As this story progresses, I will list any trigger warnings here!
ONE
Friday morning
The classroom falls silent as she pushes the door open and creeps through.
She keeps her body small and her movements discreet, weaving her way through the desks towards a seat at the back. Metal scrapes against linoleum as she takes her place next to Edward.
Discreetly, he watches as the girl removes a limp exercise book from her backpack and sets it upon the desk. The blue edges are tattered compared to his own and stained, even though the term began just last week. She has her hair pulled into a loose braid today and it rests on the shoulder of her blazer, loose tendrils framing her face. Her cheeks seem red, marked with tear stains. He wants to ask her if she is okay.
"Late again, Miss Swan?" Mr Banner calls from the front of the classroom.
"Yeah, sorry." She is blunt, keeping her gaze lowered.
"I do not accept this type of behaviour from my students. Do I need to call your parents?"
Edward notices her hands ball into fists. "No."
"Then, you better have a good reason as to why you're here fifteen minutes after your classmates?"
The girl stays silent and Edward notices her knuckles turning white. Her leg tremors underneath the desk.
"Miss Swan?"
"Do you honestly need to do this now?" Her outburst is heightened by the hush of the room and people snicker. "In front of everyone?"
Edward's ears burn in embarrassment for the girl. Mr Banner opens the door she just walked through.
"Headmaster's office, now."
"Gladly."
Letting out a disheartened sigh, she stands back up, pulling her exercise book flush against her shirt. He sees that she is not wearing her tie.
Whoops and hollers echo around the room as she walks towards the front, her gaze still on the floor. A ball of paper hits the back of her head.
"Don't worry, Sir. She's a fucking weirdo to everyone." Emmett calls out.
She slips out of the classroom almost as silently as she entered, and he watches her through the window as she skulks down the hallway. Their eyes meet briefly before she disappears.
Edward does not focus on the rest of Mr Banner's lesson.
His thoughts are completely filled by Isabella Swan.
Uni has been absolutely hectic & I was in the mood to write something really soft and easy, if that makes any sense :D
This is going to be a coming of age story heavily based on Normal People by Sally Rooney, with short chapters and quick updates! If you haven't read the book/watched the series, I would highly recommend it! As a heads up, the Mature rating isn't only going to be for sex/sexual references but also the kinds of themes this story will be covering (e.g. domestic abuse, mental health)
It's going to be set in the UK and begins in Sixth Form, which you're in from age 16 to 18. If anyone has any questions about the setting or the school system in the UK, feel free to send me a PM!
Let me know what you think x