Protected

First Day

We hadn't had to wake up at seven o'clock for a solid week. So, doing it today to go to school was awful. 

We got up, and Riley was the only one that bothered to eat breakfast. We drove silently, but the school is only five minutes away from the house, so we were there quickly.

"Maya, is it okay if I go look around?" Riley asked.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be fine," I said.

Riley walked away, with Farkle next to her. I loved her and Farkle being together. I always said they were perfect for eachother, but they never really believed it until junior year.

Since I was by myself, I walked over to a table in the courtyard. They were all full, except for one table, that had a girl with black hair and glasses reading a textbook.

"Do you care if I sit here?" I asked tentatively.

"Sure," she said, not looking up from her textbook.

I sat down, drumming my fingers on the table. It was stone, and covered in stained glass. Each piece of glass had a doodle and a name on it. A sun on a blue piece of glass, a flower on a red one, a leaf on a yellow piece, and so on.

"What's your name?" the girl asked. I had forgotten she was there.

"Maya," I answered, "What about you?"

She looked up, as if she was surprised I asked.

"Isadora," she said, "But you can call me Smackle." she said.

Then, her face lit up at something she saw over my shoulder.

"Hey, babe," she said.

A guy came and sat next to Smackle on the bench.

It was the guy from the house next to me.

The guy I saw out the window. 

The guy that was angry at me... and scared of me.

I saw the same menacing, terrified expression on his face. He looked pained, as if he were straining against something.

"Are you okay?" Smackle asked, looking at him concernedly. 

"Yeah," he said, the expression gone. Still, he looked at me warily.

"This is Lucas," Smackle said, her concern forgotten, "my boyfriend."

Lucas smiled, still staring at me, but his smile looked forced, and it didn't reach his eyes. He bent over and kissed her on the cheek.

Then, the bell rang.

"Come on, babe," Smackle said, jumping up and pulling Lucas after her.

As he let himself be pulled away, Lucas spared me one look, full of contemptuous hate. I had never seen anyone look so angry. And, I saw that familiar glint of fear.

This would be a long, long day.