CHAPTER 5
The cafeteria doors had been bashed against the walls they were hinged to and a trio entered the hall. At first this might not have been so surprising, if not for the noise their entrance had produced, but their appearance made them stand out as if they had a spotlight trained upon them. The trio were clad in biker leather and studded black jeans. They all seemed to share pale skin and mutinous expressions of fury stretched across their gaunt faces. I felt a shiver course through me. What were such people doing at school? Surely, they were dangerous?
There were two girls and a boy and all of them hand hippie-like hair that fell tangled and dreadlocked to their shoulders. The girls were both brunette and had thick coatings of eyeliner covering their eyes whilst the male had red hair that seemed to shine in the fluorescent lighting. They were certainly a sight to see but not to admire.
The trio made their way to a table in the far corner and the noise levels in the cafeteria went back to normal. Everyone began to speak and chat and flirt whilst I sat still, glued to my seat as I glanced nervously at the new arrivals. Me being considerably unlucky, one of the brunette girls saw me staring at her and she gave me a blank look that sent my spine tingling and my hair standing on end. I furtively looked back to my half eaten sandwich. Going back to eating my lunch, I swallowed a gulp of coke before the can was ripped out of my hand.
Fear laced itself into my heart as the brunette that had caught me staring at her and her friends was before me, a murderous expression taking hold of her features. My heart was palpitating so loudly in my chest that I felt everyone in the cafeteria could hear it.
“What the fuck are you looking at Bitch?!” She shrieked and pulled me by my shirt out of my chair. I felt a stinging pain from where she had touched me and I blinked twice to stop the tears from making their appearance.
“What…”
I tried to say before Victor and Louise had both shot out of their seats and pulled the brunette away from me. My knees gave in and I slumped back onto my chair feeling the eyes of everyone zoning in on me. My body was shaking like a leaf in the hands of an unmerciful gale. A teacher approached our table and began to lecture the brunette and Victor and Louise. She turned to me and began to ask if I was okay. I nodded in reply.“You should head over to the nurse’s office”
She said despite my objections.
Suddenly, Drew was beside me and pulling me out of my seat with a gentle tug on my arm. I was about to protest but the teacher turned to him and asked him to take me to the nurse’s office. I had no choice but to follow him as he led me out of the cafeteria. I could feel the tears building up and I just wanted to bawl my eyes out. But I could never do that in front of anyone let alone him.
I shook my arm out of his grasp and he let me.
“Are you okay?” His voice was concerned and gentle. It was infuriating.
“No” I replied.
What else did he expect me to say? That I was feeling jolly peachy perfect?
“I am really sorry you had to experience that on your first day. If only I had gotten there fast enough…”
A shot of remorse and ire laced his tone and I turned to face him, abruptly pulling him to a stop in the process.
“What would you have done? I don’t understand why you even care. Who are you to come help me when I barely know you?” I asked.
I could almost see the anger bursting out of me. And when I thought my day couldn’t have gotten any worse he had the nerve to smile. Smile!
I turned around and sprinted down the corridor and towards the reception where I would call my mother and ask her to pick me up. This day had been the very epitome of disaster.
…
Snuggling into a pillow, I stuffed handfuls of popcorn into my mouth as I watched Splash for the zillionth time in my life. It was one of my comfort movies – the film I would turn to when I was feeling down in the dumps. I would admire the young Tom Hanks – who looked stellar back in the days – and Daryl Hannah’s gorgeous blonde hair. They were a match made in heaven (in the film) and it always made me feel better knowing that sometimes true love existed, even if your significant other was not a human.
My mother had picked me up from the reception and she hadn’t asked me any questions until we had got home. I was thankful for that. At least I wouldn’t have to relive the horrific events again by saying them out loud. She had asked if someone had hurt me and I had lied and said no. What was the point of telling her only to have her worry? By telling her what had actually happened I would be making her feel terrible because it had been her idea to move here in the first place.
My phone rang and I scrambled out of my cocoon of blankets and pillows to get to it. It was Holly – a friend from England who I used to hang out with at school. She was nice but we weren’t very close.
“Hey!” I answered and she greeted me with her infectious bubble of gossip and giggles.
I told her about Drew and she sighed in sympathy and gave me advise – all of which involved putting some make up on and getting myself a boyfriend – which wasn’t at all useful. Ending the call after what seemed like a decade I went back to watching Splash only to have my thoughts punctuated with the dreadful prospect of going back to school tomorrow. It was definitely not something I was looking forward to.
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Lots of love Xx
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The Alpha's Indian Mate
Werewolf"I'm in trouble. Trouble that has taken the form of a green eyed boy with enough charm to put Casanova to shame and a brooding aura that makes Heathcliff look like Mary Poppins beside him" When half Indian, half British Amberia Abbencrof...