Bad Habits *SLOWLY EDITING*

Chapter 7: That Girl

"What happened!" I earnestly ask Melissa after Matt dragged us both into an empty classroom.Melissa goes to sit at an empty desk and sets her head down, so Matt doesn't see her crying."I am going to keep watch," Matt awkwardly says getting the signal that Melissa doesn't want him there.Melissa finally looks at me with tears streaming down her face.Without noticing, I let out a little laugh, which is the worst thing I could do at this moment. "You- look like...a tomato," I say shyly between giggles.Luckily this doesn't make Melissa cry more. Instead, she starts laughing along."He broke up with me because he said that he didn't love me anymore and there was another girl," she starts, but I cut her off."Did he say who it was?" I say worried that she would be mad if it were me."Ah, no. But he broke my heart and then chucked me in the gutter for some other girl," Melissa grits her teeth together. "Don't say that it wasn't your fault," I look down willing to change the subject.After a few minutes of talking, we go out and back to the lockers to get the last 10 minutes of lunch to eat.Melissa wiped off all of her makeup to reveal her beautiful, porcelain doll looking eyes."Hold on I am just going to my locker," I excuse myself while pointing back to our lockers."I will come with you, the last thing I need is to go into the cafeteria to be the new laughing spokesperson," she says during forced laughs."Ok then, but you will have to go in eventually," I say and receive a small nod from Melissa.==="Hey, Bobby has no lock on her locker" Melissa points out.Bobby Thornton had had a locker space next to me, but she had moved schools because when they opened her old locker, there was no books or anything in it."She probably moved schools, maybe there is a new student," Melissa says excitedly. And there was, walking down the hall talking to Principal Fellows, was a petite blonde wearing a small heart pendant necklace, washed-out blue jeans and a black long sleeve shirt.Principal Fellows spots Melissa and I and walks over to us with the blonde closely following."Good evening Ms Twig, Ms Mills," he begins looking at both of us and slightly nodding."Hello, sir, who is this?" I confidently and ask, looking around at the new girl and giving a small smile which she kindly returns."This is Ms Dream, she is new here so it would be preferred if you skip the fourth period and give her a small tour, she will be taking Ms Thornton's locker as she has left to a private school in Ohio," he says pointing in different directions."Um sure," Melissa quickly replies, taking 'Ms. Dreams' hand and shaking it.Principal Fellows smiles and walks off, shortly he turns around "Oh and she will be in all of your classes today, Vanessa because she doesn't have a schedule made up for her yet." I nod, and he continues to walk into his office.I close my locker and motion to Ms Dreams locker next to mine."Here is your locker, Ms Dreams," I say impersonating a posh accent."Please, call me Alexa" she repeats in a posh voice which impresses me. I think I am going to like her.==="And this is where the science lab is, in case you have science, and here is the cafeteria," Melissa says a small tear running down her left cheek, probably thinking of her tragic breakup."What's wrong with the cafeteria?" Alexa jokingly says, looking at Melissa, who is now wiping away tears."Oh nothing," Melissa shortly says and walks away.Alexa looks at me, and I whisper, "she broke up with her boyfriend just before you came, and she's now avoiding the cafeteria.""Oh, I thought you were just like getting makeup because I noticed she didn't have any," she sadly says, while looking at Melissa who is now half running back to her locker to get her books for the fifth period. The bell rings, and people are coming out of the classrooms and flooding the hallways."Right, Melissa isn't in my class for fifth so, do you have a spare book for this so you can just write notes, it's art and Melissa isn't taking it," I say rather quickly while pulling Alexa through the crowd to their lockers, so we aren't late.We walk into the classroom and go straight to the desks in the middle."You always sit in the middle," I say to Alexa, "if you sit at the back, the teachers pick on every wrong thing you do, and at the front people think you are either a nerd or a new kid. And seeing you are the new kid, you don't want to sit at the front because you will have the school players or bad boys think you are clueless, and they will use you as a plaything," I say hurriedly, directing Alexa to two spare seats next to the window in the middle."Plus the radiator and the windows are closer to the middle of the classroom," I add most importantly while sitting down.The teacher walks in a few seconds after and walks over to Alexas' desk, before the teacher can mention that she is new I introduce her. "This is Alexa Dreams; she is going to be in all of my classes for the rest of the day until they make a schedule for her." The teacher looks towards me and then Alexa and does a small smile and welcomes her.She gets on with the class and gives out small tasks, one of which is where you have a partner and have to draw them.==="Wow, you're terrific, are you taking this class?" I say, slightly jealous."Um, yeah, I transferred from a private art school, Michigan school of arts," she says warmly.I smile and then finish my drawing of Alexa and turns it so she can see."Yours is good too, agh, I can never do ears properly, I don't get them the right shape or angle, but you did so well," she says in an impressed manner.The teacher had noticed that we had already finished and took the pages and got the classes attention. No, I don't want attention, look the other way. I shade my eyes and slump down further in my seat, trying not to draw any more unneeded attention towards me."What?" Alexa says with concern."She is going to show the class and bring attention to everyone, I don't like the attention, it makes me nervous," I whisper to Alexa. She just quietly laughs with her hand over her mouth to stifle laughs."What an obscure fear." I look at her and then back at the teacher who has now got everyone's attention."These are finished, precise and shaded drawings from partners, Vanessa and Alexa," she says while pointing to the joined desk.Unexpectedly, the class starts doing small claps and whistles.I look towards Alexa, who is proudly smiling over at everyone in the class.I notice Adam at the back of the class, staring me down and giving his lame thumbs up.Still mad about the breakup, and in honour of Melissa, I turn my head and scrunch up my nose in disgust, which makes Adam frown and he tries to talk to Charlie who is also in the class, but he's ignored.==="Well, that wasn't too bad," Alexa says to me as we walk to the cafeteria for lunch.We spot Melissa and Penelope coming over from their lockers, and Penelope smiles when she sees Alexa."Hello, Melissa was telling me about you, Alexa was it," Penelope says casually while pulling Alexa into a small hug in which she returns."Oh, sorry, I am Penelope!" She says enthusiastically.