There was no one to sit with. None of her friends. Not even anyone
she knew.
This was bad.
Summer walked slowly up the aisle, her hands balled into fists and clutched tightly at her sides.
'Just breathe," she commanded herself as she bit her lip between her teeth. As the skin twisted under the pressure, she had to remind herself not to bite too hard. If she started to bleed, they would think that she was even weirder.
Summer was running out of time. She was halfway up the aisle and she still had nowhere to sit. Pretty soon the bus driver would start yelling at her. She winced. Summer couldn't stand yelling.
The faces around her were stony silent, disapproving. The kids took in her hair and her clothes, and then threw it right back at her face, contempt welling up into their eyes and spilling over into her path as she stepped forward timidly, cautiously. They were just kids. There was no reason to be afraid. But she was. Summer was terrified.
Just as she was about to give up, she spotted an open seat near the back of the bus. Sighing with relief, she hurried forward to it and sat down, glancing quickly at the person across from her.
Doing a quick double-take, Summer looked up again. It was Freddy. Her feelings of relief increased. Finally, someone she knew. She smiled gratefully at him, settling her bag into the seat next to her.
Freddy didn't smile back. He glanced nervously at the other guys sitting around him; Summer suspected that they were his friends from the neighboring towns. He looked the longest at one in particular, a raven hair boy with short-spiked hair tipped in violent green. The guy glanced back at Summer, the look in his eyes clearly spelling out, "Intruder." Then he shook his head quickly, his earrings flipping back and fourth warily.
Freddy cleared his throat. Summer's heart sunk all the way to her feet and she looked down.
"You can't sit here," he said. Summer continued to stare quietly at her shoes. The black-haired boy, seeing Summer's defiance, reiterated the command.
"Are you deaf? You. Can't. Sit. Here." he laughed, grabbing her bag and tipping the contents of it into the aisle.
Summer bit her lip once more, then got down on her hands and knees and started to pick up her books. One of her pencils rolled in front of Freddy's foot. He started to pick it up, but a warning glance from a nearby boy stopped him. Instead, he kicked it out of her reach.
Summer glanced up at Freddy, quiet anger storming over her face. She wanted to scream, to hit him, to make him sorry. Instead, she just snatched the pencil off of the floor and sat back up, dragging her knees up onto the seat and staring straight ahead.
What's wrong with him?
What's wrong with...me?
This was bad.
Summer walked slowly up the aisle, her hands balled into fists and clutched tightly at her sides.
'Just breathe," she commanded herself as she bit her lip between her teeth. As the skin twisted under the pressure, she had to remind herself not to bite too hard. If she started to bleed, they would think that she was even weirder.
Summer was running out of time. She was halfway up the aisle and she still had nowhere to sit. Pretty soon the bus driver would start yelling at her. She winced. Summer couldn't stand yelling.
The faces around her were stony silent, disapproving. The kids took in her hair and her clothes, and then threw it right back at her face, contempt welling up into their eyes and spilling over into her path as she stepped forward timidly, cautiously. They were just kids. There was no reason to be afraid. But she was. Summer was terrified.
Just as she was about to give up, she spotted an open seat near the back of the bus. Sighing with relief, she hurried forward to it and sat down, glancing quickly at the person across from her.
Doing a quick double-take, Summer looked up again. It was Freddy. Her feelings of relief increased. Finally, someone she knew. She smiled gratefully at him, settling her bag into the seat next to her.
Freddy didn't smile back. He glanced nervously at the other guys sitting around him; Summer suspected that they were his friends from the neighboring towns. He looked the longest at one in particular, a raven hair boy with short-spiked hair tipped in violent green. The guy glanced back at Summer, the look in his eyes clearly spelling out, "Intruder." Then he shook his head quickly, his earrings flipping back and fourth warily.
Freddy cleared his throat. Summer's heart sunk all the way to her feet and she looked down.
"You can't sit here," he said. Summer continued to stare quietly at her shoes. The black-haired boy, seeing Summer's defiance, reiterated the command.
"Are you deaf? You. Can't. Sit. Here." he laughed, grabbing her bag and tipping the contents of it into the aisle.
Summer bit her lip once more, then got down on her hands and knees and started to pick up her books. One of her pencils rolled in front of Freddy's foot. He started to pick it up, but a warning glance from a nearby boy stopped him. Instead, he kicked it out of her reach.
Summer glanced up at Freddy, quiet anger storming over her face. She wanted to scream, to hit him, to make him sorry. Instead, she just snatched the pencil off of the floor and sat back up, dragging her knees up onto the seat and staring straight ahead.
What's wrong with him?
What's wrong with...me?