Opia (ON HOLD)

Chapter 2 - The First Day

Don't look 'em in the eye,
Don't look 'em in the eye,
Or cross my heart,
It'll make you want to die.

Brie could hear her mother's sing-song voice repeat the rhyme over and over again in her head. When she was little her mom would take her tiny finger in hand and together they would draw that cross over her heart. The verse had been drummed into her thousands of times and was part of her earliest memories.

Today, the hardest day of her life, Brie would follow her mother's advice.

The school bus pulled up and the big yellow doors peeled apart. Clutching her backpack to her chest like a shield, Brie climbed the stairs with feet that felt like concrete blocks. She had heard the phrase "dead man walking" and had no idea what it really meant, but it sure seemed to fit how she felt right now.

Brie flashed her pass at the driver but didn't make eye contact. Instead, she looked at the large round steering wheel, the knob for the emergency door release, the sign that said no animals or eating on the bus, anywhere she could--except at his face.

"Welcome aboard," the man said. "Go ahead and find a seat." He sounded like he was trying to be friendly, but he was clearly agitated. Brie glanced in his direction, focusing on the multitude of colorful pins stuck to his vest and forced a smile on her face, knowing it probably looked more like a grimace than a grin.

Keeping her head down, she followed the rubber aisle runner. She didn't raise her eyes, but through her peripheral vision could tell the bus was nearly full with middle and high school students. Voices around her dropped to a whisper and the phrase "new girl" bounced back and forth across the seats like a soccer ball. Her cheeks heated. She could feel the other students watching her, and their stares bore holes in the little confidence she had.

Brie desperately hoped to find an empty seat in the front of the bus so she didn't have to walk the gauntlet to the back. In the third row on the left, she got lucky and found a spot next to a little blond girl. Doing a happy dance in her head, Brie slid onto the green vinyl bench. She'd hit the bonus round here--she wouldn't have to go any further and the girl was young. Slouching in her seat, Brie made herself as small as possible and glued her eyes to her backpack.

*

Emma watched the new girl get on the bus. The teenager kept her head down and watched her feet, like she was scared or something. Em thought she might be pretty but it was hard to tell with her hair over her face. She seemed nervous and kind of sad. Emma felt sorry for her. It was scary going to a new school. When the girl took a seat next to her Emma decided she would be the new girl's first friend.

"Hi. I'm Emma. Jade usually sits with me, but she's home sick today."

The new girl squeezed her eyes shut, making her forehead wrinkle.

Emma's dad did that when he had a headache and she wondered if the girl needed some aspirin.

"You're new in town, right? I mean, if you weren't, I would have seen you around before. What's your name? I'm eleven, how old are you?

The new girl started to bite her fingernail but didn't answer.

"Are you sick like Jade?" Emma asked. "Because the way your face is all scrunched-up it looks like you're going to hurl."

*

Brie didn't want to be rude, but she knew if she answered the little girl's questions it would only encourage her to ask more. Unfortunately, the girl didn't understand when someone gave you the silent treatment it meant they didn't want to talk. Talking was a problem for Brie. Because generally when you carried on a conversation with someone the other person expected you to look them in the eye.