Breaking The Barriers (GXG)

Chapter 2

I moved. I pushed past Ally, not waiting for the girl to hit the ground. I grabbed her wrist, my grasp tight and I pulled her towards me. How I grabbed her in time, I will never know, but I did it as if time was somehow on my side. I don't think I'd ever moved so quickly, so instinctively. I pulled her towards me with such a force that she slammed into me causing me to stumble back a little but I didn't care, didn't mind, so long as she wasn't hurt. I didn't want to see her hurt. I stood there for a moment, still holding the girl, while she stared at me in bewilderment. I noticed she was around the same height as me. Her emerald green eyes stared wonderingly into my eyes. Her hair curled so delicately around her heart-shaped face. Her lips were a the most perfect shade of red. My hands had settled on the small of her back, the curve of her hip. Beautiful.

"Ah-hem." Ally coughed. I let go of the girl and we both stepped back and looked around, embarrassed. Ally sniggered at our reactions.

"Eh... Thanks, for eh... Uh saving me." She stammered while laughing nervously. I smiled to myself. "For not letting me fall, I mean. My name is Lily. I'm new here. First day." She held out her hand in my direction. I laughed at her old-fashioned gesture, not unkindly.

"Chloe," I told her, taking her hand and shaking her hand, her skin soft against mine.

"I'm Ally, I'm sorry about all that. I never meant to scare you," Ally said apologetically, looking over to where Lily was sitting. Lily took her hand. "There just isn't usually anyone here. You threw us a little."

"It's nice to meet you both." She smiled. I sighed inwardly, looking her up and down. She looked wonderful with her long hair and hourglass body. She was slim but curvy at all the right place. Ally nudged me, trying to get me to stop staring. Ally knew me too well sometimes. I looked at Lily's face, her cheeks going rosy, looking down in embarrassment. I'd been caught staring.

The bell signally for registration tore through the silence between us, breaking through the tension. My muscles relaxed.

"Uh, registration." I moaned, sighed loudly. "What registration class are you in, Lily? Do you know where you're going?" I rolled her name on my tongue.

"5F, I think," she replied, rummaging around for her papers in her bag. "Where... It was here..." She mumbled to herself, frowning, "Ha! Found it. Yeah... 5F." She confirmed.

"Really? Me too, I'll take you there," I squeaked, sounding a little too enthusiastic. Ally giggled.

"See you later then, loser," Ally said to me before turning to Lily, "Was very nice to meet you, I'll see you around and no hard feelings about scaring you stupid." Ally laughed while throwing her arms around Lily, catching her off guard for the second time that morning.

"Yeah you too," Lily stated politely before Ally dashed off to registration. I turned to look at Lily.

"Shall we?" I gestured to Lily to walk with me. She laughed nervously again.

"Yes." We headed along the left wing back to the main body of the school, the corridors becoming busy as people milled about trying to get to their various destinations. People pushed and shoved us and I felt a hand grab my arm with a gentle but strong grip. I looked down to see Lily's hand on my forearm, I'm assuming so she never got swept away in the crowd. She felt somewhat safe with me already and this caused me to smile. I felt a vibration in my bum pocked making me squirm. I pulled my phone out, a small laughing coming from the girl still attached to my arm. A text from Ally.

"I forgot to tell you that I have an appointment for the doc's so I'm leaving at eleven. I'll see you sometime after school. Why don't you spend some time with your pretty new girl? I hope you miss me ;-)" Typical Ally, I sniggered. What did she mean my by calling Lily my "pretty girl?" I hardly knew the girl. I shrugged it off, as we walked into Ms Angus' registration class.

As soon as we walked in, whispers and judgemental comments were passed around the class occupants. I got this pretty much every day but today they were acting differently. The hiss of whispers was harsher, more people were passing comment. I had no idea why until I felt a tug at my arm. Lily. I looked at her, her emerald eyes glazed over and watering up making them look even more like precious gems. I placed my hand on hers as I lead her over to Ms Angus, who had watched us from the moment we entered the room.

"This is Lily, she's new here." I introduced her to the teacher who then furiously flicked through the papers scattered carelessly across her table. She looked up, glaring at me.

"Lily. Right. You're in all of Chole's classes. Lucky for you," she snapped, "so if I were you I wouldn't let go of her arm because they kids here aren't so great with warm welcomes for newcomers." I shivered at her words. It wasn't just the pupils here but a lot of the teachers too, that acted like wild animals with their hostile and vicious attitudes. I thought to myself, if Ms Angus was a wild animal, I could imagine her as a hyaena, feeding on the scraps of the stronger predators, aggravating the weaker opponents, hackles raised and laughing hysterically at the misfortunes of those around her.

I spotted two empty seats at the back of the classroom, out of the sight of most people. I pulled out a chair for Lily, who took a seat, smiling at me graciously.

"Why thank you! Such a gentleman," she teased, laughing quietly.

"You are very welcome." I took my place beside her.

"Chloe? Why does everyone keep staring at me?" Lily asked a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Because you are their new play toy. They'll play you for everything you have. They did it to me Ally and me." I replied, sighing. Lily just looked at me confused. "You're either one of them or you aren't. You would think it would be easier to give in and take a place on their side, but it's not. They'll treat you like their toy doll. They'll pick your clothes, do your hair and even pick your music taste, if you let them. They'll get you on the cheer squad and even choose your friends. All the while you are expected to stand by them while they fill your head with their drama and cloud your mind with the haze of cheap perfume." I ranted. I could feel myself getting angry, and Lily must have noticed this too. She put her hand on my shoulder to reassure me things were okay. I took a few deep breaths. "Sorry, it's just," I sighed deeply, "I have stood against them since the moment I hit school. They made my life a misery. It doesn't get any easier and now, now they'll do to you what they done to me. I don't want that. You don't deserve that. You don't," I dropped my gaze. It felt like my chest was being stood on, my stomach knotted. Guilt was beating me up from the inside out. Lily was going to suffer like I did. If she didn't meet me, they wouldn't make her suffer as badly as they did for me. "I'm sorry, I mean, you wouldn't be made to suffer if they never saw us together. They'll make you suffer because they'll do it to hurt me." Lily stared at me, her green eyes looking into my eyes, searching.

"Don't be so silly, I should be apologising to you because now you're stuck with me. And for the record, I'd rather be a black sheep again the flock than be associated with that." I could tell she was serious, but there was a hint of humour in her voice as she referred to the rest of the school as sheep. I hardly knew this girl but I trusted her. She was one of the few genuine people I had met. She had openly accepted the label of outcast just to be seen with me. Not many people would do that. I wanted to know this girl. I had a gut feeling she'd be good for me.