The Way I Am

6. The One With the Stares

Moments had passed. Mara still sat next to John who was lighting a cigarette after he created a small flamed from the soil of one of his boots. Taking the stick from his mouth, he smirked as he extended it to her.

"Do you want a try?" he asked, smirking.

Mara shook her head, "Not today."

"Have you tried it before?" he asked, making conversation with Mara.

"I did. I came home from school one Friday night and my mother was still working. Some friends decided to pay me a visit. Let's just say that I ended up getting a full scolding from her when she arrived home," Mara explained, laughing. John smirked, nodding his head.

"I don't really do it anymore. Just did it that one time and even though I find the smell intoxicating in a good way, it's just not my thing, but by all means, do continue Mr. Bender," she added.

She smirked which gained an intense stare from the bad boy in front of her. They repeated that action as if they were participating in a stare and smiling contest. She didn't know what else to say at the moment, and it was the first time. She always had something to say, but realizing that she liked John was making her less talkative, unless he asked a question.

Minutes were passing by very slowly. Andrew played with the cords of his hoodie. Mara rested her head on top of her arms which were on top of the table, watching Bender, who continued to smoke while he pretended to play air guitar. Allison circled a cord in one of her fingers, making her blood circulation stop. When she was done, she drew on her sketchbook. Claire kept still with her elbow resting on top of the table as Johnson watched her with intensity and desire.

As if time had slowed down, each of the students were slowly drifting to sleep.

"Wake up!" Vernon's voice was heard as the kids kept sleeping.

No one wanted to pay attention to him.

"Who has to go to the lavatory?" he asked, making each of the kids raise their hands.

The girls walked towards their bathroom while the boys did the same. Having Vernon wait outside the restroom was something that Mara found unnecessary.

Cleaning her hands after she did her business, she saw Claire stand next to her to do the same action. Mara didn't like the princess, and the feeling was mutual.

Allison ran away from the bathroom stool as soon as she finished.

"She is so weird," Claire expressed, washing her hands. Mara closed the faucet and turned her gaze towards the popular girl.

"Who do you think you are to judge people? Just because you are popular doesn't give you the right to be a bitch," Mara said angrily. She didn't like when people like Claire were mean to others for no apparent reason.

Claire opened her eyes in surprised. She didn't expect for Mara to speak to her that way. Not having her friends backing her up gave her the disadvantage to say something to the rebel in front.

"Now you don't have anything to say?" Mara questioned.

"I am not a bitch. I was just stating a fact," Claire replied, trying to defend herself.

"If she is weird or not, that's not your concern. You don't have a right to speak to people behind their back. Go out there and say it if it's something you believe so much. At least be brave and say it to her face," Mara dictated before she walked away.

Mara was pissed. She had a reason to. She always thought that if someone had something to say, they needed to express it to those who were involve instead of hiding behind their personas.

Entering the library, she noticed that Bender was sitting on the veranda, ripping books apart and throwing the pages away. Andrew stretched his legs and Johnson was simply standing around.

Mara sat in her spot. Claire entered the room and sat in hers.

"That's real intelligent," Andrew told Bender as he kept destroying the book he had in his hands.

"You are right. It's wrong to destroy literature. It's so fun to read, and Mouler really pumps my nets," John responded, continuing his actions.

"Moller," Claire corrected, talking to Bender.

Mara noticed the stare that John gave Claire which Mara didn't like. She put her feet on top of the table and folded her arms in front of her chest. She couldn't believe that Claire was calling John a coward at one point and then talking to him as if nothing happened earlier.

"I love his work," Johnson responded, gaining the book thrown to him. It didn't hit him, so Mara was thankful for that. She didn't know him very well, but noticing he was a good kid made her like him.

"Big deal, nothing to do when you are locked in a vacancy," Bender said, grabbing a drawer full of cards that held the location of the books in the library.

"Speak for yourself," Andrew responded, looking at John.

"You think I speak for you? I don't even know your language," the rebel retort. Mara grabbed her drawing book from her backpack as she heard the wrestler talk to Claire about a party that was going to be held that night. Johnson walked closer to Mara and smiled at her.

"Hi," he greeted, receiving a smile from the young smart mouth. She noticed how Bender stared at Johnson as he spoke to Mara. Johnson was too shy. She observed how he blushed whenever he tried to tell her something else.

"I am Mara," she said, trying to calm the kid's nerves. She was soon interrupted by the loud noise Bender was making with the cards' drawers as he stared at both of them. Johnson took Bender's actions to walk back to his table while Mara looked at John in disbelief.

She didn't understand what his problem was, even though she liked the sudden protectiveness coming from him. She shook her head at the thought, but kept staring at Bender whose eyes showed something she couldn't yet comprehend, but deep down felt with every fiber of her subconscious.