Silver Lining

Chapter 1

"Bethany, listen. I don't want to. What part of that can't you understand?!". He just slammed his door at me. Amazing! Lucas Flinn (Luke for short) don't want to go to school with me.

"So, I guess I would be taking the bus then." I said emphasizing my words, so he could hear behind the doors.

"then go, or else you won't be able to catch it up."

I sighed and rolled my eyes at what he just said.

I went down the stairs and sat together with his dad at the kitchen counter. His mom was cooking the breakfast with the assistance of his three-year-old cute little sister, Samantha. She gave me a pancake with a syrup on top. Sam gave me a fork to dig with it.

"It seems not coming to school together?" Mr. Flinn asked before sipping his coffee.

I continued eating as an answer.

"why?" Grace questioned me, wondering. She is Luke's other younger sister. I don't know how old she is, all I know she is on eleventh grade and she looks more ladylike than me." You have always come to school together, like it's not just a first day ritual but an everyday thing for the both of you."

"she needs to expand her world." He answered with every dot in his word while taking a plate with pancakes in his hands, he dozed off the kitchen like it was nobody's business. After finishing his breakfast, he went straight out. "bye mom! Bye dad! Bye Samee! Bye Gracie! Bye Beth! Bye everyone! Beth don't be late." He pointed out the last words. After saying that, he zoomed out of the garage with his car. Not giving me any chance to react.

"so.... I could drop you off to school together with Grace. If only you want to." Mr. Flinn hesitated.

"yeah, sure." I smiled and went off with them.

"Bethany?" Mrs. Flinn sweetly approached me. "I hope you wouldn't take his words by heart. You know, just like how he always does." She smiled awkwardly. I smiled and nodded. She's right, Luke can be mean sometimes even though he doesn't mean it. I hopped in the car and they dropped me off to school.

By the way, I'm a college student. Funny right. Who would think I would be one. It's not that my parents can't support me, it's just that except for my teachers, Lucas and his sister no one knew I existed in high school. Weird, I know. I admit it. I'm a loner. I don't want to be excluded from the crowd, but I also don't want to be noticed by the crowd. A typical introvert, as labeled by everyone. I'm not a nerd, just every other student I also struggle at meeting my grades. People should stop generalizing loner people as nerds.

I arrived at school two hours before my first class. I woke up early thinking that I would change his mind from leaving my side for all my college life, and I failed. It's already been a month and I haven't blend in yet to the crowd. Luke said I should do it. It will be best for me. Who does he think he is? Doesn't he know my palms are excessively sweating. My chest feels so tight that it is hard to breathe. I continued walking until I reached my seat.

First class. Viola. English Literature 1, lucky me! The class that gives you a lot of exposure. I want to collapse.

I opened my book and read our topics in advance. I hate school, the teachers are so demanding. But I still read because it's either I pass, or I fail and there is no in between. Little by little, people filled the entire room. The once quiet place I was in became noisy which were amplified by the four large walls. I wish this could end soon.

"hi!" a girl at my right caught attention. She is waving at me. She's pretty, with a wavy long brunette hair until her shoulders, paired with a cute face. I waved my hand with a smile in return.

"Are you a new enrollee? The class already started a month ago, I've never seemed to remember you sitting next to me." Before I could respond, the bell rang. I just smiled at her again and pointed in front to let her know our professor is there. I'm not a new enrollee of this class, I just happen to sit two rows at the back from this seat, and last Friday the teacher rearranges the seat plan. She was absent that day and all the absents' seats were remained as is to avoid a huge mess when they came back.