Hidden Behind A Notebook

Chapter 2

Julia had nearly fallen asleep in German class by the time the bell finally rang. The teacher had been rambling on and on about Oktoberfest and how it was coming up. She had learned all about it last year and didn't feel the need to listen to Frau Noelke go on and on about it. 

She was in such a rush to leave the classroom, she dropped her German book. Heads turned to look at her as she blushed furiously. No one had acknowledged her, but she knew someone would make fun of her for it later. 

On her way out, she nearly collided with someone for the second time that day. Her face already getting hot, she heard chuckling and glanced up to see it was the same boy from earlier. Her face grew hotter than it already was, and she was about to walk away when his voice caused her to pause.

"I hope you don't make it a habit to keep running into me that way," he said and flashed a million dollar smile. "I'm Daniel," he told her. 

"Um, hi, Daniel. I'll try not to run into you anymore," she responded quietly mentally hitting her head on a wall. Who even says that? He didn't seem to notice her discomfort because he simply chuckled again.

"Well, I hope to see you around..." He paused realizing she hadn't said her name.

"Julia. Bye, Daniel. Sorry again," she replies hastily and began walking away. Stupid stupid stupid, she chanted in her head. 

Daniel watched her walk away smiling to himself. He had seen her around before but never really talked to her. He was puzzled by their conversation. He hasn't talked to anyone since practically freshman year yet it seemed so easy to talk to her. Her cute blush when he teased her made him want to talk to her more. 

Shaking his head, he knew why he couldn't talk to her again. He couldn't make friends. No one could be close to him to the point where they expected his company. He was leaving. His mind made up, he made his way into German class and sat near the back as usual. Something caught his eyes, though.

A pink and white striped notebook with a silver binding lay on the desk next to him. He quickly stood and grabbed it off the desk before someone could sit there. Daniel began looking for a school subject or a name. Nothing. He turned the notebook over in his hands wondering what secrets it could hold. He glanced at the cover and the inside of it searching frantically for a face he could return it to. Nothing.

Each page was covered in words, but not a single name was written there. The elegant slant indicated right-handedness and years of practiced scripture showed in the beautiful penmanship: this person had been writing for many years.

Each passage was written in third person without any names, but the stories written seemed to be mostly about a female, so he assumed this was a girl's journal. He didn't want to pry, but he wanted to find out whom it belonged, and he flipped through the pages looking for the person to return it to.

Until a word caught his attention. Happiness. A word that single-letteredly was the key to so many people's end goals. His fingers traced the word as his lips moved to say it without producing any sound. He began to trace small shapes on the page feeling indents where the girl had pushed her pencil to create words out of graphite.

His eyesight went hazy from staring at the page for so long. Regaining his focus, he sat down and began to read. He did not know why; the page just softly whispered to him that he needed to, and he did.

Happiness

The girl stood looking in the mirror practicing a smile. She could not seem to get it right for some reason. If she smiled slightly, she looked not happy enough. A little wider and she looked as though she were smirking. If she showed her teeth, it looked forced.

Daniel couldn't even count on his fingers how many times he had done that before. His personal connection had him continuing reading.

Sighing, she gave up and let tears flow down her cheeks. With people only speaking to her out of pity, she would never have friends, this she knew. She did not mind; she found great peace in being alone. More tears streamed down her face at that lie. Lying to herself was nothing new.

She had always said it would get better, that her father would come back one day, that her mother would stop, that she could take a day off of work and it won't be a big deal... It was all a lie. Maybe they made her feel better for a short time, an hour, two. They were security blankets that life kept stealing from her. Never there for too long or she might begin to be happy.

Not being able to read more, he stopped when his eyesight began to blur as he read. He couldn't imagine how much his life was like hers. He needed to find her. She needed him. He could put off disappearing for a little longer as long as she'd be okay.

He stuffed the notebook into his backpack and listened distractedly to Frau Noelke drone on about the present perfect tense. I'll find you, mystery girl. I'll find you and you will be happy not just for an hour or two.