Heart of Steel Chapter 5
Charlie's POV
As i was running out the door Laila rushed out hers at the same time. She grinned when she saw me. She was wearing jean-tights and a white singlet.
"Morning!" she yelled over to me. I smiled and waved back. "Ready for school?" she laughed.
I wasn't nervous about meeting people at school but more about the fact that all the school work would be new to me. It'll be like i'm starting from scratch.
"Want a lift?" she called over. I nodded happily and then realised that i didn't even know where the school was. I had been in there once to get my papers but dad had drove me. I didn't know how to get there. Was i just going to drive around until i found it?
We got in her car - a red rusty old mazda bubble - and i laughed at the sound of its engine. "Are you sure this thing can still run?" i asked Laila.
She stuck her chin up high, stubborn and nodded. "It just needs a little push."
After a few more tries the motor started up but the engine coughed and splattered. She smiled successfully at me and we drove out of the driveway and towards the school. It was still spitting a bit, the rain had brewed into a massive storm last night and everything was still wet. The streets were busy at this morning rush hour and we had to sit at the traffic lights for some time.
When we finally reached the school the car park was full and the grounds were nearly empty. Classes had started. "And she's late on her first day of school. Well done to you."
I laughed and mock punched her arm. "You were walking out the door at the same time i was!"
We were laughing and running through the rain to our first class which we had together, getting wet again and entered the empty coridoors. "Where's room twenty?"
Laila directed me to the science block and we walked in slowly. A classful of eyes turned our way and we both froze in our tracks.
"Ah, miss Bixton. Glad you decided to join us this morning." i looked to the front of the class to see a male, fat, beared teacher leaning back in a swivel chair behind the desk. His face was red and i wasn't sure if that was because he was angry or if he was always like that. His beady eyes turned towards me next, looking me up and down. "And you must be miss Lo?"
I gulped and nodded my head. My head turned to meet the eyes of 25 - more or less - students staring at me. Some smiled and some gave me weird looks, just like the kids on my culdasac did. Looks like i'd have to get used to it.
"Well, better not make a habbit of being late. Wouldn't want to make me angry." He faked a smile at me and gestured towards the desks. "Please take a seat."
I walked down the rows of desk until i found a seat second row from the back. Laila sat next to me and class carried on. Well, more like the whole class sat there doodling on their papers while the teacher read at his desk, coughing every so often.
I sighed and rested my head on my hands. I had absolutly no idea what i was supposed to be doing so i followed the class, head on hands, looking out the window. This was a great english class.
When i looked at the clock for the hundredth time the bell rang, making everyone jump out of their boredom trance and run out the door. Laila let out a long breath. "Well, wasn't that the longest class in history."
I was about to correct her that this was english, not history, only to mentally facepalm myself. Tiredness leads to slowness.
I didn't know how long classes were supposed to go for, as i had no memory of an old school. But i was pretty sure that the teacher was supposed to...teach.
Oh well. We walked out the door and down the hallway, making small talk and seeing which classes we had together. Next class i had Maths. Oh yay. Even though i had no memory of actually learning specific facts in school, i still had the idea of what everything was. I had done my research after the accident, learning the basics. I knew with all my heart, mind and soul that i did not like maths.
Laila wasn't in my maths class so she pointed me in the right direction and headed off towards hers.
When i entered my maths class only half of the seats were full so i took a seat at the back so there was less chance of a new girl being noticed. Slowly, the last of the class came in and took a seat. A few people glanced in my direction curiously but luckily nobody stared.
Class started. The maths teacher was Mr. Begille, a youngish, happy looking man who - all through the class - showed that he had a personal joke with just about every student.
I looked around the class while Mr. Begille - whom some students were calling by his first name, Chris - told a story about something that happened to him on the weekend. I saw all kinds of people and it surprised me just how different every one of them were (Except the twin boys that i spotted).
I saw one girl who was so skinny it was surprising you could see her at all, one girl who had obviously died her hair brown but her blonde roots were coming through strong, one guy who had stretchers in both ears and looked a little freaky, wearing all black with his hair gelled to what he must have thought was perfection and all other kinds of teens. I got to the back row - my row - and had to lean forward in my seat to see past an oranged haired girls head to see a guy who was obviously trying to hide himself from everyone else.
He had light brown hair that was in an i-just-got-out-of-bed style but it resembled that so much that i wasn't sure if that was because he just got out of bed and didn't touch his hair or if he had gelled it that way. I couldn't see his face yet, he had one hand on his forhead and his head turned towards the window, hiding his face. He was slouched down and looked as if he could have been asleep.
The class laughed at something the teacher had said and i leaned back in my chair before someone caught me staring. I suddenly felt as though someone was watching me and i quickly looked around the room, feeling self-concious. When my eyes fell on the red haired girl sitting next to me her eyes were staring straight at me.
I smiled a little, frowning at the same time to try and tell her to turn away. She kept on staring so i turned my head back to the front of the room. I felt a tap on my shoulder and i jumped in my seat.
I looked over again and she was smiling creepily at me. "Hi," she said, showing a row of fluro pink braces covering her teeth.
I smiled back. "Hello."
"You're new," she said making it sound like more of an accusation then a question.
I nodded and she smiled and copied my action. Then after a few more weird seconds of staring she turned to the front of the class and copied down the notes on the board. My eyes widened a little at the strangness but then i turned away too.
And just in the nick of time, the bell rang. Thank God, i thought to myself.
As i stood up i noticed one girl frowning and staring at the back of the class. I followed her eyes to see she was looking at the same boy that i had been a moment ago. The girl looked confused. She had long blond hair that was obviously fake, her skin was an odd orange colour, my guess to which was a fake tan that didn't turn out so well and her face was absolutly caked on with makeup.
I rolled my eyes, coming to conclusion that she was just 'one of those girls'.
When i looked back over at the boy he was gathering his things but still trying hard to cover his face.
I laughed to myself when i thought 'he can't be that ugly'.
She started walking towards him and when she came in front of him he pulled up his hood and i could hear them talking about something. He was raising his voice and hers was dancing flirtily.
i shrugged and walked out of the class. I froze in the hallway when i realised i had no idea what the set out of this school was. When i looked around all i saw were big groups of people rushing to eat, some were on phones some were listening to iPods, others were babbling on about God knows what to their friends. I started to walk around aimlesly.
Goal: don't make yourself the centre of attention. The new girl.
A few people looked at me and said things to their friends but i kept on walking until i reached the end of the hallway, sunlight creeping in through the doors. I walked out into the fresh air and let out a breath that i didn't know i was holding.
I looked around the premises and saw some trees over to the right where only a few people were sitting. The other side was packed with people on the chairs and tables and playing football and walking around socialising with friends.
I spotted a lonely tree and smiled to myself. I would have to talk to Laila about finding me somewhere to sit, hopefully i could meet her friends and sit with her. Or maybe, just maybe i should try making some friends. I laughed to myself. I will.
I walked over to the tree, a medium sized oak with bright green leaves, and sat down beneath it. The trunck was fairly fat, so much so that if anyone was on the other side i would be hidden. It roots were long and wide, running at least three metres from its trunk. I had to move for a few minutes to find a spot where i wasn't sitting on part of the tree root.
I unzipped my bag and fished out my banana and peanut butter sandwhich, biting into it and loving the taste.
My mum payed me out a few times about my eating habits. I would always take two completly different things and mix them together to produce the perfect snack. Most of them were mushed between two peices of bread.
I only ate half of my sandwhich, leaving the rest on the spread out piece of foil.
I looked up and my eyes roamed around the area. I was in year eleven and i could make out who were the juniors and who were the seniors. Some groups looked nice and some might as well have been holding a banner saying "Stay away, or else!".
I narrowed my eyes and frowned when i swore that i heard music. A guitar playing. I looked around but i couldn't see anything. I shrugged but when i heard a strum again i looked around once more. I stopped looking and concentrated on the sound. It sounded like it was coming from...behind me?
I leaned to the left and looked around the tree. Nothing. I leaned to right and when i was about to turn back around and call myself crazy i caught a glimpse of the end of a guitar moving around behind the tree.
I turned back around and just sat there for a moment. Should i talk to the person? What if they didn't want to be talked to?
I decided that i would meet this person. They were simply strumming chords to a song and after a moment of straining my ears i picked up what it was. The mystery person was playing Across the Universe by the Beatles. I smiled. i hadn't heard much Beatles but it was the only thing that my parents listened to so, that was basically the only thing i listened to (besides Angus and Julia Stone, i heard them on the radio and practically fell in love).
I stood up, still holding my sandwhich and walked around the tree slowly. My eyes widened when i saw it was the boy from up the back of my maths class. He had on his hood which was covering his face and i started to wonder if he was the most ugliest person in the world, always hiding his face.
I laughed to myself but stopped when i heard the music suddenly stop.
He didn't look up but he knew he knew i was there. I argued with myself in my head whether or not i should turn around and walk away but decided against it. The boy was obviously waiting for me to go away but surprised him when i sat down beside him.
He moved his guitar a little so the end wasn't in my face. I decided to be the first to talk. "The Beatles, right?" i knew it was but i needed to break the ice.
I saw him nod.
"Nice guitar."
It was the true, too. It was kind of like mine. Mine being a small skinny version of his. It was a light wood colour, natural, not glossy. Just the way i liked it. The pick plate was red and had a carving on it.
He nodded again. "Do you...talk at all?" i asked.
He nodded again. I laughed. "Come on. At least look up. Why are you hiding?" i don't know why i was talking so much to this boy. He seemed like a quiet person.
I held out my hand and left it there. I knew he could see it under the hood. I sat like that for about a minute until he took my hand. I tried not to gasp when i saw his knuckles were bruised and red.
"I...i'm Charlie. Charlie Lo. I'm new here." He took back his hand and put it in his jacket pocket."And you are...?"
He mumbled something but i couldn't hear him. "Hm?"
"Xander. Alexander."
I smiled. "Xander," trying it out. "I've never heard that before. It's nice."
There was silence for the next five minutes. My fingers just twitching to feel the guitar. When i thought i was about to reach out and snatch it from him i decided to ask. "Do you...do you mind if i have a try?"
He didn't ask what i meant. Just sat there, looking the other way. I started to feel a bit...i dont know, left out? If that makes sense.
"Look, im sorry if you just wanted to be alone, i just haven't made any friends here yet, i thought i would give it a go. But if you don't want-"
I was cut off by him handing the guitar to me. I sat there with my jaw to the ground before i composed myself and took the guitar gently from his hands. God, it felt nice. I ran my fingers over the edges before placing my fingers down between the frets and started to play Devil's Tears by Angus and Julia Stone.
I played it for a while, humming the song in my head. I wasn't paying any attention to anything else for a while until i felt someones eyes on me. I immedietly looked at Xander and saw him staring at my fingers.
My eyes widened when i saw his face. I couldn't tell really what he looked like. You see...his left eye - the one closest to me - was completly black. I gasped. He must have been in a fight.
The skin was bruised black and purple. The other eye was bruised as well but not as much. The left side of his jaw was red and i could feel my whole face taking on that of shock.
He saw me staring and i thought he was going to say something or tell me to quit staring but he just smiled and said, "You should see the other guy."
I laughed at that and he still had a trace of a smile on his lips. Finally he decided to talk.
"You're good," he said.
"Hm?"
"I said you're good. At that." He nodded towards the guitar still on my lap.
"Oh, thanks," i blushed."You too. I like the Beatles."
"Me too."
I unwrapped the foil off my sandwhich and started eating the other half.Yummy.
"What's that?" Xander asked. When i looked at him his nose was scrunched up and he was looking at my sandwhich.
"That, my friend, is a bananut sandwhich," i said proudly.
He scoffed and looked away. "What? You jealous?" i asked
He laughed. "You took the two most hated things on my list of foods even eaten and mixed them together."
I smiled and took another bite. "So... do you want some?"
"No way, hosay."
We talked a little more for about ten minutes. I didn't ask him what happened to his face. I felt that i shouldn't and anyway, i assumed he just got in a fight with some other guy.
Not once did anything come up about our past, only our present and even then not much was said.
Xander seemed nice. He had a good...vibe or something. I decided that i would get to know him. Yes, i would.
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