Clayton's Girl

Chapter Three

||Clayton||

I stared at her as she sat just as still as yesterday. Never moving an inch, even when the barbie girl behind her made endless remarks in her ear. I couldn't hear a single word but you'd have to be an idiot to think they were friends.

I couldn't get the thought of her eating lunch to leave my head. I'm positive she didn't see me watching her as she guzzled down her milk, as if it was as vital as oxygen.

She ate everything off her plate while I didn't eat my food at all, and it made me wonder why she was so thin. She clearly didn't starve herself. Was she bulimic?

Why else would she be so skinny?

"Dude why are you into that?" The guy behind me gave a sick sounding chuckle, as if I was an idiot to be in awe of a pretty girl.

"Why aren't you?" I shot back, clenching my fist. I didn't even know her but I wanted to defend her reputation. No one deserved to be so bullied.

"Are you kidding me?" He remarked in disbelief. I turned around to see him now kicked back in his seat.

"What's your problem dude?" I immediately regretted the way my voice boomed, attracting attention from my fellow classmates.

"Maybe you should answer that Mr. Moore." I turned around to face the teacher. He seemed unamused by the disturbance.

"Sorry." I huffed and flipped to the page that everyone else was on. Most people turned back towards the front while a few continued to watch me. I could almost imagine them munching on popcorn as some highschool drama unfolded and they all made mental decisions of which side to take.

"One more time and I'll be seeing you after class"

I nodded in understanding. I couldn't let that happen. The end of the day is the only chance I ever have to talk to her.

For the rest of the hour I sat silently in my seat, ignoring the papers flying over my shoulder. They had stupid little notes on them, all about her. I refused to read a single one and I swiped them off the edge of the desk.

At the last five minutes of class we were given the okay to talk with others, just as we had yesterday.

But I couldn't pry my eyes away from her.

At the same time, I couldn't find the courage to go talk to her. She seemed like she was in her own little world.

My eyes skimmed her body, noticing her jeans were the same as yesterday. The holes were in all the same places, the biggest one being right below her front pocket where grey speckled skin peeked through. Her hair seemed greasy and matted to her head. Her skin was slick and sticky looking. It was cooler today, so it couldn't have been fresh sweat.

I figured she couldn't have washed up since yesterday, and that seemed odd for a girl.

-

"Hey wait!" I shoved through the doors behind her. I tried to get her attention when the bell rang but she bolted. "Please wait!" I followed quickly behind her as she slowed, seemingly out of breath.

"Why are you running?" I huffed out when she finally stopped, leaning against a tree to catch her breath.

"Why are you chasing me?" It was the first time I ever heard her speak. Her voice was like porcelain. She spoke so softly that it could shatter into a thousand pieces if she got too loud.