Who Knew I'd Be Back | (Editing In Progress)

Prologue

I sit in the back of the classroom, reading The City of Glass while slurping juice of the box. My mind processed the words into a beautiful scene while my headphones blocked out the noise of the rest of the class.

I didn't have friends in my class since I transferred late in the year and everyone here has known each other since they were in kindergarten... I was an outsider.

"Blair?" My name was called by the teacher at the door, Mrs. Stone... she was the worst teacher in the school and she taught me math.

"Yes?" I called over as I closed a page of homework in my book and tossed my headphones onto the hardcover.

"I need to talk to you in the hall for a second." I stood up and slipped past everyone's curious gaze, Mrs. Stone impatiently waited for me to emerge,

"Do you know why I called you out?" She looked down on me... for someone who is shorter than me she knew how to make me seem like I was the small one,

"No..." I barely responded above a whisper and I kept my head down,

"You and Ethan weren't doing that project today in class... instead you thought it was a good idea to snap the rules in half." My head shot up, I didn't do that... yes, my partner did but he wasn't called out just now. So that means he pinned this on me,

"But I--"

"Didn't do it? Well, Ethan, had people defend him saying that YOU did it. So multiple voices against yours... you'll be having detention in my room starting tomorrow." She made it final,

"But Mrs.Stone!! I really didn't do that!!" I tried to defend myself but all she did was ignore my reasoning. My eyes started to water, I knew I didn't belong to a group... but that didn't mean that everything could be blamed on me. I looked down at my feet and started to walk away,

"Mrs. Stone? Can I show you something?" I heard someone whisper down the hall as I made my way to the bathrooms, I crooked my neck to the side slightly and I saw her conversing with a boy from the other Grade 8 class.

"2 more months... just 2 more months Bear... you can do this," I whispered to myself. I didn't want to be here... I wanted to go back home. My mom wanted more for me than this. My guard came down and the tears came down, I couldn't stand doing this anymore. I wish I was strong as I was all those months ago, I wanted the old me back.

"Blair?" A boy's voice called for me from behind the closed door of the girl's bathroom. I looked up from the sinks with confusion, the mirror reflected my glistening eyes and trail of tears on my cheeks. I panicked and used the sleeves of my brother's black hoodie to clean myself up to the best of my abilities before swinging the door open. Eyes like cups of coffee pierced mine and made me gasp for air,

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you--"

"What do you want?" I came off a bit ridged but I didn't want to be around anyone including whoever this boy was.

"I... Ummm... Stone sent me to say that detention is canceled for you..."

"Why?"

"Because I showed her that you weren't the one who broke the rulers." My shoulders relaxed when he said that,

"What do you mean?"

"I caught Ethan on camera snapping them with Shylia while you were busy trying to finish that project by yourself." He explained and I could've started crying then and there but I didn't. I stood there, staring into his eyes as for the first time in a long time... I felt happiness.

***

I opened my eyes and looked around my room, it was the same as it always was. Curtains fluttering with early morning winds and the smells of coffee coming from downstairs.

"It was just a dream," I grunted and heard all of my aching joints pop as I let out a sigh and threw my blue blanket off of me. My legs swung over the edge of the bed, I felt lightheaded for a second but I still got up and started doing my routine.

I pulled off the pinny that I slept in to change into the black tank top that I've worn every day since the beginning of high school. I pulled out a tube of Polysporin and a roll of gauze so I could wrap my arm. Red and white lines cursed my forearm and shoulder every week, my mom doesn't know about the issues I go through and how I cope with them.

"Honey, you okay in there?" My mom knocked on the door as I held back a groan of pain,

"Yeah, mum! I'll be out in a sec!" I called back before leaning on the counter until my shoulder blades touch each other. I looked in the mirror, I barely recognize myself. My hazel eyes weren't as bright as they were when I was younger, my blonde hair was dull and flat with a lot of split ends, I had dark circles around my eyes from all the sleepless nights I had. My lips were jagged and cracked caused by all the time I anxiously bit my lip during the social interactions I was forced into daily. I stopped caring about what I looked like a long time ago... but now it was getting to the point where I have to care before someone starts to notice.