'C'mon Edward, we're gonna be late.' Alice's high tinkling voice rang through my ears, bringing me out of my daze.
I had biology next. Great. Another hour in that God-awful classroom would surely bring about my death early. I rose slowly, contemplating bunking, when Alice's tiny hand grasped mine and pulled me down the corridor.
She left my hand go as we stopped outside my class.
'Go.' She said sternly, nodding at the door, raising her eyebrows at me, silently daring me to object.
'Fine.' I sighed.
I pushed open the door, and stepped inside the lab. I sat myself in my usual spot, and turned off. Murmurs and chatter leaked into my ears, making it hard for me to keep my mind blank. I sighed again, then decided to do something to occupy my time with. I glanced slowly around the room, my eyes scanning my classmates.
A small figure caught my eye. To my left, a petite girl was sitting hunched over her desk, her long mahogany hair sweeping down her back. She had her arms folded, and close to her chest, as though she were preparing for an attack. A tall brown haired girl leaned on the girls desk, biting her lip, her eyes filled with concern. Her eyes changed then, filling with sympathy and sadness, as the girl subconsciously rubbed her arm, keeping her head down. The taller girl said something to her then, but she only shook her head in response, keeping her eyes on the desk. The tall girl stood up slowly, then walked to her desk, leaving the other sitting there, radiating dismay.
I tried to work out who this girl was, and why I hadn't seen her before, but I just couldn't place her. She couldn't be new, there would be gossip-crazed girls surrounding her, and she wouldn't have such a close friend worried about her if it was her first day. Who is she?
Mr Banner burst in then, and started babbling on about something unimportant, breaking my line of thought. I noticed how the girl tried to look interested, forcing a smile, but I knew that anyone who looked at her would know something wasn't right. She shuffled uncomfortably in her chair, fidgeting and twisting till she got as comfortable as possible.
'Sorry I'm late, Sir.' Interrupted a deep voice. Mike Newton was standing in the door way grinning.
'Get inside, Newton.' Mr Banner grumbled, displeased with the stop of his lesson. I glanced back over at the mystery girl. Her hands were bunched into fists at her sides, her eyes frightened. Mike sauntered down the isle. As he caught the girls eye, she flinched, causing him to smirk. She looked down quickly, focusing her eyes on the table again. I studied her for the rest of the lesson, how she shifted and moved, how she twirled a strand of hair in-between her fingers, and how every so often, she glance behind her, pretending to look at the clock, but her eyes would quickly rake over Mike, as though she was checking if he was looking at her. Every time he caught her looking, she'd flinch, and turn around quickly, her cheeks flaming. She looked so delicate, so fragile, so frightened, like one touch would shatter her to pieces.
The bell sounded, Mr Banner frowned on the students who didn't bother hiding their joy of escaping his lesson. The girl stood up slowly, slowly placing her books in her bag as the tall girl waited by her desk. I mirrored her actions, delaying myself so we (the two girls and I) were the only people left in the lab. The girl swept her hair away from her face in one fluid motion, then fell into step with the tall girl who was whispering frantically at her.
'I've got to go.' I heard her murmur, as she turned away from her friend, and walked over to Mike Newton. He grinned as she approached, and caught his hand with hers. As they walked away, the girl looked over her shoulder, back at her friend, who was standing in the middle of the corridor, her eyes filled with tears.