Silence

Chapter 1 - Routine

"Time for school," my mother says as she knocks on my bedroom door. "Come downstairs and have breakfast before you leave." As she walks back downstairs, I finish lacing up my shoes and walk over to my desk. I run my brush through my straight brown hair and put a hair tie around my wrist. I put my running shorts and razor-back shirt in my bag with my shoes. I stuff that bag into my backpack before getting breakfast.

"I made you toast and bacon," my mother says as she watches me sit down at the table.

I nod my head in appreciation even though I'm not hungry. I quickly eat a slice of toast and a piece of bacon before heading out the door. I walk over to Lauren's house which is just across the street.

I step onto their driveway just as Lauren walks out of her house. She smiles when she sees me. "Hey Emma," she says as she closes the door. I smile at her and walk over to her car. We put our bags in the backseat and get in.

She pulls away from her house and we start on our way to school. I look at her which usually starts up our conversation.

She has her dyed maroon-red hair piled into a bun on her head and a cute royal blue thin sweater on top of a tank top the same color as her shoes. Her dark skinny jeans and baby pink Vans compliment her entire look so well. She is always drastic in the way she looks compared to me wearing a simple grey long sleeve shirt with jean shorts and my hair hanging straight and loose down at my shoulders. I️ have my Converse on but they are navy blue and plain. She practically begs me to put on some mascara to define my blue-grey eyes which she calls "ravishing." But I️ usually say no so she hasn't asked in a while.

She sees me look at her and smiles. "Yeah, I know, I seem a little cheerful today, but what can I say? How can you not be happy about going to a prison where your fellow classmates are happy to make your day miserable?" She imitates a big happy smile.

I chuckle silently at her sarcasm and smile back at her.

"Too much?" she asks.

I shrug my shoulders.

"Are you going running today or am I bringing you home?" she asks.

I raise my hand to show her the band around my wrist. The hair tie indicates that I would be putting my hair up to run after school and she knows what it means.

She doesn't have to ask because my best friend understands me. Lauren knows that I don't speak much but she doesn't mind. She accepts me for who I am.