Emily feels nervous

It was twelve in the afternoon that same day. The chilly breeze blew tenderly and the wind was whistling. I arrived at Milan's International school in my dad's car. I was in the higher class, senior class three. My dad stepped down from his seat and approached my seat and he pulled the door open. I bowed my head hesitating to step down or not. I was envisaging walking towards the classroom and several students staring at me and my amputated hand. I imagined being approached by a kid and he trying to speak to me and looks at my burned cheek and running off feeling disgusted. I suddenly felt my heart drumming fast.

My dad patted me on my shoulder and I jerked from my thoughts. "Let's go?" He smiled.

I sighed, "no I don't wanna come in. I don't wanna do this. Take me home. You were wrong, I am not brave."

He advanced closer to me and touched my cheek staring into my eyes, "where's that chubby and noisy girl who sang to a multitude at a talent show when she was five?"

I felt quite amused and let out a chuckle.

"If you could face such a huge crowd when you were just five, and didn't feel nervous at all, I believe you can do much more. So sweetheart, you are still my brave little angel."

"I'm not little anymore, I'm eighteen." My cheeks got red from smiling a lot.

"You're still my little girl."

I held his hand, "dad can you spend some more minutes with me? "

He was almost speaking and his phone beeped noisily. He slipped his hand into his jacket and pulled it out. I glanced at the screen and saw it was my step mum calling.

He stood properly and received the call, he accidentally tapped the speaker button, "helo Rosaline?"

"Babe, my car broke down on the highway, can you come pick me up? I really have to be at a meeting right now before it gets to 11am. I cannot afford to arrive there late."

"Don't worry I will be there." He hung up and he tried to speak, "Emily I gotta....." I cut him off saying with a soft voice, "I understand papa that you have to be a husband to aunt. Wasn't that how you always were to momma? Always available? Aunt needs you, you should go to her. You should not keep her waiting."

"Emily when are you gonna start calling her mom?"

"Okay. Mom is waiting for you." My eyes drooped as I started thinking about my mum Celie.

My dad noticed tears forming in my eyes and he touched my cheek, "sweetheart, what is it?"

"Papa, for the mean time, can I not call aunt Rosaline mummy? I don't wanna call her that cause I still love my mum so much."

"It's been a year since she's being married to me, you've gotta start calling her that."

"I will but can you just give me some time?" My voice sounded weak.

"Anything for you darling." He kissed me on my forehead.

*********

It was 11:30 am. I arrived at my classroom after climbing a plight of stairs. I was in a black hoodie, a pair of black pants and a pair of black sneakers. I held the strands of my hair hanging on my right cheek firmly so it doesn't move from my cheek. I also wore a nose mask.

I stood outside the door to the classroom, pushed the door open and stepped in bowing my head. The science tutor, Mrs Gia paused soon as she spotted me. She grinned at me, "how are you doing Emily?"

I halted in front of the class and was tight lipped. I could barely look at the students in the class but they were many, almost all the seats were occupied.

"You're the new student admitted to this school right? You're Emily Parker?"

I turned looking at the teacher noticing the crimson lipstick on her slim lips and her lion-mane hair and I nodded in reply.

"Go find somewhere to sit."

I clenched my handbag and approached a seat in the middle row. I sat down towards the edge of the seat and a chubby blonde girl sitting next to me, shoved me off the edge with her waist and I landed on the floor on my butt and everyone erupted into a loud burst of laughter.

My face burned in embarrassment and I tried to stand on my feet. Attempting to stand up, I noticed an exceptionally gorgeous lad seated at the back row. His hair was long and curly, his eyes, hollow and adorable. His nose sat perfectly on his face and his cheeks so smooth like a baby's. I was almost drooling and it dawned on me that I was still sitting on the floor and I quickly rose to my feet.

Ms Gia pointed at a seat in the back row, "you can sit there."

I glanced at the seat she was pointing and my eyes lit in joy that it's the same seat where he was sitting. I almost grinned from ear to ear.

"Okay miss." I approached the seat and sat besides him. I started to inhale a cool scent oozing out from his shirt. It smelled like vanilla.

I pulled out one of my books from my bag and lied it on my desk and I pulled out a pen. I glanced at the board to jot down the writings on it but, the ink in the pen was weak. I sighed and looked at the tag on his shirt, the title, Prefect of science and his name, Mark Leonardo was embroidered on it.

"Mark could you lend me your pen? Mine isn't working."

His brows furrowed, "don't you know your way to the school shop?"

I glanced at his desk, "but you have over two pens on your book."

"Can you ask someone else to lend you a pen? I don't talk to newbies."

My eyes drooped feeling quite bad, "I'm sorry Mark if I upset you. I just wanted a pen."

Mark groaned and sprang to his feet, he waved at ms Gia to have her attention, "Ms Gia I wanna use the restroom. I don't feel relaxed at all." He frowned at me.

Ms Gia nodded, "okay, be back before twelve."

I stared at him walking out of the classroom.

"Did I do something wrong? Is my breath bad?" I muttered, blew air on my palm and sniffed it, "my breath's still okay."