Blue

Puberty Blues Part 2

I was an idiot.

Out of all the things I was preparing myself for, not one of them were those stupid introductory speeches the teachers loved to watch you squirm in, and now as I stood before the class, my mouth shaped into a single 'o', I was completely dumbfounded on what I could possibly say.

I mean, seriously? What was so interesting about me? I was as plain as a brand new sheet of paper. 

And so were my simile's apparently.

I shouldn't have put so much pressure on myself though. Apart from a few kids at the front, there was no one listening. They were either listening to music and texting beeath the desks or staring outside the window.

So when I finally realized this, a complete ten seconds of hyperventilating before I did, I began to talk.

"I-I'm Teal. Teal Moore." I smiled nervously. I looked over my shoulder to where the teacher was behind me, but all she did was arch an eyebrow. I gulped, clearing my throat before I turned back around. "I like to hang out."

A girl at the very front frowned at me. "With my friends!" I scrambled to save myself.

I mentally winced. Oh the abundance of those... And if they still didn't now how hard I was lying, the fiddling and the cracks in my voice should have been a major giveaway.

"Any question for Teal?"

I didn't close my eyes, just dropped them to the floor as I repeated the mantra of: No one ask a question, no one ask a question, no one ask a question.

But of course, it was always going to happen.

"Emily." The teacher chose, almost making me burst into tears.

But what was worse, was not that everyone seemed to straighten and begin to pay attention at that name, but that when I looked up, the girl was gorgeous.

Long blond hair that brushed against the desk, big blue eyes and a rack a guy would kill to have, (not for himself, obviously). She was like the modern Helen of Troy with her thick golden bangles and the sophistocated eye makeup that only an artist could have done. 

Yep, you betcha, she was the popular girl, and as soon as I connected the dots, my heart sank right down to my toes.

She's going to kill me. Oh I was scared. God knew what a popular girl would be doing asking me a question. And the only thing I could think of was a death threat.

Emily lowered her arm and turned her gaze to me, her blue eyes giving away nothing. A shiver raced down my spine, suddenly being reminded of the years of torment from Alexia, and the cold, hard dread began to settle in.

"Teal, are you the daughter of the new History teacher?" She asked softly, a smile curving her lips. I was so consumed by grief, that it took me a whole second to understand her question.

English? Was that what Mum was teaching? I hadn't really listened to her babble lately and now I realized I should've paid more attention.

"Yeah." I answered. No point in hiding it.

But for some reason, I regretted the decision immediately because her grin spread wider, reminding me of someone who had just caught their prey. But in the quick flash it was there, it disappeared just as fast. Wordlessly, she patted the seat beside her.

Oh dear God, what have I done? She wanted me to sit next to her. For whatever reason, I couldn't understand, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to know anyway.

Tentatively, I stepped forward, putting a foot before another and looking warily for any obstructions so I didn't make a fool of myself. Too late. The corner of the desk knocked the side of my leg, nearly sending my sprawling. Somehow I managed to regain my balance after stumbling and laughed nervously, quickening my pace to the desk right beside Emily.