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

chapter 03 // e.l.

 “‘A hopeless fool,’ they said to me.”

 

* Elodie’s POV *

When I’m done with my lunch, I leave the cafeteria and head to my next class, thinking about the Michael boy in the cafeteria. He actually noticed me, something not many people do.

Unless they are my teacher, in which case they like to torment me by making me answer questions in class. I hate that. The whole class sitting there, judging you, while you answer a random question out of the blue.

Not my thing.

I walk into the chemistry classroom and sit down in the back, ignoring the scant stares from my classmates. The teacher walks in soon afterward and starts the class.

Chemistry is really not my favorite subject at all. I’m not a science or math person by any means. So I sort of zone out during the class, working on some song lyrics and just doodling a bit in my notebook.

Suddenly my attention is drawn back into the class when the teacher calls my name. “Elodie?”

I sit up straight in my seat and nod, blushing and feeling quite embarrassed. “Yes, sir?”

He looks at me with that all-to-familiar teacher look, the one where they scold you for not paying attention and take pity on you simultaneously. “I asked what importance the mole concept has in stoichiometry.”

I swallow and stare at my hands, which are sitting folded on my desk. “I don’t know, sir,” I answer in a whisper.

He only nods and goes off to ask some boy to answer the question instead. I slide down in my seat, pulling my bright red hair forward from behind my shoulders to hide my burning face. I hate when teachers call on me, especially when I don’t know the answer.

When class is over, I quickly gather my stuff and rush down the hallway. I want to splash some water on my face to hide my blush, but the downstairs bathroom is always so full of girls, so I run up a staircase to use the upstairs one, instead. The top floor of our school is typically reserved for the teachers’ offices and the rooms that clubs meet in.

Pushing open the door to the girls’ restroom, I walk inside, surprised to see someone in there. She turns around to face me, and I’m surprised even more.

It’s Marissa. One of the most popular girls in school, and also my old best friend.

I clear my throat and move towards the sink, turning the cold water on. “H-hi, Marissa,” I mumble, splashing some water on my face.

She looks at me with raised eyebrows, glances down at the water running in the sink, then back up at me. “What happened now?” she asks, a bored tone in her voice.

I shrug. “Um, I just couldn’t answer a question in chem and the teacher gave me that look. I was kinda embarrassed.”

She shakes her head and sighs. “Elodie, we’ve been over this, if you say something in class, it won’t hurt you.  No one’s gonna judge you.”

“But they do anyway, Marissa! They do, you do, everyone does. I’m practically a reject,” I exclaim.

“Well, if you think like that, then you’re nothing but a fool. I thought you would get it in your head, Elodie. Attention is good,” she attempts to explain. I only shake my head. “You’re hopeless,” she sighs, turning to leave.

As she’s halfway out the door, she turns around to say one last thing. “Oh, and El? If you ever wanna get over your, quote, “reject” status, then you might wanna start sitting with someone at lunch. Do it tomorrow, I dare you.” Then she turns around once more and walks away.

I sigh and lean against the counter. That was the extent of our conversations these days. I kinda miss the days when we were still friends.

I leave the restroom and run down the stairs, making it right on time to my next class, hoping that I can make it through the day without any more attention.

Maybe I am just a reject.