After Rain ✅

[ three] white rose

Next week in school, I saw the Reid family wandering in the hallways. They were literally wandering, looking lost and awkward. Grisha was looking around, her black bag slung over her shoulder and she was pointing at the wrong direction. I knew because they had their timetables in their hands already, they just needed to sit in their homerooms instead of going to the Admin block again. Grisha looked clueless.

Behind her, Silas was reading his schedule, frowning at it and saying something to his sister in a low voice. Several people eyed them as they passed and I wasn't surprised, they were both pretty and I knew how much these people were attracted to anything new, anything beautiful.

But they were not things, they were people. And in this place, people didn't exist, only things did.

For a moment I wondered if I should go and help them, but a second later I found myself bolting away from them. I hadn't been able to forget the embarrassment I had caused myself when I was in the same room as them last time. The juice and the glass breaking, Silas's stricken face as he stared at me. I had officially graduated from girl-next-door to weirdo-next-door.

Light chatter greeted me when I entered my English class, as soon as I opened the door, I found Mr. Trey standing at the podium, going over sheets in his file. My feet were frozen at the door at the sight of him. It was the first time I had seen him since I came back to school and I hadn't taken this into account. I hadn't given a thought to seeing him - on seeing this man - again.

''Are you gonna keep blocking the doorway?'' A voice asked from behind me. I half turned to see Zaid's dark gaze on me, annoyed. For a moment, we kept staring at each other, paused at the door. I allowed myself to break away the gaze and entered the room.

I was aware of Mr. Trey's dark blue eyes on me as I made my way to the third row.

Don't look at him.

Don't look at him.

I chanted to myself as I sat down at the back. On the row beside me were Treena Wells and I felt her whisper something to Daniel, her boyfriend and they both proceeded to look at me. I was used to this now, after months of Lee's death, the stares and whispers were the only thing that had followed me, just like a ghost. Mr. Trey started the class, clearing his throat and waving away the chatter for some quiet.

''Welcome back guys. I wasn't on your first week, I was still busy with things at home-'' He began in an enthusiastic voice that was making me sick in the stomach, only to be interrupted.

''Mr. Trey, did you finally got married?'' Some girl at the back asked, the whole class started laughing. He laughed along, running a hand through his dark brown hair. I stared up at where he stood, looking elated. Looking happy.

He was there, laughing at the joke, probably feeling great about himself. While the person who was supposed to be sitting next to me, making fake mustaches on cutouts from our magazine collection was dead. I wanted to stand up there, slam my hand against the table and yell at them to stop.

Just like every time, my thoughts died with my feelings and I just stared blankly at him, willing for time to just pass.

It wasn't me who broke the laughter, it was the Silas. He entered the room, opening the door  and disrupting the class for the second time and made his presence clear by nearly tripping. Everyone's attention shifted to Silas and a few girls exchanged wicked grins.

''He's the guy I saw earlier, isn't he hot?'' Someone whispered, loud enough for half the class to hear.

He wiped his forehead with his sleeve and approached Mr. Trey, ''I'm sorry sir...I got lost.''