Everything I'm Not ~ Solangelo

Chapter 1

 I am running through a field. Wildflowers tickle my legs and the sun warms my face as I run. I look behind me and see an older girl with olive skin and dark hair chasing after me. She is smiling and laughing, calling my name. I run faster. Behind me, I hear the girl giggle. A laugh escapes my lips, and I smile. I smile for the sake of smiling. I haven't done that in a long time.

"Nico!" someone shouts. The sound is muffled and distant. "Nico!"

I opened my eyes. But, instead of sitting in a beautiful field on a peaceful summer day I found myself in a gray classroom on a gloomy day. To my right, Alice, my annoying classmate, is whispering my name and tugging on the sleeve of my sweatshirt.

"What?" I said, still dazed from my daydream.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You looked like you were having a seizure."

I shook my head, "I'm fine." I lied. I hadn't been fine in months.

Alice smiled weakly, "Okay, just checking." She returned her attention to the lecture Mrs. Alan was giving us. I, on the other hand, continued to ignore her. I hated this class. I hated these people. I hated this school. Most of all, I hated my life. I tried to fall back into my dream of warm fields of flowers and sunshine, but I couldn't. I silently cursed Alice for waking me from such a pleasant vision.

You shouldn't blame her, I thought, It's not her fault you're so unhappy.

The rest of the morning faded into a meaningless blur of black and white. When it was time for lunch, I skipped the line. My hunger can't be satisfied by food. Instead, I made my way to the very back of the cafeteria.

When I first came to this school two years ago, my older sister, Bianca, sat at this table. She showed me around the school, and even helped me make a few friends. But, at lunch, I never sat with my new friends. I always sat with Bianca at this back table. At first, things were great. I was happy. But then, Bianca died. It felt like there was no reason to be happy anymore. Bianca, my sister, was dead. Soon, I started failing my classes. I abandoned my friends. I became unhappy. I sat at this table, alone.

I sat down and observed the other students. They all sit together, laughing and smiling. My eyes wander to a table near the center of the cafeteria. A boy with messy black hair and handsome sea green eyes sits next to a girl with bouncy blond curls and intelligent gray eyes; Percy Jackson and his girlfriend, Annabeth Chase. They are surrounded by their friends, one of whom is my other sister, Hazel. She's sitting across from Annabeth, laughing at some joke Percy told. I talk to them some. Percy's best friend, Jason, and I sometimes talk. He's pretty much your stereotypical high school jock; Tall, muscular, charismatic, and good-looking. Sometimes, he'll invite me to sit with him for lunch. I always decline. They seem so happy, I would just ruin it. I'm not good at being happy.

I stand up and exit the cafeteria. Watching other people laugh and talk with their friends just reminds that I'm alone.