Happy New Years, guys! Here's Chapter 3!
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"Wake up!"
I was already awake. I just didn't want to leave my bed. Before last night, I never sunk into anything like that before.
"Mars, come on! I have your outfit all ready for you!"
Mars?
Attempting to get used to my new name, I got out of bed and looked at the outfit Doris chose for me. I thought it was the ugliest thing I've ever seen, but apparently it's fashion.
Once my hair and makeup were done, I felt like Marlene the Falling Clown.
Doris noticed my buckling ankles and decided that we should take the elevator.
The elevator was right next to our room.
And Private dragged me up the stairs...
While I was thinking about choking a certain child, Doris hit the button for us to go up to the dining hall when we heard a high pitched squeal that nearly resembled a dying animal.
"Here comes the man who thinks we will someday marry, but is sadly mistaken: Kowalski."
As Kowalski ran towards us, we each took a step backwards to keep ourselves from getting run over. At the same time, the elevator door opened.
The poor guy didn't notice. He got a face full of elevator wall.
His friends, laughing, walked over and pulled him up.
"That's what you get for trying to get to me, genius," said Doris, with tears in her eyes from laughing so hard.
We all got on the elevator, still thinking about Kowalski's fantastic fall.
The now tomato red Kowalski stood there in shock.
"How'd that feel, lover boy?" snickered Skipper.
"Great." I didn't think it was possible for Kowalski to get any redder, but he managed to during his reply.
The whole ride up consisted of us laughing at him and me attempting to stay standing.
"Did you ever think about sneakers?" inquired Skipper after he noticed my wobbly ankles.
"Sneakers?" I came to the school in the fire-proof slippers that my mother gave me as a parting gift. Congratulations, you get to leave the house for once! Take my old, grimy slippers that belong in a dumpster.
Ding.
Great, I thought as the doors opened, the whole school now gets to see me attempt to walk in these monstrosities.
How will this help my "popularity" again?
I turned to Doris for an answer, but she was busy talking to some guy.
"Wanna hang later?," I heard her ask him.
"Your place or mine?" Came his reply.
"Doesn't matter, just so long as-"
"I'll take you over to the breakfast line. You won't make it in those." Skipper threw me over his shoulders.
"What are you doing?! Put me down!" I screamed.
"Attempting to burn me, eh? Good luck!"
I looked down.
Yup.
My hands were on fire.
Again.
"Deflagrare," I heard someone, most likely Private, mutter.
My hands almost immediately went back to normal.
I managed to mumble a "Sorry" as my feet landed back on sweet, solid ground.
"Don't worry about it, sweet cheeks." Skipper began to grab food and put it on a plate.
"What are you waiting for, new girl? An invitation from the King of the World?" Oh, no.
I started grabbing food as I heard the words "the King." They could only mean one thing.
"Hello, new girl!
"I am Julien, the King of-"
"Not interested." I continued to grab all sorts of unknown delicacies. Pancakes and omelets. Waffles and cereal. I had to try it all.
"I think you-"
"Bye!" I ran off, following the path I noticed Skipper and Rico take.
Thankfully, I left those dreaded shoes behind with one wrong step.
(line break!)
Walking barefoot in the corridor, I realized two things. First, I realized that the floor is cold. I then realized that I have no clue where I am or where the empty hallway will take me.
This wasn't my brightest idea…
Not that was able to have many ideas before.
"Skipper, are you serious?" I heard Kowalski's voice echo in the hall.
Making sure I didn't drop any food, I walked faster to get to the voice.
"She seems nice!" I heard Private say.
Who are they talking about, I mentally questioned.
Could it be me?
I continued to walk closer, too worried about the food to care about my surroundings.
I ended up tripping over something and falling.
At least the plates were paper.
I went to pick everything up when I noticed someone standing in front of me.
"I think you'll need this."
I looked up.
Skipper was standing there, holding one of my plates.
I managed to stutter out a "thanks" before the others showed up.
"How'd you get 'ere?" asked Private.
"Well,-"
"Did Doris send you here to tell me that she loves me?" inquired Kowalski.
"Actually,-"
Before I could say another word, Skipper gave them a look and they, along with me, fell silent. I then felt something hit my back.
"So, Marlene, why are you here?" Skipper began my interrogation as soon as I regained consciousness.
"Simple. I don't know anyone else, so I followed you. And then got lost… But, hey, I'm here, right?" I thought that was the right answer, but apparently not.
"No, not here. I mean at the school."
"It was either here or an box. Which would you choose?"
The boys, minus Skipper, looked at me with wide eyes.
"You mean a metaphorical box, right?" Private seemed upset. Because of my answer?
"Nope."
"I don't think you and boxes would exactly mix." Skipper smirked.
I began to ask him what he meant when I figured it out myself.
"Hey!"
The older boys began to laugh, leaving Private to still have a worried look on his face.
I wondered why he had that look. Was he still upset about the box? Why would he be? It was just a fact in my life.
Facts are facts. there was nothing I could do about it.
If there was, I would have been here years ago.
I would be popular. I would understand dating. I would have friends.
I would be everything I'm not.
I'm not special. I'm not in control. I'm not able to fit in.
"Marlene," Private whispered, "Are you okay?"
I noticed from the mirror on the wall that I was crying.
"Yeah. Never been better!" I put my head up like Doris said, started to walk over to the table where Hunter but my plate, and tripped.
"I'm fine!"
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Sorry to end that on such a sour note, but I'm still trying to figure out how to show Marlene's, (who I know in the actual book, will be Mirari), past, bit by bit. I also want her to be able to cope with it. It's got to be hard to live in basically a bubble your whole life and then get thrown into a huge world.
It's almost like me when I started middle school. Sure, I knew people, but they hated me and vice versa. My mom shielded the horrors of the world from me and I found everything out from my peers.
Anyway, I promise that the next chapter will be better! 3
