The thing that really sucks

Chapter 1

I grabbed my backpack off the kitchen table. My mother, Rose ran over to me arms  outstretched. "Mom!" I wailed throwing a look saying 'help me' over my shoulder at my best friend, Joy Lockman . I felt mom's suffocating hug pull me to her. "School mom..." I chocked out shoving her away gently.

"Oh right...," Mom blushed looking at Joy who raised one eyebrow in response. "Have a great first day of school, Raynae." She drew her eyes back to mine and smiled. "Growing up so fast, senior year already...well I hope everyone's nice."

"Mom, It's only been a Summer, I already know everybody." I gave her a shy smile before turning back to Joy who looked rather irritated. "Ready?" I asked crossing the room to the blond haired girl. I have envied Joy since kindergarten. Her long golden hair and perfect smooth pearl white face with high cheekbones. Her glowing amber eyes and her long delicate fingers. Her long elegant legs and arms and full black eyelashes. Next to me she looked like a supermodel. I had shoulder length light brown hair with blond highlights. My skin is so pale it looks like I'm from Alaska. I have ice blue eyes and black, but pretty short eyelashes. I have short arms and legs but a long torso. I also have the dreaded freckles. I absolutely loath my freckles. I wish they would just disappear, but they just don't. The only thing about me that I actually do like is my high cheekbones. There even a bit higher then Joy's.

"I have been for ages." Joy said her voice sharper then knives. I never understood why we were friends. It made no sense. She like a 10 on the popularity scale and I'm like a 5 because I'm friends with her. She also always sharp with me when she's getting impatient. Sometimes it drives me insane and I wish I could just hit her but then we wouldn't be friends and I'd drop to like a 2 on the popularity scale and that's the thing I dreaded the most. But then when Joy is happy, we get along great and I have regrets being her friend. When we hang out after school, she is actually like a normal human being but during school she changes dramatically. Probably because she want's to uphold her popular rank. Me though, I got behind her wall of coolness and I found the real Joy there. Sweet, kind, and hilarious. I enjoyed her when she wasn't so uptight like she was now.

"Ok, good. Bye mom!" I yelled and shoved open the door into the cool air or September. Joy came out behind me and shut the door. I walked down to the bus stop Joy lagging behind. "Joy wants wrong?" I asked spinning around and walking backwards. Her usually delicate and smooth, cool-looking face was emotionless. It bugged me.

"Oh what? Nothing Raynae." She blinked once or twice not looking up from the damp sidewalk.

"Are you sure?" I asked squeezing my eyebrows together in confusion.

"Absolutely." I saw a faint, acted smiled play across Joy's lips as she looked up. It was easy to tell she was faking her smile. She refused to meet my eyes when she told me nothing was wrong and she was playing with her rings on her fingers.

"Ok." I said reluctantly knowing if I didn't drop it she'd get angry, and maybe a bit suspicious. As we arrived at the bus stop I heard the roar of an engine near. A yellow long school bus pulled to a stop with a screech. Great.  I sidestepped and let Joy go on first. From where I stood outside I could her some faint whispers and giggles as Joy stepped onto the bus. I followed her and I heard some grunts as I passed. I grounded my teeth together and felt my ears burn with embarrassment. I slid into the seat next to Joy, anger sizzling inside of me.

"Looking forward to school?"I heard Joy ask but my attention was directed towards Shane Loid. The hottest guy in school. He might even be too good for Joy. He had light brown hair with orangeish eyes and tan skin. He had perfect teeth and perfect everything. His shoe, on the popularity scale is like a number 7 higher then me! I giggle a little and a few people turned towards me. Suddenly I felt self conscious and I sunk back into my seat blushing. Then his eyes hit me. I felt light headed as I stared into the orange depths. He had turned around in his seat to talk to his friend, Joey. He kept looking in my direction and I couldn't drag my gaze away. I felt my shoulders go limp and if I was in a cartoon hearts would probably be in my eyes with my tongue lolling out of my mouth. I felt my heart skip a few beats when he held my gaze. It could have been seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or year but it was too soon before he looked away. I could see from where I sat his tan cheeks blushing ever so slightly. I finally looked away and accidental meant the eyes of Jack Nucome. He was like a what, a 4 on the popularity scale? He had thick black hair and chocolate brown eyes. I had to admit, he was kinda handsome. He was looking straight at me, and it was no mystery.  I held back a laugh as he blushed his pale skin becoming bright pink. I heard chuckles behind me. I didn't know who chuckled but I did know that they were directed at Jack. I watched him duck down behind the fake leather seat. Pity rose inside me but I shoved it back down. Rule number one to not get picked on in high school is to not hang out with the less popular kids. I stuck to that rule like glue to a paper. I strictly hanged out with kids my popularity or kid above my popularity like Joy. The bus jerked to a halt and I stood up and walked down the isle and got off the bus before anyone was out of their seats. As I walked into the school yard I could hear kids behind whispering about my sudden leaving. I ignored them. There really wasn't any reason I left so quickly, but it just felt too hot inside the bus. First class, History. Damn. History was my least favorite subject and the one I did worst in. Plus Jack was in that class. "Damn." I muttered as I picked up my pace. I turned into the school and walked down the hallway till I reached my locker. Something white was sticking in between the cracks. Frowning I pulled the small folded piece of paper out of the cracks and unfolded it.