Lost and Found, chapter 2
Lena stood at her locker, staring at her textbooks. People brushed past, not paying any attention to her. She slammed the locker shut. Silence. The slam echoed across the hallway. Everyone stared. She walked to her homeroom as if nothing happened.
"Lena?" a voice said. She turned around. Her teacher, Mrs. Hill, motioned her to her desk. She pulled out a sheet of paper. "These are your grades." Lena stared. She was doing horrible. "Are you alright? Any problems at home?" She looked her in the eye. Lena stared at her hands.
Yes. "No," her voice said. Once again, Mrs. Hill looked her in the eye for a long time. Lena felt the urge tugging at her. She wanted so badly to tell her. To tell her that ever since her father died, her mother took up drinking. She wanted to tell her how many times she found her mom passed out on the table. She wanted to tell her how every night she ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or frozen waffles. But she didn't. She didn't say a word.
"Lena, you may not even have enough credits to pass. You have to try harder." Mrs. Hill sighed. "You fail one test, or don't turn in your homework once, you're hopeless." She looked her in the eye again. She knows.
"Okay.. I'll try," Lena said, not looking at her. She walked back to her desk and waited for the bell to ring.
As soon as it rang, whe was gone. She quietly walked down the hall, knowing the route subconciously. She took a turn down an empty hallway. She walked to the end and out the doors.
Finally, she was outside. She walked to the edge of the school, behind the gym. So far, she'd never been caught there. Lena pulled out a cigarrette and stuck it in her mouth. Shit. She felt her pockets. No matches.
"Here." A hand stuck out from the corner, followed by a face. She took the match.
"Thanks." She looked at him. His brown hair hung over those familiar blue eyes. He was the guy from this morning. She closed her eyes and inhaled the addictive scent. There was an awkward silence.
"Doesn't that make kissing gross?" he pointed his chin at her lit cigarrette.
"Who says I'm kissing anyone?" she replied.
The guy smiled and lit his own cigarrette. They smoked in silence together. She noticed he kept glancing at her.
"What's your name?" he said between puffs. He looked at her.
"Lena," she didn't meet his gaze.
"Lena..." he said to himself. "I'm Mike."
"Hello, Mike," she said softly. She tugged at her sweater. It was freezing.
"Are you cold?" Mike asked with genuine concern. "Here." He pulled off his jacket, and before lena could refuse, wrapped it around her.
"What about you?" Lena asked. She met his gaze. His piercing blue eyes were bright.
"I'll survive."
She fingered the jacket as she realized this was the nicest thing a guy had ever done for her. Sure, it sounded pathetic, but it was true. She felt the corners of her mouth tug.
"Hey..." he said softly. "You smiled."
Lena felt her stomach knot up. She barely knew this guy. How could she already have feelings for him? There had to be a catch. He was homeless, abusive, anything. Was this safe? Accepting a jacket from a stranger?
"You wanna get out of here?" His voice interrupted her thoughts. He looked longingly at the streets.
Lena stared at the leaves drifting to the ground. Her mind said no. What if he was some kind of a serial killer, plotting to kill her in the next 5 minutes?
"Sure."
"Awesome, I know the perfect place."
"Lena?" a voice said. She turned around. Her teacher, Mrs. Hill, motioned her to her desk. She pulled out a sheet of paper. "These are your grades." Lena stared. She was doing horrible. "Are you alright? Any problems at home?" She looked her in the eye. Lena stared at her hands.
Yes. "No," her voice said. Once again, Mrs. Hill looked her in the eye for a long time. Lena felt the urge tugging at her. She wanted so badly to tell her. To tell her that ever since her father died, her mother took up drinking. She wanted to tell her how many times she found her mom passed out on the table. She wanted to tell her how every night she ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or frozen waffles. But she didn't. She didn't say a word.
"Lena, you may not even have enough credits to pass. You have to try harder." Mrs. Hill sighed. "You fail one test, or don't turn in your homework once, you're hopeless." She looked her in the eye again. She knows.
"Okay.. I'll try," Lena said, not looking at her. She walked back to her desk and waited for the bell to ring.
As soon as it rang, whe was gone. She quietly walked down the hall, knowing the route subconciously. She took a turn down an empty hallway. She walked to the end and out the doors.
Finally, she was outside. She walked to the edge of the school, behind the gym. So far, she'd never been caught there. Lena pulled out a cigarrette and stuck it in her mouth. Shit. She felt her pockets. No matches.
"Here." A hand stuck out from the corner, followed by a face. She took the match.
"Thanks." She looked at him. His brown hair hung over those familiar blue eyes. He was the guy from this morning. She closed her eyes and inhaled the addictive scent. There was an awkward silence.
"Doesn't that make kissing gross?" he pointed his chin at her lit cigarrette.
"Who says I'm kissing anyone?" she replied.
The guy smiled and lit his own cigarrette. They smoked in silence together. She noticed he kept glancing at her.
"What's your name?" he said between puffs. He looked at her.
"Lena," she didn't meet his gaze.
"Lena..." he said to himself. "I'm Mike."
"Hello, Mike," she said softly. She tugged at her sweater. It was freezing.
"Are you cold?" Mike asked with genuine concern. "Here." He pulled off his jacket, and before lena could refuse, wrapped it around her.
"What about you?" Lena asked. She met his gaze. His piercing blue eyes were bright.
"I'll survive."
She fingered the jacket as she realized this was the nicest thing a guy had ever done for her. Sure, it sounded pathetic, but it was true. She felt the corners of her mouth tug.
"Hey..." he said softly. "You smiled."
Lena felt her stomach knot up. She barely knew this guy. How could she already have feelings for him? There had to be a catch. He was homeless, abusive, anything. Was this safe? Accepting a jacket from a stranger?
"You wanna get out of here?" His voice interrupted her thoughts. He looked longingly at the streets.
Lena stared at the leaves drifting to the ground. Her mind said no. What if he was some kind of a serial killer, plotting to kill her in the next 5 minutes?
"Sure."
"Awesome, I know the perfect place."
Previous | Page 2/2
