Locked (l.h)

Two

At last the bell rings. I grab my bag and head out the door towards the library. The library is the one place that's always empty and peaceful, it's like heaven. I rush through the tiny hallway leading to the library before it floods with people. The one negative thing about the library here - the corridor also leads to the cafeteria.

I sit on a chair hidden in the corner of the room. It's about as far away from the cafeteria as I could be, but it's still noisy.

I hear the unmistakeable laugh of Ashton Irwin.

"Hey plain Jane!" Luke shouts as he sees me through a gap in the bookcase.

"Enjoying your book?" Calum laughs.

"Don't hide, it's not scary. Well, not that often." Michael erupts into laughter.

"Dude, it wasn't that funny." Ashton says, hitting Michael on the head.

"Bye plainy!" Calum shouts as they enter the cafeteria.

I shake my head and get back to my book before I'm interrupted again.

"You don't want to get on the wrong side of them." A small blonde girl with silver glasses says.

I close my book, "Why? I mean compared to some bullies, they're not too bad."

"It's just your first day." She sits on the chair next to me. "But trust me, they're bad news."

"Okay explain then, what's your name?"

"Sarah." She smiles. "But honestly, you don't want to get anywhere near them. They smoke, drink, rumours are they do drugs. They are constantly thinking about new tattoos, piercings, hair colours. They've broken every rule there is."

These are the kind of people I avoid, but they intrigue me. Their side of life makes me interested in what it would be like.

"Right. But they're in loads of my lessons."

She sighs, "Just ignore them."

The bell for end of break rings, I throw my bag over my shoulder and wave goodbye to Sarah.

Unfortunately I see the boys in the corridor.

"Look who it is, plain jane!" Calum exclaims.

"Dude, that's getting boring." Ashton sighs.

"What lesson you got now?" Michael pesters.

"History." I reply as I try to brush past him.

"Where do you think your going?" Calum says grabbing my shoulder.

"To history." I mumble.

Calum spins me around so I face Luke, "Well, Luke has that too."

He pushes me towards Luke before running off with the others.

"So your a new nerd then?" Luke asks.

"Yes."

"Wait, you admit your a nerd?"

"Better to accept it."

"Your one weird girl."

I fight back the urge to insult him back, "Maybe I am."

"You know, you could be proper hot. Like, you could be gorgeous, just you dress a bit weird."

I notice the slight slur in his voice, "May I ask what you were doing during break?"

"Just hanging." He replies.

"With some beer by any chance?"

"Maybe." He giggles.

He holds out a bottle to me, "Why? You want some?"

"No, I don't drink."

"God, your such an angel."

I turn away from him and into the classroom, where, to my relief, he sits far away from me.

*

After 2 hours more of lessons, I finally get the freedom of lunchtime. I make my way to the cafeteria and find a small table in the corner. For the first time today I get peace. Or so I thought.

Michael climbs onto his table, which I see is just filled with the other three. I was expecting him to be hanging with a large group of other students, but they seem too badass for the others.

"Guys." He shouts and the room goes silent. "There's a new student today, plain Jane, where are you?" I lower my head.

"She's in the corner!" Ashton calls out.

"Jane! Stand up! We need to give you a welcome!"

I stay in my seat.

"Plain Jane! Plain Jane! Plain Jane!" Calum begins cheering and soon everyone joins in.

I take my lunch and leave the cafeteria.

"Ooooh. She's leaving" Michael says.

"Come back plain Jane! Come back plain Jane!" Luke begins to chant.

I don't look back and stuff the remainder of my sandwich in my mouth before dumping the packaging in the bin.

"Jane!" Sarah calls from the library.

She skips across the library to where I'm standing, "Have you heard about Amber's party tonight?"

I shake my head, "No"

"Oh, it's a sort of back to school house party thing she's doing, she does one every year. Just don't go, it's where all the bad kids go. You know, Luke, Ashton, Calum, Michael, Amber's a lot like that."

"Okay, well, um, thanks then."

I continue my walk down the hall, "Plain Jane!" Ashton calls.

I ignore him and keep walking. "C'mon, don't ignore me plainy!"

I lower my head and continue. I hear footsteps approaching me. "What you doing talking to Sarah? She's one weird kid, proper nerd and everything, just like you. Only with added nerdiness, she does chess and everything."

I don't reply, I only walk faster.

"Why you running Jane? We've got ages until the bell, what were you and Sarah talking about?"

"Nothing." I mumble.

"You can't talk about nothing."

"Just Amber's party."

"Cool, you going?"

"Mate, she's way too angelic to go to a house party on her first day." Michael says as he runs up behind us.

"No, harm in asking."

"Actually, I am going." I reply.

"Okay, I'll see you tonight then, plain Jane." Ashton says as they both jog back into the cafeteria.

I take a look at my watch, I've got 15 minutes until the end of lunch. I make my way back towards the library. I find Sarah sitting in the corner with a large book.

"Hey." I smile, sitting in the seat next to her.

She pushes her glasses up her nose, "Hi."

"Can you promise me something? " I ask her.

"Depends what it is."

"I may have just said to Michael and Ashton that I'm going to Amber's party and I'm not going alone because I'll just look like more of a nerd. So will you come with me?"

"To Amber's party? No way, never, not going to happen."

"Please, otherwise they'll never shut up about it."

She closes her book and sighs, "Okay then, but that means you have to come to chess club with me tomorrow."

"Fine. Where does Amber live?"

"Epson drive. Number 17."

My mouth drops open. "Oh my gosh, that's next door to my house."

"I'll meet you at your house before the party then." She puts her book carefully into her bag, "I'll see you tonight."