What She Left

chapter two

dedicated to clarifications for being an amazing author and friend <3

----------------------------------------------------

seven forty nine a.m., march fifteenth, two thousand and seventeen

     The wind is sharp and whipping, but the sun is warm on sixteen-year-old Meilin Yang's skin. She's happier than normal today.

       She meets Brigid right outside of the school building, shading eyes and waiting with another girl Mei faintly recognizes. They fall into step simultaneously, Mei's arm linking with Brigid's. "Mei, you remember Tessa?" Brigid asks. "She's in third period. English. She's a sophomore, though. Advanced class."

      Mei smiles faintly at the other girl. "Yeah, yeah. You sit right next to me." It was a guess, but Tessa's nod confirms it. The younger girl has a gleam in her eye Mei recognizes as a happiness linked to being recognized by someone you admire.

     Nearly all of the school stops to greet or at least wave to Mei and Brigid as they approach their classroom. They're not the popular girls, but they're the girls everyone knows. Brigid for her open friendliness and Mei for her effortless beauty.

     When Mei glances out of the corner of her eye, she can see the way Tessa's shoulders straighten and her walk turns into more of a stride.

     She doesn't know why Brigid invited her to walk with them today, but she doesn't mind, as long as the girl stays in her limit. Mei's no bossy popular, but she knows her place and everyone else's place, and she's happy with being queen of her own little kingdom with Brigid by her side.

     Today, the halls feel more alive than normal. Mei can see the sunshine even through the lack of windows in the hallway, and it lifts her spirits. We'll make today another good day, darling, says her father's voice in her head. And Mei would list excuse after excuse about how today couldn't not be a good day, and he would say, But Meilin, my love, the only way to have a good day is to make it good yourself.

      "And what makes you so cheerful today?" Brigid asks, smiling. Brigid's always smiling.

     Mei lets a small smile settle on her lips. "It's a beautiful day." She waves to a dark-haired boy that passes by. Jack, she remembers.

     When she enters her first period class, Brigid a step behind her, she doesn't notice anything wrong. And for the next three and half minutes, everything in Meilin Yang's life is exactly the way it's supposed to be.

     The first thing she notices, as the teacher, Mr. Garner, walks in, is that there's one empty seat. Mei always sits in the same space; the front right corner, not directly in Mr. Garner's line of vision but a spot where she can read the chalkboard without having to put in her contacts. With a slight turn of her head she can see the entire class, every student. And one's missing. Every student at Stone Ridge High knows not to be late to Mr. Garner's class.

     As Mei racks her brain, trying to remember who the lost student may be, Brigid leans over subtly. Keeping her eyes on their middle-aged teacher, she whispers, "Nikitis. Bailey."

     Mei easily recognizes the name. Bailey Nikitis is the known silent, brooding student who gives away nothing with her expressions- her usual look known to the school as the "Bailey Bitch Face"- and says even less. Rolling her eyes, she taps her fingernail on her notebook. "Oh, well, who cares if she isn't here."

     Brigid grimaces in agreement and leans back over to her seat, her attention refocusing on Mr. Garner. As usual, his class drags endlessly. Mei stops caring about the formulas and graphs he presents to the class.