Chapter 1

 

     My alarm breaks the quite of the early morning. I don’t know why I bother setting the damn thing, since I’m always awake before it goes off. As I lay in my bed thinking of ways to torture my alarm clock, I hear my mom get up in the room next to me. That’s why I keep setting it. She’s to stubborn to set hers, so I have to set mine. She says it’s to make sure I wake up in the morning, but really it’s because she’d never remember to set hers.

     I slowly get out of bed. I don’t really want to leave it’s warmth, but if I’m going to not miss my bus today, I have to start getting ready.

     As I’m brushing my teeth I wonder why I brush, then eat breakfast. It would be smarter to eat, then brush. I’ve even done it once, but old habits apparently don’t die young.

     I get done with my morning routine early, like I always do. I could go watch TV, but that’s a waste of time. Instead I go wait at my bus stop. I’m the first one here, like always. As people show up they walk past me, as if they don’t see me. I’m invisible to them too.

     After fifteen minutes of freezing, the bus sputters to my stop. It’s funny, I’m always the first one here, but I always seem to be the last one getting on the bus. I’m fine with this though, because the front seat is always left open, and that’s where I always sit.

     Except today.

     I get on and find that there’s a person sitting in my seat. He must not have been told the rule that this seat is where the invisible girl sits.

     Our bus driver scowls at me to sit down, and I’m forced to sit next to the kid who doesn’t know the rules.

     For the ten minute bus ride, I watch the kid who doesn’t know the rules. He doesn’t know I’m watching him, since he’s looking out the window. He must be with the new family that moved into one of the new homes down the street sometime last week. This explains why he doesn’t know the rules.

     Our bus creaks as it arrives at school, the dies when the driver puts his foot on the break. I think the funds meant to go toward fixing busses is being used to fund something useless, like sports. Everything at our school revolves around sports, and if you don’t play a sport, you don’t exist.

     When I get off the bus, I’m glad to finally get away from the kid who doesn’t know the rules. I go to my usual hang out spot in the morning, though I don’t know why. All of my “friends” usually have somebody better to talk to and they tend to forget I exist.

     The Bell rings, and we all go to class, like a giant heard of sheep, or cows. All is normal until third period, when the kid who doesn’t know the rules shows up. He walks in through the door and hands my teacher a note. Then, she’s pointing in my direction, he turns his head, and he smiles, like he’s glad to see me. Now he’s headed toward the desk next to me. Could this day get worse?

      The answer is yes, it can.

      And it does.

     The kid who doesn’t know the rules turns toward me and taps my elbow. I try to ignore him, but that boy is persistent. He will not let me go until I turn and face him. When I finally do look up from my notes, He smiles, and hands me a piece of paper.

     He passed me a note.

     I’m going to have to find somebody to teach this guy the rules because he’s obviously not going to catch on himself. This task might prove to be difficult, since I’m invisible to the world. I tuck his note into my binder, much to his disappointment.

     Finally , the bell rings, and I’m free. Except I’m not free because someone is pulling on my sweatshirt sleeve, and I’m caught.

     “Hey. My name’s Sam.”

     Is he insane? He should just turn around and walk away. Instead, here he is, talking to me, the invisible girl.

     “What’s your name?” He asks when he sees that I’m too shocked to process thoughts.

     The bell rings and kids come  from all directions. The flow of the oncoming student traffic proves too much, and we are separated. I’m quit  literally saved by the bell.

 

 

     I have learned a great way to avoid looking alone at lunch. It’s in the Library. No, it’s not the actual library itself, but it’s the library’s attic. This place is possible the coolest place to escape to. It’s got chairs, and a small table, and tons of books. There’s also this really cool stained glass window, and when the sun shines through it at the right angle, the colors of the glass dance wildly over old book covers and the dusty wooden floor. It’s like my own little piece of the world.

     I first discovered this place my freshman year when I helped the TA’s come up here to find something. Ever since then, it’s been my hideout. The librarians don’t mind that I come up here because they know that they can trust me. They’ve known me since middle school and knew I wasn’t a normal teenager who hates books. In fact, I love books. They have rescued me many times from the pains of the real world.

     Since the TA’s usually come up here to search for things, I don’t look up when someone opens the door.

     “Hey! I’ve been looking for you! So, this is your hideout.”

     F**k.

     “Do you mind if I eat lunch with you?”

     Double F**k.

     I had a theory that if I ignored him, he’d go away. Unfortunatly, he decided to ignore my theory, since he couldn’t pick up on my telepathic powers. There he sat, in the chair across from me.

     He didn’t talk.

     Instead, he pulled out a book from his back pack and he started reading. I guess I was wrong when I thought he was going to talk my ear off. He didn’t even say goodbye after the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch period. He didn’t wait for me to go to class. Common sense must’ve finally hit him.

 

 

     The rest of the day was a blur, and I don’t recall much of it, since I spaced out in the rest of my classes. I don’t really have to pay attention to any of my classes. I just absorb information, whether I’m awake or not. Like a sponge.

     After the last bell rang, I grabbed my back pack and headed to my bus. I sighed a huge sigh of relief when I saw my seat wasn’t already occupied. I watched as the rest of the bus filled up, and was beginning to think that maybe today was nothing but an illusion. Then he showed up. I looked around the bus, only to find that my seat was the only one available. I moved my bag and slid over towards the window.

     As the bus pulled away from school, I could’ve sworn I felt eyes watching me as I started out the window. I was glad when his stop finally came and he got off the bus.