Friendship Never Dies (formerly called Silver Lining)

Friendship Never Dies - Chapter 1

Apologies in advance if this sounds at all childish or weird, I wrote this when I was like 12. I have edited, just wanted to see what people think. :)

Chapter 1

Chloe Richards had bullied me consistently about my size since I came to her primary school seven years ago. Ok, so I was a bit on the large side, but there was no need to make a fuss about it. In my previous school people had commented on my size but usually I just ignored and told myself it was only puppy fat.

I couldn’t ignore Chloe.

Chloe had long, smooth auburn hair – a cinnamon-ish colour, not a carrot-top but just the right shade of burnt orange – that hung in just the right way to frame her pale, heart-shaped face and even at six she had a slender figure that got more developed and gorgeous as she grew older. And she acted soooo sweet around everyone, always so kind and helpful and polite – she was (and still is, and always will be) perfect. Even the teachers adored her. She had the whole universe wrapped around her little finger. Chloe wasn’t someone who followed the crowd – she led it. She was fashionable and superior. She wore the right clothes, the right shoes, the right earrings. On non-uniform days, (the days where everyone fretted over what to wear in case it wasn’t good enough) Chloe was one of those people who could walk in, in any old thing and still look stunning.   

I envied and hated her just for all of that.

And me? Well I was the exact opposite. I had mousey brown curls that never stayed where I put them and I always somehow looked like I had been drawn through a hedge backwards. I had wonky teeth and little piggy eyes. I wasn’t very bright and people thought I was thick. And like I said, I was…… big.   

So anyway everyone followed Chloe’s lead, teasing and sniping and poking fun. I had taken great comfort in the fact that we would be going to different high schools, but then one day Chloe revealed that she was going to Bellmont – the local church school. And so was I. That was another thing they teased me about. But nobody teased Chloe. Not perfect, girly, adorable Chloe. Everyone still loved her. And when I pointed out this fact everybody told me to sod off and to go annoy someone else. In those exact words.

That’s what it was like for five years. No friends, no positive attention, no nothing.

When we went to high school we were in the same class and neither of knew anybody - Except for each other. Like that was any different. She just ignored me utterly and completely except for the odd insult or jibe to brighten her day. That was normal. She didn’t want anything to do with me. Chloe didn’t have any problems. She was instantly popular. She settled right in, getting another group of faithful, admiring girlfriends. She even had a few boys drooling after her. I had no-one. I stayed the same, always on the fringes of friendship, the edge of the crowd, never quite in and never quite out. Just subtle loneliness, quiet invisibleness.

But I guess I have a lot to thank her for. If she hadn’t isolated me, if I’d been in with the crowd then I’d never have met Nicole.

Nicole was a girl in my class, always alone, like me. The difference was that she was beautiful. She had dark, thick wavy hair and emerald green, almond shaped eyes and full, red lips that twisted up into a dazzling upside-down rainbow whenever she smiled, revealing perfect white teeth. But despite her good looks, Nicole was an outsider – like me.

Chloe had given her the offer of joining her gang, but much to my delight, Nicole had refused. She was also a book worm, always reading something. And she didn't seem to hate Chloe and co. as much as I did - she was astonishingly indifferent. She was secretive and shy, but she seemed loyal and honest – the type of person that chose her friends from the inside out. She was my type of friend. But I was scared - scared that she would dub me a loser like everyone else. So I stayed silent, thinking it better to imagine a best friend than to be let down by reality.

One day Nicole and I were sitting at the back of Maths, forced together because there was no-one else. Not that I minded. It was the best place to sit if you were me. Nobody could chuck paper aeroplanes at the back of your head when the teacher’s back is turned, and you can't feel the eyes boring into the back of your head, or hear the giggles whispering forward to reach your burning ears. You were invisible.

 Chloe had just answered a question correct again, when Nicole caught my eye.

“Little suck up” she whispered. I just grinned at her and whispered back

“I know. I can’t stand her either.” She smiled back at me. But then the teacher chose that moment to turn around and actually pay attention to us for a change.

“Yes, Rachel? Anything you’d like to share?” His too thin lips twisted into his most annoying, spiteful and arrogant smirk. Then Chloe put her dainty hand in the air and cleared her throat, knowing as soon as she spoke Mr.Stayne’s eyes would melt because she was his favourite student.

 “Sorry to interrupt, sir,” she simpered, fluttering her eye lashes. “That’s quite alright, Chloe” he replied, flushing with pride and willingness.

“Well,” she began “Rachel here was just wondering about Amari’s headscarf,” she gestured toward the shy Muslim girl on the other side of the room, who blushed and sank lower in her seat. She kept fluttering her eye lashes and her voice dripping with artificial honey. “What did you call it?” she questioned dramatically, turning to look at me with an evil glint in her eyes, “A tea towel?” Chloe pursed her lips and turned back to Mr.Stayne. “I think she found it funny,” and she shrugged innocently. “It wasn’t Nicole’s fault. She had nothing to do with it.” she added, turning round to grin at Nicole, though she didn’t smile back. Mr.Stayne’s eyes hardened at this false information. “Well, Rachel,” he said through gritted teeth, his voice as cold as ice and his smile turning into an ugly grimace. “Let’s see how amusing you find the office wall, where you will be spending the next couple of weeks if justice exists anywhere.” Everyone laughed jeeringly at these words.

 Usually this would have made tears prick in my eyes and a lump would build in my throat. But today, my eyes were dry and my throat clear, as I got up from my seat and walked to the door, with my head held high, I couldn’t care less. I had a friend - Or at least the makings of a friendship.  Even as I sat outside the office waiting for the head to yell at me, about some ‘disrespectful’ nonsense that I wouldn’t listen to. And when she ushered me into her office and started ranting at me I couldn’t listen to the words. It was just a buzz – background noise. My mind was on other things.