brothers.

18~ Running Out

Diana

September 15th, 2023

Chemistry thankfully finished and I bolted out of the classroom in a flash. Biology was interesting enough to keep my attention, but Chemistry was a nightmare for me.

It was lunch now, so I pushed against the current of students heading to the mess hall. The library had become quite the sanctuary for me. It seemed that all the school's 'outcasts' would stay there; I'd see lonely students lounging in chairs and at tables, ignoring the world around them. But even they would cast a glance at me every now and then.

How I wished I could be as invisible as they were.

Just as I turned the corner, something tapped on my shoulder. Turning, I saw a girl around my height with pixie-cut blond hair and gray eyes smiling breathlessly.

"Hi," she panted lightly. "Diana, right?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"I'm Blanche. I'm in your Chemistry class."

"Oh..." I vaguely remembered her— she sat in the furthest corner, sort of isolated. I was a bit surprised that someone so introverted as her would approach me like this.

"Anyways, I've wanted to meet you. I have a few friends I sit with at lunch. You want to join us?"

"You wanted to meet me?"

"Well... I heard about you... around. And I heard you're a foster kid." She shrugged. "I am, too."

This caught my attention. "You are?"

"Five years. You?"

"Twelve."

"Wow." She chuckled a bit. "You're with the Fields now, right?"

"Yeah... for a few months."

"That's cool. So... you good sitting with us?"

I hesitated. She seemed nice enough. I didn't want more rumors about me being too rude and standoffish. "Yeah, sure. Thanks."

We started walking with the flow of students, which had diminished by now. "You haven't met anyone else to sit with?"

"Uh... I usually like being alone, but I'm good sitting with you. What grade are you in?"

"10th, like you. I'm living with the McCarthy family right now."

"You have a bio family?" Realizing how intrusive the question was, I quickly retracted. "Sorry, that was..."

"You're good. I have a mom. She's kinda... into drugs, so I've been in and out the past years. My dad left when I was 10."

"I'm sorry."

She shrugged. "Could be a lot worse."

We reached the mess hall and Blanche led me to her table. I stopped short, recognizing one of the faces; the girl that led me to my class on the first day, from the... committee of welcoming or something. The other girl had her wavy hair dyed pink and a nose ring.

"Hey, guys." We sat down. "Diana, I think you met Alma."

Alma's disposition was different from last week. She flashed a friendly smile and wave. "How's it going?"

"And this is Jada."

The girl glanced at me, smiling briefly, then returned to her phone, long, black nails tapping the screen. I took out my lunch, awkwardly starting my sandwich.

"So, Diana, how's Summit been so far?" Alma asked.

"It's okay. You know... classes, homework, everything."