Chapter 1
Random sadness hits me hard, it pangs my whole being. I hear everyone cackle at their friend’s joke. I move my head to look at my “friends”. Sharline and Cat talk about colorgaurd, which has nothing to do with me. I put a piece of pineapple in my mouth and the bitter taste explodes in my mouth. I feel the roughness of my hand as I wipe the tangy juice off my hands. The sharp sound of a whistle signals our dismissal and without looking back, I leave Cat to walk to English by herself.
I sit in class blocking everything out, feelings, thoughts and people’s voices. I start to think about everything in my life and I let the thoughts flood into my brain. My life, that’s a funny thing to say. I never really enjoyed the last couple years of it. Pain, agony, and loneliness, I don’t have many real friends. I used to, but I’m so good at losing friends I should do it in a talent show.
The bell rings and breaks me away from painful memories of losing friends and what not. I can’t even imagine why people would hate me, though. I’m kind and unjudgemental. But people judge you, and it’s an unfair part of lives, people hate and get jealous of others. But the worst part of it is they try to bring you down.
I break away the thought, shaking my head to clear it. My curly, brown hair caresses my face. I bring my pale hand to wipe if from my lip and notice that I am too pale. I need to get tan soon or I will be stuck with a swim team suit tan-line and no one wants that. “Lisette, wait up!” calls Nicole.
She’s jogging up behind me. Her dishwater blond hair is bounces with her as she catches up. Her short, muscular gymnast body sways to the left and her hip collides with mine. “What’s up chica?” She beams.
“Nothing much, just finished English; she was crabby today, wasn’t she?” I reply.
“Crabby is an understatement” She says creasing her brow, “but you seemed spaced out today in class.”
“I know I looked spaced out. I was in very deep thought.”
“Ooo,” She says with a bright expression on her face. “Deep stuff, what were you thinking?”
I laugh for the first time today, “Pretty deep stuff. Like Peeta’s love for Katniss.” I say, knowing this will send her off.
She talks about the popular book, The Hunger Games, for awhile and she gets excited about the movie. She looks at me when we get to our Algebra 2 class; she speaks to tell me that she is going to talk to her friend, Darby. I nod and wave her off, already knowing what she’s going to say. I walk in and sit in my seat; I proceed to space off into deep thought. The tardy bell then rings and people flood into class. I would continue thinking, but I need to bring my grade up if I want to pass.
After a long class of Quadratic Functions, the bell dismisses us. “Lisette, dude, that stuff is so easy!” Nicole says as she catches up to me.
We walk to my U.S. History class with multiple interruptions due to the fact that the majority of our grade absolutely loves Nicole. We usually can’t get a decent conversation in unless we take a back route. But she leaves me at my class and starts talking to yet another friend. I don’t worry, though. We are too close for any problems, and I watch her walk down to her Spanish class.
I walk into class and find my seat, and patiently wait for Nealon. The tardy bell rings and he races into the room, with his blond hair somehow staying in place. His full lips makes the motion for a “Hi”, I smile and nod in reply. He takes his seat behind me shaking my own seat. He whips out his art spiral and starts doodling. Nealon leans forward as whispers in my ear, “Your turn to start.” I can hear the smile in his voice as I smile myself.
