"I've read your book."
She looks up, surprised by his sudden appearance. She has to squint her eyes to see him, the sun building a stark halo around his head. She deciphers if she should answer him or not, maybe he would go away if she wouldn't?
S...
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IF AUGUST hates one thing it is being late. Her anxiety never allows her to be late rather to be too early and wait for almost half an hour instead of counting the seconds at home.
So when her father stops the car in front of the school she doesn't spare him a goodbye before she's dashing out of the car in, through the heavy double doors of the school. She doesn't even have time to scrutinize the interior and decides to not give a shit about all the clustered posters on the wall at the entrance or the lockers scribbled with words and slurs.
Her mother printed her schedule the night before and talked to the secretary over the phone due to August's special condition making it easier for her to already know where all her classrooms are located.
She memorized the hallway and it's ways last night, with red eyes, falling asleep with the paper bunched in her hands.
So it takes her just a minute before she rushes through the right hall and the door to the classroom comes into view, the paint chipping off at its edges.
What August didn't plan—or see coming—is an equally rushing student and slamming full body into them. Their foreheads knock together harshly as they both tumble to the ground with a groan.
"Shit." August curses as she holds her hand to her forehead, feeling the dull pain throb in her coccyx. After a second of orientating herself she focuses on the pages in her lap that the person she ran into dropped.
Her eyes scan the text quickly and the many markings that seem to correct certain passages. The pages get snatched from her lap and she looks up surprised to stare into wide brown eyes.
She doesn't know what happens in that moment. She doesn't feel any triggered panic by her anxiety but she suddenly feels her hands start to shake again. It's a weird feeling, one she ignores as quickly as she can. August doesn't stop staring at the stranger—how could she with that ridiculously big hair. No one could ignore that.
"Can't you watch where you're going?" The boy snaps as he scrambles back to his feet leaving August to sit on the floor. The girl's eyes wander over his light jeans and colorful jacket just to stop at his face again.
His eyes are still trained on her, lightly narrowed, as he watches her get off the ground and sling her backpack over her shoulder.
"It's not as if I was purposely running into you." She says dusting off her jeans and before the boy can utter a word she opens the door to the classroom and disappears inside.
August didn't really think through her actions and now that she stands inside the class her hands get clammy when everyone's head turns to look at her. "You must be August Marlowe, our new student!" A woman with glasses that make her eyes look ten times bigger than they actually are. She smiles at her as she walks over to August and offers her a hand.
August looks at it confused for a moment before she shakes it. The woman's smile grows. "I actually need your papers, the one Miss Harper gave you?" August flushes a deep red embarrassed that she shook her teachers hand.
She quickly goes for the information papers stuffed in her backpack before she hears the door slam shut behind her again. She flinches and her eyes glance at the door but she quickly focuses back on the teacher.
"Mr. Harrington, how lovely for you to grace us with your presence." August doesn't turn still searching for the papers. When she finds them she hands them over to the woman—who introduces herself as Mrs. Jones—and waves her to a seat in the back.
August doesn't dare to look up until she sits down and gets out her papers just to stare into the back of the most ridiculously looking hair she's ever seen. Great, know she has to endure class sitting in front of a complete douchebag. August sinks more in her chair and looks to her right to meet blue eyes framed by prominent lashes. Her neighbor is in her class as well and it is obvious that he remembers her when he nods as a greeting.
August gives him a tight lipped smile before she lets her forehead meet her table. Welcome in hell, August.
☽
AUGUST ISN'T even half through the school day when she decides that it is bullshit. People have stared at her, whispered behind her back and even got so far as to talk loudly about her without any shame. Her teachers seem to be all nice and willing to be discreet about her conditions but she can see the pity in their eyes. It makes her skin crawl. How do her parents expect her to start over if they told her teachers what happened and what triggered her anxiety and depression?
August isn't far from skipping her next class when she stands at her locker and catches the boy she ran into scare a brunette girl at her locker. It turns out that his name is Steve Harrington and she shares a total of five classes with him. Steve is arrogant, overconfident and the epitome of a spoiled, rich boy. She never met someone who made a worse first impression than he did.
August watches them share a loving kiss for a moment before her eyes flicker toward a boy standing beside them.
His face is contorted as if he's in pain and he turns quickly walking down the hall, with his shoulders slouched. August furrows her brows, her eyes flickering back to the couple standing at the locker. The girl is staring after the boy with the bowl cut while Steve continues talking beside her, oblivious to the fact that his girlfriend isn't listening to one word he's saying.
"I knew I would see you again, didn't think it would be in the school halls though." August flinches and turns at the voice beside her to face her neighbor leaning against her locker. She blinks confused for a moment waiting for him to elaborate.
His eyes wander over her body suggestively and she swallows down the urge to cross her arms in front of her. "Can I help you?"
His eyes flicker back to her face. "I hope so. I'm Billy, your neighbor." August doesn't answer still waiting for him to elaborate.
"We saw each other yesterday—"
"I remember you. I don't understand why you're talking to me though." She says defensively and watches his lips turn into a smirk.
"Well, I'm new in town your new in town..." he trails off as if that would somehow make them obligated to talk.
"I'm happy you have enough brain cells to put two and two together. I have to get going now." August says before she escapes his watchful eyes. A cold dangerous shiver runs over her spine as she turns her back on him as if her body was telling her not to.
She ignores the feeling and darts down the hall her eyes clashing with brown ones for a short moment.
