Silence is Golden

Chapter 5

Tine crept by slowly its pace taunting me. Second by second minute by minute it ticked by until I didn’t think I could take it anymore. All day the tension inside of me had been building like a volcano preparing to erupt. It’s like my body is warning me, trying to tell me something. Last lesson arrived and my whole body ached from sitting so stiff and still all day due to the massive amounts of fear and tension pumping around my body. My fingers itch to reach for my hood and pull it up, just to feel a little barrier between me and everyone else. I feel safer tucked inside my oversized jacket with the big hood pulled up concealing my most of my face in its shadowy depths. It’s my safety net I fall back on in public. Before it happened I would walk about with my hood up but back then it was a statement not protective blanket. I feel like a child again like I have taken 10 steps back instead of going forward. But no matter how hard I cry my mum won’t come to the rescue like she did when I was a child.

Drawing in a deep breath I pushed down the handle making the scars on my knuckles stretch slightly and walked into the classroom. I kept my head down my eyes focused on my warn out blue converses and the discoloured carpet beneath them. The conversation dipped slightly at my entrance briefly before picking back up. I took my seat and stowed my bag beneath it. I can feel their gaze boring into the back of my head. I just kept looking forward my eyes focused on the door and the slanting hand writing on it. I just stared not taking it in and eventually I felt their gaze leave me. finally I got bored and started reading the writing on the bored while I waited for the teacher to arrive.  It said ‘Mr Johnston isn’t here today you will have a substitute teacher’.

Five minutes later the door opened and a small mosey haired woman stumbled inside her arms full of books. A pair of round glasses perched on the end of her nose and an ensemble consisting of green and brown encased her small round body. The fuzzy moss green cardigan she was wearing was slightly askew and rumpled. She made it to the desk and let the pile of books fall from her arms making a thump on the wooden desk top. She turned to notice the whole class watching her like a pride of hungry lions intent on a baby zebra that had unwittingly wandered into their midst. Suddenly flustered she took her seat and started shifting papers around the desk looking for something. She started calling the register her voice no more than a little squeak. 

“Elijah Brooks” she called in her squeaky voice.

No one answered. I got the faint temptation to look around but didn’t.

“Has anyone seen Elijah?” she asked a slight pink flush appearing on her cheeks.

I didn’t bother to listen to the responses I was too engrossed in trying to remember who Elijah is. But it's no wonder really that I can’t remember who people are considering how much I bother to pay attention in school. Wait, isn’t combat boots normally in this class? I have English with him; at least I think that’s what the class is. Yeah he should defiantly be here. I acknowledged the small mercy; I don’t think I could manage having him sit so close to me today my nerves are too strung out now let alone having him sit near me. I was so caught up in my thoughts I hadn’t noticed my own name being called.

“Has anyone seen Roxanne?” she asked looking about the room.

I was about to raise my hand when the boy who’s seat I sat in on the first day spoke up.

“She’s the freak over there who never talks” he said loudly and pointing at me.

The group of girls sitting near him who I have noticed following him around like a bad smell all burst into giggles. I ducked my head pretending to be suddenly very interested in the graffiti on my desk. Please just let them leave me alone. The supply teacher said nothing she just continued to call the names out. Her voice became harder to hear over the giggling and whispering coming from the popular boys section of the room putting me on edge. The teacher cleared her throat loudly trying to get everyone’s attention. The nerds sitting on the front row dutifully gave her their attention but then it’s not like they hadn’t been in the first place apart from that she was completely ignored.

“Class if I could have your attention for a moment” she asked in her small voice.

I could see where she was going wrong, she was asking them not telling them. But I have no right to judge other people on their capability to communicate. I'm just hoping they will give her hassle instead of me. A wad of screwed up paper hit my shoulder making me flinch and the girls around Mr popular to giggle in their high pitched girly tones. I could feel the panic rising in my chest; I did my best to ignore it. Another ball of paper came towards me this time hitting me in the back of the head making them all burst into laughter again.

“Will you please behave and stop throwing things” the supply teacher said trying to restore some order.

“But Miss it’s only the mute she doesn’t matter” the shouted over the noise.

“That’s not a very nice thing to say, you should be more respectful off your class mates” she chastised him.

Please make her shut up she is just making it worse for me. I gripped the edge of my seat trying to concentrate on my breathing.

“Why should I be nice to her she’s a freak!” he shouted to the amusement of everyone else.

“You will apologise for that comment right now!” she said going red in the face.

“Hey freak …. Oi I'm talking to you!” he shouted across the room at me.

I refused to look at him I just kept my head down silently pleading he would get bored and leave me alone. I could hear them whispering and giggling then a chair scrapped back loudly and footsteps came towards me. I focused all my attention on the little doodle of a cartoon frog on my desk trying to block out the fear that was almost suffocating me. He cast a shadow over me as he came to a stop beside me making me cringe away from his presence.

just wanna say thank you to anyone who is reading this and please dont forget to vote and comment. This is dedicated to AnonyMouse95 because she is just amazing, if you want to read some seriously good and funny stuff i sugget you check out her stories :) x