Identifying Sara

Chapter Six

"Miss Gentry?" I hear. I lift my head off of the desk and meet my teacher's eyes staring. Mr. Anston, he's pretty cool guy, but a bit tough if he doesn't like you. He currently has his arms crossed, while leaning against his desk waiting for a response from me that I don't have.

"Yes?" I ask shyly.

"Can you answer my question?" He asks crossing his arms. I stare at him blankly indicating, I can't answer the question, whatever it was anways. The misterious blue-eyed boy chuckles from the back of the room, I turn in his direction not surprised by what I see. He sits with his legs crossed and his feet resting up on the top of his desk with his arms crossed over his chest. The same way he sits all day, everyday. I send him a glare earning a small wave and a smirk that I would to slap right off of his face right now.

Mr. Anston rolls his eyes and claps his hands together loudly to get everyone's attention off of myself, "enough for today, now for homework, I would like you to review your notes, exam in three days time!"

Once the bell rings I spring from my seat and rush out the door, the last class of the day always makes me all wound up. The bell is absolute music to my ears because it means I can finally leave and go home where I can stop trying to make myself blend in with everyone else as much as I do around other people.

I swing my locker open to claim my backpack, but as soon as the door opens my binders fall out of my locker making papers go flying, pencils and pens scattering everywhere on the floor. I jump back in surprise, but I soon realize this is what happens when you shove your books into your locker without a care in the world, after lunch. I sigh and pull a lock of my dark brown hair out of my face as I bend down to pick up my books along with my other belongings. I get back up and I neatly put my books back inside of my locker slowly organizing them in an orderly fashion.

"Hey," a voice from behind me says, "you forgot this," I spin around immediatly startled, only to see the blue-eyed boy holding a paper out to me.

I feel heat rush to my cheeks as I carefully take the paper from his hand. I turn to face my locker again and stuff the paper into my backpack giving it no sympathy whatsoever, I can deal with it later.

The boy leans against the locker beside mine, "I'm Carson," he says holding out his hand for me to shake.

I look at his hand blankly and then at his face. He raises an eyebrow in confusion it takes me a second to realize now is the time that I should probably shake his hand.

"Sara," I reply.

I close my locker and begin to walk towards the exit of the school, prepared for the walk home in the brutal winter weather. Carson catches up quickly and walks by my side shoving his hands inside of his pockets.

"So," he says, "you're knew."

"Nooo really?" I spit sarcastically. I suddenly feel a little bad for being mean, he hasn't done or said anything to tick me off, but my mother's words keep replaying in my head telling me to trust no one. Please, be closed off, if you want us to be safe.

"Oh wow" he says a little taken back, "ok, sarcasm. You're a pretty tough chick."

"Listen, Carson, why don't you go mess with someone else okay? I really don't have the time of day for these games." He stops in his tracks and raises an eyebrow. I don't stay with him though, it occurs to my mind that, that was probably the lamest comeback in the history of comebacks, but at least he didn't follow me any longer.

I walk out of the glass doors that belong to my school and the first thing I spot is my mom sitting in her car. I huff, of course she came to pick me up. I think of walking away trying to be unseen but I know that will never work.

"Mom what are you doing?" I ask in annoyance as I climb into the passanger seat.

Her grip tightens on the steering wheels so tight that you can see the white in her knuckles. She stiffens. My eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"Well I decided you shouldn't walk in this brutal weather, so don't worry about walking, i'll pick you up from now on all right?" She says avoiding all eye contact possible.

"Um, I guess?" I say, but it comes out more as a question. My mothers strange actions get the gears in my brain turning.

+++

I chew on my pencil eraser as I try to finish the last question on the homework.

The blue flashing light on the newly installed home phone keeps taking my mind away to different places.

Gluing my eyes back to the paper, I scribble a random answer onto the paper feeling the victory of conquering the dreaded homework.

The only thing was, I now had nothing to do. Unpacking was done, I didn't have a phone, nor a car. Taking a glance at a book sitting on my desk an idea came to mind, I could go downtown, it was only a six minute walk and maybe they had a bookstore. I can't remember the last time I read a book. I snatch a twenty dollar bill from the draw of my brand new desk reaching for my coat, scarf, and beanie as well.

"Mom! I'm going downtown, I'll be back!" I yell as I open the door. Suddenly my mom bolts to me.

"You're what?!" She asks panting as if she just ran from Austrailia, eyes wide and alert, hair everywhere.

"Going to explore downtown." I say simply.

"That's not-"

"Mom I really don't care, I am going. Now goodbye!" I snap at her. I slam the door behind me and rush down the pathway. I wonder why she's so protective of me sometimes. It's not like my dad can find me that easily.

+++

Once I reach the more civilized part of town, it's pretty amazing. Shops line the city for miles and miles.

In a window case, I see something that catches my eye; books. A book store! I haven't had much time to read, but usually it's what I do as a pass time, and I've been running out of books. When I open the door to the store, a bell jingles above my head. Warm air rushes to my frozen face. The smell of coffee, paper and ink fill my nose.

It's quiet and calming, only the humming of several computers lined up against the wall make the most noise. I make my way to the back of the store looking at everything on the shelves. Books lining them for what seems like forever.

I pick a book off of the teen fiction section and plop myself into a chair that sits beside a round wooden table in the corner of the back of the bookstore.

"A mother's secret" the book title says. I find myself being really into the book, so into it that I don't know how much time goes by. I feel someone else's presence in front of me.

"Fancy seeing you here." A deep voice says calmly.

I take the book away from my eyes and see Carson looking at me with a smirk on his face.

"Hello to you too." I reply hinting annoyance. "What are you even doing here? Not to make sterotypes or anything but you don't exactly seem like someone to be hanging around in a bookstore." I say suspiciously.

"I could say the same about you." He says plopping into the other chair across from me.

"Touchè."

"So, you wanna go for coffee or something?" He asks.

"That escalated quickly," I say shocked.

"What did?" He asks confused.

"Well I mean, I don't know you and suddenly you want to hangout with me?"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah um, no. I-gotta go now." I say. I get up and out the book back in its place and walk out of the store without looking back.