Wrong Kind Of

One

Don't make eye contact.

Don't make accidental bumps.

And most importantly, do not speak to anyone.

She recited the lines over and over in her head, trying to numb the outside world to make the rules easier to follow. Words kept seeping in however, breaking through her supposed impenetrable barrier.

Weirdo. Freak. Bitch.

The accusations and speculation couldn't be blocked out, but she'll grow use to it. She has to.

The bell rang and she silently packed her things away. Things have been better now, the attention had died down compared to the first day she arrived at Ordern Prep. School for the uber rich and the brightest minds. But most importantly, a school with the best security in the country. It's a given considering it housed children of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the country. If it could protect them from kidnappers, maybe it could protect them from...

Her thoughts swallowed her up and she didn't notice that she was just about to run into someone. There was a strong impact to her right shoulder and as she tried to steady herself her knees buckled and she fell to the ground. She had gotten weaker, the thought occurred to her. There would have been no way that a knock like that would have sent her to the ground before.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay? Oh my gosh Christopher I just knocked someone down!" a shrill voice said in an exasperated tone.

She looked up to say that it wasn't her fault when she remembered her rules. Shit. She just broke two of them when she meet the girl with strikingly pale blue eyes. She scurried up and offered a quick bow before hurrying away.

"I just made her run away! Oh gosh I'm such a horrible person!"

"Don't sweat it Em, I don't it was you she was running away from." Christopher said, curiously looking at the disappearing figure.

~ ~ ~

She crashed into her bed face first, exhaustion slowly enveloping her body. That was a major sip up, one she couldn't afford. Especially since the news came out about...

Her thoughts turned to her family. She wondered how they were doing, if they missed her. She wasn't allowed to contact them because Mr. Peters said it was too risky at this time. She pulled out the phone he gave her and replayed the voicemail he left her yesterday.

"I don't know how he did it, but he got out. I know that it was your idea to live separately from your family so I hope you can also handle not talking to them." Mr. Peters lets out a sigh. "It's a good thing the headmaster owes me one, I feel better knowing you're in Ordern. In any case, I know it mustn't be easy living there alone with everything that happened recently so I talked to Mrs. Myers about some volunteer work to, you know, help take your mind off of things. But don't think about the case anymore, you let me worry about it, just do your best and make some friends. Stay strong Gia."

Gia thought of Mrs. Myers, the frail old lady that owned the house she was staying in. Her face full of history and permanent laugh lines set one her face. The wispy strings of white hair that sat on her head. The warmth she gave her when she first entered the house, a comfort that she longed for so much that it hurt. It was embarrassing that she broke down crying when Mrs. Myers simply touched her hands but Mrs. Myers didn't seem to mind as she went and let Gia continue to weep as she held her.

Her mind strayed away from the memory and dread came back at the thought that Mrs. Myers was in danger because of her. She knew that but she was too selfish to leave. She tried to protest the first time Mr. Peters told her she was to live with someone else.

"Oh Gia it's fine. She's actually been staying in that giant house alone for too long. She was ecstatic when I told her you would be coming to live with her. And it's so close to the school it's perfect! I already told her you were ready to move in, now you wouldn't want to disappoint a sweet old lady would you?"

And so she thought what's the point? Mrs. Myers already knows everything and she still beamed every time she saw her. Gia was glad that Mrs. Myers was there for her. Listening to stories from Mrs. Myers past, her eyes gleaming every time she mentioned her husband Harold. Coming in the house with the smell of burned char or rotting eggs every time she tried to experiment with cuisine from other countries.

"Can't have the same boring thing every day!" Mrs. Myers would state happily. She was glad Mrs. Myers was there for her. She selfishly wished that Mrs. Myers would continue to be there for her, because Mrs. Myers was the only one who kept her from breaking down completely.

Gia continue to think of Mrs. Myers, how grateful she was that she was there for her until she drifted off to sleep.