CHAPTER THREE

While most people hated Mondays, I always dreaded Wednesdays. It was the middle of the week, the excitement of the start of a new week had faded, yet the weekend still seemed far away. I sighed in frustration as I watched the trees blur by as the bus sped down the road. My thoughts drifted back to my conversation with Cassidy from last night, and my heart felt heavy. He had told me he was now seeing a girl named Amaya. "Rain, she's the best girl I've ever come across," he started excitedly . "She's kind, beautiful, and smart. I couldn't believe it when she said yes to me."

"Humph, you don't say!" I had replied flatly. I wondered if Cassidy knew I had feelings for him. I had liked him since kindergarten, even though we didn't understand romance back then. I had always told him we'd live together when we grew up, just like my mom and dad did. He had agreed with a smile, but I was sure he'd forgotten about that promise. Cassidy loved me, but it was more like the love of a protective older brother, especially since I was an only child. He had always reassured me that no one would dare hurt me with him around. I believed him; he was about five foot eleven tall and well-built. I often found myself staring at his defined biceps, imagining his strong arms around me. We hugged, but it was never for long, and each time he let go, I felt a deep sense of longing and emptiness.

Cassidy had never been a saint. As the soccer team captain and the "popular guy" at school, he had plenty of girls vying for his attention . He'd often brag about how some girls would even throw themselves at him, begging him to date them. I would laugh and tell him to enjoy himself, but deep down, it hurt.

I knew a relationship between us was impossible. Our personalities were too different, and why would someone like him ever fancy someone like me anyways? It was unlikely.

As he continued to praise Amaya and rambled on about their relationship, I wished things were different. I wished Cassidy would develop romantic feelings for me and ask me to be his girlfriend. I laughed at the thought, knowing how improbable it was.

Tricia and I were both in junior year, and while Dixie always rode to school with her boyfriend, Tricia and I took the bus. She had never sat beside me on bus or in our shared classes. She told her friends that I was a poor orphan whom her parents had taken in, which wasn't entirely untrue. My parents had passed away suddenly, and since my father had no will, Aunt Cheryl said the money from their accounts and the sale of their cars was set aside for my college fund. I trusted her, as she was honest and reliable.

Contrary to what I had told my aunt, I had no friends and wasn't interested in having any. I was comfortable being alone, with my imagination as a reliable source of company. As I got off the bus and headed to class, I was suddenly shoved violently and fell to the ground. I was wearing a knee-length dress, and on impact, I scraped my knee, causing a sharp pain to radiate through my leg. I winced as I looked up to see Tricia staring down at me with contempt. "Clumsy much?" she remarked before striding off. I pulled myself up, dusted off my legs and dress, and decided to visit the infirmary for a bandage. I could feel the sharp gazes of the other kids around burning behind my back, and I fought back the tears which clouded my eyes. I didn't want to seem weak, fearing it would make things worse.

As I walked to the infirmary, a gentle voice called my name from behind me. "Uh, Rain?" I stopped in surprise. I had been at this school for over three months, and no one student had ever called my name. Even Tricia never said it. I turned around to see a girl with a fair, almost pale skin, suggesting she spent most of her time indoors. She wore a fitted t-shirt, blue jeans, and sneakers that matched her cardigan. Her long hair flowed down her back, and her cheeks were dotted with light pink freckles. She looked shy and a bit nervous as she spoke softly. "I, um, I take English and science classes with you. I moved here from Arizona last summer. Do you maybe want to be friends?"

I wasn't sure what to say. Did I need a friend right now? I hesitated, studying her. After a moment of silence, she met my gaze and said, "I promise I won't cause you any trouble. It's okay if you don't want to be friends. I just noticed that we're the only two girls in our year without friends."

I smiled, unsure whether to feel insulted or comforted by her words. "We can be friends," I said devoid of any emotions. "I'm headed to the infirmary because I have a scrape. Would you like to come with?" Her face lit up instantly with a warm smile, and I returned it. Just one friend cannot be that bad an idea, I thought to myself.

Together, we walked to the infirmary, introducing ourselves and getting to know each other. I found out that her name was Ceecee and she moved here because her father lost his job and her mother insisted they moved here to live with her parents. I also found out that she had a two year old baby brother who she seemed to love more than anything as she could not stop rambling about how cute he was and how she could not wait to go home to him everyday. For someone that seemed as shy as a mouse at first, she sure had a lot to say now.