Not Qualified For Friends

Chapter 7: anyone

I woke up to the piercing glare of the sun, only I didn't feel rejuvenated. I felt restless and tired, as if my body had been through a wringer. Despite wanting to curl up for a few more precious hours of sleep, I had to force myself to wake up. I dragged my sluggish limbs out of bed, squinting against the cruel sunlight, and headed towards the bathroom. Stripping off my clothes, I got into the shower, hoping that the hot water would wash away my weariness. But my eyes caught something that made my stomach churn – something red was gushing down the drain. I looked at my hands and arms and saw deep scratches covering them, oozing blood. Was it my blood, or had someone else hurt me? My mind swirled with questions, but I had to push them aside as I had to get ready for school.

After putting on fresh clothes, I grabbed my bag and left the house. Rio, my neighbor, would pass by my house on his way to school. I hoped to catch up to him, but he was already ahead of me and lost in the sea of students outside our school. As I made my way through the restless crowds, I heard Kyle's voice behind me.

"How did you sleep?" he asked with a broad smile, grabbing onto my arm.

I wanted to talk to him about the scratches on my arms, but I knew we couldn't afford to do that here, amidst the chatter and gossip of our schoolmates. "I think it's best if we don't talk at school," I muttered, trying to yank my arm free.

"Why not?" he inquired. I could tell from his expression that he was clueless.

"Because you don't usually talk to me, and it'll be weird if you start now." I could feel people staring at us, and it made me uneasy. Kyle and I were like water and oil – we didn't mix well. He was popular, while I was invisible. And that made us the talk of the town.

I walked quickly towards my classroom and slumped down in my seat, burying my head in my arms. I was so exhausted that I dozed off. But my peaceful repose was rudely interrupted as someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned, my eyes meeting the familiar face of the guy from the bar. I couldn't believe that he went to the same school as me! His puzzled look revealed that he wasn't expecting to see

"Oh, it's you again," he said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Yeah, your name is..." I trailed off hesitantly.

"A girl's name," he mocked me, his tone dripping with condescension. "I just wanted to check if this is Mr. Gardners class." He must be new, I thought to myself, with a slight roll of my eyes. Just my luck, another annoying person entering my life.

"Yeah, this is the right class," I sighed, already feeling drained by his presence. "But class doesn't start until 9:15, so you can leave."

"Then why are you here?" he asked inquisitively, as if he had just uncovered a secret.

"Trying to catch up on some sleep," I replied, my irritation growing with each passing second. Can't he just leave me alone? All I want is to sleep, uninterrupted. But of course, the universe had other plans.

As if on cue, the bell rang, signaling the start of another chaotic day. The sound of stomping footsteps filled the hallways as students rushed to their classrooms, their laughter, giggles, and the incessant sound of chewing echoing throughout the corridors. Amongst the cacophony, I managed to isolate the distinct voices of the idiots around me, separating them from the familiar sound of Rio's laughter.

With a mixture of frustration and urgency, I swiftly sat up, scrambling to fix my disheveled hair. The world could wait, but Rio's presence demanded my immediate attention, even if it meant sacrificing a few more minutes of sleep.