"you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with so be brave enough to let go of those who keep weighing you down."
||
High school, after weeks of being here, isn't so bad. Despite the fact I'm constantly dragged around by Sarah through the halls, only there so she has someone to talk to but not talk back, it really isn't that bad. Deep down, from the way she speaks, I can tell why she's like that.
Her dad's never around, always too busy directing those big movies you see in the movie theater. Sarah just wants someone to listen to her because her dad never does. And maybe my weird psychoanalysis is wrong, but it's the only thing that makes sense when Sarah is rambling on and on about those pair of shoes she saw in the window of 5th Avenue.
The teachers here aren't awful. Back in Lincoln, there would be a handful that didn't care if students failed left and right as long as they got their paycheck at the end of the week. Here, Mr. Matthews teaches us life lessons for all of us to grow. Even if it's directed to his daughter and her friends' lives, it's something the whole class can benefit from.
I miss my friends though. Looking at everyone else's clique, they all seem so happy. With Sarah, Darby, and Yogi it's like I'm there, but I'm not. I was the friend who trailed behind them on the sidewalk. They don't talk to me unless it's something like, "Where should Yogi, Darby, and I go this weekend?" They don't include me in their plans and it makes me feel so unimportant. But being with them isn't as bad as being alone.
I shake my head out of those negative thoughts and close my locker to come face to face with two faces from my history class. One is Mr. Matthews's daughter, Riley. She smiles at me like she knew something I didn't. Beside her was Maya; her facial expression was more tired and unamused.
"Hiiiii," Riley breathes out in one big breath. She towers over me in her heels, but she seems to be the least intimidating person ever. "I'm Riley, and this is Maya."
"Raina Faith," I greet as I hug my books closer to my chest.
"What a beautiful name!" Riley exclaims, bouncing on the balls of her feet like a hyperactive child. "I've decided that I would make a new friend and you are that friend!"
"Inside voice, Riles," her friend orders.
"You are that friend!" she whisper-shouts with jazz hands. Maya's brooding facade breaks as she lets an amused laugh escape her lips.
I smile brightly at the brunette before I feel an arm link up with my own and Sarah is now standing besides me menacingly. "She doesn't need new friends," Sarah spits. She drags the two of us away, leaving Riley to pout and Maya to comfortingly pat her on the back for the effort. I turn my head over my shoulder to see them in a deep conversation. I didn't hear it, but it did seem heated.
"Why does she have to be so mean? Why can't everyone just be good and happy?" Riley ponders aloud as Maya shrugs.
"There are just some people in the world that aren't as good as you Riley," the blonde tells her softly. "It's not your fault."
"New scheme!" Riley shouts, catching the attention of the lingering students in the hall. Lucas and Zay see the pair by the lockers, instantly walking towards them. "We steal Raina."
"Okay, I'm down," Zay shrugs as soon as he was in ear shot of to hear the plan. He speaks as if this were a normal occurrence in their friend group. In all honesty, it was. Riley was always scheming and he and the rest of them just follow along for the ride.
"What do you mean by stealing?" Maya sighs.
Riley's face breaks out into a beaming smile. "I'm glad you asked, Peaches," she begins. She throws her arm over Maya's shoulders and points to a far away place that resembles her plan. "Raina is a wonderful person."
"How would you know? She never speaks in class?" Zay questions.
"All people have good in them, Zay," Riley assures him. "But there are some people who just aren't good to the good people, so we must steal the good from the not-so-good."
"Uh, what?" Lucas asks. He looks from Riley to the make believe thing she was pointing to.
"We're gonna make Raina apart of the group, expand it a bit," Zay clarifies.
"I'm sorry, but that is a group decision and it should be a unanimous choice to let someone into our group," Maya proclaims, her voice hostile in a way. She places her hands on her hips and looks around for someone to back her up.
"Anyone opposed?" Riley asks.
"I do!" Maya says, her hand shooting up, almost hitting Lucas in the face. "Riley, we don't know her."
"Well, let's get to know her."
||
"Sarah," I say, in what feels like the second time in the one month span of knowing her. It was just the two of us in an empty hallway on our way to lunch. She turns to me with a bored expression, waiting for me to speak. "I just...I wanted....I wanted to tell you—"
"How about you tell me today?" she snaps bitterly.
On the tip of my tongue was just me screaming to tell her that I felt that I deserve better. Don't I? I deserve better than a girl who doesn't care about me or how I feel. I shouldn't be stuck in a friendship with someone who only uses me as an ego booster. I want to shout, "IM CUTTING YOU OUT!" because she is more toxic than the waste killing the Great Barrier Reef.
But I'm me. I'm shy. I can't stand up for myself. I never talk back. I barely speak more than one hundred words a day. I can never cut her out.
"Nevermind," I mumble, foot dragging across the floor.
Sarah stares at me peculiarly, her lips pursed. For a second, I thought I saw at least a bit of remorse in her eyes, but it was gone as quick as it came. She simply nods, and continues her way to the cafeteria, without me in tow.
YOU ARE READING
Sunshine | Farkle
Fanfic"how does she make you feel?" "she makes me all...BAHLALALOO!" [farkle x oc] [season three] [extended summary inside]
