Renae

Chapter Four

Renae dressed up for school, got into her mom's car and waited. "Mom, Josh, Kaitlyn, I'm gonna be late!" She shouted. "Again!"

8 year old Josh bounced out of the house with his school bag followed by Kaitlyn being pushed out by her mom. "Mom, I'm not done, I need to powder my face." Kaitlyn complained.

"You look fine to me, now get in the car or you're all going to be late." Mrs Stephen locks the door and gets in the car.

"I still think I need powder." Kaitlyn whined.

"Quiet down Kaitlyn!" Her mom shouted.

"Here Kaitlyn," Renae offered. "Use my powder." Renae said handing it to her.

"Thanks." She opened it, applied a little on her face and gave it back to Renae.

"You're welcome." Renae said collecting it from her.

             ~              ~              ~

"Who is that?" Renae asked pointing to a group of boys and girls.

"Which one?" Stella asked.

"The one whom everyone seems to be welcoming."

"That's Micheal." Stella said

"The most popular boy in school." Genevieve added.

Micheal was a tall light brown-haired boy who got his looks from his dad and qualities from his mom.

The group walked away, everyone wanting to talk to Micheal.

"Anything," Genevieve started "Between geography and fine arts, which one are you taking."

"I dunno," she said "I don't have much interest in geography but my friend who offered fine arts in another school said her teacher gave out a lot of practicals which involved being skilled at drawing."

"So?" Stella said.

"I'm only good at crafts and creating designs and caricature not realistic drawing like life, still-life drawing or collage or paintings." She said. "No way."

"You've only got a week to decide, cause, the subject teachers for them both don't resume until then." Stella informed her.

            ~             ~             ~

During lunch break Renae sat in the study hall reading. She had to cover some topics and real quick. She put her pen in the middle of her book, reached into her bag and into the paper bag and brought out a fresh medium sized green apple.

"Finished." She said closing her books and carrying them. She walked to the refuse bin and dropped the remnant of the apple. She walked out of the study hall into the hallway when her books slipped from her hand. She bent down to pick them. She picked up all her books but her pen had rolled forward and was still rolling. She started ready to chase it if she must when someone's shoe, that of a boy, stopped the pen.

The boy bent to pick the pen, walked a few steps and handed it to her. "You're the new girl, right?"

"Do I have new girl written on my face?" Renae asked

"No, but I haven't seen you around before and you're actually well known achieving a feat like you have. You seem cool." Micheal said. Renae's name had spread as the girl who passed the entrance exams.

She looked at him without saying anything and then spoke up. "Really?" Sarcastically.

"From your conduct so far." he said. "Have we met before?" He asked squinting his eye.

"I don't think so."

"Hmm, you look familiar, my mistake." He said. "See you later." He said and left.

The bell rang as soon as he entered the room next to where they were speaking. Renae continued walking until she got to her maths class.

            ~             ~             ~

"Genevieve! Stella!" Renae called as she ran to catch up with them.

"Renae," Stella said when Renae reached them. "What did Mrs Brown say?"

"She wanted know how I was coping."

Micheal together with a group of other students were just around the corner where Renae, Stella and Genevieve were.

"Rumors have been spread that Micheal and Geena are secretly dating or at least like each other." Genevieve said.

"Oh please, that rumor is so not true." Stella said.

"I didn't say that they're true, I just said what people are talking about."

"What do you think Renae?" Stella asked.

"I don't really know anyone of them so I don't have an opinion." Renae answered.

Micheal finished talking. "See you later guys." He said and headed towards the door when he saw Renae.

"Is it me or is the subject of our discussion coming here?" Genevieve said.

"Geena?" Renae asked.

"No silly," Genevieve said turning Renae around. "Micheal." She finished.

"Hey there new girl." He said as he approached them.

"Ugh" Renae said under her breath so no one could hear her. I have a name, besides I'm not the only new girl she thought.

Genevieve and Stella looked at each other first smiling. "Bye!" They chorused. "See you later." Stella added and they both left before she could utter a word.

"What's with your friends?" Micheal asked.

"I don't know." She said plainly. Now that I think of it, he does look familiar. She thought. Wait a minute, he's that guy from the grocery store.

"Micheal." One of his friends called.

"Gotta go." He said and turned back.

Renae walked out of the school building. She spots Stella and Genevieve talking and laughing and storms angrily to meet them.

"I can't believe you guys left me with that... that... I don't even know what to call him."

"Why are you angry?" Stella started.

"Yeah, we didn't do anything wrong, we just thought you guys wanted to talk, that's all." Genevieve finished.

"Besides, why are you vexed?" Stella asked teasingly.

"Yeah, why are you?" Genevieve said.

"What are you two implying?."

"Oh come on he's one of the hottest guys in the school, there's nothing wrong with having a crush." Genevieve said.

Hottest guy she thought Mmph, please he's just a puffed up boy. "Oh really?"

"Yeah." Genevieve answered.

"Do you guys have a crush on him?" Renae asked.

"No." they echoed.

"Neither do I, besides he's a flirt." Renae said.

"How do you know?" Genevieve asked.

"Because he's that guy I told you about." Renae answered.

"The guy you met while grocery shopping?" Stella asked.

"Yeah."

"It doesn't really sound like him." Stella observed.

"Whatever, first opinion matters and that's my opinion." Renae finished.