There's Something Against Us

Chapter 6

"Mara Vidal." Mrs. Burr calls my name for the first time. I raise my hand quietly, careful not to do anything that might put her anymore on edge.

As always, I am the last name on the list. With a swift movement, she slaps the attendance on her desk and begins to write on the chalkboard furiously. A dull roar erupts as students begin to chatter.

"Take out the assignment from yesterday." She says with her back turned to the class.

As requested, I pull out my notebook with yesterday's homework. The gum chewer from yesterday leans towards me while chomping very obnoxiously.

"Nah, didn't do it." She shakes her head.

Is she talking to me? Her face doesn't turn, so I can't be sure. After remaining dumbfounded for a moment, my hands fold over my navy skirt, my right leg tucked neatly underneath my left. I pick at my stockings through the thick fabric.

"You do it?" Her eyes scan my obviously completed homework, and I nod cautiously.

Oh, I see now. Maybe she's just trying to be friendly. Yesterday she was hovering over my desk feeling sorry for me, and that was after she took the seat next to mine. This girl wants to be friends with me! I shouldn't have been so judgmental.

She flips her red hair and leans her body down over my desk. Awkwardly, I back up a little in my seat to give her more space.

"Hey, pretty boy, you do it?"

I realize now she's hunched over to enter Steven's line of vision. Wait- what?

"Yes, Charlotte." He answers with a twinge of irritation.

They know each other?

"No, you can't have it." He answers an unspoken question. I pretend I'm not in the middle of their conversation, and that I'm able to not eavesdrop. Physically speaking, it's impossible not to, and it's making me incredibly uncomfortable.

Charlotte-gum-chewer picks herself back up from his denial, hunching back into her own chair again.

"Would you mind if I just looked at yours for a second?"

She turns to me now, her hazel eyes growing large and puppy-dog like. Would it be so bad? And if it isn't so terrible to share, why didn't Steven let her near his homework?

"Um..." my voice fades, "is that," I swallow an air bubble, "...allowed?"

I can't end up back at the headmasters office. Luck won't get me through the second time; Not on the first and second day. If my mother heard about me being in trouble, she would homeschool me so fast I wouldn't be able to make a peep to argue about staying.

For some reason Charlotte starts bursting out laughing, her eyes lightening up.

"What are you, year one or something?" Her face turns red from amusement, mine from embarrassment. I chew on my tongue, completely at a loss. No - no I'm not a baby. But I guess I act like one.

"How old are you anyways?" She talks down to me like a young child. Or an animal.

"Sevent-"

"Do your own work." Steven tells Charlotte harshly, interrupting me. The thumping in my ears becomes a loud, fast drum beat. Her freckled face meets mine again.

She doesn't want to be friends.... she just wants to laugh at me.

"Ooo, you're gonna tell on me?"

My lip quivers, very much against my free will, and I bite it as hard as I can.

Don't. Not here. The small voice in my head is a minuscule relief.