Sally Smirk.

Chapter One

She sat in her room, alone and afraid. She clutched her near and dear sketchbook and a handful of pencils and sharpies. Sally never really had any friends. The ones she did have always thought there was something wrong with her, and they hated everything she liked? So technically speaking, she didn't have any friends. They were more like the kids of her parents friends. So it was clear to her that she needed to make up her own. There was a time when her heart was filled with joy and she loved to sing, wear skirts and ribbons like the other girls, but they had turned her away once things started going... Downhill. Slowly, she began to spend less and less time out of her room. Not out of punishment, but because she realized how much she hated the rest of the world. Music and her sketchbook were her only true friends. Music would tell her she was beautiful, and that things would soon get better for her. Her sketchbook told her that she could create anything, if she could just imagine it. Any time she did leave the safe haven of her room, she had her earbuds in on full blast. Her sketchbook was always under her arm. One day she just stopped trying. There were days she didn't leave her room once. Sometimes, she didn't leave her bed. She would lay with her head on the pillow hoping her dreams would carry her away from her cruel and hateful world, and show her something better. She was immensely depressed.

She woke up for school. She dressed herself in her favorite outfit. A black and white striped long-sleeve shirt, black jeans and high-tops. She curled her bright blue hair and powdered her face. Her skin was as white as a sheet. She was nearly transparent. "There... Now I'm pretty." She whispered. Her voice was beautiful when she spoke. Like rose petals falling onto a piano made of glass, high and light! But the tone what's always quiet and dark. She scooped up her backpack, tucked her sketchbook under her arm and pushed the small round earbuds into her ears.

She arrived at school, her mother waving worriedly from the drivers seat of the car. She made her way slowly through the sea of terrified students. All if them were scared of her, even though she never said or did anything! If anything she was more scared of them then they were of her. She was bullied severely, but she was so used to it she didn't even notice. She took her seat in the far back corner of the class and watched as everyone else filed into the class.

The seat beside her was usually the last to be filled, but today... It was the first. She looked up from her drawing and saw a boy. He had choppy black hair, a plain white tee shirt and black jeans. Also wearing black high-tops. He outstretched his hand towards her and grinned. "Hi, I'm Rayne." She stared at his hand, before he slowly retracted it and slid it into his pocket. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be weird. I'm just trying to make friends. I'm new." At that moment another boy called Rayne and whispered something in his ear. His expression went from cheerful to grim in a matter of seconds. "So?" He replied. The other boy raised his palms in annoyance and left him. "I'm sorry. He was just being rude. So... What's your name?" She knit her brow confused.

"Why do you want to be my friend?"

Her beautiful voice, naturally quiet like a whisper, made all eyes turn to her. The boy blushed. "Well... I kinda, I think you're interesting. Everyone's been telling me to steer clear of you, but I really don't understand why." "Oh." She sighed. She gazed out through the window throughout the class as she always did. Occasionally, she would catch a glimpse of Rayne staring at her before he quickly fixed his eyes back on the teacher. Something about this made her feel something. A feeling in her chest that made each exhale collapse her chest, and each inhale trying to fill a balloon.

At the end of the class she made her way to her locker where she kept a spare sketchbook and a spare pair of earbuds. Rayne followed her. "Hey. I never caught your name." She paused, her eyes wide. "It's... It's-" She felt her chest shatter again. "Sally." He smiled again. "Nice. Can I walk you to your next class?" She slowly nodded and started off.