SHATTERED

Chap:16:The Observer

Reyna's POV

It's 4th period, after break.

The teacher is absent and the class is in chaos. The air conditioning isn't working so believe me when I say it's HOT in here.

Plus, it's so loud in here you can't even hear yourself think. People are screaming, shouting and shrieking with laughter. Paper airplanes are zipping through the air, landing on girls' laps and heads. Which are then snatched up and crumpled on the spot and hurled back at guys in 'supposed' anger. Although I can see them biting down smiles as they throw the paper balls at the guys....

Some guys are chasing each other through the narrow rows of chairs. Occasionally sliding on the floor, bumping into people and almost toppling over the chairs. Others are either arm-wrestling on the teacher's desk or having competitions on who can make the most baskets, as they stand in line taking turns at throwing their's and unsuspecting other's stationary into the bin. Later I'm sure the grumbling and complaining will start during the next class as people roam about looking for pens and pencils. But who cares right? Let's have fun while we can.

Still other's are sitting in circles gossiping, planning parties and get-togethers or playing truth and dare as someone's half-empty bottle spins toward it's next victim...

A few of my other friends, Afrida and Tamanna are drawing meaningless doodles on the white board or playing "hang man". Some are simply sitting slouched over their adjoined desks and chairs, sleeping. How they manage to do so in such a ruckus I doubt I'll ever know the trick to.

There are a few people, the so-called "intellectuals'' just standing in one corner of the classroom occasionally talking among themselves and looking over their shoulders with longing as if deciding what to do. To join or not to join ?

I watch them all with a new found interest. Never before had I taken the time to see what happened around me in this very classroom. At first I decided to fight off the awkwardness of being alone and always sitting in my chair in-between classes when people talked to friends and joked around...with well books. But then I discarded the thought as cowardly. It felt like I was ashamed to be seen alone while everyone hanged out in packs....Then I discovered how fun it is simply to observe people.

To figure out and guess what's going on in their heads, what they think of when they look at you, why they react the way they do..etc. I suddenly felt curious.

I see Samantha pour water mixed with glue on Zack's chair and leave. The unsuspecting Zack, tired from games comes and sits only to jump up in shock....

I see Zack tying Samantha's pencil box with the rope hanging from the curtains and dangle it out of the open window, Samantha shrieks....

I see Susan pummeling Tim for scaring her with a plastic lizard in her hair....and I double over laughing, before I know it the unbearable classroom isn't so unbearable anymore. The book lies on my table, unopened. I don't need it anymore.

As long as I don't think constantly that I'm alone, I won't feel I'm alone.

It's better like this, I'm not chained down. I can go wherever I like whenever I like and most importantly, mix with whoever I like without people judging me, pestering me and whispering in my ears. I can browse through books during break rather than sit idly in the cafeteria talking about cosmetics I don't know nor care about, or having to listen patiently through someone talking about their uncle's wedding. I can talk to whoever I want without feeling like I'm betraying my friend just because that friend doesn't like that person. I can talk to whatever guys I want without people hounding me about liking each and every one of them.