Glasses.

1

"Alright class, that's the end of our session. Don't forget to study for the quiz next meeting!" Mrs. Ferguson yells out to the dispersing crowd, sighing when she realizes not even half of the class bothered to listen.

The brunette on the far corner takes her sweet time. Neatly packing her textbook, notebooks, and her perfectly patterned highlighters one by one inside her backpack. Mrs. Ferguson studies the young woman closely and shakes her head.

"Ms. Monroe?"

The brunette's head snaps up directly towards the English teacher and hurriedly walks over to the platform where she leaned against her desk and looked over thoughtfully.

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"Did you ever give it some thought? Your writings they're incredible! It'd be great if you have them published on the school paper."

Taylor groans inwardly. This woman was relentless. She was growing tired of the same question again and again. The answer would always be the same. No.

They were private. The only reason the older woman was able to read her work was because she had to pass them for assignments and projects and the only thing she ever wrote about revolved a certain blonde bombshell. Taylor's cheeks flushed a bright red just thinking about her baby blue eyes.

"Are you even listening?" The brunette snaps out of her thoughts and looks over apologetically. "You know what? Never mind. But you should really join the school paper, or anything really! Put your gift to use, it's a shame to waste them."

"I'm not wasting them," Taylor finds her voice. But she cringes when she hears how defensive she sounded and lowers it. "I'm...I'm saving it."

Mrs. Ferguson raises an eyebrow in realization, "For someone, perhaps?"

"Look Mrs. Ferguson, I'm sorry but if you don't mind?" She gestures outside and gets a disappointed sigh. The woman lets her go.

Taylor adjusts the straps on her shoulder and walks down the hallway. She always felt so awkward and self-conscious towering over the other students. Literally towering. At 5'9 she was taller than more than half of the female population in her school. The only thing that made her feel better was the fact that Romee Carey stood an inch and a half taller than her. Not that it really mattered, they were always too far from one another.

Taylor would usually just see glimpses of her in the cafeteria, in the field, or in the hallways. If she was lucky anyway. Sometimes she wouldn't see her for a whole week. That always sucked for her and she'd end up uninspired.

"God, watch it nerd." She hard a scoff and a rough push to the side. She felt the pain as her head collided with the metal lockers and cried out internally.

Taylor steadied herself for a few moments before realizing her glasses were no longer on her face. She turned around and looked over but all she saw was a blur.

"Looking for this?" the same gruff voice that she presumed pushed her said. An outline of what she knew her glasses were came into view, she tried reacher for it but he pulled back and giggled again. This time they were louder. More.

"Please give it back," Taylor said weakly.

"What was that little mousy? Say it louder I can't hear you!" He barked.

The brunette shook in anger and she hated whenever she was angry because when she was angry she'd result to crying. Crying always made her feel weak. Pathetic even. Don't cry. Don't cry. She thought,

"She said give it back, Dave." A man's voice boomed through the hallway.

"Oh come on Laurens, we're just having a little fun. Come join!"

"Oh fuck off Dave. Give it back and grow up. Unless you don't mind running extra laps later in the field?" Laurens replied icily. As the captain of the football team, you'd expect him to be one of the assholes. Though he was the complete opposite. Laurens is the perfect guy. With perfect hair, perfect smile, and of course the perfect girlfriend who ironically is the one girl to steal Taylor's heart.

"Damn, okay chill man. Alright?" She sees Dave walk over through her blurred vision and thrusts his arm towards her, glasses in hand.

Taylor shakily reaches over and snatches it away from him, afraid he'd bull it right back. She puts it on hastily and turns towards Laurens, giving him a soft smile.

"Thank you, you really didn't have to."

"Are you kidding me? Of course I did. I'm sorry about the crap he pulls," He replies sincerely and pats her on the back. It feels very weird. She doesn't like human contact, with people she's not very comfortable with anyway. "If he ever messes with you again, don't hesitate to tell me. He's my responsibility."

With that, he walks away and leaves Taylor to grab the bag forgotten on the floor during the whole commotion. She tilts her arm and curses when she sees she's been three minutes late. Sighing, she jogs over to her next class hastily and ignores the pounding in her head.