Page 2 of His Brave Girl

My heart skips a beat, the final warning telling me I need to stay far away from him. I release the lock he has on my senses, choosing not to walk down memory lane. Instead, I turn my attention toward the hallway. Once I spot the numbers on the wall, I begin moving in the direction of my class, doing my best to calm my racing heart with every step I take. Taking one deep breath at a time as my walls start to build back up. As my strength returns to full force.

When I enter the classroom, the teacher tells me that all seats are open and I can sit at any table I want. I scan the room, seeing the clusters of kids who’ve already chosen their spots. Almost every seat is taken. Every table is filled except for two. There’s one seat available at a table filled with a group ofkids I’m positive are the Elite. And then there’s one table that’s completely empty except for one lone girl who’s occupying it.

Judging by her appearance and her entire demeanor, it’s obvious no one wants to sit with her. She’s the girl who never gets chosen. The one who gets ignored. People have probably been in school with her for years and many may not even know her name because “loser” is all they’ve ever called her. She’s not a girl who wishes to be one of the Elite. She’s a girl who wishes to fly under the radar until she no longer has to be locked within these walls. Which is exactly why I take the seat next to hers.

She glances up from the book she’s reading as I place my bag on the table. Her eyes grow wide with shock. Her glasses only magnifying the fear I see in their depths. She thinks I’m one of them. I’m not.

“Hey.” I smile. “Do you mind if I sit with you?” She studies me through her thick-rimmed glasses, looking at me like I’m some kind of alien. Her head barely tips as her throat constricts, choking down her nerves.

“Um…sure. You can sit there. I don’t mind.” Her voice is soft and friendly. She seems shy but I’ve learned not to make assumptions about people. Within these walls, especially when you’re considered an outcast, you learn to act a certain way. But deep down, in the comfort of her own home, surrounded by people who accept her, she may be lively. She could be the most outgoing girl ever to exist, but her sun will never shine under the clouds of the Elite.

“Thank you.” I smile, taking my seat then pulling out my computer. Relieved to have a safe place to land. Unlike all the Elite girls I’ve encountered, I don’t choose my friends based on looks. Although under this girl’s geeky attire, she’s probably a knockout. But I don’t care how much she weighs, what she wears, or how much money she has. All I care about is that she’s safe, her smile is warm, and that she’s not threatened by me. Sheshouldn’t be. No one should feel threatened. But I know that’s a false hope. Because no matter what I do or say, the Elite girls will feel threatened.

“Hey, new girl! You don’t have to sit with the loser. Come sit over here with us. This seat is open.”

I turn my head and see a perfect blond Barbie who’s sporting a cheerleading uniform, gesturing to the open seat next to her. I already don’t like her based on what she just said, but once I see the evil sneer on her face, which she’s trying to pass off as a fake smile, I definitely know she’s someone I’ll be keeping my distance from. She’s being nice to me, but it’s just an act. She sees me as competition and wants to keep her enemy close. From the looks of her, I’m guessing she’s the queen of the Elite. And judging by the tension in her shoulders, I’m guessing she’s worried I might seize her castle. Well, she can rest assured because I have no intentions of being her enemy, but I definitely have no interest in being her friend.

“Thanks for offering, but I’m good.” I give her a friendly smile and turn my attention back to the girl next to me. “I’m Presley, by the way. What’s your name?” The girl looks completely stunned by everything that’s happening right now. She’s being chosen over the cool kids. What she doesn’t realize is that she should be chosen. She’s probably a thousand times nicer and more genuine than any of them. The Elite may have money, looks, and popularity, but kindness is rarely a going trait.

“You should really go sit with them,” she urges, and I can hear her insecurities shining through. “Cassie is the most popular girl in school, and if she’s giving you an opportunity to be part of their group, you should take it. Don’t commit social suicide by sitting with me. I wouldn’t want to sit with me either.”

The tears sting my eyes. My chest tightens, and an overwhelming feeling of insane guilt for all of my past choices comes rushing in. At every school I attended, there was alwaysthe one kid that everyone avoided like the plague. And me, I always fell right in line and avoided the outcast too. Never giving thought to how lonely they must feel. How desperately they wanted to have friends. How they longed to be included and wanted to feel important. It’s not like I was ever mean to anyone, but I just never paid any attention to anyone other than myself. But that ends now.

“I appreciate you trying to look out for me, but you seem way nicer than that girl, and I’d really rather sit with you, if that’s okay? I don’t really want to be surrounded by a group of people who think that because they’re popular they have the right to be mean to people.”

Her big blue eyes reveal everything. All the emotion she’s feeling right now is radiating through her stare, and the tears in her eyes affirm the fact that I made the right choice. A choice I wish I’d made years ago. At all the other schools I attended.

“It’s nice to meet you, Presley. I’m Ruby. So, did you just move here?”

There’s a hesitance in her smile but at least she feels comfortable enough to talk to me, which I consider to be a good sign. I don’t want her to be intimidated by me. There’s nothing about me that makes me better than her, and I want her to know that.

“Yes.” I nod. “Well…kind of. I actually just moved back. I lived here up until sixth grade, but then my parents got divorced and I lived with my mom full time.” I spare her the details of how many states I’ve lived in over the years and skip to the bullet points. “But now I’m back living with my dad again.”

“Really?” Her eyes perk up. “I’ve lived here my entire life and I don’t remember you going to school with us.”

I shake my head. “That’s because my parents had me in an all-girls private school before I moved away, so you wouldn’t have seen me.”

“Oh.” She nods then her eyes drop back down to the table.

I watch as she retreats into her shell and turns back to the book she was reading. Almost like it’s a habit. She’s probably used to filling all the empty space and time of her day with reading so she doesn’t have to be alone with her thoughts and feel the pain of her insecurities. So she doesn’t have to face the alienation of being the “loser.”

While I’m here, I’m determined to break her shell. I want to show her that she’s just as worthy as everyone else. I want to help build her confidence and make her brave. Brave enough that she’ll accept me as her friend. Brave enough that when she leaves these hideous walls we call high school, she’ll be excited to face the world and become all she’s ever dreamed to be. I definitely don’t want the mean voices she’s heard for all these years playing in her head for the rest of her life and holding her back from anything.

“So, is this teacher hard or easy?” I ask, pulling out my notebook and getting situated for class.

She closes her book and does the same. “Mr. Stanley is nice. I’d say a bit on the strict side, but he’s a fair teacher.”

“That’s good.” I giggle. “Calculus isn’t my strongest subject.”

“Oh, well, if you ever have a question or need help, just ask.” Her eyes light up with the sound of her voice. “It’s my favorite subject and I’m not trying to brag but I have a hundred in the class, so I’d be happy to tutor you if you ever need it.”

“Thanks.” The warmth spreads over me, and I make the decision that whether I need the help or not, I’m going to take her up on her offer so I can spend more time with her. Not because she’s a project and I’m on some kind of mission to turn the ugly duckling into a swan, but because I could really use a genuine friend in my life and I think she’d make a great one. One I wish I’d had all along. One I’m guessing she’s probably needed for a long time, too.

The teacher calls our attention to the front, and as he starts the class, I notice the kids at the Elite table glancing in my direction. The three guys are blatantly checking me out, all of them trying to send signals with their eyes, relaying their obvious interest. But I pretend not to notice, keeping my attention focused on our teacher at the front of the room. The girls, on the other hand, are studying me like they’re trying to figure out a puzzle. They won’t solve the riddle that is me no matter how hard they try. I’ve finally learned how to keep my emotions locked down and the blankness on my face.

Unfortunately for Cassie, she’s revealing every thought running through her head. Every time the guy seated next to her looks in my direction, she puts her hand on his arm, practically forcing him to return his attention back to her. Thankfully, she hasn’t seen me look in his direction once, so I’m not the one at the end of her bitch glare right now. He is. And I plan on keeping it that way. All the girls here can relax because I’m not going to be dating anyone.

When the bell rings, it’s time for me to make my way to the gym. Thankfully, the queen isn’t in my athletics class so I don’t have to face her in the locker room. I’m guessing she’ll forgive my “rudeness” from class and make one more attempt with me before she puts me on her hit list. There are, however, a couple of girls in here that look like they belong to the fray, but they obviously are lower in the ranks because they give me friendly smiles and make no attempt to talk to me—which is a relief. My guess is they haven’t been given the order yet to approach. I’m all too familiar with how these girls operate. Especially, given the fact that I was the queen at my last school.

---