Prelude - The usual
The lunchroom was alive with the usual teen talk that I never did quite seem to understand. It smelled of drama and axe body spray, and of course old pizza. Yet everyone was laughing and joking around. I rested my chin against my palm lazily, poking my sandwich the Professor had packed for me with a bored expression as I listened to Flora and her friends go on and on about some recent drama with some boy I didn't even remember the name of.
"Stupid ho." Flora huffed, leaning back in her chair slightly.
"I'm sorry Flora." Katia said softly. In fact, she says everything softly. Flora shrugged her shoulders.
"Yeah, don't let it get to you." Yula, my closest friend at the table, agreed.
"It must be nice for those girls with big boobs." she said, looking down at her own rather flat chest. I winced, instantly shoving all of my food back into my bag and shooting up from my seat. I stood there for a moment, the girls' eyes running right through me.
"Is something wrong...?" Flora asked, waiting with wide brown eyes for my answer. I simply adjusted my baby blue hat just a little lower and shook my head.
"Nope. I've just been reading a really good book and can't concentrate with all this noise. I'll see you later guys." I said, hastily retreating from the small lunchroom. As soon as I shut the thick, double doors that led to freedom my feet were running, taking me straight for the sweet silent forest just beyond the school yard.
Gressenheller Middle School was a small, quaint school in London where I, Luke Triton, currently resided. There were no fences, very little crime, and was all in all a very wonderful, traditional school. Boys wore pants, girls wore skirts. Boys played football, girls gossiped. Nearly everyone was a family of four with a mother and father. Or at least, thats how it felt to me.
I came to an abrupt stop, leaning against a tree as I tried to catch my breath. The forest rustled as a spring wind passed, almost as if the very earth were trying to console me. I took one last deep breath as I clumsily fell to the ground.
"Why do they always have to do that..." I sighed, pulling out the book I'd been talking about earlier from my messenger style bag. I wasn't exactly an amazing liar, but I could bend the truth well enough. My eyes ran over the cover of the book, lingering on the title "The Riddle of Gender". I flipped the pages slowly to where I had left off, savoring the soft scrape of the old paper.
My mind began wandering from the words on the page. Stupid girls. Always talking about their boobs and periods. And they're gossiping! Can't they ever talk about something more interesting than what girl got the most expensive Valentine's Day present? I sighed, looking up to the soft sunlight that filtered to the forest floor through the many trees. What I really wanted to know, was why did I have to be so incredibly different?
My thoughts jolted to a stop as I heard the bell ring. I growled, snapping my book shut and jumped back onto my feet. I really wasn't in the mood to deal with anybody. Regardless, I knew the Professor would be deeply displeased if I were to skip classes for something petty like this. A gentleman always arrives to class on time and ready to learn what his teacher has to teach him. I smiled softly. The Professor was so kind to me.
The bell rang through the small school, waking me from my zombiefied state. I rubbed my eyes, looking around as everyone packed up their belongings and fled the classroom. I sighed. I'd been doing that a lot lately.
"Alice?" I heard the student teacher's voice ask me quietly. The urge to vomit was strong, but I resisted.
"What?" I asked, just a bit angrier than I had intended. Clive blinked.
"You seemed very...out of it today. Is everything at home okay?" he asked me as he took a stroll around the classroom, picking up bits of garbage here and there. I tensed. How was I supposed to answer?
"No, my home is wonderful." I said, swinging my bag around my shoulder as I prepared to leave. Clive dumped the garbage in the waste basket and met my eyes. I bit down on my cheek, trying my best to keep any blush off my face.
Clive was a student teacher, in the process of getting his teaching permit. He was 22, tall, had a deep voice, and noticed me more than anyone else in the entire school...but I did NOT have a crush on him. No way.
"So what is wrong then?" he asked. I shook my head, a false smile on my lips.
"Nothing sir, thank you for asking. I really must go now, though." I answered, inching towards the door and quickly slipping out before he could ask anymore questions.
"W-Wait!" Clive called after me, but I was already long gone. I didn't stop running until I was a good minute or two away from the school. The gravel crunched under my feet as I slowed, my heart pumping with frustration and grief. Why couldn't he just understand? Wasn't it obvious enough? I wiped my forehead gently with my sleeve. I stared at the long sleeves covering my arms.
"Why don't you wear something a little lighter once in a while?" I remember Flora had asked once last summer. I frowned. This kind of clothing was my only choice. If I wore less, they'd all see. They'd definitely see. I tugged at my sleeves, as if they still weren't long enough.
I couldn't keep going like this.
Author's Note
Okay, so I know this one is a little on the stranger side. I dunno where it came from exactly. My own life really, I guess. But I don't particularly care to share my personal life story. Even so, I really am excited to write this. Not sure how long it will be, but please be sure to leave a review if you have anything good to say! If you don't and you just want to bitch at me, too bad. Leave. I'm not hearing it. So tell me what you think of the concept of the story. I'm curious to know if anyone will be interested in seeing this through.
Applelove~