Our Differences

Chapter 1

Felicity's POV

I sat at my usual spot in the library reading a book with my black headphones blasting music into my ears. Books were the only things that kept me safe and secure from the world around me. It's like a wall that protects me from the missiles aimed at me. 

I've always felt useless, helpless and stupid. I dreaded going to school everyday mainly because of one person; Chloe Jefferson, school Queen Bee. I gripped my book tighter as I remembered all those torturous moments Chloe and her snobbish, stuck-up friends had make fun of me. I never forgot them and I don't think I ever will. 

I heard a loud slam and the desk I was sitting at began to wobble. A hand with glittery pink nail polish was laid on the desk. I didn't have to look up to know who that was. 

Chloe. I thought. 

"Well, well, well." I heard her say. I pretended I didn't hear her but I did since my music had already ended. I felt my headphones being lifted from my ears. 

Since they were plugged into my phone, my phone was lifted up as well and dangled from the wire. I looked up. 

"Hey, give them back!" I said, glaring at the girl holding my headphones with her delicate fingers. My phone swung from the cable like a pendulum. 

Chloe stuck out her palm and the girl, Mira, dropped my phone and headphones into her open palm. Chloe inspected it like she was a detective looking for fingerprints on a weapon used for murder. She unplugged my phone and stuck it into her pocket. 

I glared at her. "Give. Them. Back." I said, through a clenched jaw. "You're going to break it, you clumsy wretch!" 

She rested both palms on the sides of her hips. 

"And what are you going to do about it?" she asked. "Call your mommy?" And her friends broke into haughty laughter before getting a glare from the librarian to tell them to shut up. 

"Oh, please." I said, with a massive and probably over-exaggerated eye roll. "I can do better. Now hand it over." 

The bell rang, signalling all the students to head to their respective classrooms. "I'd love to stay and chat, Fe. But, unfortunately, I just can't afford to be late." she said, pretending to be disappointed. 

"Oh, really? But I thought you're dad is rich enough to afford for anything!" I said, before she could say anything else. 

She laughed. "Oh, Fe. You're so funny. Toodles!" she said, waving and dropping my headphones to the ground. She slid my phone across the desk and I caught it just before it fell of the table to its fatal death. Kristen, the school's cheerleading captain, kicked my headphones with her heel and watched it slide across the room before showing me a peace sign and walking off with the others.

I stood there in shock and rage. I balled my hands into fists and was ready to punch someone or something. I ran over to my headphones and made sure it was alright. There were a few scratches but, otherwise, it should be fine. I dropped it into my red backpack and slung my bag over one shoulder as I dashed to class. 

I slid into my seat in the third row minutes before our English teacher,  Mrs. Leslie, arrived in our class with a tall stack of books as usual. 

"Alright, class." she said. "I hope you've finished that writing assignment I gave you on Wednesday. Everyone please hand in your work to the person at the front of your row." 

I dug through my backpack for the piece of paper I used to write my 500 word long story about the dangers of global warming. 

I frantically searched through it and had sweat beading my forehead. Oh no! I yelled in my head. Please don't tell me I didn't bring it! Please, please, please!  

"Miss Bloom." Mrs. Leslie said, eyeing me suspiciously. "Is there a problem?" 

I looked up at her. "Uh.... No, not really." 

"Then could you please hand in my work?" she asked, becoming more and more suspicious by each second that passed. 

"Um.... Sure! Just give me a minute." I pulled stuff out of my bag and finally found my sheet of paper. I heaved a sigh of relief and handed it to the person in front who then passed it to the person in front of him. 

Mrs. Leslie nodded and picked up the stack of papers from all five rows before setting them down on her desk at the front of the classroom. 

"Alright, class." she said. "Turn to page 78 of your textbook and let's start our lesson." After long, boring lessons from our talkative teachers, everyone was relieved to hear the school bell ring. Everyone dashed out of their classrooms to play and hang out after torturous hours of being cooped up in the classroom. 

I, on the other hand, wasn't as crazy as the others were about school ending. Going home is no different from school. Both my parents were working, the only sibling I had was currently in Australia to study art and I only had one friend but she was almost always busy with after-school classes. 

It was raining so I pulled a mini umbrella out from my bag and headed out the school gates. Just then, I saw a long black limo pass by. It was obvious who it belonged to. 

Suddenly, water was splashed all over me and drenched my clothes. My hair was soaking wet and I looked like a mess. The limo was right beside me and I saw someone winding down the windows. A familiar face looked at me with a fake shock expression. 

"Oops! So sorry, Felicity!" she apologized with an enormous smirk on her face. "But, hey! Look on the bright side! At least you don't have to shower anymore. Do you even shower anyway? Oh, well. None of my business. Bye!" And off she went. 

I gripped my umbrella tightly. You'd better watch out, Chloe. I'll get my own back at you one day. And it won't be pretty. And that's a promise. I swore in my head.