Invisible

Chapter 1: Being Invisible

My name is Daphne Gray. I am not your typical teen. Yeah, I go to high school, I eat three meals a day, I gossip, and I use the restroom. Whatever. But something really makes me stand out. What is it? I don't know, but whatever it is, it makes me invisible.

I apply lipgloss and mascara...and makeup....to my slightly long face. Like every morning. I straighten my blonde hair that has brown lowlights. Same routine for school. Everyday.

I pick out my outfit and choose short white shorts to bring out my light tan with a blue top.

As crazy as this is, all of this trying to get attention fails. Nobody speaks to me at school.

I eat breakfast. A banana with my coffee with low fat vanilla creamer as always. After that, I rush outside to make the school bus. Barely made it before they shut the bus door.

I walk inside, not making eye contact with anyone. Eye contact should be avoided at all times.

And with that, I plop myself in a seat near the back, where nobody sits. I sneak a pack of bubblegum out and chew my favorite grape flavored gum that isn't allowed in school. Mmm. Love.

I look out the window and see all the houses go by. I watch as the sky darkens and it begins to sprinkle. Ugh. I love and hate the rain. Today, I'm not in the mood.

My beloved grandfather just passed away and people still don't talk to me. I hate people. The ones that seem to care are only pretending and there aren't many of those any more.

But, yep. He died and he is the last of my grandparents. Such a sad time that I just went through. So sad. Last of my grandparents.

Although, one person does care. Only one. Which is my friend, Ella. I don't even know where she is today. I didn't see her.

I am startled by a sudden plop next to me. There she is.

"Hey, Daphne," she says, "You totally ignored when you came in. How are you holding up today?"

"I'm holding up and I didn't see you," I say with an eye roll, "Anyways, how are you?"

"I don't know," she replies, "It's just my parents argued so much last night that my mother walked out."

"Oh my god," I say, "That is terrible. What happened? They aren't splitting up, are they?"

"They are," she answers.

"You don't seem like you're actually sad," I state.

"It's because I'm not," she snarls thinking about them, "Together, they make life miserable. I think it would be best if they stay as far as possible from one another."

"I see, I'm so sorry," I say with empathy.

"Thank you," she says with a smile, "So, I broke up with Derek."

"What?," I ask, hiding the fact that I hate him beyond hate, "Why?"

"He is so self-centered and he never really cared about me," Ella spouts, "He never talked about us or would spend any time with me. I was tired of it. So that is why I broke up with him this morning."

"This morning?," I say in shock.

"Yep," she says with sarcasm, "a wind of realization hit me this morning so I used the opportunity to dump him like trash."

I give Ella a high-five as we laugh. The bus jerks to a stop. School time. Ugh. I get ready to spit my grape gum into the trash.

* * *

At lunchtime, I'm heading to the cafeteria but first I must put some books in my locker so I go to my locker. As I'm about to reach the combination, I bump into someone and we both fall to the ground.

"Ouch!," I complain, as I feel the surge of pain through my now bruised bottom.

I look up at who I bumped into and I am so mad. It's one of the players on the football team and here I am in the floor like an idiot. Well...he's in the floor too so I shouldn't feel too bad about myself.

Instead of apologizing because it wasn't my fault, I start picking up my books and I pretend like he isn't there. I'm sure he'll do the same.

Suddenly, I see his hand in the corner of my eye. He's actually picking up books! MY books!

"I'm sorry," he says as he hands me my books.

"Oh," I say with a gulp, "That's fine. Thank you."

"Not a problem. It was my fault," he admits.

I don't say anything because technically it WAS his fault. He did help me pick up my books though. And it wasn't on purpose. Not that I know of. I don't know why I'm being so hard on him.

After I put my books in the locker and close it shut, I finally look at him in the face. An actual look. Not a glance. But I look.

His brown hair is spiky and shiny. He's really muscular and dark. His fairly high cheekbones make me swoon in addition to everything else. It doesn't stop there. When I see his blue eyes, my heart stops and I can't stop staring.

"Daphne?," he asks with a now confused look.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I pause, looking away, "And you know my name?"

"Of course I do, everyone does," he says, bluntly, "you're the hottest girl in school."

"What? No. Nobody talks to me, how could I be?," I say with a laugh, in disbelief.

"I didn't say you were the most popular girl in school," he states, "I said you were the hottest girl in school."

"Oh," I say, blushing.

"So I was wondering if you maybe wanted to grab a smoothie at the local Smoothie Moody's," he says.

I stare at him. What. In. The. World. I must be dreaming.

"Um," he says, "I guess that's a no. I'm sorry I bothered you."

He starts to walk away and I watch as my greatest chance ever to be really noticed and to find true love goes out of reach.

"Wait!," I call to him.

"Yeah?," he asks.

"I accept that offer, it sounds like fun," I say with a wink.

"Oh, alright," he says, unable to stop his smile, "at 4 then?"

"4, it is," I say through a smile.

I run to find Ella to tell her the exciting news as I skip, and am happy, for the first time ever in high school. Ever.

Maybe I am more than the typical teen. Maybe I am more than I ever thought. Maybe this guy...I don't even know his name...will be the one for me. Maybe. Hopefully.