Nowhere Girl

The Return (Two Years Ago)

Nora Sayafi, age fifteen and of sound mind, had only two things on her mind.

Firstly, that her chemistry teacher, Ms. Taylor, looked a bit like a dragon. And not just any dragon- the kind she used to watch in her afternoon cartoons as a child.

Secondly, that she had no clue how to explain what a partition coefficient was, though the question on her exam was glaring at her with the same intensity that Ms. Taylor was.

Good lord. Why was she thinking about dragons?

She had a focus problem, she knew. She also knew that she had no idea what a partition coefficient actually was- and time was running out. Nervous glances at the clock told her she four minutes- three, two, one.

"Put your pencils down," Ms. Taylor chimed, right on the dot. Nora felt dread course through her veins as she looked at her blank paper. The answer had just floated in her mind- of course it had, she had just revised it last night- and she was not the kind of girl to leave a question blank. Her pencil touched the paper, and furious stream of writing flew through the pages, when all of a sudden-

"Nora!" Ms. Taylor chimed. "Put that pencil down or you'll get an immediate zero."

With a sigh, Nora let go of her paper and handed it to the teacher. Ms. Taylor looked at the blank page, then looked at Nora. The glint of disapproval was clear in her eyes, and Nora felt herself cringe in shame. This was not like her.

Only, lately, it was.

A glance to the corner of the classroom window gave her a glimpse of her friends, chatting amongst themselves and waving at her. She managed a weak smile in return, but their appearance, however comforting, could hardly ease the pit in her stomach.

"What kind of crazy teacher would test kids on the first day of school?" Evelyn posed.

"The kind that wants her pay check." Aashrita, Nora's best friend, replied. She was a petite girl with a copper complexion and striking hazel eyes that Nora had always envied. Evelyn, too, was beautiful- with a sheet of silvery blonde hair and piercing grey eyes. Nora, in their midst, looked little more than a shadow- though she towered above them both, she was also heavily built, and with no redeeming features. Pale skin, black eyes, black hair- and, according to her younger brother, eyebrows that looked like shrimps. Nora was completely and utterly ordinary looking, and she hated it.

She was broken out her train of thought when Aashrita snapped her fingers in front of her. Amongst friends she was fondly referred as Ash, and Nora had grown accustomed to her presence, always pulling her out of any sour moods.

"I heard there's a new boy in our year group." she said as they approached their lunch table. The three settled down in their seats, and she became preoccupied with fishing out her box. She saw another friend of theirs, Celeste, approach them, and take a seat next to Evelyn. At present, her mind was still trapped in the last few minutes of that exam. Relax, she told herself. How bad could it possibly be?

"What's his name?" Nora asked, forcing herself back in the present. She was with her best friends, and her mother had packed her favourite grilled cheese sandwich. It was the first day of school, and she had the entire year ahead of her to make things right. And this year would be different. She was no longer the new girl at Queen Mary's School, no longer the loner who read books at lunch because she had no one to sit with- now, she had her little group. Small as they were, Nora loved them.

"I didn't catch his name." Ash replied, nibbling on the paratha she had gotten for lunch. "All I heard was that he was the most gorgeous guy to ever step foot in Queen Mary."

"I heard the same." Celeste confirmed. "But I know, at least, that's he's in 10P. Maybe we'll see him in assembly if we're lucky. Look out for a tall blond."

"Hmm," Nora mused. "Scandinavian?"

"Maybe." Celeste said.

"What do you think, Evie?" Nora asked Evelyn. "Assuming you think." she added, earning her a glare from the other girl.

"I think there's absolutely no point discussing this newfound boy because if he's as good looking as legend says, he'll be taken by the likes of Michelle Yeoh in no time." she replied.

"And that would be bad because?" Nora asked. She'd asked Evie the question out of idle curiosity, not truly interesting in her answer. She had never met a boy she had liked before, and at that point, had no intention to. Liking someone was a dead end. That much she had learned from her parents, but she had no intention of voicing her reservations to her friends.

"Because not everyone wants to be a celibate nun for the rest of their lives, Nora." Ash replied with a smirk. "I mean, do whatever floats your boat- but some of us like to-"

She was cut off by a punch that sent her in a fit of laughter. That was what Nora loved about Ash- her quick wit and her ability to make any situation as uncomfortable as possible. In a matter of moments, the group had finished their lunch, and were packing up to head back to their respective classes. The courtyard where they had lunch was separate from the cafeteria. They purposely chose the place for its quietness, so removed from the rowdy hustle and bustle of the cafeteria, which was always teeming with students at this hour. The mere thought of that crowd made Nora sick to her stomach, so the girls had always eaten their lunch here out of respect. Finally, after years of loneliness and trouble, she had good friends. Not exactly the kind she had told her darkest secrets to- but certainly the kind to enjoy school with. The exam an hour ago was only a blip. She was determined to make this a good year.

At least, that was the plan.

It was unraveled the second he came into view.

A tall figure, walking towards them from a distance. He was unremarkable to any other- but she knew him. It couldn't be. What were the chances? There could be any number of tall blond boys in their school. But no- she could recognise that blond mop of hair from anywhere.

She shrunk backward unconsciously, hoping to escape him somehow. She moved ahead of her friends in a last effort to avoid him, but knew it was too late when she felt the familiar arm on her shoulder, pulling her backwards.

"Nora." her step brother beamed, looking at her with an amalgamation of joy and confusion.

Somehow, Jonas van Rijn had magicked himself into her life again.