broken//matthew espinosa

Chapter 2: boy with the hoodie

matthew
I walk down the street, listening to my music up at full volume. My converse are all wet from the puddles and the pavement. But I like things like that. Dark and cold. I finally make it to school and I walk inside, while my sneakers squeak on the tile.
"Aye! Boy with the hoodie!" This kid Cole shouts. I keep my head low and head straight to my locker. I open it up and grab my books. I quietly walk to first period.
"Why are you late....again." Ms.Mildone says. I shrug and take a seat in the back.
"Oh no. Not this time Matthew. You sit up here." Crap. I hate being the center of attention. I slowly walk up to the desk and sit down, sliding my books into the rack. I look around the room, seeing what it's like to sit in the front. Boring. Boring. Boring. That's what it is. This sucks. I glance at the girl next to me who's taking down notes and her eyes flick up. I quickly look back down at my desk. I watch her from the corner of my eye as she smiles and laughs a little. Did I just make a complete idiot out of myself. Yes, Matt. Yes you did.

First period is finally over and everyone moves to they're next class. Mine happens to be art. Art is okay I guess. Not my favorite, but still okay. I take a seat at the table and open up my sketchbook. The seats fill quickly around me, but no one sits next to me. I see the girl from first period walk in and her hair goes from side to side as she walks in. Her name is Amy and she's really pretty. She sits down with her friends and they talk about how hot Zac Efron is, and if they were to marry him or Justin Bieber, who's kids would be the hottest. I did say Amy was pretty, but she contains no knowledge. Another girl walks in with brown long wavy hair, and scans the room for a place to sit. She motions towards the seat next to Amy, but she puts her foot on it.
"Sorry, someone's sitting here." She snaps. She sighs and then sees the chair next to me. Oh great. She sits down and takes out her sketchbook. She looks over at mine and I quickly cover it up.
"What are you hiding?" She smiles.
"Nothing." I tell her.
"We'll obviously it's something if you won't show it to me." She leans back in her chair.
"They're just drawings." I say, continuing to sketch something.
"So why can't I see them?" She asks. I look up at her and she's smiling, pressing the eraser of her pencil to her lip.
"Cause they're mine." I tell her. I sit up from the chair and close the book.
"What's your name?" She asks me.
"We'll everyone says I'm th-" she cuts me off.
"I know I know. The boy with the hoodie. If i make friend I at least want to call them by their name and not they're nickname." She says.
"Matthew Espinosa." I tell her. She nods.
"I'm Stephanie Brooks." She tells me. The teacher starts talking and she tells us to just draw whatever today, because she had a bad night last night. Mrs.Delkakis, always having problems with her boyfriend.
"Ya know, maybe she's just like us." Stephanie says.
"What do you mean?" I ask her, shading something.
"You know, like maybe she's broken. Like us." I nod.
"Maybe she needs someone that will love her." I tell her. She nods and smiles.
"Want to find someone for Mrs.Delkakis with me?" She asks.
"I'd rather not." She does puppy dog eyes and pouts.
"Please! It will be fun!"'she says.
"Bit I just met you." I tell her.
"So? We'll get to know each other better!" She says, her eyes dark.
"So a date?" She shakes her head.
"Not a date, Matthew. An adventure."