LAst Week Ch. 1 Part 2

I’ve always been picked on for the silliest things: my long blond hair, my glasses, being too small, having freckles around my nose. I’ve never understand why these things make me something to play with. I’ve never understand why those kids hurt me the way they do. I reach my locker that I learned how to open at open house last week.

I stuff my book bag in and grab my stuff for the classes. This is the first year with different classrooms, different teachers, different everything. I look down at the schedule that shakes in my hands. I can do this. I can.

I close my eyes taking a deep breath. Then I walk forward. I take one step and I hit something hard. My eyes shoot open as I fall backwards on my butt. A boy stands up above me, his apologetic green eyes staring into mine.

I’ve never seen him before... He stretches his hand forward, grabbing mine, and he pulls me up. He scratches the back of his head, ruffling his black hair, “Sorry about that. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

When I don’t respond he studies me. A kind smile spreads on his face and he puts out his hand, “I’m Robert.”

I just stand there eyeing that hand, waiting for it to do something terrible. He sighs, “You do this.”

He grabs my hand and places it in his and shakes. Is this boy trying to be nice to me? Why doesn’t he pick on me? Or is he?

“Now you’re supposed to say your name.”

I open my mouth, but no words come out. After a long second he just shrugs, “It’s okay if you don’t wanna talk. I’ll just call you… Sky. Just until you tell me your name, okay?”

I nod and he smiles brightly at me. He grabs my schedule from my hands, “Oh, look! We have mostly the same classes! Isn’t that cool!?” His eyes brighten and he grabs my hand pulling me along with him, “Now I can bug you all day until you talk.”

I stumble as he drags me through the halls. People whisper and stare, but he doesn’t seem to notice.

“So, I’m new here. We just moved here from North Carolina. I kinda miss the trees and stuff, but I guess it’s cool here too… all the buildings and stuff. My moms’ afraid I’ll get lost one day. Anyways, have you lived here your whole life.” He looks back at me. I nod my head.

“Well, have you ever been to the beach?”

I shake my head no. He gasps dramatically, “You’ve got to be kidding me! Like never ever? Come on you can’t be serious!”

I just stare at him. We’re still walking down the hallways. It’s becoming more crowded by the second as more kids are dropped off by the buses. Everyone stares. He shakes his head, “I’ll have to take you there one day. It’s amazing.”

He stops at a door and looks at the number, “This is it!” He pulls me through the door and what I see stabs me in the stomach. There sits Jeremy and his little gang of kids. He snickers at me, but the smile falls off his face once he sees who is holding my hand.