Don't let me drown

Ten

The next morning, Sienna left home a bit earlier than usual. Her parents didn't question it and just let her go.
"Good morning," she heard and she turned around.
"Hi!" She said and she smiled.
"Nice shirt," he said as he stopped his little bike.
"Thank you," she smiled and she looked down at her black shirt. Small white letters wrote "Black is my happy colour."
"Shall we go?" He asked and she immediately nodded.
After a few minutes of silence, Ashton broke the silence.
"So, tell me a bit about yourself then?"
Sienna frowned but answered him.
"Well, as you know, I'm Sienna. I'm 16 years old, I live in Richmond with my parents."
"No siblings?"
"Nope."
"Do you have any hobbies then?"
"No, not really." She was doubting if she would say what her hobby really was.
"Oh, I'm sure you have some."
Sienna bit her lip. He seemed so friendly so it wouldn't be that bad to say what she really did in her free time.
"I.. I write poems. Try to make songs out of it. But that's pretty difficult, maybe you know that."
"Oh, really?" Ashton sounded surprised.
"Yeah."
"And.. What are they about?" He asked when they biked out of the forest.
"Well.. A bit about what I tried to do on Wednesday."
"Drowning?"
"Yep. And killing yourself and others and what the oceans are like at the bottom and stuff like that."
"Hm. Interesting." He said.
Sienna felt that the silence got back again, but she wanted to prevent it. She actually líked talking to someone about this.
"So tell me about you then."
"Me?"
"Yeah you," she smiled.
"Okay then." He shook his head what caused all his curls to basically dance around his head. "I'm Ashton, I'm 18 years old-"
"You're 18?" Sienna frowned and looked at the boy next to her with a surprised look.
"Yes, I am!" He giggled. "I live in Hornsby, as you know.. I play in a band with three dudes from Norwest Christian College, further down here, to the south. You know it?"
"Yeah I do. Never been there though."
"Okay. Well, I'm in that band and basically play the drums everywhere." He smiled. They had arrived at school and soon had to say goodbye. Sienna liked him a lot, and didn't want this to end already. Because it was Friday, they only had the chance to cycle together this afternoon. The next time would be Monday.
"Uhm, Ashton.." Ashton parked his bike without chaining it.
"Yeah?"
"Uhm.. Can you send me your timetable? Then I can take a look when.. When we can cycle together, if you know what I mean."
Ashton smiled.
"Sure! Hey, I have to go. See you around, alright?"
Sienna nodded her head and she turned left, walking to the school building.
As soon as she was inside the building, she got pushed to the side and immediately got pinned against the lockers by Catja and Car.
"Who is that? Do you have a boyfriend or something?"
"Yes, you don't think that such a boy can fall in love with someone like you, right?"
"Who do you think you are?"
Sienna felt that she made herself small. She wasn't prepared for these words.
"So, tell us, he isn't your boyfriend right?"
"Catja, take it easy, no one falls in love with someone like hér." Car spat out and she took Catja's arm. Together they walked down the main hall and Sienna followed them after a few seconds.

During the break, Sienna sat down at an empty table. Her eyes searched for a boy with curls, which she soon found at the other side of the canteen. He was sitting at a table with five other boys around him. They were laughing and joking around. Sienna smiled for a second or two before she looked down at her sandwich and took a bite. When she looked up, Ashton's eyes and hers met. She smiled but his eyes didn't show any recognition. He looked away and turned himself to his friends again.
What was that?
Didn't he recognise her?
Millions of questions filled Sienna's head and she felt an urge to write something.
She opened her backpack, took her block note and a pen and pushed her sandwich to the side.

Who am I
Who am I
When I don't know myself
Who am I
Who am I
I'm invisible

Sienna sighed and once again looked at the direction where Ashton was. He was gone.
Sienna put her block note back in her bag and walked to the toilets.
Taking a good look if there was someone else there - which wasn't the case - she took her toothbrush out of her bag and put the tip of it in the end of her mouth. She couldn't eat; she wasn't allowed to.

When she was done, she flushed the toilet and walked to the computer room. She gave her school pass to the teacher who sat there and walked to a computer.
She had one new message at the school mail.
**Ashton Irwin has sent you a message**
She clicked on it and the computer quickly opened up the mail.
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From: Ashton Irwin
To: Sienna White
Sent: Friday October 23rd 2016
Time: 12:04
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Hey Sienna!

Here's my timetable :)
If you want to cycle together, meet me at the music room at the end of the day..

:) X Ash
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Sienna smiled and took a look at the attachment. The timetable looked like hers a lot, except Tuesday's. This meant she had to bike to and from school alone on that day. The other days were fine. On Fridays, he was off one hour before she was, so she would ask him that.

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To: Ashton Irwin
From: Sienna White
Sent: Friday October 23rd 2016
Time: 12:09
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Hey Ashton :)

Thank you! I wondered about the last period today, you're off one hour before I am... :/
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Sienna was doubting if she should add a X as well.
Probably not.
She just sent it like it was.

The answer came very quick.
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From: Ashton Irwin
To: Sienna White
Sent: Friday October 23rd 2016
Time: 12:13
—————————————————
Hey again :)

I'll just spend the spare hour drumming :) no probs!
See ya :)

:) X Ash
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