Crânio Borboleta (COMPLETED)

Chapter Four

Juliette

It was the first day of sophomore year, and I locked myself in my room so I could get ready in peace. I curled my hair and pinned a small section of it back after braiding it. I put mascara on, the tips of my eyelashes touching my eyebrows, and I rubbed some watermelon-scented chap stick on my cracked lips after brushing my teeth.

I wasn't hungry. I was too nervous.

Then, I slid on a gray sweatshirt with "Brooklyn" written on the front in black block lettering, and I pulled a pair of ripped skinny jeans up my hairless legs, pulling on a pair of socks and tying on my white tennis shoes. I clipped a heart-shaped necklace around my neck and grabbed my backpack, looking in my body mirror and sighing shakily.

"Let's do this," I whispered to myself, and I ran downstairs to George who was waiting with his camera.

"Time for a sibling picture," he signed.

Sean sighed angrily and stood beside me, and we smiled, George's camera clicking.

"Let's go." Winona said, and the four of us walked to George's old station wagon, all of us driving to our high school.

When we arrived at Mason High, Sean ran off to find his friends, and I hugged George goodbye, walking to the school's doors after Taylor found me.

"So... there's this really hot new kid, and Belcher wants us to try and befriend him. He's talking with Abe and Ian in the Commons."

I nodded and we entered the school. There were hundreds of kids laughing and talking and hugging, and I sighed, feeling overwhelmed. Though I had already been at the high school before, I was nervous on every first day.

"Taylor! Jules!" Abe's voice shouted. We turned and he, Ian, and another boy walked over to us. Abe was tall and had chocolate skin with black hair and brown eyes. He was so fun to hang out with. He hugged me tight, then went to Taylor, Ian hugging me after hugging Taylor. Ian was pale with pastel blue hair and green eyes. He was tall, but shorter than Abe, and he was always flirty to us girls. But it was a funny flirty.

"So," Abe began. "Taylor, Juliette, this is Clay Mangette. Clay, my man, these are my girls Tay-Tay and Jules." Abe put his arms around Taylor and I and I got a good look at Clay Mangette.

He was tan with dark brown hair and blue eyes. He was a lot taller than me. He was even taller than Abe. Freckles were stamped all over his face. He looked like a senior, but Abe promised us he was a sophomore. He had bags under his eyes, long eyelashes, a small nose, and thick lips. His hair was short but looked soft. It swooped back and over to the right, and he was wearing a red jacket with jeans and tennis shoes.

He smelled really good.

"Nice to meet you," Taylor smiled, and she shook his hand. She was always proper like that.

"You too," Clay replied with no facial expression as he blinked hard and his head kind of jolted, then he looked at me. "You're Juliette, Abe said?"

"Yeah," I replied after clearing my throat, and I held my hand out. He side smiled and rested his hand in mine, shaking it gently. He had crooked teeth.

How cute.

"Well, we should probably get to class," Ian said loudly after the bell rang.

I licked my lips nervously and nodded, hugging Taylor and the boys, walking to my first period; Biology.

******

As the day passed, I had realized I had three classes with Clay; Art, Algebra II, and Gym. AKA: all of the things I'm awful at.

I was in Art, my last period, and I sat at a table of four; Clay, Ian, and some girl named Avery. I was sweaty after Gym, which was the period before Art, and I felt so gross compared to Avery's gorgeousness. She had brown ombre hair and pretty makeup and a short shirt and ripped shorts. I could smell her from here. Clay sat next to her. Of course. I don't know why it annoyed me, it just did.

"So class," Mr. Truman began. "We are going to be doing one project the entire year, because as you know, you will be staying in this class the entire year. I know that's not normal, to have one project all year, but I'm not a normal teacher.
"You will be drawing one thing and it better have the most detail I've ever seen, and no one in here will have the same topic. You have all week to brainstorm, and next week you should start drawing to practice and see what you want your drawing to fully be. So, get out your sketchbooks and start brainstorming."

I put in my earbuds and turned on an upbeat song to try and boost my mood, but it soon turned to a sad song, and I tried to think of things I could draw for my project. I had no idea, but I wanted it to really scream "Juliette". But all I could think of were bad things. Fists, bruises, tears, boxing gloves. I twirled an earbud around my finger, sighing heavily, and suddenly they were pulled from me. I looked up. Clay was on my phone.

I frowned at Ian who was staring at Clay, then Clay gave me my phone back and I looked to see what he did. I realized he put his number in my phone. I smiled slightly as I read the message he sent himself to get my number:

Red.

******

After Art, I walked to my locker I shared with Taylor and got my World History book, a tap hitting my shoulder before I closed my locker. I turned after closing it, Abe, Ian, Taylor, and Clay looking at me.

"Come on, we're gonna get ice cream." Taylor said.

I nodded slightly and texted George I'd be home later than usual, then the five of us walked out of the school and headed for the nearest ice cream shop.

     The five of us were eating ice cream on the side of the road, talking about school and how our first day was. I had my earbuds in, my hearing coming in and out here and there. Music always fixed that. I looked over after seeing something jerk and Clay was looking at his ice cream, quiet and still, then he suddenly blinked hard. A couple minutes later, his head jerked to the side.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

He looked at me, his eyes drooped.

"What?" I asked.

He looked away and continued eating his ice cream. I sighed and looked at my knees, turning my music up, then a ding from a text message interrupted a part. I looked at my phone, expecting it to be George, but it said Clay. I read the message:

I have Tourette's. It's a tic.

I looked at him but he kept his eyes on his ice cream. I rested my hand on his shoulder, wanting his attention, and he gave it to me. He looked at me, his cheeks flushed, and he blinked hard. I stroked his arm, trying to show my sympathy, and he smiled slightly, blinking gently. I smiled back.