//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Shattered Souls // by Emma the Crazy Slytherin //------------------------------// I swallowed hard, making my way down the virtually empty hallway of this hell hole we call a high school. I normally showed up to school quite early, to avoid other people. But today was a rough start, there were already small groups of kids lining themselves up along the hallway walls. Needless to say, I wasn't happy. I was, to put it bluntly, an outcast. it's how things have always gone for me. and that's how things always will be. I don't want friends, and I really don't need any. all I do is drag others down. and forget the old saying that "Everyone needs friends!" is about as non existent as unicorns! Now don't get me wrong: I have nothing against other people, I just don't fit in with them. I'm a freak of nature! Probably not meant to be born in the first place. That's all I am. I'm ok with that, and my dad is ok with that as well. My parents both used to love me and my powers as a whole. Rarely fought, loved eachother. I didn't know about my powers for quite a while. Or at least, didn't know they made me not normal. Massive things changed in my family once I realized I wasn't normal. Parents fought so much more than they used to, dad beat me. My mom soon got depressed. I take that it was from the constant stress of hiding my powers, from me and everybody else. She got worse and worse and worse, and one thing led to another before she was dead, found, by none other than yours truly, in the bath, soaking in her own wrist slit blood. This all happened when I was little, of course. Time has went by, the horrifying image of her lifeless body tattooed into my brain no longer scared me, hell, It barely made me flinch anymore. Even now, with my own wrists scarred pink and raw from the cuts I made with the blade I took from my mother's room, that woman, who used to tuck me in and whisper soothing words in my ear, and who would hug me whenever I cried, and who I would hear sobbing her heart out in the other rooms at night, and who I watched slowly sink further and further into depression, and who whispered how sorry she was into my ear one night, and who I found bloody in the tub the next morning, and who made my heart ache with grief years after the funeral--that woman no longer was my mother; she was dead, gone, and rotted in the cemetery grounds, as I should be. Alas, instead of that, I was here, at school, my hell away from hell. I soon made my way to our school's library. I spent my time there before school and during lunch. It was the usual place I liked to spend most of my time. I pushed the doors open, finally feeling the ability to relax a little and lifted my head up, flipping my fringe from my face and tossing a soft smile at the librarian. As I was a frequent visitor, she smiled back, waving. I don't talk to her, but she's the only person I can say I trust. No, not trust, I'd say more as am comfortable around. Trust is a word I don't take lightly, and I have never used it on a person anytime after my mother died. I went to my usual bean bag in the corner of the room. it had an effect to where you could literally "hide" away from everyone else. I let my body flop into the usual fabric, and took out my phone. opening up the tumblr app to scroll for a bit, grinning at a few funny posts, liking and reblogging along the way. I think this may be my favorite part of the day, where I can just sit and enjoy myself, no interruptions. For twenty minutes, at least. Then came the interruption. A loud, ringing bell from the intercom in the ceiling. I sighed, not wanting to leave my haven, but giving in anyway. I shoved my phone into my pocket, grabbing my bag and rushing to the doors. I smiled goodbye to the librarian, who waved, like always, before turning to something on her computer. Then, I pushed my way out into the sea of people, praying not to get trampled over on my way to class. I was early, as always. But something was amiss this time. There was another girl in the room, one that I hadn't seen before. At least 10 minutes before the bell rang, across the room, seated. That wasn't the weirdest part. She was staring at me. And not the whole "new kid" glance around the room in nervousness. it was a full on stare. I was pretty much invisible in this world. no one really gave a damn about me. I was more or less, Invisible. It took me some time to reach that invisibility. I used to be noticed; yes, but not in a good way. I was an easy target for bullies. Mentally, physically, verbally. whatever. I didn't do anything about it. I just let it happen. Then it stopped. I don't know if people got bored. or if teachers told them to stop or what. Slowly; but surely, it all came to an end. No one ever looked at me. except the librarian. Of course I'm not actually invisible. Meaning if something happened where I had to take part, it was forgotten about shorty after. But here I am. sitting in the back of the room attracting the attention of a girl I don't even know. I looked behind me to make sure that she wasn't looking at someone behind me. but all that was there was a blank wall. I was beginning to worry I was going to be noticed and picked on again, up until I looked back at her confusion melting across my face. She was smiling at me now. Like, actually smiling. Not a mean smile, or pity smile, a genuine, friendly, almost shy, smile. But finally the moment ended. another kid walked into the room and she looked back forward, breaking eye contact with me. - When the bell rang, I had already taken that the new kid had forgotten about me, just as anybody else would, and rushed to the door. Apparently, I was wrong, because somebody grabbed my arm. Not in an aggressive way, it was gentle, which is why I was both confused and terrified. Gentle touches by other people and I weren't exactly familiar friends. "Hey." A voice breathed, and I turned around, eyes wide. It was the new kid, of course. Who else would talk to me, than none other than the one person that, so far, has broken everything I stand for in a mere morning? I eyed her cautiously, taking in her up close appearance for the first time. I couldn't see that well back in class, all the way across the room, other than he had brown hair with suitable pink stripes and a tan face. But holy fuck, she's attractive. Her eyes were so green you could think you were walking in a forest, and his skin was a sun kissed tan, somewhat lighter than the chestnut brown hair on her head. I knocked myself out of the short trance, back to reality. "U-Uh, Hi." I replied, words sloppy and I mentally face palmed myself for being unable to keep them together. She still hasn't let go of my arm, and I glanced down at how her tan hands grasped the fabric of my leather jacket. She seemed to notice where my eyes wandered, because she yanked away quickly. "Sorry." She said, cheeks flushing. This was weird, god was it weird. Somebody is talking to me, somebody is noticing me. I wanted to flee, run away with my protective bubble that kept me hidden from the world, the one she somehow saw through. But I didn't, I just stood there, fiddling with my fingers awkwardly. "I'm JJ." She finally spoke up. We were still standing in the doorway, and I knew I should get to my next class, given most kids were already emptying out from the hall, but my feet seemed to be melted into the spot. "Em." I introduced myself. "A-Are you new?" I asked quietly, watching her nod, her bangs falling over her eyes, her brushing it slowly out of her tan, blush sprinkled face. Was she nervous? Who on earth would be nervous around me, the freak, the outcast, the kid not meant to be born? "Could you, um, show me to my next class?" JJ asked, and I nodded quickly, wanting to depart from this kid as soon as I could. She was probably just shy, and that's why she seemed so nervous and red faced. Shy, yeah. She didn't seem so shy when she was staring at you, did she? My brain sneered, but I pushed it away. "What class?" I asked, staring to walk down the hall. She quickly fumbled in her pocket for something, pulling out a paper I assumed was her schedule. "Chemistry." She said finally, looking up at me through her hair that had fell over her face again when she looked down. I almost wanted to scream, because of course, she had the same class as me next. Hell, with my luck, we probably had all the same classes. "O-Oh. Me too, come on." I said, feigning indifference. I apparently hid my displeasure with the class arrangement well, because she smiled softly, looking relieved to know somebody in the class she'd be sitting in next. She didn't think you were friends now because of this, did she? The question choked me, making my throat run dry with worry. I couldn't have friends, I wasn't supposed to have friends. I wasn't even meant to be born! A freak like me will only drag people down, scare them away with my stupid powers, and end up hurting all involved. She will forget about you soon enough, and it'll be okay. Don't worry. My mind told me. I sighed in reply. God, I hope so.