For the past week all anyone can talk about is the new girl. It's not like she's done anything to be conspicuous or outgoing, so it's weird that she has most of the school's attention on her.
I go to my locker and the chess board from last week is still on top of the locker next to mine. No one else has noticed it I guess. I know how that feels all too well. I open my locker, and two girls stop at one three lockers over while I reach inside mine. I'm not one to eavesdrop, but they aren't exactly trying to be quiet.
"Did you hear about that Crescel(creh-sel ) chick?""Who?"
"The new girl that started last week."
"What about her?"
"I heard she that she was whoring around with some psycho gang leader in Canada who who beat his brother to death with a hockey stick."
"Really?! I heard she moved here to escape the British police force because she went on a murder spree with some wackjob and cooked people to hide the evidence."
"No way! Where did you hear that one?!"
"You know Sydney, right? Her cousin had a friend who…"
They walk off down the hall while continuing to gossip.
Rumors could be why the new girl is such a popular subject. At least I know her name now so I don't have to keep referring to her as the new girl.
I pull my books out of my locker and shut it. I turn to leave, but that chessboard keeps nagging at me the same way an abandoned puppy would a normal person. I can't just leave it here to be forgotten like I am. Just as I reach up to grab it, Crescel (the new girl) runs down the hall, snatches it off the lockers, then hugs it like a stuffed animal. For some reason that seems familiar.
"I can't believe I left it here for a week! I really need to start remembering these types of things."
She says the last part like she's ashamed. Why would she? A normal person wouldn't make a big deal out of something like that.
She puts the chessboard in her backpack then notices I'm here.
"Sorry, I didn't see you there."
Well she's remembered me longer than previous new students.
"It's okay I'm used to it."
She frowns at that. Why would she care?
"It's never okay for someone to not notice you're right next to them. For one thing, it's a bit of an a**-holish move; and secondly, you should always try to be aware of your surroundings."
"I-"
My brother yells down the hall cutting me off.
"Hey! Crescel!"
He runs over next to her
"Hey Alfred..."
He doesn't hear me, but I didn't expect him to.
"Hey, Alfred. What do you need? I was just talking t-"
She looks back at me, but I'm already at the end of the hall. I established when I was ten that when Alfred comes into the few conversations that I have, that I might as well go because that signals the end of my momentary acknowledgment.
Nothing really new to me.
But why did Crescel hugging a chessboard like that look so familiar? There's no way she could have known where my locker was on her first day here...
Right?