Hello, Wattpad Users! This is my first story on Wattpad (obviously) so I hope it goes well and that you'll all like it! I appreciate every comment I get, so please take the time to give me a critique or review please. (As of August 3rd, 2012, there is a new part to Chapter One.)
JACKIE
I hate lunch period with a passion. Every loud, smelly student in the tenth grade is crammed into a single room. It's even worse than when we all have to meet in the theatre room for get-your-school-pride-on speeches and all those anti-bullying episodes. There. at least, most of the students are quiet and more orderly. At lunch here in Beckford High, it is every day, there are no seating arrangements and minimal noise regulation. Teens shout across the room to one another, and all the overlapping voices nearly make my sensitive ears bleed.I sit in a corner of the room, not bothering with a chair or table as that would mean being closer to the ear splitting clamor.
Lunch itself isn't all that great either. The hamburgers have some weird chunks of what tastes like bone in them; the pizza so greasy the cheese slides off to get away from the mess; the bread for sandwiches is stale and the deli meats crumbly and feathery looking; the main meal that changes everyday is generally bland. Even the milk tastes off. I normally just suck it up and eat the crap, but when I see something particularly awful on the menu I'll bring my own lunch.
I eat my home brought sandwich and grimace at the "Sloppy Joes" the other kids were choking down. It's a rare day when I look around myself while at lunch; facing the noise deafens me more. Today, though, life seems a little brighter than before, as I aced Mr. Finnigan's aero dynamics test last period. Science is my best and favorite class and Mr. Finnigan my best and favorite teacher. He answers all my questions, no matter how stupid or random they seem, and he keeps the class upbeat and refrains from droning on and on and on.
My blue-green eyes sweep the cafeteria and I see in the other three corners other self-exiles
eating their own meals. One of them, Hadley Johnson, catches my eye for a moment. He gives me a curt nod before going back to his PB&J. I don't know why the other three decided to be outcasts; I have a good reason.
With my very keen hearing, I pick up the snippets of conversations.
"...should have totally won that game if not for...."
"...says that the trail by the lake is good to hike today..."
"...you're an idiot, James!"
"Hey, Dustin! Sit here."
I glance up over to that last bit. Dustin Young is sitting down over with his small group of friends nearby. Just because I'm an "exile" doesn't mean I don't like boys. I've had a stupid crush on Dustin for a while, since before middle school even. He's not what most would call "hot" but I think he looks perfect. Dustin's nice too and smart and funny. It's probably an idiotic crush - I've never actually spoken to him except a few muttered words if we were ever partnered together for a project. But, being the stalker/creeper/freaky-obsessed-girl I am, I listen in on their words.
"Hi guys and girl," Dustin says. His back is to me, unfortunately. His tablemates - Josh, Kim, and Frank - all say their greetings back. "What's up?"
Josh puts an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. "Kim, Frank and I have a study date later. Wanna come?"
"I've got plans for a hike. Sorry."
"Again?" Frank asks with hint of exasperation. "You're always hiking!"
"Abs of steel, man," Dustin jokes back. I smile at his crack.
Kim rolls her eyes. "So you can do push ups while doing math problems."
