Nobody Knows

1

autumn

"Ew, what is she wearing?"

"Look at that tacky hairstyle! How can she even leave her house?"

"I heard that she has, like, a job... you know what I mean"

"Ohmygod, No! You mean like, prostitution?"

I quickly scurried to the bathroom. It was empty, as always. I needed to get away from those harsh whispers; and usually, the bathroom was the greatest getaway, because no one ever came in except for the few bullied children, like myself. I was always bullied- solitary, much like this bathroom- and I had no friends. Only a very limited amount of people have talked to me in school: the teachers, one loner girl whose name is Damonica; but she left, and my bullies, who also happened to be the head of the school food chain.

I was interuppted of my thoughts as the door opened, smashing into the brick wall that caused a small dent and a big mess. I lifted my head to be met with a tall girl with pitch black long hair. She wasn't looking at me, more at her combat boots. Finally, she made eye contact with me, and I was transfixed. She had the bluest eyes I have ever  seen. They were bordered with black, like a cat, and there were small streaks of green, it looked like, in her iris. She slowly smirked, and brushed her hair away from her face. "Quit staring." She told me, grinning widely. I looked away immediately, my cheeks feeling hot. 

"I'm Gemini. You can call me Gem. You're, um, Autumn, right?" She asked, taking a few steps towards me. I took some steps back, acting like the alarmed doe that I have been aquainted by many times when I was a child. I never understood why it backed away, I wasn't going to bite, I thought at the time. But now, being the doe myself, I understand why it backed away when I had tried to pet it. It was afraid; scared, obviously.

"Right?" Gemini asked me again, and I realized that I hadn't answered her. I nod and she sticks out her hand. I furrow my eyebrows, and she raises and eyebrow towards her hand. I finally realise what she's trying to do, and I shake her hand. She smiles, but it didn't look genuine. It looked alot like mine, actually. Sad, angry, and isolated. I know that type of smile all too well, too much it's probably unhealthy. "Pleased to meet you, Autumn. I hope we become great friends later on, and not just aquaintances who met in the bathroom." I smiled, and bit the inside of my cheek. Friends? With me? I wanted to flip my hand in the air and say, 'Get outta here." like in those movies.

She hummed, while tapping her jaw line with her index finger, thinking. "Why are you so..." She drifted off, trying to find a word that won't offend me. "Sad? Alone? Depressed?" I completed, harshly. A wave of gulit filled me as Gemini's face became sad, and her lips turned into a frown. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to say-" "No, it's okay. So why are you? Are you insecure, perhaps?" I scrunched up my face at her stupid suggestion that I might be insecure.I was insecure, but with months' worth of therapy, I'm relieved to say I'm not anymore. But I don't mention it, I just shake my head.

She hummed again, and I looked around nervously. I didn't have alot of friends, so I didn't know how to behave around people. Quite the socially awkward retard, aren't I? Gemini's face lit up, and she grabbed my hand. "We should sneak out." She whispered, and there was a mischievous glint in her eye. "You mean, like skip school?" I gulped. I never ever skipped school before. "Well, yeah! C'mon, no one will notice." She started pulling my hand towards the door. I was scared as hell that we'd be caught, but she's right, who would notice? In class, the teacher sometimes forgets to mention my name altogether and in my report card, I basically never come to school. 

Gemini looks at me hopefully, and I give in. "Okay." I say, giving a small smile as Gemini jumps in excitement. Before I knew what was happening, she pulled my arm and fled. The halls were still full of lazy, adolescent teenagers.Gemini looked at the ground, avoiding any eye contact as she made her way to the transparent door. My heart literally beating out of my chest, I reluctantly step outside, letting the cool breeze of wind and guilt wash over me. 

She looked around vigilantly and pulled her hoodie over her head. She was still holding my now sweaty hands. Casually, she walked past all the student waiting outside and into the road. I looked back, and she hissed,"Don't look, you'll get caught."

Once we were a few metres away from the wretched building, the bell rang, informing the children that they should be inside. Exactly, Autumn. INSIDE. Gemini looked at me, her face radiant. "Wha's wrong?" Her hoodie was down now, and tied around her hips. "I'm going to be in so much trouble. This was such a bad idea!" I tell her warily. "If only I had some chamomile tea or shit. You need to calm down. I did this millions of times, and I never got caught. You just need to stay out of anyones way, and avoid people. Easy peasy." She sang, going out of topic. I rolled my eyes at her and she giggled. 

"I know this really good place, that has the best tea. It's close, let's go." She ran her fingers through her hair and walked faster. Tea? I never pegged Gemini to be a tea kind of girl. "What's your favorite tea?" She asked, looking at me expectantly. "I don't really drink tea, I like coffee though." Gemini gasped and clicked her tongue. "Oh, honey, you're missing on so much. You'll be addicted, I swear. My best friend got me hooked, and I will do that to you." 

I soon got in sight of a small cabin kind of thing edging the small lake. There were a few wooden tables with chairs surrounding them. There was a sign saying 'Darlington Tea'. "All of their teas are hand-brewed, believe it or not." 

She sat on a chair facing the mundane lake, and hollered. Then, a boy emerged from the shop. He had nice hair, and green eyes. The colour of fresh grass green. What is up with these people and their bright eye colour? "Hey, Diamond! You're supposed to be in school, little shit." He grins, and sits beside her. He doesn't look at me at all until she intoduces him to me. 

"This bastard here is Daniel. This is Autumn." She smiles, and he puts his hand to his heart with a hurt expression on his face. I let out a small laugh and he raises his eyebrows. "So, the usual?" He asks, getting up. "Yep, two." She holds up two fingers.