SAME? DIFFERENT?

Chapter 9

Stacey's POV  (Stacey is pretending to be Stephie) 

By the time I arrived home, my dad was already there. Eyes fixed on the drive way, wearing a worried look he was waiting in the front porch. The guilt mounted inside me as I noticed his confused, yet relieved eyes.  "So, how was your first day girl?" He asked trying to clear the air.

"Not so great. But managed to make three friends in the end" As I replied with an assuring smile, his face became more relieved. "I think that it's a huge success" He smiled. 

"I'm sorry. I won't make you worry next time" I said wrapping my arms around him and he nodded running his fingers through my hair. He does it every time when he wants to annoy me or my sister because he knows that we hate it when someone messes with our hair. "Time to wash up, smelly" He said trying to sniff the air around me. "I think it's the other person" I smirked.

   I felt a strangely fatigue and sort of dizzy. I practically dragged myself  to the shower and soon, I crashed on to my sister's bed turning the first chapter of Dane's book. I barely managed to read the first two pages. My eyes were refusing to stay open and slowly my eyelids shut themselves. My hands were too weak to hold the book and it came to rest on my chest.

"Stacey, wake up baby." My dad said taking the book away. "You can sleep as much as you want after having dinner" After shaking me for several times, I sat on my pillow rubbing my eyes. My head was hurting like it was beaten up.

"Seems like it was a very long day for you" he chuckled as I get down from the bed like half dead and sleepwalking. "I missed this sleepy head" he said messing with my already messed up hair.

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After having numerous debates in my head, I decided to go to the cafeteria for lunch. 'I might end up meeting Amelia or Sadie there' I thought. After running my eyes through every single table, the thing called regret accompanied me and I went to sit on the deserted table in the far corner. I helped myself with some fries, trying to focus on my tray.

"I can't believe that I fell asleep as soon as I got home. I couldn't even complete the math homework this morning." Amelia said placing her lunch tray on the table. She fished for her note books in her backpack and spread them over while taking a mouthful from the salad. 

"Yeah, Looks like we are in the same boat. It was a long day for me too. Even I fell asleep right away."

 She sighed raising her head which was sunk in the notes a minute ago, adjusting her spectacles she nodded.

"By the way, thanks for having lunch with me. I was wondering how to skip the lunch period "

"Don't mention it. I always thought you must be feeling lonely I know how awful it feels to eat alone. But I felt like you were hard to reach in the beginning" She gave a half guilty smile. 

"Oh! I never thought that people think of me in that way." I said nervously. I spared a minute considering about how people think of Stephie. 'Is she still that cold to people? They must be thinking that she is arrogant'

"So with whom do you take lunch? I mean usually?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Well... I'm always obsessed with my books. So... there is no one in particular. Since I am senior, no one comes to bully me or anything and I talk with whoever sits with me if they are comfortable." 

"I see. By the way, I don't see Sadie or Dane here" I said after my eyes ran through the whole cafeteria for one last time.

"They rarely show up. Sadie is always busy practicing the violin and Dane stopped coming after he left the basket ball team"

"Sadie can play violin? I never knew." 

"She's like one in a million. Gifted. She may seemed to be the dumbest girl in other subjects but when it comes to music, she is a genius. So she rarely visit here." I tried to picture all carefree Sadie playing some calm violin notes. 

"What about Dane?" I asked remembering how he was sleeping on the bench, skipping lunch.

"Some people say that he had a fight with the team and got kicked out. I don't know. Just the rumors" she added before immersing herself into her homework.

"Yeah. We can only hear them, right?" I said before taking a mouthful of salad. The  rest of the lunch seemed to be spending without conversation, so I took Dane's book out to read. The lunch period was over before I could finish the tenth page. I picked up my stuff to go to the French class.

"See you after classes" Amelia said before parting and headed to the Spanish class.

I sat in the only vacant seat and opened my text book, without noticing who was sitting next to me.

"There's a huge difference between friends and acquaintances. Some people make it obvious and I'm always grateful" A strong irritated voice which was filled with sarcasm, broke the silence grabbing the whole class's attention. Everyone's  gaze was piercing  me while Wendy looked daggers at me.

"Wendy, listen. It was a misunderstanding." I said hoping she would understand.

"Oh really? Then tell me where I misread you." she had become more aggressive now.

 I noticed that Dane was looking in my direction from the other side. His eyes glowed with curiosity, hoping for an explanation. For a moment I thought why he couldn't take Spanish instead; just like Amelia. 
"I can't explain it right now but trust me you will understand one day" I uttered. "And that day is not Today!" she replied in the same fierce tone.

"Why are you so secretive? Transferring schools time to time. What are you hiding from us?" she demanded and I heard the distinct whispers around me.

"My parents' work places change from time to time" I said which was the truth anyway.

"What a pathetic excuse?" she smirked trying to provoke me.

"It may look pathetic but it's the truth. Just think whatever you want. It's not like someone can alter the way of thinking anyway right?" I said being thankful for Ms. Monet's appearance.

No one uttered a word during after school lab cleaning time. By reading Sadie's and Amelia's confused looks, I understood that they had heard what happened. Feeling suffocated, 'News travels fast' I thought.