↠C h a p t e r S e v e n↞
GREETINGS
❝I love it when I catch you looking at me.❞
♦ ° ♦ ° ♦
The bell for lunch rings, echoing in the empty hallway that would soon become filled with hungry students. Slamming the door to my locker close, I rest my forehead on the cool metal surface, heaving a tired sigh. Doors to classroom squeak open as the flood of students slowly begin to fill the hall, their chatter filing out along with their bodies, people brushing past me. They all rush in the direction of the cafeteria, while I take a moment to regain the energy I wasted upon last period.
Half of the day has tired me, constant worrying and peaks of anxiety here and there. With every class I've visited, everyone stared openly with unspoken words in their eyes. Rather than regard me with the curiosity of being the new student, it seemed more as if I was an exhibited creature. Then there was the sniffing— nostrils flaring as if taking in a scent that's floating around them, unknown to them. It had me wondering if it was a good idea to skip that shower this morning.
I sigh again, closing my eyes. I listen to the footfalls of others that fade into nothing the further they walked. I was once again left alone in the hallway, my own little solitude and to my thoughts that raged forward. Pushing my head up and taking a step back, I stare at the blue and white locker colors before I bend down and grab the top of my bookbag that was leaning up against the bottom lockers and swing it over my shoulder.
Just as I was about to whirl around and head for the cafeteria, my stomach calling out for food, my gaze clashes with blue, wrenching a short scream from me.
"Dylan!"
His shoulder leans against the locker, a hand tucked in his pants pocket. My own rests on top of my chest as it heaves up and down from being startled, quietly trying to regain control of my rapidly beating heart, I shut my eyes.
"Wassup," he says, chuckling at my expense.
My eyes fly open as I narrow them at him, my breathing under control, as I allow my hand to fall to my side. "Don't 'wassup' me when you almost gave me a heart attack," I tell him, shuffling back at his closeness.
"What are you doing anyway?"
"I was heading to lunch when I saw you staring at your locker," his lips twitch upward.
"Okay," I make a face, "You still decided to sneak up on me."
He grins slightly, "Maybe a little," he says, "wanna walk there together?" he asks, nudging his head in the direction of the cafeteria.
I shrug, hiking my bookbag up to pull both straps over my shoulder.
"Sure, why not."
~ • ~
The clinking of trays against on the tables was heard from outside the double doors that lead inside the cafeteria, conversations and occasionally laughter flow into the air. Dylan pushes the doors inward, the sounds from inside becoming much louder as we pass over the threshold, my fingers rising to shortly rub the lobe of my ear as a prickle of nervousness begins to stettle at the base of my spine
"Is it always like this?" I question, the sound of someone's bellow of laughter overpowering the noise in the area.
He shrugs, "Mostly, we're all coming back from a long holiday so people are catching up with one another," he explains.
"I see."
His blue eyes look from over his shoulder, seeming brighter than before as he wore a slight smile on his lips, "Come on, slow poke, I wanna show you something."
I quicken my pace behind as my eyes scan the room, taking in the students sitting with their group of friends, others standing in line and grabbing what their stomach desired to take. With my legs, I still lag behind Dylan's larger frame.
Noticing, warmth wraps around my wrist and begins to pull me. "This way."
My gaze flickers down to Dylan's hand as he guides me past countless of tables, toward the back of the cafeteria. As we pass by a table full of girls, one by one, they all turn their heads toward us, mostly to me, their chests rising high— inhaling— and falling with a deep breath.
Their eyes follow us, one girl's gaze shifts down to Dylan's hand: I tilt my head back watching a sour expression cross over her face, a sort of snarl marring her lips. I bristle slightly at her expression, locking my jaw and focusing ahead. A moment later, I frown at myself and the girl's actions then to Dylan's touch.
'Why am I letting him touch me, again?' I let the thought pass by before dismissing it.
Most times I confuse myself past comprehension.
"Look at what I brought," I hear Dylan say out loud, ceasing his guide as he lets me go and steps to the side once we made it to our destination.
"Fresh meat."
I glare at the back of Dylan's head following his comment as his friends set their eyes on me. I tuck my hand in my pocket, urging myself not to go for my ear, when I meet the eyes of the people at the table. I suddenly recognize a familiar face.
"Abigail, hey!" Samantha waves from her seat.
My whole body relaxes when I see her face, "Samantha."
Dylan turns toward me, switching gazes from Sam and me with a raised brow, "You know each other?" I nod.
"We have the same first period."
It was his turn to nod, "Since you already know Sam, I'll introduce you to the rest," he comments before turning my attention to the other people.
"This is Stella, Justin and finally Xavier." he points out each one, individually, "There's one more, but she isn't present, as you can see."
"All right."
A beautiful girl with light brown hair, beams at me showing all her teeth adding to her beauty, she leans over the table with her hand stuck out.
"It's nice to meet you," she speaks with a British accent.
I grasp her hand and give it one shake, "You too." I say, releasing her and gently smiling, connecting her face to the name of 'Stella'.
She sits back down, pushing her skirt under her— the aura she gives off being proper and polite. The boy sitting next to her places his arm on her shoulder, then slides it down to hold her hip, raises his other hand in greeting.
"It's nice to meet you," he says warmly as he winks, causing the edge of my lips to quirk upwards as he earns himself a smack to the chest.
I connect his face with the name of 'Justin'. He laughs out loud, deep and carefree from the assault and only kisses Stella on her rosy cheek. From the looks of it, I can see it won't be hard to get comfortable around him.
"I'm Abigail," I tell them all, "But, I'm guessing everyone knows that already," I add while moving to take a seat next to Samantha.
"Why do you say that?"
I feel a burning gaze on the side of my face, glancing from the corner of my eye I see the boy— Xavier— staring at me intensively, his gaze piercing and trying to peel far more than the top layer of my skin.
"I mean,"— I shrug, taking a seat— "the minute I stepped into this school everyone's been staring at me," I explain with a tight smile. "It's creepy."
I regard Xavier, the image of him standing in the hall from earlier registers in my minds, also linking him to the male that stared down at me from the window. His eyes still imprinted my thoughts, sending a sense of nerves bubbling beneath my skin. Justin scoots over to let Dylan sit beside him while he sets his tray of food— I didn't know he had gone to get— down on the table.
"You're new, so of course they're going to stare," he says, waving off the "new girl" aura.
I bite my lower lip, rolling it between my teeth in thought. "I don't know, they also. ." I trail off in thought.
I realize everyone was staring at me, waiting for me to continue and I feel my cheeks heat up with rising blood. Instead of backing out, I allow myself to bask in the companionship they were sure to give me and speak my mind.
"They, um, sniff the air," they say nothing, but look. Their silence causes my nerves to rise as I lean my elbow on the table and tilt my head, giving my hand access to my ear as I rub my earlobe once again.
"I mean— I don't know, every time I enter a room there's at least a hand full or more people who sniff the air like my scent coats the air."
No one says anything besides moving their food on their trays around. I sit there awkwardly looking at all their faces, regretting even opening my mouth and expressing my discomfort of today's events.
"That must be weird," Sam finally says, catching my gaze with a sort of pity in her eyes.
I nod, "That's putting it lightly." I shrug indifferently, "Never mind though, I'm dumb for saying this. It's probably nothing."
"No no!" Stella shakes her head, "It's okay, it's normal, I remember receiving the same attention when I came as well."
I nod, meeting her gaze. She smiles at me, trying to reassure me. "I hope so."
~ ✎ ~ ✎ ~
Bonjour! Comment ça va?
Desolé for not updating in awhile! I've been busy and since there's a new President everything's been here and there. And those words above are me practicing my French cause guess where I'm moving? 🙌 you guessed it, Paris with my sister! I still need permission from my mom so we'll see.
A new character has been met! Yayyy! So I hoped you guys enjoyed the chapter.
[edited august. 2021]
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