Everglow

Chapter Two : School

Rowan's POV

School. One of the worst creations ever made by man. I dread every weekday where I have to wake up, go to school and sit in a classroom full of other human beings my age. Maybe that's just my social anxiety coming out on show but I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who hates the place and the people who attend.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate everyone at school. I have friends who I share classes with and sit with at lunch times, hell, I met my best friend at this school, but I'm a quiet one; I like to keep to myself a lot of the time and avoid all the drama and gossip that happens within these hallways or out on the football field.

I don't really understand the concept of school. All we're here to do is learn, yet we base people off of popularity. Who's idea is it to even categorise people and pick who gets to be popular? You know you get the science geeks, the goths and the stoners. And then you get the popular jocks and cheerleaders, and God don't even get me started on the bullies.

Speaking of which..

"Hey Rowan." Melissa; My tormentor, the miss know it all and thinks she's perfect at everything, or who I like to call, the school bitch. I thought I'd gotten away with not seeing her today; obviously not.

"Nice shirt." Her and her friend, Savannah, swiftly walked by me as I shut my locker, her words dripping with sarcasm.

I briefly looked down at the black wolf T-shirt that I was wearing. After my first three boring lessons of the day, I started to get warm in my hoodie, so I had decided to take it off. What a mistake that was. I looked back up towards Melissa who was walking backwards away from me with a smirk on her face. "Did mommy buy it for you?"

Bitch.

She laughed alongside her friend before turning away and continuing her journey down the Christmas decorated school hallway.

Unfortunately, with the popularity my brothers had at this school, people know of my family situation - a single father who raised six kids, no sign of a mother; so Melissa loves to use that against me as an insult. I find it hard to stand up for myself, scared what she would say if I said anything back. And it doesn't help with the constant anxiety I feel when in such a social and humiliating situation.

Times were easier when Asher attended school alongside me. He was one of the popular jocks; and despite his constant brotherly teasing towards me, he never took shit from anyone, so I wasn't picked on as much by other people. But as soon as he left for college at the age of seventeen, I became an easy target with no older siblings to hide behind; that's the only reason for why these bullies say what they say towards me because they know they can get away with it now.

I quickly slipped my hoodie back on; my wolf T-shirt was obviously not a good choice to wear to school today. I sighed and ran my hand through my blonde hair, something I always find I do when I'm feeling stressed or anxious.

"Oi!" A loud shout startled me from behind. "Go fuck yourself Melissa!"

But then there's Victoria Amara; My best friend. We're complete opposites in both appearance and personality. She has dark brunette hair with deep ocean blue eyes. She's beautiful; can't say much about myself though. And whereas I'm too scared to speak up, Victoria is loud and will stand up to anybody. With her around, I feel a little more at ease.

"You need to start throwing comebacks at her." Victoria opened her locker; causing one end of some Christmas tinsel to fall down from the ceiling where it got caught on the corner of her door. "Don't let her get away with the shit she says to you."