The Awakening

Chapter 2

My mom's gaze makes me feel incredibly guilty. The unmerciful reminder of his death makes me loose all appetite I might have had.

I snag another sip of my milk then I stand, alerting my mother I would be late for the bus if I don't get ready now.

She okayed my request and I went to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth quickly. I forced my hair brush through my brown hair. Without my eye makeup I looked blank, neutral ... ugly. My green eyes stare at the brush in the mirror as I brush my hair. I looked at the wavy-ness of it and glanced at the clock before muttering a curse. I still need to put on my makeup. I looked in all the boxes in the bathroom previous to asking my mother if she had seen it.

"No, I thought it was in your room, honey..." She replied from the dining room table.

"Ugh," I go to my room and look but to no avail, I couldn't find it. My mom appeared at my door, trying to help solve my dilemma.

"Do you maybe want to borrow mine for today?" she put her hand on the doorknob.

"What time is it?"

She brought out her phone from her back pocket, and unlocked it. "Six fifty-seven-"

"Crap! I should have left already!" I push past her, kissing her cheek. "Bye mom!"

"Bye, honey," I grabbed my bag of the dining room table and ran to the door. "Have a good day!" Her words are barley carried after the door shutting.

I scrambled down the steps, out of the yard and to the end of the street. Just as the bus rolled by I ran up to it, making the bus come to a quick but complete stop. Even from outside the bus I could tell the passengers are babbling about the new girl. As the bus doors open an old man smiles.

"You headed to West High?" he asked happily. I nod, and give only that as response mostly because I can't breathe. I ascend up the stairs as I take out my inhaler. I breathe it in and turn to face the inside of the beast. I exhale loudly and start walking down the foot wide isle. The kids in the seats all move over so I don't accidently touch them. It's now that I'm grateful for my thin figure. There are no empty seats, only seats with two people or one person. I make a mental note to sit with someone who look friendly and become friends so every morning isn't filled with awkward silence as I sit next to a stranger. I steal glances at people sitting alone in a seat. One guy with untamed red hair scanned me over, hungrily, making me feel monumentally uncomfortable and pulling my dress down some.

"Hey," a girl says smiling. She pats the open space next to her, "you can sit here...if you want."

I return her smile. Without warning the bus starts, pushing me forward. I put my hands on the seats to steady myself and take the seat next to the kind girl. Now voices on the bus start up again.

She has darker skin than me, she has dark brown hair that's forced up into a bun, with a separate piece braided and bobby pinned from the front of her head to the back.

"Hey," she says again warmly. "What grade are you in?"

"I'm a junior,"

Her eyes and her smile widen "Me too!"

"Cool..." I don't saying anything else, because I don't know what else to say.

"Oh, my name's Kaydra by the way,"

"That's pretty."

She laughed kindly. "Thanks,"

"I'm Ruby."

"That's way prettier than Kaydra." She rolled her eyes

"Do you watch YouTube..?" My voice is surprisingly quiet.

She nodded, "Yup."

I smiled, "Do you watch Tobuscus?"

She gapped her mouth open. "You watch Tobuscus?!"

I giggle, "Yeah. He's amazing..." I say as the bus pulled up to the school.

Kaydra nodded, and stood before the bus came to a complete stop. "It's official. You're my new best friend."

I smiled, standing up just as everyone else on the bus did. The bus riders all file out in the neatest manner I've ever seen on a bus. Kaydra grabs my wrist, pulling me to the commons, when I told her I was going to find the office.

"No," she says, "You've gotta meet Nikki!"

I sighed but allowed her to pull me into the school. I got looks from a lot of people. It's middle November now; I've entered in the middle of the school year. I feel my face get warm from all the unwanted attention. Kaydra bites her lip as she turns to me.

"I don't see her..." She looks around behind me a little. I'd help her look for Nikki, had I known what she looks like. I stood there suddenly self conscious because of the disgusted looks from the girls and the smirks coming from the guys.

"We can go to the office and come back, to see if she's here then..?" I suggest.

Kaydra nods, "Sure let's do that."

Kaydra leads me to the front office and I talk to the lady at the front desk.

She asked for my name and I gave to her and in return she gave me my schedule. Kaydra asked to see my classes after we left the office and were walking down a hallway, so I handed the piece of paper to her.

She read my classes over, "oh! We have PE together! Nikki's in that class too," "her smile's contagious.

"Sweet," I can't wait to meet this Nikki girl...

"Nikki's awesome, you two will get along," we've now returned to the spot where Kaydra was looking for her in the commons. "I mean, she gets along with, like, everyone, but still." She laughs a little, and I do the same.

We stood there and talked, subconsciously I was replaying conversations in my head for when Nikki actually got here. I could say hey, and she'd reply the same syllable, or maybe she automatically hates me. Perhaps she'll think I'm too quiet, but I'm only quiet right now because I'm not comfortable with these people. I'm warming up to Kaydra, and slowly talking more in the stories she tells. But when she asked me about where I came from and why I moved I take note to make up a story so no one has to know what happened. After all, my scars were disappearing and the bruises had faded. I just wish the memory of it all would do the same.