As I stood in front of the school gates, I looked around at the teenagers that were pouring in. Groups of girls walking together as they giggled about the latest gossips, a bunch of boys throwing around a football as the cackled and ran around, the occasional skater that would slide in, and the teachers that scanned the perimeter. To me, they looked intimidating.
I felt like a prey sneaking between herds of predators.
I knew it at first glance,I would be deemed a freak.
Sighing as I adjusted my glasses, I walked into the building, greeted by a hallway filled with chattering people. Rows of lockers on the walls, and many doors that led to god knows where.
Every now and then, I'd catch some of them looking at me, inspecting the unfamiliar face, the new prey. Some of them would only harden their glare when I'd look at them, others would quickly look away. They probably thought I didn't see them, but I did. I always notice.
"Good morning!" I jumped as a blonde man in a suit slid in front of me, he had a smile on his face. I nodded towards him in greeting.
"You must be the new student! Mr. Kirschtein! I am the principal, Mr. Smith." He introduced himself. For a second, I thought I heard him wrong. This man is the principal? He looked too young to be one. I could tell the look on my face gave away my thoughts, because he smiled wider.
"Yes, you heard right. I am the principal. You'll get used to it!" he said laughing. He then put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. "Here you go, your locker combination. I better get going now!"
I looked down at the paper and went looking for my locker.
It was lunch break already, and I felt more out of place. I entered the cafeteria; every group had their own table.
The popular kids, the jocks, the nerds, the hipster, I could go on forever. I was too uncomfortable to even think of eating, I just wanted to find somewhere I could sit in peace.
I left the cafeteria, I didn't walk long till I knew where to go. There were signs and arrows leading around the school, and before I knew it I was on the second floor, at the furtherest right corner, standing in front of the library door.
I slipped into it and hid in the library, the only company I had was of an interesting book I had picked up. I had intentionally chosen a remote table at the end of the library, right by the window.
Peering out, I noticed the view was of the football field, not the most beautiful view at the moment, but who's to complain? I had a book to read anyways. I turned my chair away from the window, my back was facing the sunlight. I sort of liked the warmth on my back, it was a relaxing touch to my reading session.
The library was so quite I could hear every step, and that's exactly what I heard.
There were footsteps near me.
I had my face in the book and my knees to my chest. I looked up from my book to see who was there. A nearby boy quickly hid face in a book as I met his gaze.
I raised a quizzical eyebrow his way. Then he put the book back into the shelf and smiled at me sheepishly.
"Caught me." His soft voice sounded with his hands up in surrender. He took a seat in front of me and I turned my attention to him while putting down my book.
"Who said you can sit?" I taunted, eyebrow still up.
"You didn't tell me not to." He replied with a silly smile.
He sniggered softly when I hadn't made a comeback, only making me furrow my brow.
"The name is Marco ." he introduced himself as he put his hand out.
I looked at his hand skeptically, then back to his face. He still had that stupid smile on. A sigh escaped my lips, and my expression relaxed.
"Jean." I replied, shaking his hand.
"So, what's a guy like you doing in the library all alone in lunch break?" he asked as he ran a hand through his pitch black hair. His dark, yet warm eyes looking to me for answers.
" A guy like me?" I questioned.
"Well, yeah. You look like the kind of guy that would be sitting with popular kids." His eyes then travelled down to my hoodie, they lingered on the Assassin's Creed logo.
"Or are you secretly an assassin that's on a mission?" he joked.
I couldn't help but feel delighted that the guy recognized the symbol.
"Maybe I couldn't detect my target, or maybe he's sitting right in front of me." I replied with a smirk.
He chuckled at me playing along.
"I'm a new student, that's why." I answered.
He oh'd as his eyes widened the slightest in surprise, and could I detect a bit of excitement?
"No wonder I couldn't recognize you, I'd remember a face like yours if I saw you before." He said.
Something in me jumped a bit at his words, it was strange. A face like mine? What's the supposed to mean?
I put down my legs and turned to face him, sitting properly.
"What about you? What are you doing here all alone?" I asked.
He gave me a half smile.
"Let's just say I'm not that good at socializing." He replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
"But you're talking to me." I pointed out.
"Well, this is going to sound weird." He warned, laughing sheepishly, but I listened closely. "I just felt like I could talk to you, that you and I are similar." He finished.
I eyed him, waiting for him to explain himself. He sighed, sitting up straight as he rested his forearms on the table between us.
"Do you feel out of place?" he asked.
"Like a puppy in a tank of sharks." I replied in a gloomy tone. He snickered at my choice of words.
"Like a flower blooming from a dark alley's cracked wall." He whispered with a smile. Now it was my turn to be amused at his choice of words.
"We're wallflowers." He stated.
I looked into his eyes, his smile stuck on his face. In that moment I realized how similar we were, and for a second I felt happy. I knew that he and I would be spending a lot more time together, and I looked forward to that.