I have noticed, that in a school you can't go too long being alone, someone will stumble upon you and sometimes, that someone is exactly who you need in your life.
"That was awesome," it was a half sort of squeal not too loud that it would draw attention but just loud enough to signify the sort of excitement that was infectious.
She smiled brightly, and her eyes shone even brighter, a crystal sort of blue, like the ocean and the sky but right at the point where they met, a unison of two fast expanses of beauty.
Her hair was a wavy sort of blonde, not so much that it could be categorised as curly. Her uniform somehow looked different on her, there was more personality to it, a few enamel pins scattered on her blazer, one that had the word PREFECT engraved into it. Her shirt was rolled slightly not to her elbows but enough that you would notice the difference.
It seemed she had forgotten to pull one of her green socks up to her knee or maybe it was on purpose.
But it seemed my brain had fried after the interaction with the bullies, I stared at her blankly and like a complete idiot I asked her, "What was awesome."
She laughed airily, a light sound that caught in the wind and drifted between ears.
"I mean standing up to those guys, they've always been arseholes, I've known them forever and I don't think you can get any better than that. You know putting them in their place and all. It's a nice change from all the fangirling,"
"Fangirling?" I posed as she crouched down to sit beside me, knocking one of her knees up and leaving the other leg stretched out against the asphalt.
"Yeah, I mean we're the oldest in the school now. Ready to go on spread our wings, people are starting to get into that stage where it's the most important thing in the world to get a boyfriend. And they are, if we were to put it in Victorian terms, the most eligible bachelors."
"Well," she paused her eyes drifting over to where the rather angry guys were still giving me the stink eye, "Two of them are the most eligible. Zac over there," she pointed to the tall blond with the eyes of pure contradiction, "Is dating our resident It girl Ruby Reed."
"I don't see it," I laughed a little and she joined in the giggles, "They're no Ryan Reynolds."
"Not by a long shot," she agreed and we talked more. It was nice and after a good five minutes of random conversation, I realised I didn't even know her name yet.
"Oh I just realised, I don't even know your name yet,"
"Oh, I always forget. Haven't had to introduce myself to anyone since Year Nine, we don't get many transfers here, in this little town of ours. It's why people like them can have so much power, everyone knows everyone. I'm Cherry Awning, but everyone calls me Cheery."
"Let me guess because you bring happiness wherever you go because you sure did bring it here to me," I held out my hand, "I'm Amina, Amina Islam."
"Amina," she smiled broadly pink lips stretching to reveal hidden dimples that just added to her sunshine personality, "I like it."
She shook my hand and held it tight, looking at me dead in the eye, I got a little scared for a moment I thought for one terrifying second this was all a ploy, but it turned out I was just jaded, "You know this makes us friends for life now, this handshake right here, more biding than a blood oath."
"You're not into that stuff are you," I asked warily and she shook her head, her hair falling messily in front of her eyes, strands splintering and fracturing the blue of her eyes, "Oh gosh no- I just have a flair for the dramatic-"
"You can say that again dwarf," In all my excitement to find a friend I hadn't even noticed that the bullies had come back for round 2.
Cheery gave a withering smile, sharp and poignant as she lifted herself, she wasn't as short as me, I'd say average height but compared to the guys before us we were tiny. And small.
And I think they hoped we would be insignificant, but I'd be damned if that was all we turned out to be.
"Oh you're so original Felix, get a new tagline, keep talking like that and the Year 7s you've inadvertently taught that when a boy likes them they're mean to them will think you have a big fat flaming crush on me."
"As if Dwarf, who the hell would like you?"
It seemed Cheery had been preparing her answer for a while, "Oh I have a list, do you want to hear it,"
Felix didn't get a chance to answer as Cheery when on a rampage, full force with her voice confident as it had been since the first word she spoke, "There's, Thomas, Harvey, Eritchi, Paul liked me for a bit and then realised he liked Brad so much better, Lincon the exchange student from last year, we still talk you know, Ryan-"
I saw the blistering look on Felix's face, there was anger there, and being someone who consumed themselves in literature, in fake scenarios that often started like this, hatred and spite turned into something more.
"No one asked, Dwarf," another one of the boys spoke, a sort of silent power around him. He spoke little, but when he did it was to hurt.
One of those girls.
The phrase rang in my head, sure I had put on a show of how it didn't affect me. But it was a lie, it did.
"Oh Marcus, do you not have your listening ears on? Felix literally just asked, and now he's super jealous because he has a big fat-"
"Enough Cheery," the last boy who I now knew was Zac spoke, a steely look passed across his face as he gave me a once over, "This doesn't involve you, this is between us and..."
He searched for the appropriate insults but it seemed Felix had a theme going, "The Midget and the Dwarf what a perfect pair," the mockery in my voice, made me thankful that I was usually a pacifist because I was this close to punching that smug look off of his face.
"Yeah, well if you have a problem with my friend then you have a problem with me," she stood forward, all the flame in her eyes, she challenged him the obvious ring leader. There was tension crackling in the air, and I couldn't let this continue.
I needed to fight my own battles.
"It's ok Cheery, I'm fine. They want to talk to me, let them talk," Cheery got what I mean, what I needed she took a step back but did not leave me on my own.
"At least she seems to have some brains under that-" Marcus waved in my general direction, disgust perched on his lips, as though my hijab was an infection that would kill him even by the mere mention of its name.
This was where the small-town stuff really made sense, there weren't many Muslims around if any, and there were a few families around but their kids were much older, I appeared to be one of a very small minority.
And the old town traditions were showing.
And by tradition I mean prejudice.
There were lessons to be learnt, and things to be taught for sure.
"It's a hijab. You can say the word it won't kill you," I snapped.
Not expecting the next words that were spoken, they weren't from any of the guys, it was a higher voice but just as deadly, "Yeah, but you might. You terrorist."