What Ties Us Apart

Chapter One

She was a quiet girl that sat at the back of the classroom by herself. Most days went by without her raising one of her pale skinny hands, or let alone looking up with her glassy sage green eyes to pay attention to the ongoing lesson. Majority of her attention was given to her sketch pad and hidden earbuds looped through her jacket. For moments at a time, she'd focus on her twirling a few strands of her long dark brown hair, which I would almost call black if it were not for the direct sunlight shining upon her. Her name was Mar Lee, though everyone called her Marley as a sort of nickname. And she was amazing.

Since kindergarten, she was always the shy girl no one found interest in knowing because approaching her was intimidating. A lot of the girls were forced to invite her to their birthday parties because of their parents, and sometime or another it got around to her that she wasn't wanted there, and so throughout the years she never did end up going. The constant floating gossip of her being weird and possibly psychopathic because of how standoffish she seems, just made her stop any attempts to make friends of the same gender. She assumed every girl didn't like her or care to know her.

The boys aren't particularly nice to her either. The beginning of high school was tough with newly horny older boys lurking around, and the sexual harassment only increased as she's aged. At least 5 times someone has grabbed her butt without her looking, and so many more times than she can count, have been constant catcalls. Most of the time she ignores it, but other days I can hear her crying in one of the bathroom stalls if I'm coincidentally in there taking a pee. She has tried to tell our principal Mr. Rayes, but I've heard he just lets the boys off the hook because of their sports eligibility.

From time to time I've tried to talk to her, but I get really nervous and give up any effort. To be honest with my crowd of friends, they'd disown me if they caught me even looking in her direction. Am I a terrible person for looking away because of some douche bags? Yeah, probably. Though I mean it's a natural feeling to just not want to risk everything I've had since I was little just for some girl.

But, on the other hand, I just want something more than the occasional awkward eye contact or small half-assed smiles of acknowledgment when I see her around school. She has been the biggest mystery since I first met her and I can't help but wonder who is this girl? Why do I care so much? Honestly, who even knows? Maybe it's my massive, overflowing amounts of femininity that makes me want to help something that seems so lost and broken. Something so seemingly lonely and sad-

"Naomi," the teacher snaps irritated.

I'm called out of my wandering thoughts, "Wait, what?"

The whole class laughs at my obvious confusion making me blush embarrassed, but noticing Marley giggle at my frustration just simply made my heart race.

The teacher rolls her eyes disappointed, "Can you read aloud the question and answer number 35 in the study guide?"

You know that panic you feel to quickly do what they ask just so you don't piss them off more? Well in the moment of that, I drop my study guide on the floor with everyone looking at me anticipating my reaction. Which is just a quick sigh and me bending over my chair picking it up, to next quickly flip to the correct page.

"Hold on lemme find it... What is considered to be the most dangerous element on the periodic table?"

I pause for an effect, "I'm gonna go with Plutonium considering its main use it to create nuclear weapons and it is severely radioactive."

Luckily my teacher seems pleased and continues on putting the not-so-attentive kids in the spotlight. While I feel some relief, I remember a few moments before when I noticed Marley giggle at my pretentious failure, so out of pure curiosity I look back at her. To my dismay, she has already turned away back to aimlessly drawing. Inside my stomach feels slightly upset, wishing I still had her attention. Though I find my revival in the dismissal bell calling for the end of the school day.