Hiding in the shadows

Chapter 6

The bus door opened and I flashed my bus card at the driver before finding a seat around the middle of the bus. The boy that followed me on had also had a bus card which he showed the driver, then sat towards the back of the bus. I shoved my headphones in my ears and started listening to some music. The bus ride was long and laborious, with a stop what felt like every 30 seconds. The bus finally pulled up to the front of my school, Tula South Senior College, and everyone tried to get off the bus as quick as possible, though that was quite the task when there was 50 people, give or take, and one very narrow walk-way. I stayed in my seat until most people were gone, then got off myself. The boy that got on with me had already gotten off and was walking into the school grounds. From this and the bus path I concluded that he must be a student, and obviously not 18 if he was in year 11. 

Joining my friends Kiro, Jameson and Jessie, who were all sitting with a coffee on the grass in the morning sun waiting for me, started gossiping as soon as I sat down. Jameson explained how he met a girl during the summer break and how she was the love of his life. Of course he says this about every girl he gets with though, the poor lamb is just looking for the love his family is unable to provide him with. Jessie and her family went away to Canada during the summer. She hands us all a small gift but doesn't go into too much detail because she knows that we'd all be jealous, which we are. Jameson rips apart the packaging excitedly to see he has gotten a leather bracelet, Kiro has gotten a rare plushy from the game loves and spends every minute on (which is what he did all summer) and I got a new set of oil paints. We all take turns hugging Jessie 'thank you', then their attention turns to me.

"What did you do over the summer Ari?" Kiro asks.

"I just adventured about and done some paintings and read a lot of books."

"Typical Ari, what more should we expect." Kiro says rhetorically with a chuckle.

The bell sound 5 droning charms which sends us all to form room to get our timetables for the semester. I walk to room G4 and find a seat at the back of the room. I'm one of the first people there, and watch everyone slowly trickling in. I know most of the people from previous years of schooling.  Karen, Betty, Josh, Lexie, Zeek. None of them new to me however I don't say a word to any of them. Mr. Hartly walks into the room and places a stack of papers on the desk in front of him. He takes the role, calling out our names one by one, then sets to work handing out our timetables, which we are all eager to receive. My name is called, but as I make my way up to the front the classroom door opens and someone walks in, distracted, I trip over a stray chair and everyone laughs. I slowly stand up with the help from Mr. Hartly and he hands me my timetable. My faces flushes red with embarrassment when he asks if I'm okay. I manage to mutter a yes, then head back to my spot, glad I had chosen a seat at the back. The person who had opened the door had seemed to have seated themselves and amongst everyone else I couldn't make out who it was. More names were called and I got out a book from my bag and started reading. Another bell rang after a short while which told us to go to our first class. For me, Art. I made my way out of the classroom with my head down to prevent further embarrassment, and made my way to  the art room. Sitting down at a table my friend Gus sat next to me.

"Hey, Ari"

"Hi, Gus"

We became friends last year when we both had no one to sit with in art and decided that we may as well talk to each other since we were the only loners in the class.

"Guess what just happened" I tell him.

"What?"

"No, you have to guess."

"You got a boyfriend?"

"Ha, you're a funny one aren't you."

"You told me to guess." He said defending himself.

"Fair enough. I just tripped over in front of my whole class and Mr. Hartly helped me up. How embarrassing!?!"

Gus laughs a loud, full laugh. "Isn't he the young fit guy that like, every single girl has a crush on?" He asks.

"You know he isn't my type." I say with a giggle then blushing thinking of the guy I saw in the forrest earlier that morning.

Gus thinking I was blushing over Mr. Hartly, started mocking me in a girly voice. "Oh Mr. Harlty, I love you soooooooo much." Before breaking off into a fit of laughter.

"Shut up." I said with a giggle, giving him a push. He falls off of his chair which makes me laugh a really ugly laugh, which then makes Gus laugh, even though he is on the floor. In the end we somehow both end up on the floor with the teacher standing over us, on the brink of laughing herself.

"Come on you two, up you get, we have a lesson to get on with."

This is why art was the best, because we had Miss Jenkins. She was so chill, I'm pretty sure she was a hippy back in her prime and she still carried some of those traits.

Gus and I stand up suppressing our giggles, somehow managing to calm down. Jenk takes the role, a few names gone, now we are getting closer to our future, and a new name has appeared.

"Elijah?" She calls.

"Yep." He replies

I turn towards the voice and red covers my face entirely. The guy from this morning, from the bus, the guy I thought of that made me blush,  was in my art class. I look at Gus, who looks at me quizzically, and through his eyes asks why I'm blushing, which made me realize that Elijah, just heard my ugly laugh. I let out a quiet groan and drop my head to the table.