Odd Attraction | A Split Story

Outcasts And Parties

*****

Julianna clutched her art supplies closely to her chest as she observed her classmates taking their seats.

She wasn't sure where she should sit as art class never really had a seating plan and was merely based on choice but in Julianna's case, it seemed more of a manipulating way to isolate the people who couldn't make any friends due to social awkwardness and rumours ruining their reputation.

As she spotted an empty seat, she walked over towards it and began to put her bag down.

"Sorry, this seat is taken." The red-haired girl sat in the seat next to the empty seat blurted out quickly, making Julianna pull her bag away and walk off awkwardly to find another seat.

It seemed as if all the seats were slowly starting to fill up with all of the sorority girls, pretty and delicate, pretty much the opposite of Julianna.

As she swivelled around on the spot in a panic, she felt a hand on her shoulder making her jump violently.

She turned around to face who it was and realised it was only their art teacher, Miss Agatha.

"Now where should we put you, Julianna?" She cheerfully pondered to herself scanning the room.

Julianna stood sheepishly on the spot before the teacher had eventually found an empty place.

"Ah, there we go! Julianna, you can go over and sit by Casey." She confirmed to herself, giving her a gentle push in the direction of a brunette who was hunched over her artwork, immensely concentrating on it.

Julianna nervously chewed on her lower lip as she walked towards the girl, taking the seat next to her before quickly placing her art supplies with an abrupt thud on the table.

Casey shot up suddenly, dragging her out of her artwork only to realise it was only Julianna.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that." Julianna blurted out in a desperate attempt to apologise to the brunette.

Casey looked at her blankly as she took in her features.

She noticed that Julianna had a round face, mid-length black hair accompanied with a pair of bright green eyes.

"It's okay, I don't think I've seen you around before." She stated, picking back up her pencil to continue her sketch.

"Ah, yeah me neither. My name's Julianna, you must be Casey?" She introduced herself to Casey as she flipped open her sketch pad and began to start the piece for the final exam.

Casey stopped sketching and looked over towards Julianna, curiosity glinting in her eyes.

"You've heard the rumours, haven't you?" She rhetorically states, scanning Julianna's face for any sign of negative expression.

"I mean, I've heard the rumours about you but that doesn't change how I perceive you as," Julianna explained her attention still drawn towards her work.

After all, Casey Cooke was known for being the infamous backtalker to the teachers which lead to her getting detention quite frequently. Another rumour that had circulated was that she ran away from home multiple times in the past.

"I've heard rumours about you too," Casey states as she also decides to resume her work.

Julianna lifted up her head in curiosity and turned to look at Casey, her pencil stopping abruptly.

"And what rumours might that be?" She nervously asked the girl.

Ever since Julianna moved to America from England, she had always been getting odd glares from students and occasional whispers as she passed them.

Were these 'rumours' are what held her back from making possible friends?

"That you talk to yourself and have to take pills," Casey responded slowly, catching Julianna's eye for a brief second before returning to her work.

Julianna's heart sunk in her chest at this.

That's why nobody wanted to speak to her.

Although the rumours were sort of correct, there were many flaws in them.

For instance, she didn't talk to herself. She talked to the voices inside her head; some being pacifist and some being genocidal.

Handling these overwhelming voices in her life caused her to be scheduled to start seeing a psychiatrist, Dr Morris.

That was when she had to be prescribed pills that would temporarily keep the voices away so she would remain more lively and less exhausted from the burden they tolled on her.

Julianna remained silent and didn't respond any further to the girl to which she didn't really mind almost as if she mentally understood.

The pair sat there silently, not talking much, yet focusing on their artworks.

"Wait, you've invited everyone to your party, Claire?" A girls squeal of excitement could be heard not too far away from the outcasts.

"Yeah! Everybody in our art class can come, it's going to be epic." The popular girl known as Claire replied cooly as all the other girls around her chirped in excitement.

Casey and Julianna simultaneously paused their work.

Everybody was invited?

After the excitement bubbled down, Claire's best friend whispered something into her ear but was still audible to the pair at the back.

"Even Detention girl and Pill freak are invited?" Marcia cruelly whispered, her hand cupped over her mouth in a lousy attempt to keep the words said concealed.

Casey remained frozen but began to subtly continue her work while Julianna paused on the spot.

Is that what they were calling her?

"Well, I guess so. It'll be a little weird if I invite everyone except them. It would be a little mean." Claire explained as Marcia chuckled in reply.

"Okay, if you insist 'goody two shoes'. Anyway, when is your party?" Marcia replied teasingly, nudging her best friends arm.

Claire chuckled alongside her and announced to the class that it would be tomorrow at two in the afternoon.

"Do you think we'll really be invited?" Julianna asked, turning to face Casey who had stopping drawing and looked over to face Julianna with a blank expression.

"Maybe," She mumbled as the bell went, signalling the end of the day.

Everybody went frantic to clear away their things including Julianna.

All but one student.

Casey Cooke.

*****