Before You Know It

Chapter 3

Monday morning started off with my alarm going off at 6 am, giving me enough time to shower and get ready and maybe squeeze in a homework assignment I had "forgotten" to do. I was heading out the door by 7 and was heading down my normal path. The walk to school is typically 10-20 minutes depending on how fast you were walking. Today it had taken me 16 minutes to get there with 14 more to spare before class begins.

I am walking down the hallway on my way to my locker when I notice Sophie is standing with her back and foot against hers. Approaching my locker and unlocking it she doesn't even look at me.

Sighing and looking at her I say, "Hey Soph, what's going on?" I said finally looking at her as I swing my locker open.

"Nothin." She mumbled so quietly I can barely hear her.

"Um.. Are you sure nothing is wrong?" Raising my eyebrow looking her with all of my attention now.

She finally looks at me and looks like she is desperately wanting to leave. "Yeah, everything is fine. I'm going to go to class now." She said walking off.

"But Sop-" I can't even finish my sentence before she fully out of earshot.

*Huh. That was weird.* She normally is never like that even on days when she's most exhausted. I quickly grab my books for class and head to home room.

Walking in I search for Sophie and she isn't in here. That's also weird. *I thought she was going to class? What is going on with her lately?*

She came to class eventually, and that meant that she showed up 10 minutes late and walked through the door with her head down. Without looking up she sat in her seat and didn't talk all class. There was multiple times when I tried to get her to look at me but she wouldn't budge.

Going to first period, my head was swirling with ideas of what could possibly be wrong with Sophie. *Maybe her parents are fighting again..*

Walking into the cafeteria that is currently packed with students I notice she is sitting all by herself, which is unusual since everyone always wants to sit with her. I go and sit in the seat next to her and as soon as I sit she gets up and walks away.

I stare up at her with confusion as she walks out of the cafeteria doors without even acknowledging anyone. Many people made an attempt to talk to her or smile at her but she just kept walking.

All day Sophie seemed to ignore me and everyone else around her.

As I was walking down the path home with my head down thinking and trying to sort out everything going on with Sophie, I hear footsteps in front of me. I look up and it is Sophie walking in front of me clearly heading home, and clearly ignoring me.

"Sophie!" She doesn't turn around.

I yell her name a few times and she still doesn't turn around. When I'm a little closer to her I notice that she has headphones in. I quickly catch up to her and tightly grip her bicep turning her to face me. She was stoned face with no emotion showing.

"Sophie. What is going on with you lately?" I ask showing the worry in my voice.

"Nothing. Why won't you just leave me alone?" She shouts in my face stunning me and quickly frees her arm and begins walking away leaving me in the middle of the path staring at her.

This went on for many days and day after day I began trying less because the more I tried, the angrier she got. It was a week later and at this time I was just getting annoyed. Annoyed that she is ignoring me. Annoyed that she is angry at me. Annoyed that she won't tell me what's wrong.

Walking home that day I see her again in front of me. I decide this time I'm going to get answers from her. I run up behind her and grab both of her arms with all the strength I had to hold her in place. I look at her face and she noticeably has bags under her eyes and clearly hasn't been eating much. With that one look at her I quickly wrap her in a huge fierce hug hoping to wash away all of her stresses with that one hug.