Melanie abruptly crumpled her paper in the silent study hall. Her pencil fell to the wooden desk as she stood; her metal chair scratching the tiles on the floor. Kelly watched out of the corner of her eye as Melanie walked over to the garbage and dropped the crumpled paper inside.
It was close to the end of the school day. For Melanie and Kelly, there were only two more periods after study hall before the buses arrived.
Melanie collected her folders and binders from under her chair and set them on her desk. Kelly stared forward, trying not to make it obvious she was looking at Melanie. In just a few minutes the bell would ring and everyone would get to their classes. Just as expected, the bell rang and everyone stood to leave the room. Because of Melanie, Kelly hadn't been keeping track of the time. She scrambled for her things as everyone else left the room and went to their lockers.
Kelly stood up from crouching of the floor to get her belongings. Her eyes darted directly to the garbage can. Swiftly, she walked over. On top of the pencil shavings, scrap paper and jolly rancher wrappers was a sheet of lined paper crumpled into a ball. Kelly bent down, picked it up and left the room in a hurry.
She made her way through the crowd of high schoolers, hiding the ball of paper in her jacket. She twisted her combination into her locker and opened it quickly. She set her things on top of the shelf and unraveled the paper. In the center of the paper was a pencil drawing of a dragon wrapped around a stone castle. Kelly smiled at the sight of it. She reached to the top shelf and pulled out a red binder. Inside were several other pieces of wrinkled papers with pencil drawings. She clipped it into the binder, still smiling. She stood on the tip of her toes and slid the binder back onto the top shelf. She then grabbed her things, shut her locker and happily walked to her next class.
Kelly arrived at English, which was her next class after study hall. Then History after English. After that, the buses were already at the school. She boarded the bus and sat in her usual seat, alone. She glanced out the window. She saw Melanie; her long red hair, flowing as she walked. Kelly clenched her fists trying to look away, but kept getting drawn back to her. Something about Melanie's appearance, her drawing and skills and quiet personality made Kelly feel some way. A way she's never felt about another girl. As Melanie walked out of view, Kelly pulled the red binder out of her bag and a scrap piece of paper. She opened the binder to the drawing of the dragon and stone castle. Slowly, she copied it onto the other paper. She sighed and crumpled up her paper, "I'll never be as good..." She mumbled as she stuffed the binder back into her bag.
