Rejects // m.c. au//on hold

chapter 01 // e.l.

* Elodie’s POV *

I pull out my chair and sit down, setting my tray in front of me.  Out of my backpack I grab a book, but I don’t give it much attention; it just sits on the table.  My gaze lingers on a crowded table in the corner, the popular table, and I sigh.

All the popular kids sit there every day, making sure the entire school is aware of their presence.  They’re talking loudly and laughing uproariously, and it sounds like they’re having a good time.

The popular kids are intimidating, quite honestly.  As much as I would love to be popular, at the same time it seems like way too much attention.

I hate attention.  When all eyes are on me, when people talk about me, I hate it.  It’s almost embarrassing, really, the fact that I’m pretty much scared of it.

My old best friend used to despise the popular kids, just because of all the attention that they receive.  And now she’s one of them. 

I focus my gaze on a short brunette who’s sitting near the corner of the table, perched on the lap of a tall blond boy.  My old best friend and my old crush, Marissa and Luke.  They’re laughing along with all the others at the table.  Suddenly she turns in my direction accidentally and catches my eye, and her joyful look turns into a glare.

I turn away to scan the rest of the cafeteria, hoping that Marissa doesn’t think that I was staring at her and her boyfriend.

That’s when I spot him.  His lilac-purple hair certainly helps him stand out in a crowd, that’s for sure.  He’s dressed all in black, from his black skinny jeans and black band tee to his black leather jacket and black boots.  Michael’s his name, and he’s kind of a reject.  I don’t know why, he just is.

He places his tray at the empty table across from mine, sitting so that he can see me.  I duck my head down into my book, hoping that he didn’t notice me staring at him.  After a few minutes I look up again; he’s got a faded leather notebook sitting on the table and is writing something in it.  I find myself wondering what it is, which surprises me.

After a few minutes, we both finish our lunches.  I glance up at Michael right when he looks up at me.  He smiles at me and winks, and I blush, burying my head in my notebook until he leaves.

He gave me attention.  I’m not used to that.  True, it wasn’t much attention, but still.

I’ve noticed Michael around the school.  He doesn’t hang out with many people.  Before and after school he’s usually found behind the school with another boy named Calum, who has a bunch of tattoos.  I don’t know what they do at all, I just know that no one pays much attention to either of them.

I guess they’re both rejects.

For that matter, no one really pays much attention to me, either.  Not that I want the attention, but still.

I guess I’m a reject, too.

Pulling a notebook out of my backpack, I open it and jot down a sentence.  It’s not a secret that I’m just a reject.   That would make a good song, actually.

I think back to Michael’s notebook that he was writing in earlier.  What if he writes songs, too?

No, he wouldn’t.  That would be too strange.  And coincidental.  

Because, after all, he’s just another reject.  And what could two rejects possibly have in common?