something worthwhile

1: Intro

  Monday, August 24th, 2015

   Do you know that feeling you get when you think someone's looking at you, but you don't want to turn around in fear that something bad might happen? Right when I sat down in my seventh hour, I couldn't help but feel like his eyes were on me again.

   Last week, my high school career started. That means that my classmates and I are the school's "fresh meat". So far I have heard a few upperclassmen discredit us, although nothing too serious like the cliche books and movies.

   I don't want to look him in the eyes again. It'll be awkward, said my inner coward.
   Oh, suck it up and be a man. Just turn around! my confident (yet normally dormant) persona snapped back.
   Jaine, you're literally a young woman. You cannot be a man if you don't have the proper genitalia! But she's right, just turn around. Stop being paranoid.

   My self-conscious has always loved expressing each emotion and fear I've ever had. My own brain, like a lot of others, likes to have conversations with itself.

   So, after the little confidence boost, I slowly turn my head to the right. My eyes meet another pair. The brown, almost golden-like eyes start to pierce into my soul once again. His eyebrow gave a small arch and he smirked at me, but just slightly. If it wasn't for me being the smart aleck who loves to smirk, I probably wouldn't have noticed.

   The stranger who likes staring at me finally turned his head forward, focusing on the board. I kept my eyes where they were, studying the stranger that likes to study me. I've caught him staring at me multiple times these past few days.

    The stranger was wearing a black beanie with a white skull on it. His lips stayed in the small smirk they were in, almost as if he was amused by something. He wore a dark red V-neck, showing off the small muscles he appeared to have. His black jeans had holes in them and his worn out tennis shoes had clearly been put to use.

   He looked back at me, giving me a small wink, then lowered his head as he started to write something in his notebook. I rolled my eyes. Obviously, the boy with a small body thinks he is a snarky bad boy and has charm.

   "Alright, who's ready to learn some ecology!" My biology teacher, Mrs. Blakeford yelled. The students around me mumbled "sure", "no", and "I guess". Mrs. Blakeford had a loud voice, a pet rabbit named Benedict, and wore a lot of shades of pink. She said she loved to be enthusiastic and also said on the first day of school that she couldn't wait for this school year.

   I'm honestly pretty excited about the school year, too. I'm a marching band member (I play the euphonium), I'm on the yearbook staff, and this is just the beginning of my next four years. I'm sure it's going to be amazing.

   I guess you could say I'm pretty ENTHUSIASTIC! Get it? Because that's what Mrs. Blakeford said at the beginning of the year? Ha! I crack myself up!
   Jaine, shut up and take notes. Don't be dumb.
   That was a funny joke, though!
   It wasn't even a joke, you just used the same word someone else used. That's not original.
   Well... you know what? YOU'RE not original!
   Your insults suck.
   Shut up, you're distracting me from focusing on the board!

   I smiled. My brain loves talking to itself... If only it would learn when to focus.

   As I started writing down the notes from the board, I felt someone's eyes on the back of my head.

   Damn you, stranger.