Taken

New Guy

Yay! Early update. Hope it's ok 😊- devoncat1

'New Guy' certainly fitted in well. I mean, like scarily well because as soon as he left me looking slightly bewildered in the corridor, with my books bundled into my arms and my mind screaming like a crazy fan-girl, he was greeted by no other than the man himself. Conner McDonald. Oh how I hate that guy. New Guy probably new him from some sports thing, because he certainly looked like a serious sportsman. And I meant that as a serious examination. Not obsessive drooling. My days of mindless dates and obsessing over appearances and boys were way behind me.

Keep telling yourself that. You just can't accept that you wouldn't be able to get a date, even if you went down on your knees and begged.

That freaking voice, as soon as I thought about anything it was back, louder than ever. Piercing through my skull like a drill. Distractions. Distractions. Distractions. To make the pounding go away. I told myself to move, because standing in the middle of the corridor like a lost dog, gained some weird looks. Weirder than normal anyhow.

New Guy went along with his new 'mates'. He already looked like one of them, the cool crowd, my old habitat.

Lesser spotted Brooke. The voice sniggered, with the power to aggravate me beyond belief.

I felt sorry for him really, getting dragged along, soon enough he would lose all freedom of speech and just become another carbon copy. He was good looking enough to have girls falling at his feet, and soon enough he would have his own Michelle. Hanging on his every word. He'd have respect, loyalty, but happiness? I don't think so. I had seen it happen so many times. I had made it happen just as many.

He gave an awkward wave back at me. Just a raise of the hand. I didn't wave back, I didn't even acknowledge him. Be popular, or be like me? Because being friends with me doesn't get you very high up on the popularity scale. He seemed like a nice guy, and even I wasn't completely oblivious to kindness. It may seem rude, and bitter, but in the end, he'll be better off than if I were to wave back.

......

"Come on, I don't have all day." The English teacher said with a dramatic sigh. My mood has yet to improve through the first two lessons and I had a sudden urge to take more anti- depressants. The blurriness had come back, and I continued to drift through the day, my mind still fixed on the hallway incident, the bloodthirsty look in her eyes, the way she dropped down like a stone. I quickly picked up my copy of I Capture The Castle. Flicking through the pages as though I was thoroughly interested.

"Cmon Fletcher. Table at the back. Michelle, babe have you seen my headphones?" And cue my favourite person. Fashionably late yet again, with new guy in tow. I peeked over the book, as Connor wound round the table with his pathetic posse scuttling after him. All accept New Guy, who was looking around the classroom and seemed to be taking in all the different groups. The groups that had changed so much that even I was finding it hard to keep up.

And then there was me, I shared my own table. Sometimes Mona and Christie would've sat with me, probably out of sympathy, but now that option was obviously out of the question. When he saw me, he gave a sort of lopsided grin. I didn't know whether to smile back, or roll my eyes because this guy knew nothing about social ladders.

My grip on I Captured The Castle tightened when he started walking towards my table. This guy really is stupid.

Or kind. Selfless, sympathetic. Maybe he wants to be friends with you. Although I have no idea why? But surely you don't know a thing about being a good friend. Or daughter.

Shut up!

Or sister.

I banged the book down on the desk in frustration, trying not to let the depression become to hard to bear. But I quickly put on a mask and picked the book up again, trying to act like I had just dropped it. New Guy had reached the table, and I tried to control my breathing, because not only was I worried about what Connor might do, to him, to me, but I was buzzing at the idea that he might actually want to be friends with me. And obviously the fact that he's gorgeous did nothing to calm my nerves.