Nowhere Girl

Jem

Author's Note: I have changed my main character's name from Syra to Nora, and this is what she will be referred to throughout the story now. Sorry for the confusion!

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"Nora." Jonas beamed, his face breaking into a lopsided grin. His hand was still on her shoulder, but she herself was locked into place by a strange mixture of dread and confusion. 

This could not be happening.

Around her, her friends were observing the scene with shock and curiosity. That broke her out of her reverie- of course her friends were staring. They had no idea who this boy was to her, or how they had known each other. The salacious look on Ash's face was enough to tell her what was on their minds- and the implications of it. She shook off Jonas's grip in an instant.

"What are you doing here?" she began, crossing her arms. Her face had morphed into a frown, and any goodwill from before had dissipated from her completely.

"What is he doing here?" Evie asked, her voice mocking. "The better question is, how do you know this person?"

"I'm a little curious myself, Nora." Celeste posed, and Ash nodded in agreement. All three of them were looking at Jonas with such awe and adoration it was threatening to make Nora physically sick. Never in a million years did she think that he was the new boy the girls had talked about. Jonas would not play that sort of mean trick on her.

She stopped herself, cursing inwardly. Of course he would. Jonas was Jonas, just the way he had always been. Nora cleared her throat, determined to decimate any lewd ideas her friends were cooking up about the two.

"Jonas is a family friend." she added, glancing at Jonas. She hoped- prayed- that he would understand her undertone from the urgency in her voice. Now was not the time nor situation to divulge her friends of the truth. A quick glance of confusion passed through his blue eyes, and he frowned. For a second, she thought she would blow him off. But then- respite.

"Our parents knew each other." Jonas said simply, adding to her lie. In truth, it was only a semi lie- after all, their families were the way that they were connected- the exact way they were connected, of course, was to Nora's discretion. She had not told her friends about her family- to them, they were the model family- loving parents, a two bickering siblings.

Nothing suggested otherwise.

And she would be damned if Jonas's surprise appearance ruined that illusion. An illusion she had crafted for a year, because the more it unravelled, the more sinister that story got.

"Knew each other, huh?" Ash mused, ever the curious gossip. For the first time, it seemed Jonas took his gaze from her and surveyed her friends.

"These must be the friends you told me about." Jonas said, smiling at them. "Not that she tells me much. Can you believe we haven't talked in a year?" His tone was light, but Nora could sense the tension underneath. He was participating in her lie out of love for her- though she could already sense his oncoming problems with it.

"You know how I'm terrible at texting." Nora admitted, truthfully this time. Then, after a moment of hesitation, she posed, "What are you doing here, Jem?"

She cursed herself for that slip. Jem was Jonas's pet name, and was only ever used by his family. Her friends noticed the word, and by the look on their faces, it did not help her problem at all.

"Are you here to visit?" she asked nervously. "A warning would have been nice."

"Visit?" Jem replied, laughing. "I'm here to stay, Nora. I go to school here now. It's my first day."

And just like that, Nora felt her hopes for that school year shatter. Dread built in her chest, threatening to overflow, but she forced herself to calm down. Any show of emotion in front of her friends could cost her.

"That's...wonderful." she added, a little shakily. "And- your family?" She hoped he understood her emphasis on the word family, and its implications. Her family was his. And if he was here to stay- her family- at least, her parents- had known about it for a lot longer than a day. A secret they had willingly kept from her.

"I still live with dad." he replied. "But you would know that, if you ever bothered to call."

She resisted the urge to smack him. He was baiting her friends on her purpose, filling their heads with silly ideas because he knew it would make them curious, and further shatter the careful picture she had built around her family. He was doing it because he loathed her for it- and even more because he loathed her.

Jem was her step brother, but their relationship as far from peaceful. It was forged in grief and sadness and sometimes even love- but blood was, after all, thicker than water. And what Jem had done to her was unforgivable. And what she had done to him was even worse.

They heard the bell ring, and it snapped her out of the daze. More students had gathered around them, some staring at the good looking newcomer. Others were staring because the good looking newcomer was talking to Nora- or, as she was referred to in the common vernacular- the invisible girl. She hated the attention, and was quick to begin marching back into the school building at the sound of the bell. Her friends, Jem included, followed in tow.

Jem jumped ahead of her and began walking backwards.

"We'll catch up after school." he said, his contagious smile exuding kindness. It was a sham- with him, everything was. Jem was as fake as they came- but she was stuck with him, for the better or worse. "In the meantime, have fun in maths."

He turned heel, but not before giving Ash a coquettish wink.

And with his exit, Nora was forced to face the situation at hand- coming up with a new, convincing lie to explain to Ash, Evie and Celeste.