The girl in the back

Prologue

The girl in the back of class. She never talks. She never smiles. I've seen her just wait patiently for people to give up when called on or talked to. Always pretending that she's a nothing. Why? I'm not sure but I want to know. Maybe I want to see a smile on that girl, even if it's rare. I want her to be happy, why? Maybe it's selfish, maybe I've done something to earn her cold stare, emotionless face, pain-filled eyes, those scares on her wrist that will never fade. Maybe by not facing my fears, I'm killing her along with me. Maybe...

I shove those thoughts away, they make me want to give in, they make me feel like I should brake the rules. Leah Zilla Quinn. What rules you ask? I'm a player, but the only girl I want is dying right in front of me, but I won't stop it. I don't know how. How am I ever going to get her trust if I'm known as a player? How can even the nicest person gain her trust? Well, no point in waiting.

"Mr. Doyle!" The petty English teacher slams the ruler on my desk, shaking my thoughts into the dark corners of my mind.

"And here I thought harassing a student was illegal, guess the system changed yet again," I let out a fake chuckle. Some of the other students started to laugh behind me, none of them was hers. Yet another failed attempt to make her smile.

"So now you care about rules," she rolled her eyes "I hope you have an answer for why you were daydreaming in class 'cause your going to the principal office this instance!" Damn that teacher needs to calm down, I guess she's just wasting her time, I won't leave, I need to be here for her. I need her to smile, even for a second, please, I beg her in my head. I know she can't hear me, but I hope she can, I want her to, I need her to understand. I stand up and gather my stuff into my pockets. No backpack, makes it easier to just leave the school unsuspected.

"I'm leaving now, prune," now everyone in the class except her are falling over laughing, but she's just staring. I wink at her, she just shoves her nose back in her notebook. Not again, I fake a cocky grin and make my way to the principals office. I don't even have to knock, she knows me by now just by the way I mumble under my breath when I come over here. I shove open the door to find her reading some romance novel. Great, now I have to try to get her attention so she knows I'm at least here.

"Mom? Hey! Hello?" Nothing, "I can see you, acknowledge me, please," she finally looks up.

"Oh! Hi, baby, what happened this time?" She suddenly looks professional and puts her hands, intertwined, on the desk. I let out a long sigh and close the door.

"I was thinking about her again and the English teacher told me to come here 'cause I wasn't paying attention." I run a hand though my hair. This is going to be tough, I want her to see me, I need her to know I won't hurt her. All I want is a smile from her.

"I-I, mom? How do you get your shy students," I took a deep breath, "how do you get them to talk to you, or feel safe?" She gave me a questioning look, then sighed herself.

"I don't, I have some other students that I give hints to. That's how I get shy students to talk and be social. By asking kind students to talk to them and get them out of their shell, they do. It's wonderful really. But for your case, however, that won't help," she sighed again, deeper. I lifted my gaze to meet hers.

"Thank you, mom. Your right, it won't help, what did dad do to get you to trust him?" Touchy subject, but I have to know, I need to. What made her fall in love with my cocky dad? He too was a player, and my mom was the schools good girl. Much like the many stories, my mom fell first but played it off, then she made the bad boy fall. Yep, just like the books she reads, and I admit, I read as well.

All I receive is a pointy look and pursed lips from her. I, myself sigh and open the door to signal that I would be leaving. My mother nods and goes back to her book, I momentarily smile at the sight of my moms nose in a book wile she is supposed to be walking the halls watching the classrooms to make sure the teachers aren't doing anything illegal. I guess my dad rubbed off on her, a little.

"Until we meet again, Mrs. Doyle," I give a curt nod and exit her office. As soon as I close the door the bell rings and a certain girl walks out of the classroom I was in before the prune sent me out. I decided to make a deal with her, like the boys in the movies do, the only difference, I've already fallen for her.