Chapter 1: Miss Invisible

Dried, orange leaves from roadside trees started to fall as I made my way along the still silent street. The hot rays of summer had already passed as the gloomy essence of fall makes its way. Classes still start for an hour but it's always been my tradition to go to school before anybody does.

I remember just months ago, saying goodbye to my best friend, or rather, only friend. She was the only person who was brave enough to talk to "miss non-existent". Since I've stepped on this planet, nobody seems to notice me or maybe they did, they just didn't bother to. Even my parents, they never discerned that they bore a child and was now alone, walking down the street thinking if my life in this new town would be changed, will be better. I was three when they decided to just leave each other. Neither of them had really wanted to keep me and so my grandmother stepped in and decided to take care of me instead. But I don't really blame them for that. I still have my grandmother who has never given up on me though I have failed too many times to remember everything. And there's Tomoka, the only person who seems to know of my existence, exception for my grandma of course. But I won't be seeing her for a long time. She was my only companion, the only person who can understand me despite the big difference in our personalities.

I can see the big, red gate of my new school. My grandma and I just moved here. She was hired to be a coach for the tennis team in Seishun Gakuen, same school which I will be attending. I'm in second year of middle school right now. And I hope that in this new environment I can have a new attitude towards people. I hope they would accept me or even just a glance would be enough.

Rrrriiiiiiiiiiiinnnggg!

The school bell just rung. Time to find my classroom. Here I go now.

Class 2-A. I read the sign. This must be it. As I opened the door, I was expecting a warm welcome from the teacher but I thought wrong, I still had to tap him in the shoulders for him to recognize my arrival. He examined me for a while and he seemed to remember that he was to have a new student in class. "Oh, you must be my new student, Miss Sakuno Ryuuzaki. Am I right?" at least he got my name right. "Yes sir…?" "Just call me Mr. Tanaka" I nodded. "Yes, sir Tanaka" I stood there for a while, waiting for Mr. Tanaka to instruct me something or even introduce me to class. It seemed like he doesn't know what to do next so I decided to break the awkward silence. "Umm, sir, aren't you going to introduce me to class?" a dawn of realization hit him. "Ah yeah. So that was I was supposed to do. Right." He's weird. He turned to the class and called everyone's attention. Even the students didn't seem to notice a new girl just arrived.

"This, class, is Miss Ryuuzaki Sakuno. She will be joining us starting this year. She's the granddaughter of the new coach of the tennis team so be good to her. And give her a warm welcome."

I looked at my new classmates, hoping to find friendliness in their faces but no, their blank, indifferent, uninterested. I even heard some whispering to each other "too plain. Boooring.." and laughed.

Sigh.

Same old, same old. I guess my life could never get better. Mr. Tanaka instructed me to sit in a chair at the back just beside the window and my first class in Seigaku started.

Mr. Tanaka was halfway through his class when the door suddenly burst open. A boy around my age, jet black hair, golden eyes. And as streaks of sunlight hit his silky black strands, I noticed green highlights adorn it. He's gorgeous, period. And I don't think I was the only one who noticed. The girls from the class started giggling as red spots decorated their cheeks the moment he stepped into the room. A classroom heartthrob, I guess. He sat to the chair next to mine. I didn't notice it was unoccupied until he sat there.

"Echizen-san. You're late."

"Really? I didn't notice."

"Mr. Echizen. I will not tolerate that kind of behavior in my class. I know you are a tennis regular and if you want to stay in the team you need to watch your behavior. An hour detention, after class."

"I have tennis practice."

"I don't care."

"…"

Wow. That was some kind of teacher-student bonding. He has the looks, but obviously, he doesn't have the attitude. Classes continued and the bell rung signaling it's time for lunch.

I stood up as I picked up my bento. I made an extra for this day. They say that the best way to man's heart is through his stomach and I really do hope that this assumption is also true in making new friends.

I made my way to a group of girls.

"Hello!" I said as a greeting. But nobody even turned. "Hello! I'm Sakuno!" I made my voice louder this time. It helped; they are looking at me now. But doing so made me regret it. They were looking at me with despising eyes. "Uhm, didn't we acknowledge you the first time? That means we don't wanna talk to you. Understood? So scram!" Ouch. But that didn't really hurt that much. I've had worse greetings.

I made my way out of the classroom. Hoping I would find a way to the rooftop. The rooftop is my favorite place when I was at my old school and right now, I just had the most brilliant idea, I'm going to stay in rooftops for the rest of my life. Now, I just need to find it. I'm not really good at directions. I found the stairs. That must be the way to the rooftop. I made my way up and as I opened the door the cold autumn air greeted me with delight. Now I feel like I belong. I started on my lunch, the other bento I made for my supposed to be new friends left forgotten. I should just get over it and accept the fact that nobody wants me.

Halfway through eating my last spoonful, the bell rung signaling that lunch is over and afternoon classes is about to start.

I quickly made my way down the stairs when my wobbly legs hit this foreign object and as clumsy I have always been, I fell right off until the bottom of the stairs. And the worse thing is many students are also there. They have seen everything. I just wish the ground would eat me whole this instant, I wish I'd be gone to oblivion the moment I close my eyes. They were laughing at me, pointing those accusing fingers right at me. I couldn't take it anymore. I ran into the nearest bathroom, locked myself up in a cubicle and cried my heart out. That's it. My life is over. I just made the biggest embarrassment in my life.

-ms. Invisible-

Days passed by and the cycle continues. Still, no one approaches me, no one cares I exist; no one even looks at me.

I was in the rooftop again, just staring blankly into the sky, thinking I'd be happier out there than living this miserable life here on earth. I bet no one would care anyway.

As I was gushing over my internal thoughts, I heard the creaky door open. My head immediately turned to the direction of the door wondering who the newcomer might be. No one ever comes here besides me. This is my secret hideout.

But what shocked me more is the person who emerged from the huge door of the rooftop. Stood there is Ryoma Echizen. A scowl decorating his handsome face.

What the heck is he doing here?

End of chapter

First chapter finished!

Hope you liked it and I just hope I could finish this until the end

This chapter is inspired by my presently favorite song: Ms. Invisible by Marie Digby…here are the lyrics

Ms. Invisible
There's a girl
Who sits under the bleachers
Just another day eating alone
And though she smiles
There is something just hiding
And she can't find a way to relate
She just goes unnoticed
As the crowd passes by
And she'll pretend to be busy
When inside she just wants to cry
She'll say...

[Chorus]
Take a little look at the life of Miss Always Invisible
Look a little harder, I really really want you to put yourself in her shoes
Take another look at the face of Miss Always Invisible
Look a little closer and maybe then you will see why she waits for the day
When you'll ask her her name

The beginning, in the first weeks of class
She did everything to try and fit in
But the others they couldn't seem to get past all the things that mismatched on the surface
And she would close her eyes when they left and she fell down the stairs
And the more that they joked
And the more that they screamed
She retreated to where she is now
And she'll sing...

[Chorus]
Take a little look at the life of Miss Always Invisible
Look a little harder I really really want you to put yourself in her shoes
Take a little look at the face of Miss Always Invisible
Look a little closer and maybe then you will see why she waits for the day when you'll ask her...her name

And one day just the same as the last
Just the days been in counting the time
Came a boy that sat under the bleachers just a little bit further behind...