Becoming Normal

Chapter 2

The first two classes weren't as bad, Tanner had Physics first period, and then French second period. Overall those classes seemed normal, but- it was the first day of school, he knew it was going to get more challenging later on. Third period he had English, another subject he always dreads on since elementary school. In every English class, he was forced to read a boring book and work on it for a grade. Not only were the assignments hard, but he never enjoyed reading, it just wasn't his thing.

When he got into the classroom, he took his seat in the first open spot he saw which was in the middle. He then scanned around the classroom hoping to see anyone he knew, and so far there were a few he knew, but they there the ones he barely talked to. He then noticed the teacher, nothing interesting about him, he just looked like a normal teacher with his black-rimmed glasses resting on the tip of his nose as he worked on his computer.

As more students came in, Max suddenly walked through the door as Tanner felt relieved to see someone he knew more. After giving his best friend a greeting high five as Max took his seat to the right, the bell rang indicating it was time for class. Like his other classes, it always started off with the teacher introducing him or herself, what will happen in the class, and then roll call.

"Um-" the teacher whose name was Mr. Turner looked at the attendance sheet while tapping his pen on his chin "Autumn Blanchard."

"Here," a quiet voice replied.

Tanner turned around and spotted Autumn sitting in the back corner all shyly with no one sitting around her. He didn't even notice her until now, he never even noticed how quiet her voice was. She avoided eye contact with the teacher by looking down as she rolled her mechanical pencil back and forth on the desk with her finger. Tanner couldn't help but stare at her for a bit, he couldn't imagine how someone could be so shy and mysterious, he's never seen anyone like Autumn before, expect in movies but never in real life.

Throughout the class time, every once in a while Tanner would look away and take a quick glance at Autumn. Her long straight hair hung over in front masking her face so he couldn't see her eyes. She was too distracted by writing in her notebook that she didn't bother looking up. He couldn't see what she was writing but decided to shrug it off as he turned back around.

"Dude" Max suddenly whispered to him "Are you staring at Autumn?"

He had been so focused on her that he had forgotten Max was right next to him.

"I wasn't staring" he whispered back "I was... observing."

"Well, could you stop cause it's really weird."

He nodded. Max was probably right, he shouldn't be observing a girl he barely knew.

By the time Tanner had made it to the cafeteria for lunch, he saw that it was already crowded, but that wasn't a bother to him as he managed to get his tray of food and joined his friends at a table where they discussed their classes.

"I fucking hate my Government class" Dayna groaned "The teacher is so unfair, she made us put our phones into a basket when we came in. And I had nothing to do the whole class but listen to her talk."

"Sucks for you" Max chuckled "My government teacher has a nice ass."

Tanner rolled his eyes with a chuckle, Max always says the most ridiculous things that he can't help but laugh at them.

"Babe-" Dayna suddenly spoke, "You coming over after school?"

"Oh I can't" Tanner sighed "I promised my mom I'd babysit Allison today."

"Well can I come over then? I can help you take care of Ally."

"Sorry but no" he sighed again "My mom doesn't want any visitors today, she's been really stressed out lately with work and she doesn't want to deal with guests."

"See this is why working sucks" she grunted as she went back to her phone.

Sometimes Dayna wanted to spend every minute with Tanner like most girlfriends, and Tanner could see how disappointed she was. But he had to shrug it off as he opened his bag of chips. But before he could take a bite, he suddenly spotted something ahead that caught his eye. There sitting on the floor in the area between the cafeteria and the hallway with her back against the wall was Autumn. She had her tray of food next to her and was lost in a book she had in her lap. There was no one around her, she was all alone.

At that point Tanner could feel his curiosity rise, he couldn't understand why all of a sudden he's so curious about a girl he barely knew. Maybe that was the reason, he wanted to know who she really was and why she's so mysterious. No one could be that shy and self-centered right? Throughout the years of high school, Tanner thought that she would of developed, and yet there she was, the same girl since the beginning, as if nothing had changed.

If he was her he would have felt lonely, eating alone with no one to socialize with. But Autumn didn't seem to mind it, at least he thought she didn't, she just seemed to be more focused on her book that she didn't care about socializing. But that made Tanner more interested, how did she become who she was today? And what was she really like?

"Tanner what are you looking at?" Dayna suddenly asked as she turned to where his eyes were looking and saw Autumn "Hey is that that weird chic who barely talks?"

"What makes you think she's weird?" he wondered.

"Last year I had to work in a group with her for science, and at one point I tapped her shoulder with my pencil and she jumped in pain, and I didn't even tap her that hard."

"Well, maybe she's just sensitive."

"Oh please-" she doubted "No one is that sensitive to a pencil touch, and if they are, well they clearly got problems. And why is she always by herself? I've never seen her hang out or talk to anyone, it's like she has no friends at all."

Tanner took another glance at Autumn, Dayna was right, he's never seen her hang out with anyone at school. Perhaps she doesn't have any friends, but why?