My Fault

Chapter 1

*Chapter 1*

Seeing the grey bricked building before me, reminded me of the dreaded situation today, and wishing that I could skip school to stay home. But the morning chaos back there was not one I'd like to repeat. Besides, a new day, a new me, I just need to make sure no one got close enough to who I really am.

Too busy with my thoughts, I suddenly bumped into a wall and fell on my bum. Geez seriously Zelia, nice going. Picking myself up, with my face burning, I dusted myself off, trying not to curse when I fell back down. Not helping the groan escaping from my mouth, I tried the process of simple getting up when a hand reached down in front of my face.

Confused, I lift my head up to find a blonde girl with blue eyes. Her lips formed into a wide smile of amusement. So the "wall" was her back. Whoops. I opened my mouth to yell at her to watch where she was going but stopped midway, remembering what happened the last time my big mouth opened.

So, I placed a huge smile that rivaled Barbie's plastic one to hide my scowl and embarrassment. Quickly scrambling up and ignoring her hand only to shake it when I was upright again, I mimicked a bubble. Light, fast, and nice.

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bump into you. Is your back hurt? Did I hurt you? I'm sorry. I wasn't where I was going and then...boosh!!!! I collided into you. Is your back ok, is it bleeding? Is it bruising? Is it scarring?" Then a thought occurred to me, "I didn't break or dislocate anything right? If so I'd be happy to pay...."

I stopped cranking her arm and let go when her face contorted into one of pain. Whoops, guess I used too much force. Then I continued with my act even though I was already disgusted with myself for acting like this.

"Oh my gosh! Did I hurt your arm now? Does it hurt? Did I break any bones?" I continued babbling. She forced a smile upon her face and giggled.

"I'm fine. Don't need to worry. Nothing is broken and I'm not hurt. So, tell me, you must be the new student. Let me show you around the place." She said sweetly. But her clenched jaw showed anything but sweet. The witch didn't even introduce her name.

“Oh, no need.  I’ll manage fine on my own.  I don’t want to bother you any further.”  I replied and left her there, walking inside the building.  Keeping my head up high and ignoring the stares, I continued my journey to the main office for my schedule and locker assignment.  

Opening the door, I stepped in and looked at the name plates, trying to look for Ms.  Burningham.  Locating her, I paused in front of her desk and waited impatiently for her to look up.  On the outside, it rather seemed that I was patiently waiting, what with my arms by my side and a big smile plastered on my face.

I cleared my throat and waited for her head to look up.

“Oh dear!  I’m sorry for making you wait, dear.  Caught up with work I suppose.  You must be Zelia, welcome to your new high school.”

“Good morning Ms.  Burningham.  It’s a pleasure to finally meet up face to face.”  I replied politely as possible, she didn’t give me those pitied looks that I received from other staffs, thus immediately taking a liking for her bright personality.  I wasn’t even mad that she made me wait for three minutes, there was just something about her that made you want to smile too.

But I resisted and continued showing my fake one.  Be strong Zelia, you’re the one in control.

She nodded, smiling even wider before plucking two sheets of paper off her desk.

“Please call me Diane.  Everyone in the school regards their teachers by first names for equality in status.  We want to treat our students the way we treat our staff colleagues.”  I nodded along.  That needed some getting used to, “The front shows your schedule and the back is your locker number on the top left hand corner.  You can tear off the corner once you reached your locker.  The second sheet is an extra schedule in case you lost the other one.”  I bobbed my head up and down.  Ok, easy enough.