Annalise

Chapter 7: Familiar

Period one vanished in a blink an eye, making period two arrive quickly. I walked towards my English class, seeing lots of familiar faces scurrying out the doorway.

Unconsciously, I brung my hand up and waved, greeting the students with a small tender smile. I always made sure to acknowledge my peers' presence.

Unlike many times before, they didn't bother to spare a simple smile or polite nod my way. The students curtly glanced at me before making a beeline to their next class.

I awkwardly lowered my hand back down and started to finger the hem of my black pleated skirt.

Rejected! You just got rejected! From a simple welcoming gesture! I internally brooded, making my voice fill with confusion while a hint of embarrassment broke to the surface.

Why didn't they say hi?

They always do!

I didn't come to terms that I was standing still as people exited and entered the room, not until a shoulder clashed with mine. I jerked forward mere inches as I swung my head to the person who bumped into me.

It was another fellow peer, he was usually cool and non-caring about time. I would always see him loitering outside the classroom with friends and not a bone in his body was anxious about being late, time didn't phase him, which was why it was weird to see him in such a rush for class.

"Sorry about that, Annalise," he muttered, keeping his head down low while slipping into the classroom.

No carefree lopsided grin captured his face, only a tense tight lipped expression displayed from him.

My lips parted and my right eyebrow shot up, confusion started to hit me full force in the face. The dumbfound features held in place as I observed my surroundings.

There was an invisible five feet barrier between three people that I couldn't see. The passers-by walked, more like ran, into their classroom, avoiding the unsaid barrier that seems to be forbidden to cross.

I could see some girls eying the group, their eyes were filled with, what I assume, was lust and internal conflict of fear restricting them from their prey. The girls strutted away and soon after them came a group of guys. Inside their eyes were specks of envy and swirling within was unease, unease that they attempted to cover up with a look of strict seriousness.

I detached my analyzing eyes from the student body and landed them on the two backs that faced me.

A couple feet away stood two guys facing another person. I had no idea if the person was male or female. Moments later, the two guys casually shifted in their positions, exposing the one they were speaking too.

Aloof dark blue eyes bored into the one with dark brown hair. Not so long after, the person's eyelids carelessly closed while bobbing their head up and down, a gesture of understanding. 

Those eyes, Ricky's eyes.

They shined bright with freedom, they were no longer caged by his eyelids, no longer covered and no longer dark with whatever images he saw when he closed them.

A hint of relief could be detected from his expression but it was easily washed away, a soulless look taking control and masking his face.