"Wounds that penetrate so deep leaving their scars all over her. A boy determined to be the one dives into her past, attempting to piece everything together. He finds unforgettable and dark moments in her hidden life and he is so certain no one would have survived the pain, but as he digs deeper, he discovers secrets that may waver his trust and love for her."
School. I have never said that word since the day I turned five.
Home. A place I was locked in since the day I turned five.
The time is now six in the morning, as I wake to mum calling me for the fifth time as she stands with her hands crossed at my room door.
I turn towards the door and got up slowly to change.
Breakfast was quick, egg and bread.
I wave goodbye to my parents and for the first time ever since I was five I am out in the open.
The bus stop is about five metres away from the door. I take the bus alone and somehow even the windows seem to be staring at me and 'alone' suddenly doesn't seem like the right word anymore.
As I walk into school grounds, I am aware of how everyone is looking at me, their gazes piercing through my soul. Ducking my head, I try my best to avoid eye contact with everyone.
I go to locker number five because it is the only one available, head to the fifth class to my right, sit at the fifth row from the back to the right.
My teacher comes in for attendance and the fifth name she calls out is mine. Suddenly the world turns silent, it stops spinning.
Since five, I knew five was my unlucky number. No matter how hard I try to forget or avoid it, how fast I run, wherever I go, the number five is still there. Like the boy who just sat down in front of me, his bag imprinted with a large, 'FIVE FOR LIFE'.
Who the heck owns such a bag? Ridiculous!? That's when I realize that the teacher is calling out to me, "Ms Styles! I have called your name five times already." Who's counting?
"Yes, miss." I quickly reply. She glares at me and sighs, "Your designated number is five."
Damn it.
"What was that Miss Styles?"
Oops, I must have said that out loud.
"If you require my attention, please raise your hand, do not speak out loud or interrupt me while I am speaking." She babbles on like a crone.
"Right." I blush and push the strands of hair falling over my face behind my ears and stare at the boy in front of me. Miss whatever her name is resumes talking and I lift my head to study the boy in front of me. "Mason Niall." The teacher calls and he nods at the teacher who smiles sweetly in return. Strange. Mason Niall, eh.
I stretch my hands in front trying to get a better view but accidentally hit my bottle down my table, which unfortunately, falls onto his back. "What the—"
The class goes quiet.
He turns around and stares right at me. I flush in embarrassment and stand to retrieve my bottle from...
his hands.
"I am really sorry..." I say, barely audible but he cuts in, "You better be." I nod and attempt to snatch my bottle back from his hand, but he swiftly moves it away from me.
He frowns, "Aren't you that girl who was homeschooled since you were five?"
That number again.
"Yeah." I deadpan.
"She lost her virginity when she was only five!" Someone from the front announces.
Oh no!
Just like that. I dashed out of the class. I knew how first day of school usually sucks, but I didn't know it could get this bad. I'm already twenty and most of the students here are eighteen. Abnormal college girl, they would say. The rumors say.
I don't have a choice though. I need to get into university.
That is when I hear someone calling out to me. At least it sounds like it was referred to me. "Hey!" The voice calls.
And of course, it was Mason damn Niall.
"What?" I swirl around glaring at him as hard as I could, nostrils flared, fists clench. He swerves his occupied arms in front of us, my bag and bottle dangles just at reach.
"Woah." He laughs when he notices my expression, "I just wanted to hand you this if you plan on skipping the rest of your classes, which have not started... and I'm sorry… about that. Yeah… you hit my back though."
"Thanks." I scowl at him.
"Someday you'll learn that this world isn't your world, and it's not your fault that things happen." I wanted to ask him what he meant by that, it sounded very offensive. Before I got a chance to ask him, he jogs off leaving my things on the floor. Okay. Okay, Skyla.
After all, I've decided to skip school already. My feet drags heavily on the pavement as I walk back to the bus stop, my bag sags behind my back, my head held down.
Stupid school. Stupid life. Stupid number five. Stupid class. Stupid boy. Tears stream down my cheeks smudging my make up on its way down. Make up was never my thing. This will probably be my first and last time I let mum put on make up for me.
I stop and sit on a railing. For some reasons I actually feel safe here. No worries, like nothing unlucky is going to happen to me, but that has always been my middle name, 'Unlucky'.
I wasn't the type to stay out into the nights, my parents would freak out, I would feel insecure, Henryk would probably send out a whole search team in search for his sister.
I don't know how long I've been here, but long enough to know that the first class just ended.
However it wasn't sitting at the railing that made me realize classes were over. More like the person walking over right now.
"Hey. You're still here." He says.
Yea, you just stated the obvious.
Now that I've realised, I don't think I ever properly looked at him properly. From the glimpse I got earlier he's decent, but I keep my eyes to myself, as usual. "Yeah." I reply. That's all.
"Do you have to be in such a mood on the first day of school?" He sounds frustrated. When I don't reply he asks another question, "How old are you?"
Again, I don't answer.
I notice some girls in the corner, gawking at him.
Yuck.
It has been a long time since I've— actually I've never ever talked to boys other than Henryk, so I have no idea how to communicate with this one.
Is it normal for girls to flock over boys? Well, I don't. Should I like him? Nope.
"Ignore them." He says in a calm demeanor.
I then reply his previous question, "I'm twenty."
"Woah, I'm eighteen." He says. He sits down beside me and asks, "Did I ask too much? I've only asked you two questions and you're ignoring me already."
"Firstly, you asked me three questions, counting the one in class. Secondly, I didn't completely ignore you, which means walking away from someone who is very nosy and talkative."
"Oh." He frowns, "You didn't like that question, eh?" His eyebrows are raised and he stares at me. I look back. His hair is shining brightly in the sun, his eyes are an iridescent blue. Blue eyes, I've never seen blue eyes so close up, they are kind of cloudy which reminds me of something that looks like dipping blue paint inside water and it kind of clouds up. It is nice but reminds me of-
I quickly return to his question, "No, I don't like people talking about... basically, me."
"Why?" He asks and I stare at him. He seals his mouth into a thin line immediately. "Sorry." He mumbles. We start staring at the ground in front of us for the next minute.
Eventually he says, "Okay, I'm gonna go for the next class, you coming?" He stands and turns his head to look at me.
When I don't answer, he reaches out his hand for me but I shake my head and stand by myself. I tilt my head up and look into his eyes and the seconds start to tick slowly.
I break the eye contact when I realize that his hand redrew and then I start walking away from him. His gaze follows after me but he doesn't follow. I should have felt crept out by someone watching me leave, but for the first time, I actually don't mind.
My bus arrives almost immediately and I hop in. I find a seat near the window facing the school and I see that he stands at the same spot. His hands are shoved into his pockets and he smiles at me. He takes out one of his hands and waves before turning back to school. I watch as his strides gets wider and he disappears into the school.
The bell must have rung.