The next day when Erika came to school, everyone was talking about the new girl.
“Zo,” Erika said to her friend when she got off the bus, “what’s everyone excited about?”
“New girl,” Zoey said, chewing her lip as if she was nervous. “We haven’t had a new kid for ages. It was supposed to be a secret that there was a new kid coming, but one of the kids found out and it spread like wildfire.” Zoey shrugged as they walked to their classroom. “But there’s most talk in here, she’s supposed to be our age group.”
Erika looked around the room. People were talking in lowered murmurs; the ones who were sitting were tapping their feet.
“Alright, everybody, get in your seats,” Mrs. Chatfield said, coming in with piles of paper. “A new student is nothing to get excited about.”
Everyone quieted, but Erika could see the excited glint even in Mrs. Chatfield’s eyes. The teacher passed out the corrected tests.
The door opened. Everyone froze, even the teacher, in the middle of passing back the tests.
In came a girl with wavy hair the color of chocolate and tawny eyes. Everyone stared at her as she stepped into the room, avoiding eye-contact with everyone.
“Hello,” Mrs. Chatfield finally broke the silence. “You must be our new student. Please, come up and introduce yourself.”
The girl seemed nervous—she fidgeted and kept her eyes on the floor as she spoke. “I’m Tariana,” she said quietly.
“And where are you from, Tariana?” the teacher asked.
The girl hesitated, and her eyes looked up for a moment, then back at the ground. “I’m from Texas, Miss.”
“Thank you for introducing yourself,” Mrs. Chatfield said to the girl, but the girl didn’t look up to see Mrs. Chatfield’s warm, friendly eyes. She kept her eyes on the floor as she walked to the desk pointed out by the teacher.
Both Zoey and Erika looked over at the new girl, Tariana. They eventually turned their attention back to Mrs. Chatfield and listened to her talk about the Egyptians and the pyramids.
Tariana didn’t listen. She didn’t need to know this in the future, so why should she? Why should she listen to something that doesn’t matter in the slightest?
I don’t belong here, she thought. I’m not supposed to be here…
Before long, the bell rang for break. Kids piled out the door, Zoey and Erika lingered, looking over at Tariana, who was still working at a steady pace.
Zoey walked over to the desk Tariana was at, and said, “Um, Tariana, would you like to hang out with us?”
Tariana only looked slightly up; she didn’t look at Zoey’s eyes like most people would have. “If you should like,” was her quiet reply.
“Great,” Zoey said, smiling a warming smile. The smile did nothing to change Tariana’s expression; she still had the expression of caution.
“There’s nothing to worry about, by the way,” Erika said, finding her voice.
Tariana still did not look up all the way. “I would know that,” came her steady and quick reply.
“Then why don’t you look up?” Zoey asked.
“Where I am from, it is disrespectful or aggressive to look into another’s eyes,” Tariana murmured. “I do not wish to spar, or to express disrespect.”
Zoey and Erika glanced at each other—a what-is-she-talking-about? glance.
Erika spoke up. “Here, you wouldn’t be showing disrespect or aggressive nature. It would be confidence. Surely you have that?”
Tariana lifted her head a little more. “I do not understand some of the words of this language,” she said, then hesitated. “The word confidence does not sound familiar.”
“Confidence…self-respect, or the feeling of being sure about something.”
“I see.” Tariana finally lifted her head enough to see Zoey’s and Erika’s face. Quickly she asked, “This does not show disrespect or volatile nature?”
Erika shook her head and smiled. “No, it does not.”
“Then I should like to come with you as you take your intermission.” Tariana nodded.
“Intermission?” Zoey whispered to Erika.
“We call it a break here,” Erika told Tariana.
Tariana nodded. “I see.”
Zoey and Erika nodded. Tariana followed the girls out the door. She looked around, and her face masked fear and caution, but it showed in her eyes.
“Nothing’s going to happen to you, we promise,” Erika said.
“We’ll deal with them if something happens,” Zoey added, grinning.
Tariana’s eyes flashed green for a moment, and she looked down quickly. “Wait…what was that?’ Erika asked.
“What was what?” Zoey asked, looking at Erika.
Erika spoke to Tariana. “Your eyes were green for a moment.”
Tariana tilted her head. “My eyes are brown,” she replied.
“They were green for a moment.”
Zoey looked at Tariana’s eyes. They were brown. “Rika girl, you’re going bonkers,” Zoey told her friend.
Erika shook her head and shrugged. “I thought they were green for a moment,” she said quietly. Am I losing it? she asked herself.
The bell rang, signaling the end of break. Tariana looked around, as if looking for the noise.
“The bell,” Zoey explained. “What, were you homeschooled before you came here?”
Tariana nodded, keeping her eyes down.
