True Friends

The New Kid

I don't talk much. I sit and just block everyone out. That's probably why I'm failing school. Mum and Dad don't care. They are always too busy arguing with each other. I've gotten used to it. We moved to Rowton a year ago. I haven't made any friends. So I sit on my own at lunch.

My name is Beth. I am an only child. I spend most of my time in my room, listening to music. I lie on my bed and think. I remember things from the past, and I imagine things in the future. I imagine what could have been.

**********

"BETH! HURRY UP!!!!"

"Coming Mum." I barely even mumble the words. I usually catch the bus to school, but today, mum is driving me because she has an appointment with the principle.

I think it has something to do with me failing all my classes. My parents don't really care about my schooling. They just send me along to the cheapest school they can find, and then they leave me to do what I want.

"Get in the car," Mum tells me. "We're going to be late."

I slump into the passenger side of the car, put on my seatbelt and turn up my music. The car ride took about twenty minutes, instead of the usual ten because mum took three wrong turns.

When we finally arrived at the school ten minutes late, I grabbed my bag and exited the car as quickley as possible and walked inside. As I walked past the school office, I heard Mrs Colts call my name. In response I turned around.

"This is Max Felton," she gestured to the tall boy standing next to her. "I want you to show him around for his first day, please."

"Hi," he said. I took in his appearance. He was definitely going to be a popular one. He had the looks. His jaw was chiseled perfectly and he had blue eyes that most girls would fawn over. His hair was more of a strawberry blond colour and it was definitely not brushed. It just sort of fell around his face. He was looking down at me and smiling. I met his gaze and then looked away quickly.

"Sure," I murmed in response and then I set off down the hall.

Max followed after me. I really didn't want to show him around, but if it meant getting out of class then I wouldn't complain too much. I would show him around, he would find friends in no time, forget my name, and things would be the way they were supposed to be.

"So how long have you been here?" His voice was low and I didn't expect him to talk to me, which is why I was suprised when he did.

"Um... a year," I replied.

"Do you like it?"

"Um..." I didn't really know what to say. Here was a guy who I would never talk to outside of this small exchange and he was trying to make conversation with me. I had expected him to be really cocky and to stay silent until our time together was over. We would never speak to each other. "This is where all the English classrooms are," I stated simply. "Maths is down the next corridor and Science is the one after that." I motioned to the respective areas and then turned to leave.

"Wait! You're not going are you? How am I supposed to find the other classes?" He called to me.

I turned around to face him. "The other classrooms all branch off of those corridors. It isn't too difficult to find them. You can always ask the others."

"I don't know a single soul in this school, except for you. I don't want to be that weird kid who has to awkwardly ask everyone where things are." He pleaded with me. "Can't you hang around for today? Or at least until I get familiar with things? If you don't want to hang out after that, you can leave, but for now..."

I didn't want to hang around at all. I don't think that he realised that I am the lowest of the low in this school, and that being around me would seriously hurt his chances of becoming popular. I decided that I could miss class for a bit more and so I decided to lead him to the gym.

"This is where we have PE. The boys locker rooms are over there and the girls are over there." I motioned to the locker rooms. He opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off. "look, you are going to be popular. You have a nice body, face and hair. Girls will go crazy over you and you will have no trouble making friends. I am the one without friends and I like it that way." That was a lie. "You can find your way around the school youself. I honestly don't want to show you around at the moment."

The bell to signal the end of the first period cut me off. "Bye."

I turned and walked away, leaving Max to find his own way around.

Attempt at a book No. 2. Let me know what you think. If you want a romance novel, then I apologise. You aren't going to get one. Hope you liked the first chapter. I think that I will continue writing this even if no one reads it.

Bye! Bye!