*Abendrot*

The alarm goes off, once, twice, even a third time before I finally sit up out of bed. The realization that Monday is already here kills me, “It’s just another day” I whisper as I slide my feet into my fluffy slippers and slowly walk to the bathroom. Staring into the mirror just long enough to convince myself todays going to be a better day. I know that it isn’t but I don’t know if I could make it out of the house every morning without the constant reassurance that everything isn’t going to be horrible again. It’s the same thing every morning, get up, eat breakfast, and make it out the door just in time to get on the bus.

That’s always the first downfall of the day, it’s always loud and people throw stuff around completely disregarding the fact that the driver can’t do his job with stuff flying around behind him. I just lay my head back and put my headphones on with calming music playing through them. The muffled sound of people talking slips through but I just close my eyes and think about the sky. Finally the bus slows down still coming to a rough stop and I hear his loud voice before he even enters the bus. “Kylo, what’s up man?” It’s Rider, he’s an old friend of mine that is very loud and obnoxious but he’s the only one who willingly talks to me so I have to deal with his constant over excitement. Removing one side of my headset so he doesn’t think I’m ignoring him I give a quiet response, “Not much, just the usual.” Very loudly Rider gives me a disappointing response, “Why are you so gloomy all the time, try smiling that might help a bit.”

Finally the bus pulled up to the school, as I tried to walk away Rider grabbed my backpack and pulled me back “Where ya goin, I thought we were gonna walk together?” I looked at him with disapproval but he insisted so I gave in. As we walk down the hall Rider continues trying to have a conversation with me. “So did ya hear about the new rich kid, he’s like hella famous or whatever.” Accidentally ignoring him he steals my headset and continues what he was saying, “All the girls are going crazy over it because I guess he is a big movie star”. After having to listen to him I finally snapped at him, “Rider I understand you want to talk to me but i’m clearly not in a good mood, I honestly do not care about all this school drama and stealing my stuff isn’t going to make me anymore interested” then I took my headphones from him and stormed off. I always feel bad for yelling at him but he’s understanding and forgiving.

I quickly get to my first class just barely avoiding the waves of people in the hallway. I like to get there early so I can sit in silence before class starts. As I walk over to my seat in the back of the room I put my headphones on and press play on my music, leaning back and getting lost in my thoughts.

I feel a tap on my arm but I ignore it because my first class is with Rider and I’m not quite ready to hear his voice again. I feel another tap then hear a quiet voice say “Hello?” I open my eyes just a little to see it’s not Rider, then realize I don’t know this person and move away quickly. “Sorry I startled you, you are just the only one in here and I was wondering if I was in the right place.” He said with a calm soothing voice. “Uh, yea sorry. This is Trig room 214.” I say in a hesitant voice. My eyes finally trail over to meet his, he’s staring at me with a slight smile just barely visible. “Um, so are you new or did you get your classes changed?” I say as I break eye contact. Smiling a little more, his reply even softer than before, “I just transferred, guess that makes you my first new friend right?” “I- I guess” My voice is extremely shaky as i’m just comprehending that someone is talking to me in a friendly way. He goes to take a seat next to me, “Do you mind if I sit-” He goes to ask and I quickly nod my head before he finishes the question. After he sits down we make eye contact again, his eyes are hazel and they are so pretty I got lost in them without realizing.

A few minutes pass then the bell rings, I finally come to my senses to see that he was just as lost as I was in the moment. A bunch of students come in at once shoving through the doorway, the sound so loud that I quickly put my headset on. Our teacher Mr. Cole walks in, he’s not a morning person. “Everyone sit down and be quiet, and get off the desks, they aren’t meant for you to sit on!” he yells in a very “delightful” tone. He continues but in a calmer voice after the class settles down, “Now today we should have a new student joining us and I think that’s him hiding it the back next to Kylo, why don’t you come up and introduce yourself?” Victor walks to the front of the class with his head slightly down, “Hi, my name is Victor.” He barely got his name out before people started freaking out over him.

Then Rider walks in late as usual and sits in the seat on the other side of me, “I see the “famous” new kid is in this class” he said very sarcastically. Victor quietly walks back over to the seat next to me and puts his head down. “Everyone calm down it’s just a boy and Rider don’t think you can slip past me, why are you late? Again?” Mr. Cole asks as the class goes silent. Riders smartass stood up in front of everyone and said, “Sorry Mr. Cole, I was hitting on some girls because unlike you I can pull someone.” Mr. Cole got really pissed and called the principal on him.

After a very awkward rest of the class the bell finally rang and Victor stopped me, “Hey, do you think we could walk together?” I nodded and we started down the hall, no talking, nothing but walking. When we had to go separate ways he handed me a piece of paper and walked away.

The paper read “Thanks for helping me out today, text me.” Followed by a series of numbers. I slipped the paper in my phone case and forgot about it for the rest of the day, or I tried to at least but everyone was constantly talking about him so I couldn’t. I kept remembering how we made eye contact and his light brown curls that fell over his face.

When I got home I pulled the piece of paper out and slowly walked down the hallway to my room. Taking off my shoes I put my fluffy slippers back on and fell back onto my bed. I typed in his number and sent a message.

“Hi.”