That Thing Between You and Me

02. The Girl Who Died

Chapter 2 | The Girl Who Died

"I cannot fail to marvel at how familiar you felt, right from the outset. Like a sad song. I had forgotten till I heard it again."

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There is something about high schools that is almost ironic, poetic even. The years spent there are full of complaints, disappointments, insecurities and maybe, achievements, friendship and love too. But the truth is that the mere prospect of the whole life ahead, the independence, the endless opportunities that wait in the "real" world are enough to overshadow the high school moments.

And yet when one looks back to the place, years after graduating, they cannot help but feel that pang in the chest, the nostalgic feeling. While kids strive the adult independence, adults seek the carefree days and on goes the life.

Delvinshire High School was the only school in the district. At the entrance was a bricked sign which flaunted the name of the school in bold silver letters. Beyond it lay the red bricked campus with a playground, gardens, indoor gymnasium, laboratories, all of which were sprawled on a few thousand square feet. Inside, the school had the typical white tiled floor, cream walls and faded blue-green doors.

Mallory pushed open the double doors of hallway and made her way inside. For one moment she was taken aback by the amount of people who lingered in the hallways. For her, one of the worst things about high schools was the size of its population.

High schools were filled with teenagers. From the ones who bathed in perfumes and colognes, to the ones who didn't bathe in general, the place practically reeked of teenage hormones. Moreover, the amount of people was almost intimidating. And as for Mallory, being claustrophobic didn't help either.

By the time she reached the school office to collect her schedule and a school map, she was gasping. She mentally chided herself as she knew she would have to make a habit of it, if she wanted to rejoin the school.

She quickly tossed the map in her backpack as it was unnecessary. She had spent half her life at that place, each and every nook and corner etched into her mind. And hence unaided, she started her stroll in the corridors looking at familiar and unfamiliar faces alike.

She almost expected someone to address her, but she was in for a disappointment. The reason behind it, she speculated, must be her completely different looks. When she changed her looks, initially she wouldn't recognize herself in the mirror, so it was only natural for others to do so too.

Nonetheless, she still felt lonely and dejected. She knew it was petty, unreasonable even, but she couldn't help it. Other than an occasional look here and there she moved around virtually unnoticed.

It was funny, how only moments ago she was afraid of how everyone would react and now no one gave her a second look. She was invisible. Scratching her head, she headed to her new locker and began loading it with the contents of her backpack.

"Mallory Millington?" She heard a familiar voice call her out.

Her eyes widened as her hand froze midair. She turned around, eyes lighting up, "Ben. Oh, my god! Look at you all grown up and handsome," she said smugly.

The feeling of disappointment was immediately replaced with delight. She had her best friend now and she didn't need more.

Benjamin Jones was Mallory's childhood best friend. With a tall body frame, he had dark brown, almost black hair and light brown eyes. With a cheesy pick up line right at the tip of his tongue he was quite infamous among the ladies. As for Mallory who knew him for her whole life, she adored his sense of humor, which even at its best was lame but nevertheless, he could practically lighten up the thickest of the tensions.