Different Inside and Out

Chapter Three

** RECCESS**

I sit in the school corridor on my own, directly across from my locker. This is how I spend my recess and lunchtimes.

I glance at my watch and see that I only have seven more minutes until third period. As I get stuck into my Stephen King book, I hear booms of laughter from both boys and girls. I don’t bother looking up until I hear someone talking to me.

‘Well look what we have here. Hey bitch, all alone again?’ Hannah asks me with a smirk plastered on her face. I could slap it right off her face.

‘Yeah problem?’ I retort. Her face falls a little bit, obviously not expecting a comeback, but she doesn’t stop there. She rips my book out of my grasp, and gives it to a boy who has wide shoulders and is quite handsome. He tears the book in half and throws it in the bin.

‘Nice book. Too bad you won’t be able to read it anymore.’ She bursts out in laughter while her little puppies follow her. I grit my teeth, choking back a scream and comment. I glare at the back of their heads as they turn away from me until I notice a familiar face… Ahren. He glances at me but takes no notice as if he didn’t know who I was.  He didn’t even help me or stop her. Maybe he didn’t know it was me? Maybe he just wants to fit in. Maybe I just judged him well too fast.

I hear the bell ring and quickly grab my books for period three. I rush to class, trying to stay out of anyone’s way. I arrive in class and see Aaron there but not in his usual seat. Instead he is sitting next to Hannah. She is laughing and slaps him on the shoulder… what a flirt.

As I finally make a full appearance in the room, Hannah snaps her head in my direction and smirks at me. Ahren glances over and I smile at him, but his expression is blank. What a prick. I pretend that I didn’t even look at him and walk over to my seat. As I walk Jamie (one of Hannah’s friends) snickers and puts her foot out. I sigh and just step over it and just pretend I didn’t even notice it.

‘Yeah nice one.’ I think to myself.

As I tune into class, I begin to forget about what happened at recess until I get a piece of paper thrown at me. I groan oh so quietly to myself and open the piece of paper.

‘I’m sorry. –Ahren.’ I look over at him and he gives me a sympathetic look. I don’t know if this is a joke or…

*DING DING*

The bell goes and I try to leave the room as quickly as I can, but I get stopped. Ahren stands in-front of me.

‘Can I talk to you please?’ he asks.

‘I don’t care.’ I reply, sounding as annoyed as I can.

‘Okay. I just wanted to say I’m sorry for what they did to you and moving next to Hannah. She’s just such a nice girl…’

‘Nice? Are you serious? You saw what she did to me! That’s not even the worst she’s done! She’s using you!! She’s going to use you and show you off like a new outfit.’ I almost yell in frustration at him.

‘That was you?! I am so sorry Jess I didn’t even realise. I am sorry I ditched you okay?’ he says.

‘I don’t really give a shit if you ditched me or not or if you didn’t know it was me! You still didn’t help me and that’s saying more about you than Hannah!’ I yell a