CHAPTER 3
"Her name is Riley."
Kirsten slammed her lunch tray down across from me, causing me to jump.
"I am aware." I mumbled, circling my fork around in my soggy salad.
Kirsten sat down, and took a bite from her apple.
"I also heard she was home schooled before coming here, heard she skipped a couple of grades." She swallowed her apple and opened her chocolate milk.
"And where did you get all this information from?" I mumbled again, even though her skipping a few grades explained her size and appearance.
"Ehh, rumors fly around like wild fire, all the guys certainly talk about her."
I rolled my eyes, "of course they do," I thought to myself . I rested my head on my fist and stared down back into my half eaten salad.
I don't even know why I hated her so much, I just did. I know all I wanted to do is avoid her at all costs.
Just as I was thinking that, who decided to show up?
"Um, is it alight if I join you guys?" New Girl stood behind Kirsten, holding her tray, her hair was still in a ponytail from P.E.
Of all the tables in the cafeteria, she just had to choose ours. Before I could open my mouth to come up with some excuse of why she can't sit there, Kirsten replied.
"Sure," having a smile purse her lips.
I wanted to stab my plastic fork into her arm... Very hard.
New Girl took the seat next Kirsten and quietly began eating her lunch. Kirsten and I exchanged glares.
"Oh uh by the way, I'm sorry about the gym today, you seemed a bit upset." She looked up from her lunchbox, making eye contact with me.
She just had to being that up.
"It's fine." I muttered, returning my empty gaze to my salad.
"So, Riley," Kirsten said, breaking the awkward silence, "that is your name right?"
"Yes," New Girl said, wiping a napkin across her mouth. Her lunchbox covered the front part of her, so I couldn't exactly tell what she was eating.
"Well uh, that's a cool name!" Kirsten said, obviously trying to be nice, "My name is Kirsten and this is," she pointed to me, but before she finished her own sentence, New Girl finished it for her.
"Elle, Elle Reese," her piercing blue eyes were fixed on mine. I quickly looked back down to my, now rather interesting looking, soggy salad.
"Um, yeah, that's Elle." Kerstin said, obviously creeped out.
New Girl looked uncomfortable. She shifted in her seat and fingered whatever she was eating. Kerstin's eyes looked like she was watching a tennis match. The green specks flickered back and forth between me and New Girl. I could tell the awkward silence was killing her.
"So, uhh Riley! Where did you go to school before?" Kerstin said, desperate to make a conversation. I didn't hesitate to roll my eyes.
"Home school." New Girl replied, almost like she rehearsed it.
"Oh, well, that's," Kerstin paused, I can tell she was searching for the right word hoping not to offend her, "that's, interesting." She finally decided on a safe word.
New Girl shrugged and wiped her paper napkin across her pursed lips. "I guess. I have a big military family. We move around often, so they decide it's best to just keep us home."
"Oh so you have siblings?" Kerstin rose her eyebrow. I can see where this conversation was going, and it wasn't going to end anytime soon, so I just put my head down on the crumb covered cafeteria table and closed my eyes.
"I have one half brother, who's not really all that into school." I heard her say as I dozed off.
