Rooftops - A Year In The Making

Chapter 5 - School

"What do you get if you chemically bond Ch4 and 2O2?" The class goes silent. It's not hard, I know it but I never answer the questions. It's the last lesson of the day and there is only 10 minutes left. Longest 10 minutes of my life. I keep stealing glances at the clock at the back of the classroom and it seems to move less and less each time I stare at it.

I sit next to Charlie Hangem. He must have poked me in the rib a hundred times by now. I don't know what he is poking me with exactly but I know that it hurts. I don't want to look, I know it will earn me sniggers and ridicule as he is most likely being cheered on by his fellow clowns sat in the row behind us.

Someone from behind me throws a ball of paper at me and the sharp points brush my bruise through the thin layer of my shirt. I jolt upright and squirm in my chair.
"Did that hurt you Riles?" Charlie says in a mocking voice.
"No, just fucking tickled." I say anger boiling up inside of me and threatening to break free.

He laughs at my tone.
"Calm down, calm down, you wouldn't want miss finding out the goody-too-shoes has been throwing paper would you." He continues his sarcastic voice. Then he leans in closer to me;  "Wouldn't want anyone getting in trouble" He whispers in my ear so I can feel his breath on my skin. I grit my teeth together in anger and return my gaze to the sheet of paper in front of me.

"Ok times up now, don't forget my homework and have a nice weekend." Doubt it.

As I walk out the gates and past the group of 'cool people' I am forced to listen to what they call me.
"Oh look it's the girl with the boy hair"
"Emo weirdo"
"Do you think her hair is made of bubble gum?"

I just walk past with my head down and pull my headphones over my head. I feel a tap on my shoulder as I turn left towards my house. Angling my head further towards the ground I sigh at whoever it is poking me from behind. Probably some jock or his cheerleader girlfriend wanting me to turn around to be the subject of their laughs.
"Riley?" She sings.

I know who it is instantly, I couldn't mistake her voice. I've been avoiding her this week. Haven't been up on the roof, sometimes I regret not going back, sometimes I... All the time, I don't know what to think. I look behind me and there she is. As usual she is wearing a dress, this one is a black and white ombre affect and it ends just above her knees.  She has different sandals and the same ankle bracelet from the summer holidays.

"Hey Riley" She greets me with a cheery tone.
"Hi" Me, not so much. It's not that I'm not happy to see her, to be honest this is the happiest I've been in a long time, just to speak to her. I just don't want her to ask, the question.
"So ummm, why did u just leave last week?" She asks.  There it is.

She sounds sad, like she genuinely just wanted to hang out, it surprises me because I thought she would be angry, or worse, just feel sorry for me.  

"I....I had to do something" I lie to her, not daring to look her in the eye but I know that she doesn't believe me as she quietly says okay.

"So, what you been doing?" She goes back to her usual cheery tone.
"Nothing, you?" She seems surprised that I continue on the conversation, and, so do I. She smiles while thinking.  This girl knows me almost as well as I do already, it scares me, but also sends shivers through my body.
"Well, we went on a 'school trip' to London with the tutor, but it was soooooo boring. But I don't have anything to do really, all my friends are in Yorkshire." Why is she in this little rough village if she used to live in Yorkshire? I ask myself, the question ponders me but I don't want to, or have the courage to ask.

"Would you like to hang out maybe, after you finish school?" Honestly i don't think I would have even said yes if I was allowed.  Too scared my panicking brain only just realizes I actually have a valid excuse to use.
"No, sorry, I'm not allowed out of the house"

"Oh, well can you come on the roof later then?"
"Ummm..." I say as I think about it.
"You can't say no!" She says smiling. Not in an angry or nasty way, but in a playful, friendly way. I can tell she's really enthusiastic. She's so pretty she would no doubt be in the popular group in school, so being friends with her really is a privilege.

"I guess so then." i say really unenthusiastic. We walk back, and it doesn't take long, her long legs stroll gently and I slow down from my usual fast, brisk walk to be along side her. When we get to her house I stop while she walks in the door and balances on the little step.
"Can't wait to see you later, 5 still ok?"

"Yeah" I say.  Why does she like me, 'can't wait'?  From what she's seen of me so far, I ignored her when coming out of school, and ran away from her when we were on the roof.  Slipping into her house I countinue to question her words, overthinking as usual.  She can't be that desperate to spend time with someone that she'd pick anyone, could she?