Synge

|§| Chapter 4 |§|

The sun shines through my eyelids, disturbing my blissful sleep. I groan, placing a pillow on my head.

"Gå væk solen..." I mumbled, my breathing evening out as I dosed off again.

Suddenly, I jolted away as my alarm clock start blaring in my ears. With a scowl, I smacked the little plastic machine causing the ringing to stop. I took a moment to compose myself.

"I'll never like you." I hissed at the inanimate object.

When no response came (not to my surprise), I scoffed, crawled out of bed, and dove into my closet head first.

*^*^*^*

The bus wheezed to a stop at the front doors of the school. Once again I was the last one on my feet. I followed the stream of students into the building, keeping my head down as I almost ran to my first period class.

Teenagers chatted amongst each other, noticeably staying away from people who were different from them and their group. I, on the other hand, walked alone. I was an outcast.

I hugged my photography binder to my chest, pushing my glasses to the top of the bridge of my nose. I ran out of contacts today, so glasses were my only choice. I released one hand from my iron grip around my binder, allowing me to skim the lockers with the pads of my fingers.

It felt like everyone's eyes were on me. It burned my skull, and buzzed in my eardrums. My heartbeat was through the roof.

'What is this feeling?' I thought to myself.

Fearful thoughts splattered against the sides of my head, begging to explode from me in the form of a tearful scream. I took a shaky breath, trying to calm the strange and towering feeling. My hands trembled, and I could see the veins popping out in them. Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. My head snapped to the left, my eyes meeting with Connie's.

"Hey Coraline!" She chirped.

Instantly, I felt the jagged mountains in my head flatten out. My hands stopped shaking, my breathing evened out, and my heart slowed to its normal rhythmic beating. I plastered a smile over the fear and pain I had just endured, waving to her.

"What class do you have now?" She asked, adjusting one of the straps on her bag.

"Photography." I mumbled, tilting my head down to avoid eye contact.

A moment a silence past before she spoke again.

"Are you alright Cora?" She asked.

Immediately, I felt like I was falling. I stopped dead in my tracks and slapped my hand against one of the lockers.

"Cora? Coraline are you okay?" Connie's voice was muffled as all my senses gave way at once.

I started breathing deep, my body struggling for precious air. My knees started to buckle beneath me, and I used the wall as support to lower myself to my knees

'What is happening to me?!' I screamed in my head.

Dangerous thoughts seeped into my brain, fogging up my judgement and making some things seem like the only solution. Then, as suddenly as these feelings came, they left. Now I was just sitting in the hallway, taking in as much oxygen as I could. Connie's hands were draped over my shoulder in a comforting manner. I looked at her, taking in her features.

"Can you hear me?" She asked, making me jump a little.

I only responded with a small nod.

"Are you okay?" She asked, making sure to say things slowly so I could understand.

Once again, I only nodded. Connie sighed with relief, offering a hand as she stood up. Before I could pull myself to my feet, I heard laughing. My eyes shifted to a group of three boys and two girls across from us. The boys made zombie jokes, and ghost jokes (considering how pale my skin is), and laughing with each other. The girls threw a few insults at me, ranging from my apparently greasy hair to my dirty shoes.

Tears pricked my eyes as I stood up. I turned away, trying to force them back. The group called out crybaby and a other names I don't wish to repeat.

"Hey! Leave her alone! She didn't do anything to you, so why pick on her?" Connie's voice was loud and assertive, very different from the calm and quiet voice she with me.

"Oh is your little girlfriend protecting you now?" One guy spat, causing the others to yell out rude social slurs, and curses.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to scream at them, tell them they were wrong about me.

'They're wrong.... I'm not gay.' I thought to myself, causing an odd feeling to bloom in the pit of my stomach.

While I was lost in my thoughts, Connie had drove the group away, and was now watching them walk off. Her shoulders sagged a little as she laid her eyes on me.

"Let me walk you to class okay? I wanna make sure you get there on time." She suggested, swinging her arm over my shoulders.

"Thank you." I said after a few moments of hesitation.

"No problem Cora." She said.

A snowball formed in my throat.

"Please don't call me that." I requested, looking away of awkwardness.

"I'm sorry, should I stick to Coraline? Or is there another nickname you go by?" She asked, waving to friend that passed by.

"Just Coraline is good." I said, smiling with relief.

She nodded, dragging me down the hall.

"What class?" She asked.

"Photography with Mr. Arthur." I replied, causing her eyes to light up.

"Awe man I love that guy! Real sweet, but super smart. Have ya met him?" She sped through her words, almost stumbling a few times, both mentally and physically.

"No. I only have him alternating day." I explained, watching her lips pull into an evil smile.

She glanced at me. Dammit, I must've made a mistake.

"You're gonna love him!" She said.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"I'm positive." She assured me, picking up the pace.

By the time we got to the room, Connie practically threw me in just as the bell rung. We waved goodbye, going our separate ways. I scurried to a seat at the back of the class, slumping down in the chair to hide from questions.

~End of Chapter 4~

Key:
Gå væk solen = Go away sun