A ray of sunlight beamed through the windows and enlightened the room, removing the thick cloud of sadness and negativity that seemed to hover over my head for a really long time now. I bent down to tie my shoes, while vainly blowing away small pieces of my perfectly curled hair that was falling on my face.
Over the years people have questioned my ways. Constantly asking why I was so quiet and where's that bright smile they used to see. I never answered. I could never bring myself to answer because I was life itself, wild and free, wonderfully chaotic; a perfectly put together mess.
"Jade hurry up you're going to be late for school!" shouted my mum from the downstairs kitchen.
"I'll be there in a sec!" I got up from the bed and vehemently grabbed my laptop from my study desk. I placed it in my bag before zipping it up and exiting my room.
"Well you look nice," complimented my mum and I gave her a weird look.
"Mum I always wear black jeans to go to school."
"Yes but today you're wearing a white top, not exactly your usual wardrobe choice."
"My purple one's dirty."
She grinned at me and I sat at the table, devouring my pancakes, she makes the best. My mum will always be my pillar, she has been for a really long time, ever since my dad left.
"You got a promotion?" I asked taking in her not-so casual appearance.
"Yes, how did you know?"
"You're wearing a new blouse and you look happy, nobody looks happy on a Monday morning."
"How do you know it's a promotion? What if I was going to attend an interview for a new job?" she questioned clearly thinking she raised a fool.
"If you were going to attend an interview you'd be all hyped up and anxious. Then I'd try to calm you down," I said waving my fork in the air in an attempt to be dramatic, "And you would be playing with your necklace which is what you usually do when you're nervous." I plopped another piece of pancake in my mouth and looked at her, waiting for her to even try to deny my analysis.
"Who's daughter are you?"
"Yours, I have the eyes to prove it. By the way, I might be late tonight, umm I'm going to study with Hailee," I said, completely ignoring how full my mouth was.
"Alright but be back in time for dinner, I'm making pasta."
I chugged down a glass of milk and grabbed the car keys from our coffee table in the living room. I unhooked my black leather jacket from a hook next to the door and made my way to the car. Today was not the day for me to wear my white shoes. The rain had been falling all night long and outside was so muddy. The concrete was barely visible under the thick coat of mud.
"Great, just my luck," I mumbled.
I started driving towards Hailee's house. My best friend, the one I can tell my soul to and the only person who knows my secret.
"Hey girly!" she said all perked up as she got into the car. I eyed her new Christian Louboutin shoes but made no comment, knowing full well that she would question my lack of enthusiasm for her footwear later on.
"Why are you in such a good mood?" I questioned, still pulling a straight face.
"Its Monday, you know Monday is my favourite day of the week."
Ohh I forgot to mention, my best friend is weird.
"Yes because anyone in their right mind would be happy to wake up at 6 in the morning to go to a place where they're judged and shamed for simply being themselves," I replied with a tinge of sarcasm in my tone.
"Stop being a hater."
I shook my head and we drove towards school.
Northview High. Notorious for being the crusher of childhood dreams and home of one of the most deadliest creatures known to men; high school brats. One of those creatures goes by the name of Elena. She spends her time torturing the 9th graders and bossing people around.
One of the reason why I'm the outcast of Northview, 14 year old Jade had the guts to stand up to Elena one day in class when she went around the school telling everyone that I was rejected by my father. After slapping her and spending what seemed to be an eternity in the Principal's Office, Elena learned that you just don't mess with a tainted teenage girl. Their comebacks are always stronger than their setbacks. Sure she still talks about me and annoys me whenever she gets the chance, but hey as far as I know, I stood up to the high school bully which is something that no soul has ever dared to do.
I pulled up in a parking space close to the door. I like how as soon as I get out of school I just rush outside and my car's parked right there, practically begging me to get out of this miserable place.
"Are you going to 'The Place' tonight?" she asked, making quotation marks with her fingers.
"Yes Hailee. I have to."
"You are aware that you are only feeding your desires and that will not make the loneliness you're feeling go away, right?"
"I told you codes don't lie, people do. It's the only way I can keep my head straight."
"I take offence, but like seriously I think you should talk to someone about it," she suggested.
"Yeah sure, whatever." I shrugged it off and got out of the car. As soon as we entered the school hallways I lost Hailee in the crowd of overly enthusiastic teens telling their friends about what they did during the weekend. From parties and sleepovers I did not attend, to road trips to the suburbs and to spending all Saturday night crying on the couch because of a break up. I swear high school hallways in the mornings are like big bubbles of gossip. The epitome of what journalism should look like.
"Why does everything suck in my life," I mumbled to myself as I opened my locker to get my books. I had Chemistry, an enlightening subject to do on a Monday morning.
"Well, well, well."
The demon's voice rang through my ears making my inner ears bleed. Even hearing her talk was so unpleasant, to the extent that I felt like I needed to bang my head on the nearest wall.
"What do you want Elena?"
I slammed the door of my locker and turned to look at her and her entourage of not-so intimidating minions.
"You look ugly in white. I liked you better in dark colours."
I scoffed and walked past them to go to my respective class.
"Don't walk away from me!" she called out.
"Watch me."
《--->●<---》
The day went by rapidly, which is unusual for a Monday.
I sat at the back of the class, chewing on a tasteless piece of gum and slowly tapping my pen on the desk, wishing that this class would end sooner rather than later. Doing Maths in the afternoon when you are so tired and your brain capacity has been maxed out is equally as bad as doing Chemistry in the morning. The class was so silent that you could hear the echoing 'tick tock' sound of the wall clock each time the second hand moved.
"Miss Lockwood, would you mind spitting out your gum please?"
I jumped off of my train of thoughts when Mr. Daniels interrupted the class to confront me for eating gum. Teachers nowadays are borderline unbelievable.
"Whatever."
I got up from my desk and walked to the bin, all the way on the other side of the class. He stared at me as I marched back across the class to go to
my seat.
Over the last 6 years I have learnt to just let things be. The more you don't care the less pain you'll have to endure.
I was saved by the ringing of the 3 p.m bell. The hallways were packed to every nook and cranny and everyone was pushing through to get out of this prison masked as an educating center.
I passed by my locker to drop off my books and I made my way to the car. I was about to enter when something caught my attention. Well someone that is. A green-eyed figure with messy brown hair.
He had the same expressionless face I had. Not to mention that certain appearance of loneliness and solitude that could grasp my attention even from miles away. Here I was thinking that I was the only one who could pull a straight face like that for a whole day.
He seemed, different. But hey, welcome to the ever-growing list of people that I don't like.
《--->●<---》