Melanie

Chapter 2

Once I got inside, I ran through lots of meandering corridors, past some offices and rooms with signs printed across the doors and past classes in action. More and more bricks filled my stomach.

On the way to class I hung my wet, damp coat in my locker then grabbed my English books from the cardboard box I kept in my locker that stored all my books. After that I grabbed my mobile from my bag and held down the # key. It immediately turned to vibrate mode. I then slipped my phone into my soaking, jeans pocket, popped my red rucksack into my stuffed locker, locked it and hurried off to class. My stomach was overloaded with bricks, there was no space for more.

 Finally I got to my English class where Mr. Gerald was giving a presentation about similes and metaphors. He didn't seem to notice me as I crept through the back of the class. I tip-toed past a group of boys. A few kids noticed me, some didn't. I felt incredibly embarrassed. Mr. Gerald turned around so I immediately ducked behind a girl who I hadn't really seen before. She had ginger, silky hair that was tied up, neatly in a bun on top of her head. She had hazel brown eyes and a few freckles dotted around her nose. Her bronze glasses shone and she was wearing a red dress that trailed down to her knees. It had no creases what so ever. She was imaculate.

Mr. Gerald turned back to the white board and started scribbling down a sentence. Carefully, I stood up and began to make my way towards my seat. The girl that I had ducked behind looked like she was a new girl. I didn't want her to feel unwelcome on her first day, especially in Mr. Gerald's class, so I tapped her on the shoulder.

She must have not felt it because she didn't show any sign of noticing my presence. So I tapped her again, a bit harder this time. Again she didn't do anything. It was almost like she was purposely trying to ignore me. No... of course she wasn't, why would she do that, she doesn't know me. I didn't want to bother her but I tapped her one more time to see if she reacted. That time she did. Steadily, she turned around glaring at me. I smiled and waved but all she did was squint her eyes then turn her head towards the board again.

 I felt puzzled. Why would anyone turn their back to someone who was trying to become their friend?

But then I came to a conclusion, the girl must have been shy on her first day and was too scared to even smile back. Classic reaction, I assured myself.

While Mr. Gerald wasn't looking, I quickly took my seat in between Grace and the new girl. Grace looked relieved that I had come in and she high-fived me. Mr. Gerald turned around and stared at me for a while then looked down at the register. He lowered his eyebrows and crossed his arms. He made that grunting sound he always made when he was proud of himself for revealing the truth. Whenever he grunted, the corners of his mouth would slightly stretch up to almost a grin but not completely. That always irritated me. 

        "I know that you were late, Melanie. And because I am ever so kind I was going to let you off for once but you just crept in and thought that you would get away with it. So I am starting to rethink about me letting you off, now," he declared and scratched his chin. The whole class turned to face me. My bricks were still packed up inside me. I looked down at my desk and twiddled my thumbs. The class went silent apart from some little whispers being passed around the stuffy room. I finally came to say something for I was desperate for the awkward silence to be broken.

        "Sir, I am terribly sorry about me sneaking in like that and I would be most grateful if you still let me off. I know that you are very kind but sometimes a bit strict so... I would appreciate it if you could not give me a detention," I ended my little speech and looked back down at my desk. "Please?"

        "Melanie, come to me at the end of this lesson and I will give you my answer," he went back to the presentation on the board.

I am doomed, I know I am. I have been late so many times to English that this seemed like the last straw for me.