bittersweet life

Chapter ten

Chapter ten:

It's the second week of school now, and I have to say, that I am doing pretty well.

People don't stare at me no more, and I don't do silly things to embarrass me.

I actually made a real friend! Isn't that nice?

You wouldn't guess: it's Maria, who by the way is in my art class.

She introduced me to her few friends last week, including Evan, the guy who really needs a haircut, Luke, who doesn't really talk much, and Sam, who looks like he could beat you up.

I can't tell if they like me, but they asked me to sit with them in our lunchtime, and that's where I'm heading to now.

They're already sitting on their usual spot, waiting for me to swing my lazy ass towards the table when I bump into something.

I look up, to see that this isn't a wall- I usually bump into them once in a while- it was a girl with blond hair, looking down at me from her high heels.

Suddenly the whole room is quite and I can be 99% sure that it's because of my stupidity by looking at her angry face.

She twitches her mouth to a fake smile and starts talking in an annoying voice:

"You're new, aren't you?"

I am about to say something, when she opens her mouth again.

"Oh honey, you don't talk when I'm talking. You don't even look my way if I'm walking by.

No, you just gonna watch your feet and step out of my way, because that's how it works. I'm Trish by the way, and this shirt makes you look fat. Wait, you are fat, so this shirt suits you," she says and sits down on a table, followed by two girls that look just the same.

I look around and see everyone staring at me, so I turn on my heels and run out of there- something I'm doing often lately-, not caring that Maria is calling my name.

I take the path that leads behind our school and run until I reach the tree I've been looking for. I sat here the first days, until I spend my brakes with Maria and her friends.

I close my eyes and walk the past ten meters, trying to ignore what just happened.

"What was that? " someone shouts from behind me, and I turn around to see it's Zach.

So I change my mind and walk towards him. He looks a bit confused when I suddenly start shoving him away from me and hitting him on his chest.

"Fuck you all! Fuck this school! Fuck Cleveland! " I shout, still hammering on his hard chest, but I don't seem to hurt him, because he just grins and asks:

"Fuck Trish?"

I stop hitting him and smile at this stupid boy in front of me.

"Yeah, you got it. Sorry for the swearing," I add.

"Ah, no problem. I do it all the times. But really what was that? Why didn't you hit her with your girly little fists instead of me?"

I think about this for a while, and when I don't seem to find an answer for this simple question I sit down with crossed legs and let out a long sigh.

He raises his eyebrows, but sits down beside me anyway.

The bell rings, signalling us that we're going to be late, if we don't head to History now.

"You know, I thought you were an idiot, or a bad boy." I state.

"You know, I kind of am one."

I look at him doubtfully and he starts to explain :

"I don't talk to any of them. Most of them are afraid of me, and I like it."

"Then why are you talking to me?" I ask and he turns to look at me fully.

He looks upset for a moment, but then he has a blank expression.

"You remind me of someone," he answers truthfully.

He then stands up and leaves me wondering about this person. Who could make Zach so emotionally that he needed to hide behind a mask?