Collide (REWRITING)

1. Welcome Back ✔

     "I'm so sorry," I muttered as I bent down and grabbed my books.

     Chuckles filled the room, but I tried to focus on the dark chocolate curls that brushed past my face. The young girl didn't speak, but as we stood, she gave me a timid smile and handed me my tattered notebook.

     "Alright, that's enough," Mr. Harris snapped at the students. He sighed heavily, obviously annoyed by the morning's ordeal and sauntered over to us. "Allison I presume."

     She only nodded, but I could tell by the way her well-defined jaw tightened, that she was just as nervous as I was.

     "You two girls can take the empty table in the back."

     Allison nodded and pulled her back tightly against her shoulder. She weaved through the lined of tables, but instead of following her, my gaze fell on the curious eyes that stared me down. I knew all of them. Every single one. It was hard to believe that at one point they all waved and said hello as I walked down the hall, no doubt because of my brother, but now, he was gone and I was no longer the lacrosse captains little sister, I was the mental girl who didn't know how to find her seat.

🖤🖤🖤

      The day had rushed by in a blur. I was thankful. It could have dragged or even inched, but every time I looked up at the clock minutes or hours had surprisingly passed. It wasn't until lunch though, that I was able to escape the stares or the whispers as I settled in the table in the corner. Far beyond the nerds or gamers who battled about playing the card. I felt safe here. Comfortable. It had been a long time since I had felt either, but it was familiar territory and even with my back to the crowded room, I felt calm.

     It was just as I remembered it.

     Although instead of eating lunch with Penny and Lola in the quad, I was alone and to be honest, I quite liked it this way. I didn't have to explain myself or lie to keep people at bay. I had accepted the fact that nobody would ever believe me and that I would forever be that girl who went crazy, but there were only a few more years left and maybe if I tried hard enough, there was a good chance I could convince Roe to let me homeschool.

      "Do you mind if I sit here?"

     I looked up from my untouched lunch and saw Allison smiling awkwardly down at me. She held her tray to her chest and glanced around as I tried to find the words. It wasn't that I didn't want her to sit with me, it was the fact that there were empty seats everywhere and I didn't want to form even the slightest friendship with someone who would run away the moment they found out where I had been the last few months. "Well?"

     "Um," I muttered, but instead of telling her yes I pulled my bag from the spot on the bench next to me and let her sit.

     I tried to cover the side of my face as I glanced around. I had managed to find my way to the quiet corner without a fuss, but now that this beautiful brown-eyed new girl was standing next to me, I was sure people would take notice... and they did and unfortunately, the first person I locked eyes with was the one person I had tried to avoid like the plague.

     Lydia Martin stared at me from across the room. She sat up front, surrounded by every jersey clad lacrosse jock that walked the halls of the school. We were only sophomores, but people praised that girl and her friends as if she had already been crowned prom queen. For a moment I thought she was going to march over here and pull Allison out of her seat by her hair. Not that it would have mattered to me much. I wasn't keen on conversations, but Lydia had a knack for the dramatics and would make damn sure I left this cafeteria in tears.