Rainbows and Dark Clouds

Chapter 2 - 2012

It took a while, little over a year but I finally integrated into the group. I had left my old one behind and they definitely didn't care about it because they never asked or came to find me. I also wasn't in their tutor group, so meeting and finding them involved going out of my way. That wasn't a problem anymore.

Entering my first year of GCSEs, I noticed Anna was in a few of my classes; the unofficial leader of the rainbow group. So, she wasn't a hugely clever one either. I noticed this not because she was in my class range but because she spent most of her time giggling at boys who wanted her attention and copying other people's work. It was french that I officially met her, we didn't speak unless asked to and I didn't want to push it. If forced too soon, I knew I would be rejected based on being annoying. For underrated popular girls like her, you had to be entertaining and easy to tease. Best way to do that was to be a mouse and defensive at the same time. Perfect. I was full of sarcasm and irritation and all I had to do was be quiet.

After a few classes, she warmed up to me, knowing she could copy my work and pass short quizzes. French was one of my favourite subjects, something about learning a new language, understanding someone or something when others couldn't. It was satisfying and made me want to learn it. I could read it and speak it, my writing however was awful. But, my way of learning was through repetition, so I knew that could be solved with time. Whilst giggling at someone's attention behind us; I think his name had been Sam or Dan, the only defining feature was his stature. Anna turned to me.

"Do you have a crush?" If she had asked a few months ago I might have stuttered, but that had passed after finding out the person I barely had reason to like, had eyes on someone else who didn't reciprocate.

I sighed, "No. Not at this time"

The boys teased with her for a bit about it, wanting to find out past ones. Giving them nothing they eventually stopped, after it carried on for a couple more lessons of course. I let it happen because it gave her a reason to talk to me. The more times she spoke first, the more likely she would instinctively start turning to me for friendship. One day she asked what I was doing for lunch, mentioning going to the cafeteria she joined me. We queued together and grabbed pasta pots. We sat at a table together, alone only for a few minutes before others started arriving. I noticed she added quavers to the tomato sauce, an odd combination, but made a note to try it sometime since she seemed to enjoy it.

First, Alice arrived with Riley; the blonde triplet who permanently had a tired looking face. Alice was very friendly while Riley seemed bored and chatted with Anna. Surprisingly, Alice knew who I was and was kinda cute for a skinny girl; big smile with freckles speckled all over her face. Her personality seemed to be genuinely warm. A couple boys showed up; the one with the annoying laugh was Cole, he was very chummy with Alice. The other boy was someone called Thomas, taller than me but I put that to most of his blonde hair being spiked up like a hedgehog. Very blue eyes and big lips, he was shy, just sitting and fiddling with his bag straps at the edge until his other friends arrived. One by one they appeared until it was impossible to get out, otherwise you would lose your spot and the fact chairs of kids backed up against each other. It would be best to wait until a majority of luncheons had left. I mostly stayed quiet, answering a question every now and then or putting in a word. At one point some of the girls ecstatically mentioned Katie Perry's new song, "Hot n' Cold".

"I still prefer her first song" Katie said, the red-headed triplet. Her and one of the sisters then started singing.

"I kissed a girl and I liked I-it!" That made me smile with the off-key ending.

Someone at the edge of the group had appeared silently chuckling away and eating a sandwich. She gave me a small smile when I stared. Her skin was so pale and clear, it was almost translucent, like a snowflake. Thick, heavily layered brown hair covered her shoulders with a small fringe that mostly hid her right eye. Small pink lips that revealed straight teeth that had two pointy edges. It was the slightly rounded girl, quiet in her conversation but well-liked as she received hugs and attention from Alice and the triplets. She didn't seem to be very confident; hunched shoulders and timid.

Everyone started getting up, with 35 minutes still to spare they obviously had a destination in mind. It was sunny outside, younger years screaming and running around and cliques of groups hogged all the edges. Walking out of the cafeteria we passed the tennis courts then the spare hall, walking towards the maths block. They went to that space where they had been before. They still came here. I knew it was their tutor room; the old IT rooms now used as spare for the younger years during class hours. My tutor room was another old math building so I was always only a 100 metres away from them. They settled into chit chat, the boys separated probably talking about films or whatever was currently interesting and the girls talked about meeting up after school. It was a Friday, so it made sense. I didn't bother asking to come, there had been no invitation yet, it was too soon. Plus my parents didn't like me hanging about after school, even on a Friday.

The quiet girl; Snow White, was sitting on the edge again chewing her nails. They were bitten far to the quick, more than mine. It made me want to tell her to stop because she won't be able to grow them if she kept at it. I stepped up and introduced myself.

She smiled widely for a small mouth and said, "I'm Lauren".