Crystal Corde

Notebook

I slowly walk back to my classroom, my footsteps echoing in my head. Many people are around me, talking and walking, yet I feel as if I am all alone. I clutch at my notebook and lunch bag as I walk up the stairs and turn the corner.

When I get to my classroom, I linger at the door, watching everyone go about their day, then my eyes find Raven. How will I get her to eat? I thought about it the rest of lunchtime, but I can't think of anything right now; my mind is completely blank!

Although, now that I think about it, I've never actually seen her eat. In the morning, when she comes over, she only makes me food but I always assume that she eats before me. And during lunchtime, she always leaves for a little bit and I can't find her until she comes back. I've always just thought that she went to the lunchroom to get food. What about before this year though, I know we basically grew up together... A sharp pain then attacks me in the middle of my thought, stopping me from continuing my train of thought. I shake my head and ignore it, I have to focus on getting Rae to not skip meals. 

"Time to commence plan Rae will eat!" I whisper aloud to myself. I take a snack bar from my lunch bag and unwrap it. I put down my lunch bag and notebook on an empty desk and crouch. I then sneak next to Raven's desk, trying to stay quiet. I get behind her and I slowly stand, ready to attack.

"What are you doing?" Raven suddenly says, flipping the page of the book on her desk.

"Crap! I've been spotted, SNACK ATTACK," I say, throwing my arm around Raven's neck, aiming the snack bar for her mouth. But she grabs my arm before it can reach her mouth.

"I am only going to ask you one more time. What are you doing?" Raven repeats in a rather harsh tone.

"You need food~" I chime as I continue to try and put the bar in her mouth, although it's a futile fight. "Grr. Come on you need to eat!"

"No, I don't. The human body only needs food about every 20 days and I ate 5 days ago," she says as she lets go of my arm and turns back to her book. I clench my fists tight and swallow my anger of how wrong she is.

"... you're more of an idiot than I am," I cross my arms and look down at the ground. I didn't know she hadn't eaten in that long... "Please just eat, it'll make me feel less uneasy," I pull the wrapper back up over the bar and set it on her desk. I walk to the desk I set my things down on and grab my lunch bag and notebook, setting them down on my own desk. "Please," I say quietly before leaving the classroom. The next period bell will ring soon, but I don't especially care right now.

I wander the halls, just walking from hall to hall until the bell rings and I hurry back to my classroom and my desk. When I sit down in my seat I keep my gaze down and I don't look up at her, but I glance up at her desk where I set the snack bar. The bar I left on her desk is no longer there, though, I wonder what she did with it...

I keep quiet throughout the next classes, the silence draining me. As I am about to say something to her, the teacher calls to speak to Rae in the teachers' office. Aw man! I lost my perfect chance since it's between classes and the teacher won't yell at me.

After she and the teacher are out of the room, Tiffany and Jessica come up to me. Tiffany, the one with long brown hair and sharp eyes quickly removes something from Raven's bag. It looks like a small, brown, pocket-sized notebook. "Don't worry, she borrowed this from me and I just want it back," she tells me. I know that's not true, I've seen Raven writing in it for the longest time, so I know it's not hers... I take a deep breath and go to say something but there's a knot in my throat. 

I know that the notebook belongs to Raven, but why can't I say anything? Do I just want to protect myself? That's so selfish! I stand, slamming my hands on the desk, "uh... I think that notebook is Raven's..." I stare down at my desk because if I look up now I know I'll get too scared to say anything else.