High school was supposed to be a fresh start for me.
That didn't work out.
So now I'm back for sophomore year. Maybe this year could be better.
Maybe not.
——————
Voices echoed louder and louder in the lunchroom. It was crowded. Most of the seating is outside. It was raining. I looked at the lunch line, and knew I wouldn't be eating today. I would have to make my way through a huge crowd to get food. My stomach growled.
I hadn't eaten all day, and I was feeling lightheaded.
"Marley!"
It was Kiara. She was one of my best friends.
"What?"
"That's the third time I called your name, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied.
—————
The beginning of school is always the worst for many reasons. One specific reason was really bothering me at the moment.
It was August, still tank top weather. But school didn't allow that. So I was walking home, in jeans and a t-shirt, drowning in my own sweat.
Jessie came up behind me.
"Hey, did I do something wrong? I feel like you've been avoiding me." My stomach did a backflip.
"Uh, no"
"It's just that we used to be really close and it's like we barely see each other anymore."
"Yeah, I've just been really busy."
"Like this weekend when you couldn't hang out because you were studying, but I heard from Kiara that you were with her all day?"
I opened my mouth but no words came out. I felt tears form in my eyes, and I turned away from them.
"So you're not talking to me now?"
Even though it was probably one of the worst things I could do in the situation, I ran the rest of the way to my house and sprinted through the door.
I had no idea what I got myself into.