Sunshiny Things (Original)

Ch. 3 The Project

Freya 

I stand there, frozen. My feet glued to the white tiles of the high school hallway, not able to move. My ears burn as the song It's a Hard Knock Life from Annie plays over the intercom. I want to run away. Get out of the building as fast as I can and never stop running. But I can't. Who would do this to me? Why would someone go to this extent just to hurt me? My eyes scan around the crowded hallway, watching people point and laugh at me. It hurts, more then it should. But my eyes finally land on him, and all my questions of why are finally answered. Cole Sanders, stands laughing at me, arms crossed over his black short sleeve t-shirt as he leans against the glass door to the schools office, the office that holds the control to the intercom system. I swallow the lump in my throat and bite the inside of my cheek as I force myself not to cry. Cole raises an eyebrow at me as he smirks in clear satisfaction. I stand there, my eyes the size of slits as I glare at him and cling onto the rugged strap of my old book bag. He gives me a little head nod before smiling his dimpled smile that would make any girl swoon over him. But not me, I refuse to give in to his little game.

Mr. Faulkner, the principle of our school, rushes over to the intercom and presses the button to end my slow attack. The songs stops and everyone sighs and boos. But me, I just continue to keep my focus on Cole. And so does he.

"Alright, shows over. Everybody get to class," Mr. Faulkner announces. Everyone obeys his command and continue on with their daily lives. I see Kyle and a few other guys laugh at Coles stunt while they playfully shove him in congratulations. Cole laughs along but with, his eyes still locked on me. Cole then starts to stride towards me, a satisfied grin proudly displayed on his face. Again I can't move. Just frozen in post mortem shock.

"See you in class, Annie," Cole tauntingly whispers in my ear as he walks by. I tense up at his words and gesture, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand tall. I slowly turn around to look at him as he strides into classroom 114. turning back around to where I was staring previously, I let out a long needed breath. What just happened?

As I look up at the almost empty hallway in front of me, I see Becca rushing towards me with a look of both confusion and concern. The two emotions I usually receive from her.

"What the hell happened?" she spits at me. I let out another long shaky breath and shake my head slightly in response.

"I'm not really sure," I say as I turn around and start to walk. I hear the sound of Becca's knee-high boots pound against the tiles as she rushes to catch up with me.

"Well...are you okay?" Becca asks as she looks at me with a frown. I pause in my tracks as I stand outside classroom 114. I turn slowly, and finally look up at Becca.

"I don't know," I finally respond to her. I'm not really sure about anything right now. But all I do know, is that I'm furious. And now I stand here and wonder, did Cole Sanders just declare war?

~~~

I walk into the classroom and automatically zoom to the back of the class to take my seat. The old me would've sat in the very front of the room. Ready to pounce and answer every single question that was thrown my way. But not now. Now I sit in the back of the classroom alone. Getting lost in my thoughts and doodling on the desk, completely missing what's coming out of the teachers mouth.

As I sit down and set my book bag next to me I look out the window at the weeping willow tree that stands outside it. It's a very beautiful tree. I love the way the leaves sway in the wind and the branches swing along with them. It's kind of like they're dancing, dancing to an unknown melody only they can hear and feel. The next thing I know is I'm humming along to the movement of the tree, coming up with my own song to match up with their graceful swaying. I don't know what song I'm humming, all I know is that I'm too lost in the moment to care. This happens a lot if you can't tell. I get lost in random sections in my mind completely zoning out reality.

"Miss. Gibson," I hear our English teacher Miss. Woods call out. I take my attention away from the dancing tree and put it on her.

"What," I say sheepishly. "I mean...yes ma'am?"

The entire class burst into laughs and giggles, making fun of my nervousness. I gulp down my embarrassment and give Miss. Woods a trying smile.

"I'm glad to see you back up on your feet," Miss. Woods says as she returns the smile, but much more chirpy. Back up on my feet? All I did was leave school for a little bit. Doesn't mean that I went insane, right?

"Th...thank you," I stutter. I look around the classroom and see that everybody has turned around to look at me. I look to my upper left and see Cole turned fully around in his chair, laughing at me. Then I look to the person next to him, Becca. She's looking at me with a sad expression and mouths the word sorry to me. I give her a small smile to reassure her. I can't be afraid of high school forever. And especially not confrontation.

"Okay class, welcome back!" Miss. Woods exclaims. Everyone sighs and slumps down in their seat but Miss. Woods just rolls her eyes still keeping her smile.

" I know, I know, very exciting. But only one more year until you graduate."

Graduation, even the thought of it makes my stomach churn. Before my parents died I would've been ecstatic about graduating. Having everything planed and pin pointed to the max. But now, everything's different. I have no idea what I want to do with my life. I don't even know if I can function on my own. But I might as well prepare myself for that, loneliness.

"Now I know that it's only the first day and no ones really in the mood to be educated, but you guys are seniors. Half way through the year you're going to get senioritis and stop paying attention to what any teacher is saying. So I need all the time I can get." Miss. Woods moves from the front of the room and goes over to the big white board displayed on the wall.

"I want you guys to write a report over this phrase right here," Miss. Woods starts. She picks up a black dry erase marker and writes the words sunshiny things on the board. Everyone gives the board and Miss. Woods a confused expression, especially me. What the heck does sunshiny things mean?

"Over the summer I happen to read a lot of great books in literature," Miss. Woods says. I look around the room at the other students to capture their feelings about this assignment. A lot of people look confused just like me, others are already asleep, and a very few amount look actually intrigued. Poor Mrs. Woods, she always does her best to try and get students engaged in wanting to learn. I look over at Cole who is looking at Mrs. Woods but also laughing quietly at something that Kyle has leaned over to whisper in his ear. I'm sure it's some inappropriate joke or something gross like that.

"One of the books that I read was Dracula by Bram Stroker. In the book there was a quote that read: There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights." Miss. Woods takes a moment to swoon over the quote before continuing.

"I want each of you to explore your light in the dark...also known as your sunshiny thing," Miss. Woods says as she points to the board. I hear people moan and a lot of "what the heck's'" erupt out of students mouths.

"You have three months to complete this assignment, so let's say the Monday after Halloween. I want you guys to give this a lot of thought and explore what makes you happy in life."

Explore what makes me happy in life? Sunshiny thing? What kind of assignment is this? I sit at my desk and stare down as I continue to endlessly draw a swirly circle over and over again on my desk until the lead of my pencil breaks. This assignment is going to be tough. Correction, this year is.

~~~

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Ouch! Cole really doesn't mess around. Again, I know this chapter is short. But I promise the next one is good. Well...at least I think.

Rose<3