Young Writers Society

‘ Hey Kelly, can you get me a dohnut from the canteen? I have to go and speak to Miss brown really quickly.’ Kelly nods.

‘Yeah sure!’ I drop 2 Dirhams into her hand and walk away. When I get back from Miss brown its Angie who hands me the dohnut. I look at it and see three big dents in the icing. Like someone has dug their fingers into it. She sees me looking.

‘ It was like that when we bought it.’ She says quickly.

‘ Yeah, it came with added features, dirt and grass.’ Mel adds in an undertone, obviously meant for me to hear. They are all looking at me now. I turn and walk away dumping the dohnut in the bin on the way. Holly runs to catch up with me.

‘Hey sofi, don’t worry about them. I mean I had a fight with Angie the other day and she turned the whole form against me!’ I turn and look her in the eye.

‘Which, incase you’ve forgotten, she did that to me. Remember? When no one spoke to me for a whole term? If I remember right you ignored me along with the others.’ I turn away and carry on walking. Once again she runs to catch up.

‘Hey, some on sofs! We’re friends! Friends stick together!’ I turn and face her again.

‘Then thanks so much for stepping in back there to defend me.’

Fiona was new, just like me. Transferred to Dubai from Texas. I had just transferred from another school in Dubai. I was nervous, and on the ‘New Students’ day, I met her. We were both going to be in the same form. I can remember how relieved I’d felt that I would know at least one person on the first day of school tomorrow.

I was one of the first people into the classroom on the first day. I picked the chair nearest the door and sat down, trying to look confident. There was one other girl in the room. She was sitting on the other side of the classroom fiddling with her hair. Go and talk to her sofi. Just sit down and introduce yourself! GO! NOW! I wish I did. I wished I had the confidence to just walk over and start talking.

I looked up as I girl with straight brown hair walked in closely followed by another girl and two boys. I smiled and she came over.

‘You the new girl?’ she asked. I nodded.

‘Yeah, I just came from J.C.’ A few eyebrows went up. The other girl spoke:

‘ You from Jumeirah College?’ I nod, and I see them glance at each other and register slight interest.

‘So what’s you name then?’

‘Sofi.’ I replied. I asked their names and studied each of them in turn. Paul, Laura, Michael and Kaitlin. There was an awkward silence, so I turned back around and pretended to be fiddling with my hair bobble. After a while they seemed to give up and wander off. Not long after another two girls came into the classroom. They smiled and started talking to me and took me with them to meet people in other forms. They were called Megan and Sarah. I met lots of new people, and I couldn’t get over the fact they all seemed to want to get to know me. When we came back to the classroom I saw Fiona sitting in the seat next to my bag. She smiled and looked up; I could see how relieved she was that I was there. I sat down next to her and smiled.

‘Hey! How are you?’

‘I’m alright’ she paused, ‘Hey, do you want to like stick together today?’ I bit my lip. I didn’t want to say no. I could see she hadn’t made friends yet, but I wanted to make new friends, like Megan and Sarah. She was looking at me hopefully.

‘Um…yeah I guess…’ Sarah and Megan turned from their seats in front of us, and introduced themselves. Maybe we could all hang out in a group.

I spent the rest of the day meeting new people and laughing as Megan and Sarah pointed out teachers and told me what they were like.

I came to school the next day feeling exited, and accepted. Although all day I was conscious of Fiona just there in the background. The four of us became friends. Although Fiona never seemed as much part of the group as the other three of us. In the end, she grew further and further away…

*****

‘ Hey guys.’ I look up briefly then nod and go back to the magazine I’m reading. Sarah and I are sitting in the library. Neither Sarah, Fiona or me take Arabic anymore, so we are sitting in the library reading an old copy of 17 Sarah found buried at the bottom of her bag. We are laughing and joking about an article and barely take notice of Fiona when she comes to sit down.

‘ I just got like so told off by miss John!’

‘Mmhm.’ Sarah’s reply is brief and she doesn’t look up from the magazine. I glance up to see she has turned around, taken out a book and started reading. I feel a small tap on my arm and hear Sarah giggle at something. I see Fiona turn slightly, and I can see how much she desperately wants to be included. I open my mouth to tell her to come and sit with us.

‘Oh my god! Sofi look at this!’ I look down and gasp. Fiona is forgotten. A few minutes later she gets up and leaves. Shortly after the bell rings, and I remember how we used to leave together early to get first in line at the canteen and bite my lip.

‘You know saz; we just practically ignored Fiona for the past half hour?’ she shrugs.

‘Well maybe if she wasn’t so goddamn annoying people would talk to her more!’ I don’t say anything.

It seems strange how quickly people have started to stop liking her. I remember it was just the other week that She was round at my house with Megan and Sarah getting ready for Duncan’s party. And the time before that when we were both at Sarah house. Now people seem to be distancing themselves further and further. Somehow I’m letting myself turn a blind eye. I have friends at this school. I’m happy at this school. It’s not something I want to pass up. Why are you being so selfish? You know how it feels so how can you just sit and watch people dish it out like that? I ask myself. I shake my head. Determined not to listen. What can I do? Being friends with her would put me in the same position again. Just like last year at J.C. I moved to get away from it all…

‘Hey sofi!!’ I turn and look. I large chunk of cake hits me on the chest. Alice and Tash stand at the side laughing. I purse my lips and say nothing. I’ve learnt that saying anything back only makes things worse, and walking away only invites snide comments and shouts of

‘Oh look! She’s running away again!’ so I stand and stare back at them. Alice breaks off another chunk.

‘Sorry sofi! But I get one hundred points if I get you on the head!’ she throws another piece. I don’t duck out of the way in time and she hits me squarely on the forehead. I bite back tears while they burst out laughing again. This time I do turn and walk away again. I can hear them calling after to me but I just carry on walking. Anywhere to get away. Anywhere to get away from them…