walked in. There was kids lined all along the hallway laughing. I could see a flash of blonde hair turn down a hallway. The person was too quick for me to see who it was.

I walked to my locker.

Head down low, my bag close to my side.

I felt like I was regressing to the old Marcel.

The new one hidden away just like my curly hair.

A pencil bounced off the back of my head, a fellow student laughing hysterically with his friends behind me.

I didn't show any emotion, I just kept walking.

Even though I really wanted to.

Ember still had quite an effect on me however. If she was with me, I might have said something.

I feel bad because I hadn't texted her yesterday. I was too busy welcoming Mrs. Slovak back and time just got the best of me. Plus she made me go to bed at 9 and she took my phone away.

I patted my pockets.

I hadn't gotten my phone back. She must have it still.

What if Ember texts and she gets it?

 Nervous jitters passed through me.

She wouldn't reply would she?

Please don't! Please!

"HEY LOOOOOSER!"

I tried to keep my head down, but it snapped up.

"Marceelll! Nerdy boy! How ya been? Did you have fun at my party?" Johnny claps his hand on my back and I stand up straighter.

"Leave me alone, Johnny."

"Ah, so he speaks, yes?" He grabs the back of my vest. Johnny pulls me away from a group of kids to a less populated spot.

"If you ever show up at my house again, nerd, I will make your life hell outside of school as well as in." He dropped my collar. "Watch yourself, kid." A quick slap to my cheek and my glasses slide down my nose.

I fix them and slump against the wall as he struts away back to his friends. They all stare at me and he ushers them away.

I need to find Ember. She's my only friend in this whole mess and I could really use a friend right now.

 ~Ember~

Everyone in Mrs. Anges class stares at me as I walk in. The tall, blond mess that I am, I can't blame them. A pretty girl in the corner gives me a small comforting smile and waves me over. I take the empty desk next to her.

She looks like a model. Her dark hair falling past her shoulders in ringlets and her perfect teeth showing as she smiled up at me. Her makeup looked like it had been expertly applied and her outfit was very stylish, but not overdone.

The desk creaks as I sit down and yet again everyone's eyes are on me.

Woo, star of the show again, Ember.

"Hi. I'm Veronica." Her sweet whisper comforts me.

"I'm Ember. I just moved here." I say feeling a little more relaxed. The kid on the other side shoots me a dirty look, but I'm able to ignore it.

"Oh, you're the new student! Sorry, I wasn't here on Thursday and Friday of last week." She offers me her manicured hand to shake.

I take it and return her warm smile.

"So how do you like it here so far?" Her voice gets softer as Mrs. Anges glares at her from the front of the room.

"It's okay I guess." I whisper and open my book to the correct page Mrs. Anges was now writing on the board.

"Oh, well that's good. Um, did you want to have lunch today with me? You can come sit with me and my friends?" She seems sweet. So why not, Ember? Not like you heard from Marcel.

"Okay, that sounds cool." I smile at her and she turns to face the front and listens to the teacher. I do the same, until a tall boy with glasses walks in.

Marcel.

What is he wearing? He's gone back to his sweater vest. And his beautiful curly hair is now a blob of brown on his head.

I try to get his attention as he takes his normal seat. He looks a bit shaken, like something has just happened to him.

Marcel doesn't look up at me waving to him.

He keeps his head down in his book now.

"Marcel!" I try to whisper over to him.

A slight tremor overcomes his body and he looks up at me. His face pale and scared. I can feel my heart drop to my stomach as I look into his terrified eyes.

I mouth to him and ask what's wrong. He just stares back.

*Tell me later?*

He nods his head and turns back to the book. I continue to stare at him, he looks like a child. A scared and hopeless child.

Just a few nights ago I was the scared and hopeless child and he was the strong knight in shining armor.