The Difference

The Beginning

As I walked into Northside High, the school I would now be going to since someone decided to shut down Southside High, I was startled. Not by the huge, looming halls, nor by how all the students seemed to be gawking at us like they were at the zoo, but more by her. The girl with the shoulder length black hair and guarded eyes, her eyes seemed to be a vault of secrets that no one can unlock. I looked around uneasily, not wanting to meet her eyes, which seemed to be boring into me, wanting to meet mine. She didn't seem unwelcoming, she just didn't seem warm and cuddly either. I glanced in her direction, only to find that she was focused on me, all five feet and three inches of me. She smirked a knowing smile at me, and focused back on the group.
"Welcome to Northside High, I'm Veronica Lodge and I hope you'll feel welcomed here." The school bell rang, I didn't particularly feel like going to classes at this moment. I just wanted to know what she was hiding behind her guarded eyes. Before I could follow her anywhere, a familiar pair of blue eyes with black hair falling into them took Veronica's place in my attention. Jughead, with his beanie that almost seemed to be glued to his head he wore it so much, conveniently placed himself in between me and Veronica.
"Hey. That meant first period not first girlfriend chase." He pushed me to our first class, Science. I couldn't get her eyes out of my head, they seemed to hide something... I just didn't know what. I poked Jughead in the arm,
"so... im going to go to the bathroom, try not to fall asleep without me here to wake you up." He seemed to begin dozing off before I finished my sentence. I shook my head at him, sometimes he was the best friend I never had, considering I've never really... had friends. I walked into the bathroom, I saw a flash of black hair.
"Oh... hey new girl." The eyes that have been haunting me the past half hour seemed to stare straight into mine, once again, like I was the only thing in the world.
"Hi... there." I took a step back from her. She straightened up against the locker. She seemed to try and stand up without it and took a shuddering breath, as if she was bracing herself for something... or from something?
"So... new girl... do you have a name? Or should I just make up a pet name for you?" She gave me another smirk, like maybe she was in on a joke I never heard of.
"Toni. Topaz." I seemed to have lost my voice, with her dark secretive eyes inches from mine. I barely spoke more than a whisper.
"Hmm... like the gem?" She moved closer to me. She took a rebellious strand from in front of my face and tucked it behind my ear. I thought she would have taken her hand away from my face after, as if not to intrude. Thats what I was used to, hushed conversations, secretive relationships, stolen kisses, hidden moments. I didn't have many girlfriends before. She gently grazed her pointer finger down my jawline, as if I was a map she was trying to read. When she got to my chin, her shadowed eyes glanced towards my lips. She took her thumb and gently pulled on my bottom lip. What is happening? I wasn't used to this. This is new. Maybe... huh maybe the Northsiders could grow on me. If theyre all like this it'll certainly be entertaining.
"So... Toni Topaz. Would you happen to be doing anything this Saturday?" My voice seemed to have been banished from my throat and never to return.
"I... I don't think so. Um... why?"
"Because... I want to show you something. Something I don't think you've seen before." I had a feeling she was talking about her room... but I didn't know what events would follow in her room. Once she turned and walked out my voice and breath seemed to find their way back to me.
"What are you hiding Veronica Lodge?"