Slowly learning that life is okay (GirlxGirl) [COMPLETE]

Dina - I can tell we are going to be friends

She beamed with Ellie's answer.

To be completely honest, there was nothing special behind her invitations. Ellie was a new kid, she deserved to feel welcome. And she saw the looks she was receiving, full of suspicion and the gossip floating around. Ellie's face was a mask carefully put together, but she couldn't imagine she wasn't at all affected by what was happening. Her first week wasn't even over yet.

High school kids could be evil and their gossip spread fast like wildfire and could do the same damage to someone's life. Burn all their connections away and leave them without anything.

Any gossip could, to be fair.

Dina touches Ellie's hand to lead her into the cafeteria. Her fingertips are calloused and cold.

"I'm glad you're having lunch with us," she opens the doors, and the smell of food makes her stomach grumble. Thank God the sound of people chatting covered it, "why didn't you come yesterday?"

"Uhhh..." was her only response as she kept pulling Ellie's hand with her. Dina thought of pushing it, but they were already at their table and she sat beside Lucas, Ellie sitting on her other side.

"Guys, this is Ellie," Dina saw the girl beside her nod, forcing a thin-lipped smile. "Ellie, this is Jesse, Mike, Emma, Bonnie and Lucas," she said, pointing at each one of them, who all greeted her back.

"We've met," Lucas added, smiling, "we have Biology together."

Dina saw as most of her friends nodded, except for Mike. So was introducing her to someone, at least.

Ellie took a sandwich from her backpack and started munching on it, her green eyes carefully looking at each of them. Dina couldn't say what she was thinking but reminded her of the look on her rivals faces when they stretched before a run. Like Ellie was measuring them, analysing.

She looked around, and several faces snapped back to place, pretending they weren't looking at their table. It wasn't like Dina wasn't expecting the attention, but she hoped seeing Ellie in a group of people would make her look more... approachable. Her own friends talked to her trying to make her comfortable, but she could sense their curiosity. She could see them biting back the questions, especially Boonie.

Her face easily became red, and it almost looked like she had a stomach ache. She exchanged a look with Lucas and Emma and she knew they were thinking the same thing.

Her phone chirped on the table with a message from Emma, 'I bet she will explode in 5'

She tried to bite back a smile. 'looks like she wanna poop,' Lucas typed on the group chat at the same time. And then, 'I bet the can't hold for 3,' Emma smiled at her phone.'2 snickers. Dina?'

'She won't ask. Ellie won't say anything,' she answered Lucas' text.

'Deal'

'Deal'

They locked eyes over the table, and Emma smirked, always confident. Ellie ate her sandwich, oblivious to the bet. She seemed more relaxed, paying attention to the conversation. Mike was copying his homework in a loose-leaf with Jesse's name.

"So, Ellie," Bonnie started, and the three of them looked at each other, then not so subtly checked the time, "why did you transfer here?"

Their table went silent, and she could swear the one beside them, too. Everyone seemed curious as to why Ellie was there, in the middle of the semester.

Dina felt Ellie tense beside her, and her face was steel, hard and expressionless.

"I moved and this was the closest school," she said simply, voice as hard as her face, her eyes challenging anyone to push her. No one did.