Lost in an Unknown World

Chapter 8: Viola: March 20th 2017

It's been a week since I restarted school and so much has happened, and yet it still feels like nothing at all. It is strange how quickly I've been able to get back into a set routine, though I suppose my adapting habits have improved considering everything that's happened in the last few months.

What I do find uncomfortable, is the stares that I receive. Everyone seems to know who I am, and yet I haven't the faintest clue who they are. It could be dangerous, when you think about it. If someone that perhaps severely hurt me in some form before the accident were to pretend that they cared about me, that could be extremely problematic.

That's what I think happened with Cerys.

And while I'm sure that I could well just be paranoid, I'm unable to shake this gut feeling that I have. The feeling that something could go wrong very fast. The way she behaves around me, I simply cannot explain it. The apprehension, almost guilt or shame mixed in amongst her intense desire to stay close to me. It's freaking me out. But I can't do anything about it, because it was Bella that kindly invited me into her friend group, and me paying her back by flipping out? No, I can't do that.

Anyway, it's the start of a new week, and I'm hoping that with each day that passes, I'll be able to camouflage more into the student body, and become just another number, instead of the weird girl that no- one has seen in a year.

The day is dreary, yet again, and I'm wondering just how long it's going to take before I see the sun again. The roads are filled with nothing but pools of water, the drains struggling to keep up with the amount of running liquid. The air is not cold though, for it is filled with a warm and somewhat sticky moisture that is making me uncomfortably hot in my heavy raincoat. I panic as I remember that I'm wearing a tight white turtleneck, and no, I do not want to add pit stains to my list of things to worry about.

Bella is coming over today after school. The plan was to go to hers, but of course with Morana putting in her two cents, that wasn't allowed to happen. She was worried that if something went wrong, Bella lives too far away for me to be reached in an emergency. Well, I suppose she does live out fairly far from the city. So much for me gaining independence though.

My classes this semester are fairly boring. Biology, Math, lunch, English, and Art. At least I can go for the full morning without seeing Cerys, but then she's always there, smack dab in front of me the first minute of lunch. Math is the only class that I can essentially breathe in. It's by no means my favourite subject, but it is the only class that neglects group work and has everyone working quietly at individual desks. I like that a lot actually.

The day drags by, and before I know it, the final class of the day has approached. Art. This class apparently has everyone in the entire hierarchy of the grade 11 class. Everyone in Bella's friend group plus the rest of the 'popular' people that I was apparently once friends with. If that's not awkward as hell, then I don't know what is. Right now, we're doing 3D sculpting, and the noise level is astronomical. I promise I'm not exaggerating. There's about eight or so guys all slumped in their chairs in the back corner of the room blasting rap music, the extreme profanity even shocking the chilled out teacher. She frowns while lowering her glasses to the end of her nose.

"Can we keep the noise level down please gentlemen," she speaks softly, looking over in their direction.

I wouldn't call them gentlemen. In fact, they're anything but that. Jerome, the rowdiest of them all, is the worst person in this school. He's made it clear as glass that he holds some type of grudge against me, through small and subtle actions that speak volumes. Last Friday, he deliberately spilt paint on the corner of my hoodie, of course claiming that it was an accident. The day before, he ripped through the middle of my work, pleading to the teacher that his scissors were placed at an unusual angle, which thus contributed to the incident.

I've had enough of his crap. And yet there's nothing that I can say. That's when Tessa comes to my rescue. Today on the list of Jerome's antics includes pouring an entire water bottle over my head as he bumps into me. This is when she snaps. Tessa whips her head around to him and starts going crazy. Pretty soon, everyone can only hear her voice, and the room in silent. What happens next is all a bit of a blur, and I have no recollection of what she actually says. All I remember is what Jerome says back to her.

"Imagine making out with a girl and having a deep romantic conversation for the rest of the night, then she ghosts you the next day and sleeps with your best friend." He turns his head back to me. "And yes Viola, this is about you. I hope this jogs your memory."