Becoming Beautiful (Wattys2014)

| Chapter 6 |

She stared at me in shock. "Wow...I never thought I'd see the day the extremely smart girl skips class."

I roll my eyes. "It's no big deal."

"So what'd you do during your adventure? Did you read? Or play games on your phone?" she asked me with a teasing smile and I felt my smile falter. She looked at me before nodding in understanding. Luckily, things didn't get awkward.

I decided to change the subject. "So what happened in Physics?"

"Well, for one, Mrs. Joni wasn't there," she told me. I had skipped for nothing. "But the substitute was just as bad. She actually handed out the work that Mrs. Joni will be expecting us to hand in the next time we have her."

I sighed as she reached into her bag, taking out a pink folder. "I signed you in on the attendance sheet, and I got you the papers, just in case you decided to cut your rebellion short."

I smiled at her as I accepted the papers, my eyes skimming the familiar work. I wasn't that bad at physics, aside from the fact that I'm terrible at math and the two coincide often. I usually need help from Ms. Joni. I reached over and grabbed my bag, which Marissa moved over until it was beside my chair. I looked up as I was unzipping my bag and caught eyes with Noah. We stared at each other, his eyes scanning my face. He was probably going to laugh or make a joke about my red, blotchy skin the next time we're forced to communicate. I wouldn't really blame him though; if I were him, I'd make a joke about my face, too.

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I was surprised when Marissa stayed with me during lunch. She didn't get up and leave to go with her volleyball friends. In fact, she didn't even glance in their direction. I hoped it wasn't because she pitied me because that'll make me feel ten times worse than I already do.

"Do you have a lot of homework?" Marissa asked me as we walked in the direction of the parking lot.

I shook my head. "No, I have a few sheets but nothing that'll occupy too much of my time. Do you?"

She nodded. "A whole bunch, most of it is from math," she muttered with a frown etched onto her face.

I shrugged. "Did you make up with your brother?"

She mirrored my actions and raised and dropped her shoulders. "He apologized and I accepted it."

I stared at her, my eyes slightly wider than they were a moment ago. "He... apologized?"

She laughed. "Yes, Kenna, he apologized. He has the same emotions we do, you know? Guilt happens to be one of them."

"And what about the dinner with your mom?" I asked.

She shook her head, a sigh escaping her mouth. "He still refuses to go to that. Although, speaking of my mother, she wants to meet you; you don't have to if you don't want to, though. She's just surprised that I actually have a new friend that Noah hasn't tried to murder yet," she joked.

I shrugged. What's the worst that can happen? "Sure, when?"

She turned to me, her eyes as wide as saucers. "Are you serious?"

I nodded. "Why not?"

"Well, considering the fact that all of the things you heard about her are negative, I would assume you created this fictional monster in your mind," she told me.

I shook my head. "No, I can't go off of what other people say."

She looked at me, her smile reaching her eyes this time. "You're a really good person, Kenna, you know that?"