The Introduction
I kept my gaze to the ground as I made my way through my school's cafeteria. The room was packed with people of all ages. There was a range of voices that went from high pitched laughter to sneezing. I could just barely pick up on conversations about the latest basketball game, and the HUGE party afterward.
All of this noise and commotion can drive someone crazy. I'm surprised that I haven't lost my sanity yet.
I looked around, surveying my options. I needed to find the best spot to eat my lunch that didn't require me being out in the open. There was the group of druggies toward the back of the cafeteria. They were all laughing as a few of them twirled an object between their fingers.
The popular chicks were in the middle of the room; all crowding around the table with their salads and protein shakes. Their loud shrieks could be heard from the door to the cafeteria.
Then there was the table that I usually sat at. But being there won't help me out. All of the seats surrounding the table were taken by unrecognizable people.
I felt the familiar pain of butterflies grow in my stomach. There was no way to God that I would be able to sit next to strangers. It would just cause awkwardness. Besides I'm not ready to be confronted by them when I approach their table.
I looked a little closer and spotted a table to the right of the room. There was barely any people seated around the table. Plus it could hide me from the growing judgemental stares that everyone seems to exchange in this school.
Everyone here was taught from the first day of freshman year that if you want to survive this school, you need to fend for yourself. My homeroom freshmen mentor told me that. I didn't believe them during that time. But now as a senior and had two months before graduation, that freshmen mentor had a point.
I let my feet take the lead as I made my way to the table, my gaze on the ground. If I don't look at them, then I won't know if they're staring at me or not. Plus it helps me blend into the surroundings.
But I couldn't from them.
I lifted my eyes from the ground to check my surroundings. They scanned the area with quick precision before they stopped on a sickly pair of brown eyes. My body froze on impulse. I didn't make it halfway without him noticing me.
Great.
My gaze stayed on him as his bulky cranberry lips formed a smirk. They stood out compared to his unkempt, frizzy straw like hair that occasionally stuck itself onto his bent glasses. He went by the name Andrew. He has this husky appearance that made people not look twice before turning away.
I don't blame them.
I mean I would run away too if a big husky man with a constant glare came up to you.
The boy moved his bulky head down to look at the girl next to him. I felt my stomach drop. I would have recognized her anywhere. Her bright red hair stuck out like a sour thumb. Freckles covered her face like a pattern. She was none other than Anna Williams, the first friend I ever had.
Anna and I go a long way back, all the way back to elementary school. We would always hang out and tell each other the latest gossip on the latest relationships. Occasionally we would put our two sense into the matter. Those were the good days.
But now Anna's the kind of person that everyone depicts to be the girl next door. But I've learned a long time ago that that was just a persona she inflicted when she was in public.
I used to refer to her as Regina, a reference to a character from the movie Mean Girls. She acts nice to someone's face, but then turns around and talks shit behind their back. I used to stand with her and acted like her.
But now I never will.
Andrew gazed down and smiled at her while taking her hand with his. Their hands intertwined together like a premature rose. They seemed happy. In love. Something like that is rare in this world. It would be awful if someone disturbed their lovebird atmosphere.
"Boo!" A pair of voices screamed into my ears. I screeched and twisted around. Two people stood there with smiles etched on their faces. A man that had the height of a giant, and a head full of swirly dishwater curls. His watery eyes shimmered in laughter at my reaction. Besides him was a girl that looked like a midget when standing beside him. Her straight brown hair complimented her plump figure. Honey brown eyes showed the same laughter as the man.
"What the hell guys?! Don't scare me like that!" I screamed with a smile on my face. These two always do this; trying to see who could scare the living daylights out of me more.
"Told ya she was this easy to scare." The boy said, gestering to the girl.
"Well, I didn't think she would react like that. We should have recorded it." She smiled humorously.
"Well, why didn't ya Michelle?" Michelle put her hands on her hips and tilted her head upward.
"I don't know. Why didn't you Carter? It was your idea." Carter shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention to me.
"Because you're the-"
"OKAY! Guys don't EVER do that again." I cut them off. The last thing I needed to hear was those two arguing over who's idea was it to scare me. But honestly, I am glad that they are here. They just saved me from trying to confront my biggest demon.
The two of them exchanged looks and smiled to themselves. There was having been some joke that I'm supposed to get.
"What? What is it?" Suddenly the two of them started busting up laughing I don't mean just a laugh from a funny joke. I mean like full blown laughter; like I didn't zip up my pants or something. Michelle put a hand on her chest and doubled over in a fit of laughter. Carter managed to keep it together long enough to gesture behind me. Slowly I turned around to the direction of Andrew and Anna.
I never got to see them.
I felt something hot and sticky against my cheek as I slowly began to surface into consciousness. The mysterious moisture was hot and smelled like copper. It seemed to be in the places where I felt like I got hit by a bus.
What happened?
