Please Don't Set My Heart Aflame

Chapter #4: False Alarm

He awkwardly kept shaking my hand. I'd lost track of time, and we were standing there for a whole freaking minute.

"Whatdaya say? Lunch?" He still had that goofy, yet charming smile plastered on his face.

"Uh... Sure, I guess..." I have no friends, so I guess this was a step up.

Scratch that. I was sitting with Ryan freaking Taylor. The boy everyone fawns over. This could be considered a milestone!

"Come on!" And with that, he yanked my arm on the way to the cafeteria.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Meh, she's alright," one of his friends said.

"Come on, Ryan! Get someone hotter."

Ryan's gaze met mine. "Sorry, Newbie! You just aren't my type." He shrugged at me and gently pushed me out of his circle of friends.

Are you freaking kidding me? Of course, he's a player. How could I not see that one coming?

Slightly hurt, I grabbed my lunch and snuck through the back stairs and onto the roof.

I was so glad to finally be alone and sat down.

"Company, eh?" A voice made me jump. "Not too often anyone but me comes up here." She walked down and faced me. "The name's Ashton. You?" She extended a hand toward me, and I hesitantly shook it.

"Uh... Jessica..."

"Nice name. Tell me about yourself."

"Well... I transferred here today... Simply because it's the closest school to my house. I'm nothing special, really."

She paused. "So, who's side you on?"

"What?"

"Haha, I'm just playin' with ya. You're obviously a loner, right? You wouldn't be up here, otherwise."

"I-I guess..."

"You see, I'm not exactly liked by anyone. Everybody just calls me That One Emo Girl. They don't even know my name." She chuckled after saying that.

"...Does that not hurt you...?" Although, she did not look the part whatsoever. She looked preppy. What should be popular, but isn't.

"Nope! Got used to it since the day I entered middle school. Just doesn't faze me, anymore. People say I'm just depressing, when really I got over that crap long ago. Once a sad kid, always a sad kid, I guess." She kept a smile through the whole conversation, one which I couldn't even wear, myself. "What grade you in?"

"Um... I'm a Sophomore."

"I'm a Senior."

"Don't you have lunch, later?"

"Yeah, but I also skip fourth period. There's a real jerk in that class, so I decide not to bother. Yet, I have straight A's!" She smiled proudly.

"Wow!"

"Yeah, it's not exactly easy. I pull through, though. Anyway, welcome to Hikma High, Newbie!"

She held out her hand, and I smacked it in a high-five.

"Good to be here."