Chapter 2

A WEEK LATER….

The school was going alright, I was included pretty fast on Ellen's group, little by little the teachers were receiving the new list with the names of everyone, so I didn't have to stand up and talk to the teachers to be counted on the list.

Today was math class, the teacher was given the copy of the list today.

-Ok, since I already have the list with all your names is time to assign your places- Said the teacher signaling us to stand up and move to the front of the classroom, so it'd be easier to move us around.

Almost everyone was already in their new seats, the only ones left was a guy and me, apparently the only seats left were the ones in the last row near the classroom door.

-Bradley Thomson- The teacher mentioned the name of my now new seat neighbor- There- said signaling the fourth seat of the row.

The teacher looked at the list again and then her gaze encountered mine.

-Roseanne Taylor- Said smiling at me while pointing at the place behind Bradley.

I walked slowly towards it, once I was beside it I let my backpack fall beside the seat and sat trying to hide my anxiety looking calm and collected.

-Hi- I raised my gaze that was fixed in my hands since I sat down, it was Bradley who was turned around resting his chest in the seat looking at me scanning me – I'm Bradley but you can call me Brad- said while smiling a little.

-Hi, I'm Roseanne but you can call me whatever you want- I said corresponding his smile and looking at him directly for the first time. He had an average height, barely a few inches taller than me, his skin tone was between Senna and honey it was very distinct in a good way, it added a unique sight on him, his hair was black with brown eyes almost black, his complexion went along with his height, he could be considered as attractive even though it was not the normal type girls tend to like, he was cute in his own way.

-You're a year older, don't you? – he said looking at me waiting for my answer.

-Yes- I said nodding.

-So, you failed? – Said doubtful.

-No, I left half a year before graduation because of some personal stuff.

He was about to say something, but the teacher started talking.

-I will let you the rest of the class for you to idle if someone of you can tell us a good joke- She said smiling.

Almost immediately two classmates stood up making everyone else watch them, one of the two was Bradley Thomson raising his hand and waving it at full energy.

-Well who of you two want to start? – Said pointing at both.

-I have one- Said the other guy, I think he was called Roman- What is green and sits crying in the corner? The incredible Sulk.

All of the class started laughing but not because of the joke obviously, but because after 2 seconds of boo's someone threw him a wet paper ball that hit him in the middle of his eyebrows making him cringe so bad that he hit his leg on his desk.

-Well, after that really bad joke but very funny moment, who has a real joke? - Said the teacher trying to stifle her laugh because of the scene my classmate just gave her.

-Me, me me - Said Brad - How do you drown a hipster? Throw him in the mainstream….

All the class started to boo again because of the bad joke attempt of my new seatmate, but he could swerve away from the things that were thrown at him.

-Those were terrible attempts of jokes- Said the teacher calming down her breaths after laughing- As homework for you two you must learn some good jokes, or I will discount half a point from your grades.

When Brad took seat again, he turned to the right and started to tell some more decent jokes and started to socialize with the people around us, so to don't look like I don't care I turned to talk with the one sitting on my right. I was the same ponytail girl from that day, with a little smile from the silly stuff Brad was saying, but her eyes…..there was no sign of light in them, they were dark, empty, just emotionless.

How can someone fake a smile even though they don't feel it at all? Despite feeling like you're falling apart.

How can everyone else ignore it or not realizing that hidden pain behind those eyes?

When she notices my gaze, her emotionless eyes came in contact with mine, when I saw her eyes directly I knew I wasn't wrong with my thoughts, those same feeling, it only took me a second to recognize them, those feelings that have been accompanying me most part of my life and influencing me completely, changing me and tearing me apart.

Fear

Pain

Hopelessness

Disappointment

Angriness

And more fear

Everything hidden behind a mask of superficiality and indifference.

I'm used to see all of this in most of the people I observe, to me is the most common thing to see and know people by just looking, but I don't know why I can't see much in her, it's like she had a barrier hiding something. I could perceive her feelings but not what provokes them.

When I could finally get out of my trance that didn't last more than 2 seconds I showed her a small smile, thing that she responded with an attempt that ended up in a little grin, I wasn't used to having to start conversations but to not outcast me I had to do something.

So, I decided to make some small and silly comments to see if she would laugh at least a little.

And that happened luckily, I heard a small giggle coming out of her but still I don't know why I wanted more than that.

The class ended between laughs from my classmates and one or two giggles from that brown eyed girl, then we moved to the only music class we had in the week.

As always that damn witch of a teacher we had is totally unbearable, she sent us to do a presentation with a song in group, to wicked luck the only ones that worked at that class were Ellen and Marian, we still needed one or two more to complete the team and I couldn't think of anyone else, Ellen plays the piano, the same goes with Marian, while I play the guitar, bass and sing. We decided to let the space open for anyone else and start working on the song since we still had 2 more weeks to do it, so we started to play whatever came into our minds at that moment.

Another week passed, I started to get along with almost everyone, I approached and talked a little bit every day with the brown eyed girl, she was really fun to be with, we got along well, her name was Irene Wayne, a very unusual name at least for me, she has a brother that goes in the same group as us but he's my age, he failed, his name is Aiden, Irene and I had a lot in common, from music taste, favorite color, it was easy to talk with her. Everything was going well.

The time to present the song was nearing, it was almost mid-September, and no one seemed worried about it, even though it affected most of our grade for that subject, we were still only three in the group. I was entering the school walking slowly towards my math classroom as every Wednesday morning, too lazy to walk normally without dragging a bit my step since I was still sleepy, in the middle of my way I see her beside Brianne and the rest of her crew.

I kept walking until I reached the stair to go to the second floor of the building, but before I could reach them someone stepped in front of me blocking my way making me stumble a little while trying to stop and end up crashing on its body a bit, It was Irene, I tried to step back a little but her plans were others, before I could step back she closed the little space between us surrounding my neck with her arms in a hug making me hug her waist and resting my head on her neck. The hug lasted about five seconds since she didn't seem to want to let go of me.

-Hi Rosé – She said parting from me, messing my hair with her hand.

-!!!Hey!!! What have I told you about my hair? – I said trying to sound a bit angry, while she giggles about my reaction- And you still dare to laugh at me? - Trying to sound threatening and raising my head a little so I could look her in the eyes- You're going to see.

I got close to her really fast making her unable to react, I closed her escape routes with my body while making her against the wall and started to tickle her making her laugh uncontrollably and try to put my hands away from her, when I saw it was enough, I stepped back. She was something else, if someone told me I will be friends with her I wouldn't believe it, she was popular, not only in the classroom but the whole school knew who was her, she was the most beautiful girl, she was really friendly once you approach her, very playful and quirky. I wasn't someone unknown or hated but still I wasn't as popular as her. Even though we only talked in math we still got along, she had her own group of friends and stayed with them.

Once she recovered her breath, she raised her head and look at me, with a triumphant smile on my face I turned around and started to climb up the stairs to the classroom. The bell ringed indicating the start of a new school day, she walked in and sat turning her back to me, getting her things from her backpack and then resting her body in the desk, suddenly I felt my phone vibrating.

Irene: Your going to pay ehhhhh

I turned to see her looking at me with a fake angry expression.

Roseanne: Why?

I said pretending not to know, obviously knowing what she was referring to the tickling. While waiting for her answer I put out my things trying to stifle my laugh remembering her almost pout when I saw her a few moments ago.

Irene: Don't play dumb, you know what I mean

Roseanne: Of course, I know why, but why are you going to take revenge on me if you started all of this?

Irene: But still, you will see.

Looking at her, she was smiling maliciously to what I responded with a challenging smile before the teacher stood up to start writing at the blackboard.

I was the first one to finish, so I went to give it to the teacher to grade it, when I got back to my seat I grabbed my phone to read some books I had stored in there to read when I got nothing else to do.

Suddenly a hand started to touch my screen making me lose the page I was reading.

-!!!!!HEY!!!!!

-What are you doing? – I heard Brad say in a joking manor, his face showed a mocking grin.

- In case you didn't notice before you started picking up my phone, I was reading- I said trying to sound angry but to be honest I was starting to feel bored and it was a relief to talk to him.

-Well, I don't care- He said turning around facing the front.

He loves to tease me doing that, but it was kind of entertaining and he was really a good person, I could consider him a good friend.

- If you really don't mind, then don't ask- I said sticking out my tongue and looking at my phone to try to read again.

- Have you heard a band called Imagine Dragons? - I hear him speak again after a couple of seconds.

- Of course, I love their music, I have their album - I said a little excited when I heard the mention of one of the bands that I like now.

I saw that he was going to say something but before he said a word my sight of him was interrupted by the body of someone leaning on the pallet of my bench in order to be face to face with the person who was planning revenge against me.

I looked back at him trying to look away from her, before I could utter a word two hands took my cheeks turning my head again to find brown orbs looking at me in a strange way.

-Stop talking to him - She said, feigning irritation in her tone, still holding my face in her hands, leaving us too close for my liking.

-What do you want? - Brad said defiantly.

-Who spoke to you Thomson?

-She's my friend- he said, approaching me to put his arm around my shoulder, drawing me closer to him.

-Of course not, she's mine- she said, pulling me away from him and hugging me.

-Ok that's enough, that the one who will end up hurt in the end is me because of your petty fights - I said rolling my eyes since this had become customary, both love to bother each other and in the end I ended up in the middle of that pair who was trying to get my attention to get the other upset, so in other words they fought for me even though jokingly I think.

Thanks to heaven the bell rang avoiding any other discussion between that pair, put my things away and waited for Ellen at the door of the room to go to the next class which was Music.