Girl of the Unorthodox (UNDER REVISION)

Morning pleasantries

That Thursday morning had began as any other. It was just barely turning light when Vanity awoke, the sun languidly rising over the skyline, and golden beams of sunlight filtered in through half open blinds. It bathed everything in its path with an aureate gleam, particles dancing aimlessly in the atmosphere as the girl gradually stirred from her slumber. The duvet was bunched around her ankles from where she had tossed and turned through the night, hair unbelievably tousled and fanned across her pillow like a starfish. It took her eyes a moment to conform to the sudden brightness, and she blinked lethargically, gently willing away the last remnants of her sleep. It had been dreamless, akin to most nights, however she let a yawn fall from her lips as she hauled herself into an upright position. Her mind ambled for a few seconds as she palmed at her side, blindly searching for her phone. Upon retrieving the device, she clicked the button at the side as to turn it on, and the screen flooded with light in a few seconds.

Upon reading the time, Vanity was compelled out of her sleepy haze, groaning indignantly at the realisation that she had let herself sleep in once again. Cursing herself under her breath, Vanity swung her legs over the side of her plush bed and dragged herself across the room mechanically, heaving open her wardrobe and stalling for a few seconds. After a few moments she decided on an outfit, which consisted of a simple mint green crop top embellished with a white floral pattern, and a pair of black skinny jeans, and she hurried into the bathroom to get changed. She had completed the ensemble with matching spiked wrist cuffs, and after finishing her bathroom shenanigans, Vanity trudged her way downstairs, mildly relieved to find that her mother was already on breakfast.
"Morning, Ma!" She called absently into the kitchen, humming contently and savouring the tempting scent of eggs and bacon.

"Good morning, sweetheart." Her mother replied, her tone fatigued as turned her weary gaze up from the sizzling pan of bacon she was handling with an endearing smile. Vanity came to stand by her mother's side to embrace her, met with a strained chuckle from the older woman. She parted after a few seconds and claimed a seat at their dining table. It didn't take long for her to start eating, painfully conscious of the time now. Her mother pulled up a chair opposite her, holding her own meagre portion of food in a shaky hand, nursing a mug of coffee in the other.
"Don't forget to hand in your authorisation note to your attendance office, Van." Her mother chimed, making small talk across the table and Vanity nodded stiffly in response, chewing through her food in record time. "We're having take out tonight, by the way. I got paid a little extra so I thought I'd treat you to that new place they opened up a few weeks back."

"Ah! Ok, I have to go! See you tonight, mom!" And upon sparing a glance to the clock, the girl abruptly excused herself from her seat, depositing her dirty plate to the sink before she dashed into the hallway and readied herself to leave.
"Goodbye, sweetheart! I love you!" Came a shout from the kitchen as Vanity hastily tugged on a pair of tattered converse shoes. She shouldered her way into her hoodie before tugging her backpack heftily onto her back, cursing to herself as she caught sight of the bus advancing towards the bus stop.
"Bye, love you too, Ma! See you tonight!" Quickly pocketing her phone, she fumbled clumsily with her keys, finally managing to get the door open before breaking out out into a full on sprint towards the bus. She called out despairingly, arms wildly waving at her side as she approached the vehicle with ungainly footfall. The doors descended as she slowed, panting shallowly and practically wheezing for breath.

-Small Time Skip-

The bus was expectedly bustling when she boarded, a chorus of obnoxious screams and shouts blending in with the sound of the engine starting up. With different 'cliques' claiming different sections, there were hardly any seats left for anybody else. Somebody always had their bag to the side of them and were too ignorant to remove it, and more often than not Vanity was forced to stand up to make room for other people's backpacks. The schools very own mean girls collectively gave her critical looks as she passed, though she didn't respond as they exchanged deliberately loud whispers behind their hands.

By some sort of miracle, there was a vacant seat at the very back of the bus, and she briskly laid claim to it before it could be snatched up by some boy who wanted to sit with his legs sprawled open. It reeked of sweat and cigarettes down at the back end of the bus, and Vanity couldn't help but give a wavering sigh as she subsided against the worn leather of the seat, letting her head fall back against the chair. She salvaged her phone and earbuds from her hoodie pocket, wedging them into her ears and selecting one of her favourite songs as the bus began moving on rickety wheels. The surrounding shrieks and commotion fell quiet as the pacifying music infiltrated her head, and she let her eyes flutter to a close.

'I took your heart
I did things to you
Only lovers would do in the dark
Made you a God
Pre-spokes and pre-shows
Will tell me what I did wrong'

It was what she loved the most about music, that for just a few minutes she could lose herself to the melody and the lyrics, see the world from somebody else's point of view, have people who got it and not have to worry about rumours, or the lingering stares or anything like that. Often she yearned being able to have one special person she could call a friend who could see the world from her perspective, and not instantly throw her off and label her as a freak or a demon. Though try as she might, she had come to the realisation that being lonely fit her. Nobody made the effort to get to know her. Most were intimidated by her silence.

'Still don't know my name
You still don't know my name
And I would die a slave
For you right now
But you still don't know my name
Yeah'

As the song faded out, Vanity was reluctantly pulled back into reality and she once more delved her phone into her pocket. The vehicle stilled outside of the school, and all at once, everybody was pouring out of the bus, jostling and pushing past one another with no sense of ceremony to speak of. She stood, and departed out of the vehicle amongst the sea of pushing and shoving, not even phased when some elbows shoved her just a little too hard to be considered an accident. Not even phased when eyes were trained on her as she descended the stairs, giggles and whispers erupting amidst the hustle and bustle. The building was as big as ever, daunting, a cathedral in size.

She paid no mind to the students forming groups and laughing with one another over trivial things which didn't appeal to Vanity as she strode into school, eyes straight forward. A few even spared her a glance and whispered obscenities behind their hands but she chose not to dwell on it. It didn't phase her. Nothing phased her anymore. You either fit in or were pushed out. And she surely didn't fit in to any of their moulds. And so she was pushed out. Obscured. Written off as an antisocial kid who made no effort to socialise. Perhaps she gave people the wrong impression, but then again what would she get out of engaging with people who spread falsities and rumours? She had learned to embrace loneliness. This was her life.