Speak Now

Chapter 2 : I think you're gorgeous

"You tell yourself you're fine
But inside you despise your quiet lies
There's no way to hide what's in your eyes
The tears that are streaming"
-Silent Times, Michael learns to rock

♤♤♤♤

"Ana oh my GAWD! What did you do to your HAIR?"

"Bro, you gonna try out for football captain?"

"You have NO idea who I saw Tyler Smith with last week!"

I dodge girls as they fling themselves over each other with excited squeals and screams. A few guys push each other against the lockers, roaring with laughter. The nerds try to hurry past, their books pressed to their chests.
A few teachers, coffee mugs and binders clutched in their hands, grumble past the students.

A normal first day of school, when everybody starts afresh. New hairstyles, new clothes, new attitude.
Except for me. I'm just the same.

I check my watch.
6:45

A few minutes to go, I think and glue myself to the lockers. Silently I edge past the crowd. Fortunately no one notices me. I sigh in relief as I reach my locker, crack it open and thrust my bag inside. I pull out my AP English textbook and slam the locker door shut.

"Excuse me"

I flinch.
A person, I think grudgingly, Just my luck. Two people in one day is too much.
I turn around anyways. I hope fervently no one else looks at me.

A blonde girl with brown skin bites her lips nervously as her piercing blue eyes find mine. A bag is slung around one of her shoulders.

Stranger. Stranger. Stranger.
Immediately the panic settles in and I nervously avoid looking at her. My eyes find the cracks in the wall plaster, car keys in someone's hands, locker combination locks, anything but the girl in front of me.

"Um where's the administration office?" She asks, "I'm kind of new here and I haven't got the hang of the place yet"

I look at her and try to stifle the panic in my throat. My voice appears to have abandoned me yet again.
Come on, Maddie. It's just directions.

I remember my mom making me practice talking in front on strangers, saying that I can't avoid people forever, that I'd have to articulate somehow, and that I couldn't live in my small cocoon and call it a day.
I wish I hadn't ignored her advice.

"It's-' I start, haphazardly,"around the corner."

The girl eyes me strangely and I try again,"Um turn left at the next junction. It's the second door"

I catch my breathe as the girl smiles,"Oh thanks! I'm Miranda by the way. Me and my brother-"

"Adrian"
A boy appears behind Miranda, her exact replica. His blonde hair falls into bangs around his forehead. Blue icy eyes meet mine and I blush fiercely. I'm not used to boys gazing at me so intimately, especially with blue eyes so intense, the sky dulls in comparison.

"Could you take us there?" Adrian said, and leaned against a locker, a paragon of complete and utter calmness.

I'm aware of a few people pointing at us. Not me specifically but the twins.
But I'm associated and soon everyone will want to know who I am and why the twins are talking to ME of all people.

Not good.

"Don't mind my brother" the girl rolls her eyes,"he's a terrible flirt"

The boy shrugs, and then winks at me,"That's not flirting Miranda"