Splinters: Part One

Part One | 6

I pressed my lips together and shook my head. "I-I don't think so."

Collie frowned, stopping her feet. "Why not?"

"I don't think Ursanne would like that."

"Ursanne doesn't have to know."

"What about my parents?"

The word 'parents' still felt foreign as they left my lips. She stared at me for a moment, looking like she was having a fight with herself. Finally, she shook her head.

"Besides," I began. "I don't think that guy even likes me."

"Look, if you don't want to come, that's fine." Collie turned and started walking again.

Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with guilt. "Collie-"

"It's fine, Brayden." She began walking faster, making me put in effort to catch up.

"Wait, Collie-"

"I've gotta get to class."

This time, I let her go, feeling a lot worse than I had when I first began talking to her. I wasn't sure what had gotten her to make me feel so mean saying no, and I wasn't sure why I felt so awful in the first place, but for some reason, I wanted to please a girl like Collie. I felt like I had to try to be a lot better than how I truly am.

Maybe it's because her social status is much higher than mine or maybe it's because she's someone in this school that actually reached out to me. Either way, it hurt to disappoint a girl like her.

When the bell rang, my stomach fell. I hadn't realized I was standing in the hallway alone until the sound finished. I fished for my schedule, still not having memorized my classes. When I finally retrieved the crumbled piece of paper, I found out that I had an elective.

Sighing, I made my way towards the room. I had to stop and look at the maps that were pinned up on the walls of the schools a few times, but when I finally reached the class room, they were probably too far along for me to get anything done.

So instead, I walked around the halls. I looked at trophies the school earned, pictures of the basketball team, football team, baseball team, and anything else sports related. I looked at previous students and students that I'd seen. The faces were starting to become a lot more familiar.

I decided to spare some time by going to the bathroom. When I finished, the bell had rung and the signal of classes ending was heard. I opened the door with my head down when I emerged from the restroom. I hurriedly rushed to the classroom I needed to go to, making sure that I wouldn't be late.

The class I had was American Literature, and I had no one that I knew in this class. Taking a seat by myself, I kept my head down and took out the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, the teacher had given me the first time I came to this class.

She said I was excused from a few tests but now that I had to read along with the class, I'm required to do the quizzes.

I was a bit shocked when a boy sat next to me.

"Sup." He said.

I looked at him. He had short brown hair, straight teeth, and very soft brown eyes. I saw him on some of the teams. What was it again... Right! He played basketball.

"Hey." I muttered, looking back at the book and opening to the designated page.

"We have a quiz today. And we never read in class."

I felt my face heat up and closed my book. "Oh."

"Aren't you, um, the Pierson?"

I glanced at his hand that was now sitting on his desk, his body turning to me.