Growing up Socially Awkward

Part 9

"What's going on?" she asked compassionately, kneeling in front of Keeley. "Nothing..." Keeley sniffed as she wiped the tears away from her eyes. "Come on, girlfriend, people dont sob in bathrooms when it's 'nothing.' Go on."

Ann said, placing her hand on Keeley's knee. Keeley took a breath. "Saavni just called me a freak, and normally I wouldn't care, but she was saying that Owen would think im a freak once he got to know me and-" she rambled on and began to get teary-eyed. Ann wrinkled her eyebrows together and stood up. "Oh, hell no! Come on," she demanded, putting her hand out to Keeley. Keeley took Ann's hand. Ann lifted her off the toilet seat and walked her to the sink. Ann turned on the faucet and let the water run. "Put your face over the sink and close your eyes," Ann instructed. Keeley did what Ann told her to do.

Ann cupped her hands and filled them with water to splash Keeley's face. "Saanvi has no clue what she's talking about," Ann stated as she handed Keeley a paper towel to dry her face. "She's insecure and petty, dont listen to a word she says," she continued, grabbing Keeley's shoulders. "You are kind, and you are unique. Saanvi is neither of those things. She's scared of you." She assured as she let go of Keeley's shoulders. "Now, get to class, you gorgeous queen." Ann walked out of the bathroom, and Keeley stood in shock momentarily before following.

Keeley reached her class and went to open the door. But she paused. Everyone was going to stare. Everyone in the class was going to stare at her. She put her arm at her side and stood outside the door, frozen. Suddenly the door creaked open "Ms. Moore, were you planning on standing there forever or coming inside?" her teacher questioned as he stood in the doorway looking down at her. Keeley felt herself grow smaller as she heard chuckling from inside the classroom. "I..uh...I was-" she stuttered, then walked past her teacher into the class and sat at a desk in the front row. Keeley hated the front row. She always felt the looming eyes of her peers behind her, she usually gets to her class much earlier than everyone else to ensure she gets the back row, but that did not work out today. Keeley pulled her laptop out of her backpack and zoned out as she wrote poems on a google doc. "Keeley Moore," the teacher called out, muffled to Keeley as she focused on her writing. "Keeley Moore!" he called louder, waking Keeley from her trance "what did you get for that question?" the teacher asked, and Keeley's heart began pacing quicker. Her throat got tight, and she felt like there was a vacuum in her lungs sucking out all the air. She tried to speak but choked on her words, and a gurgling sound came out of her throat, which made a group in the class chuckle. Keeley couldn't move her eyes away from her teacher's face; She couldn't move at all. Frozen in place, she finally was able to say something. "I dont know..." her voice was weak and unstable. She looked down at her desk and fumbled with her pencil as she tried to catch her breath.