An Innocent Mistake (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 12

I tear through the hordes of students, hustling bustling and manage to stand by the fence. My hefty book bag is hanging on my bony shoulders. I stick my hanging bag against the fence tightly to relieve from the pain. My shoulders are being pulled down because of the weight.

I have come early to school this morning and am waiting among bunch of kids who are noisily running, jostling into each other and overall doing some sort of activity. It is better that Julia isn't around.

Sometimes it is good to be alone.

I briefly shoot my glances around to catch up if anybody is looking at me, suspiciously. But more than anyone I am the only one to look strangely.

My hands are keep grasping on the bag straps.

I am just busy looking on the other side, that suddenly, somebody lands their hand on my shoulder and I flinch away.

"Julia! You scared me." I say in astonishment. Sweat accumulates on my temples and I feel the blood sprinting through my streams, as if I am in trouble. Then I calm down and my skin feels wet from the cool sweat.

"Since when did you start coming early?"

I sweep my temples and across the forehead.

"It's kind of early not that much." I respond.

She starts staring at me, making me feel the humiliation. Even then I try to stay normal. I don't want to reveal anything. It is tough.

"I have been coming from a small fight."

"With who?"

"Sam. He was messing around with my bag, taking out all the notebook and supplies."

"Oh."

Then I see my teacher coming towards my class lined up in the field. Just in time I attempt to make a escape. But Julia holds me back by hurtling her hand on my left arm side.

"Where are you going?" she asks.

I pick up on my words in hurry. "My teacher is here. I gotta go." And leave her.

Throughout the day, I am impatient. I have absolutely no interest in what is being taught. My teachers are like moving figures and what they are saying don't reach my ears. I am immerse in a different world, deeply tangled into bounded thoughts. I am too weary to come out from what is going on in my mind. I only pretend to write on the paper and sometimes look up to the board. I realize I am only staring into words and not soaking up any meaning.

The day after the school is dull. Julia meets me, scampering down the steps, holding on the bag straps like her bag would fly out of her reach. She comes, breathing hard.

"You missed me yesterday," she starts. "I thought you were coming out late."

"Yeah, sorry." I don't want to face her.

I briskly walk ahead and reach the bus. As usual it drops us at street away from the home.

The whole time is perfectly clung in the hush. Neither she talks and neither me. I am really upset. Nothing evokes me. Even the beautiful place that we always walk through together. It seems hopeless, crowded with bad ideas.

"I have noticed that your bag is bigger than usual like you know it looks likes it has so many things stuffed in," Julia says lastly. "Did you feed your bag something?" She plays.

"Yeah I put my notebooks." My hands slightly tremble. It is best not to reveal it.

We come to the park. I and Julia sit under the maple tree, that I begin liking since yesterday. But I don't tell Julia about it.