Anywhere But Here

Chapter Two, Zyra's POV,

Chapter Two, School Day,

I walk through the hallways towards my next class which is my favorite, it's English. People push past me and don't seem to notice I exist. Perfect. I don't want anyone to single me out, I like being the way I am, alone but free. The hallway is filled with sounds of laughter, yelling, and the search of people running from bullies. Those unlucky kids, people don't even notice me, the bullies notice them. I hold my books close to my chest and breathe in and out to calm my jumpy nerves. I think it's called Anxiety, it makes me super worried and overthink everything. Then I hear a noise over everything else and it sounds so beautiful I have to wonder what it's coming from. It sounds like a beautiful melody of some kind of bells. My brain tells me to keep heading towards class but my heart wants to know what is making that noise. So I keep listening to it and walk towards the sound. The hallways are emptying out now, less and fewer people are pushing me to get to their class. I keep walking towards the elegant sound, it leads me to take a left at an intersection of the school, then a right, then to go straight. The noise is louder now and more pretty than ever, the song goes on and on. I see a door at the end of the hallway where the music is coming from, it's the band room, I've never been here before. I know I should go back to class but the sound, it's intoxicating and I can't get enough of it. I have to find out where it is coming from. I was already ahead in English so missing one class couldn't hurt. I quicken my pace towards the door and peek in through the window. At first, I don't see anyone there, the sound of the bells ringing in my ears, then I see her. She is in the back of the classroom playing some kind of bell instrument. She looks extremely focused as she plays. I notice streaks of blue in her brown hair and the way her hands hit the bells so gently but they ring so loud. Suddenly I feel a tickle in my nose. I am about to sneeze! It will give away the fact that I am watching her play.

"Achoo!" I sneezed.

To late. She knows and she stops playing to look up at me. Her eyes meet mine and we stare at each other. She looks frightened, scared. She says something to me but I can't hear her because of the door separating us. I shrug my shoulders as if to say, I can't hear you, and then she motions me to come towards her. I wasn't thinking at all. My heart leads me here and took over my brain, now it tells me to go through the door and towards her. I open the door quickly and step inside the band room. It's covered wall to wall in quotes and chairs fill up all spots but the ones in the back. The place in the back is for percussion instruments which are big and loud. She stands in the percussion section in front of the bell thing, she looks at me with curiosity in her eyes. The room is silent except for our breathing. She puts her mallets for her bells down on a stand and frowns at me. I feel sweat beginning to bead against my neck, I am an idiot for skipping class to come here.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" She says loud and forcefully.

"Sorry....." I stutter, "I just heard you playing and thought is sounded nice, so I came to see what the noise was"

She stares at me for awhile, her eyes burn holes in me as I stand here having no idea what to do or say. I start to breathe heavily, the person looks confused. No! You can not have a panic attack here! I try to calm my breathing down but it only gets worse. The girl looks at me worriedly and tilts her head to the side. She then moves her stand for her bells over and walks the aisles of chairs over to me. I sit down because my head is spinning. I am so stupid, so stupid. The girl comes to stand in front of me.

"Are you okay?" She asks and puts a hand on my shoulder.

I nod my head even though I feel as though my lungs are on fire. Instead of trying to console me more, she thinks for a second and then runs back to her bell stand. She grabs her mallets quickly as my breathing becomes more and more rapid. She hits a note that makes me go instantly calm, the note rings in my ears. I look up at her at her bell stand. She looks at me with a concerned face. I look at her with confusion.

"How did you do that?" I ask her.

She starts to walk towards the chair I am sitting on. She smirks.

"You will know all in good time now tell me who you are and why you are here," She says.

I look up at her, my breathing is slowing down, she comes and sits next to me. I stay silent. She frowns.

"Okay if you won't talk, I'll tell you who I am, only if you promise not to tell the teachers and principal," She says to me.

I nod my head. She looks to a whiteboard in the front of the classroom and some of her blue hair falls onto her face.

"My name is Dawn and I come here every day to school, you look about what, 8th grade? Me too but instead of going to class, I skip and practice my music in here" She says while staring at the whiteboard, "Now tell me, who are you?"

I look at her face and see she is smiling at me. My hands are shaky and nervous, I never ever get this much attention. I bite my lip and then begin to speak.

"My name is Zyra," I say quietly and look away from her and towards the walls full of quotes.

Then the bell rings it's loud, hollow sound. I stand up instantly. I can't believe I missed a block of class! I start for the door.

"Wait!" Dawn yells.

I turn around to face her.

"Will you come back tomorrow, it gets a little boring without anybody to talk to," She says tentatively.

I take another step backward towards the door while nodding my head. I then quickly turn around and open the door in one swift move. Then I run down the hall towards my next class, hoping I won't be late. I can't help but be happy someone actually noticed me for once, but also scared because she wants to see me tomorrow.