Young Writers Society

A/N: So, here's chapter two! It's quite long, I only noticed that after I actually stopped writing and started editing <.< Anyway, hope you have a good reading! About the conflict, I was trying to find some, and they all have internal stuff that'll come later, but there'll be one that will involve everyone. Thanks so much for the reviews!

Chapter Two

We soon reached the lockers, and Aurora stopped talking. I looked at her, in surprise, since her voice hadn’t died out in a while now. She looked awed; as if something had taken her breathe away. I forced myself to look in the direction her eyes were attached to, and I turned to face what could have been described as a drop dead gorgeous guy. He was moving coolly, and I could imagine Aurora imagining him in slow motion. It was actually surprising, since Aurora didn’t do that much of checking out guys. In her whole lifetime, she only liked three guys, of my knowledge, but she tells me everything.

The first was John, a kid in third grade. Second was Michael, a kid in seventh grade. In that, things might’ve turned out good if Ju, our classmate and friend, hadn’t butt in. She went over board and was always bringing them together, and they were too shy for that, so it all just faded away. Third, was Joe, in eighth grade. That died out too, because as always Aurora was too shy to do anything about it. Something that bugged me, but I didn’t want to push her anywhere. God knows, I’m not one to act on it either.

“Hey, Rora,” I called. She flipped her head to me.

“What?”

“Oh, I know what you’re thinking now. You wished he was one of the new guys in our class.” Aurora smiled widely, and we stared at each other for a moment, and then darted off quickly towards our first class, as the bell rang. We waited at the door, and then the professor came. There was Ju, Cat, Martha and Stephanie, that had bundled around us and were telling us all about their awesome vacations; their voices didn’t fade out as we entered the classroom.

“Yeah, we went together to the beach,” Cat announced.

“It was awesome. There were lots of cute guys,” Steph added.

“For sure, it was something remarkable.”

“For you! You were snogging that Ian guy,” Martha accused Ju. She smiled, as if innocent, and took a seat on the second row beside Martha. I was about to sit down next to Aurora, when the guy from the lockers walked into the classroom. I quickly occupied the only available table, which was the one facing the window and that was directly next to Aurora’s. There, I thought to myself. That could act as a push for Aurora to get a boyfriend. I smiled, actually content, when the guy asked Aurora to take the seat next to her. She nodded nervously, and after he’d sat down, she glared at me accusingly in his back.

“You’re dead,” she mouthed to me.

I laughed quietly, trying not to call attention. As if. I sighed when the door closed, and my heart pinched. There were no more students to walk into the classroom. Eric had been placed on another class; he was now on 2-A, while mine was 2-C.

It’s not like I always sat with him, and we’d talk and laugh – our relationship wasn’t like that. But I felt more secure of myself whenever I tilted my head to the side and I could see him, writing something down or talking and laughing with some classmate. I felt good when he was there. Now, it was just a classroom full of people I knew but had nothing to do with.

And there it was again, a sharp pain that pierced my chest and my lungs contracted in a way that made it harder to breathe. The thought of it, the image of it. I saw it, I was remembering it, and how light and easy I felt after that. The cold blade cutting quickly through my skin. It didn’t hurt as much as someone would though it would, since I was too concentrated on thinking about something else.

I tried short breathes, and turned my head abruptly to the window while my eyes started to burn. It was painful not to do it, almost as painful as it was to walk around Eric knowing I was hiding something from him.

“Jones!” The teacher called. I recognized her as Mrs. Watson, the English teacher I had last year. I hadn’t even noticed she had already arrived. “If you’re so interested on the outside, you can leave my classroom.”

“No need,” I replied. The woman glared at me for a second, and then turned back to the students.

I sighed. I had to look away from the window, and unfortunately my eyes fell upon Aurora, staring at me questioningly. I shrugged and smiled at her, and she soon turned her head away. I grabbed my pencil and started drawing on my notebook, not really sure of what I was, in fact, sketching. It was some sort of blade, with blood splatters around. I quickly turned the page of my notebook, hiding the drawing. My skills with any drawing utensil were known for being average, but on the edge of not good; but what the drawing was could be easily identified. I laid my head in my hands, my elbows on the table, and I felt my eyes sting again. Why? Why?! It should be a small secret, a thing that wouldn’t matter, something that wouldn’t consume my mind, my everyday life!

By instinct, my right hand involved my left wrist, in a firm grasp. Why I never had the urge to cut my right wrist never occurred to me. It was easier; it felt right to cut my left arm. I decided to close my eyes for a minute, but soon regretted that action, for my mind was full with last night’s events. I opened them, unable to stand it all over again. I knew what I needed, and I just hoped for the bell to ring.

“Now, students, you shall introduce yourselves. Tell us your name, your age, and what you like to do,” Mrs. Watson ordered. I had barely noticed the students had already started until I heard Stephanie’s clear voice.

“I’m Stephanie Moore, and I’m turning sixteen in one month,” she announced proudly. “I like to draw and to just hang out with friends.” She smiled widely as she concluded.

I blinked as the eyes turned one me. Oh, so it was my turn? “Hum, I’m Leighton Jones. I’m fifteen years old, and I like to play the piano.” And to cut myself with a blade, I added mentally. I was glad that I didn’t actually say it. I sat down quickly, and actually listened to the next person, who was the one sitting next to Aurora.

“I’m Ian Williams, and I’m sixteen. I like to surf, to hang out with friends and to play soccer.” He sat back down. Ian? Wasn’t that-? I turned to Ju’s direction, and her mouth was widely open, and eyes wide with shock. Yep, the guy she made out with. Guess she hadn’t seen him yet.

Aurora rose, oblivious to the whole thing. “I’m Aurora Sparks, and I’m almost sixteen.” Pffft, almost. She was four months from her birthday! “I like to hang out, to cook, and take photographs.” Oh, yes, Aurora was an all assumed photographer and had awesome skills with a frying pan. I noticed how Ian smiled at her, and she smiled shyly back, distracting herself quickly with something else.

It was somewhat fulfilling to see her happy, so any ideas about telling her about my new obsession soon faded. The want of not shattering her happiness over came any need of my own. Plus, she’d be all worried but wouldn’t manage to really help me stop it. The only one that actually could, was the one I feared the most to tell. I was afraid of loosing him. I’d turn myself to an even weirder kid that he could simply dispose off. One word from him would make me shatter.

I was surprised to notice that we all had finished introducing ourselves when I came back to reality from my mind.

“Now, this period we are going to delve into some dramatic speech.” The classroom remained silent. “Which means plays,” she added, sighing when there were some pleasured interjections. Eh, whatever.

“Classes A and C are going to work together, so that we can present a reasonably good play in December, at the closing assembly.”

I stood up straight, caught completely off guard. What? We couldn’t! No, no, no! Okay, just breathe. I just had to make sure I didn’t get caught in the whole play thing; I did not want to spend extra hours with Eric. Well, for one side I did want to, but it would be awful if he noticed I probably was the only girl in school wearing a long sleeved cardigan, even though it was very thin, it was still long sleeved and it was middle September.

“To roll out discrimination, the parts will be distributed randomly; you’ll all write your names down and put them in a hat and I will personally take out the name of the people that will take on the parts. Once the play is decided, that is.”

Oh. Dear. God. I could just refuse myself to put my name in it, couldn’t I? Probably not. Then, fold the paper so small it would be unlikely for Mrs. Watson to grab it. Yes, that would be the best option.

I was surprised when the bell rang, time had passed by quickly. “Yes, that’s it. Class dismissed.” I packed my stuff and ran out of the classroom, my destiny being the bathroom – there, I had privacy and no one would see me. My backpack felt heavier with the thought of what I was about to do, but it should be fine. It had to be fine.

I turned left, then right, and then down the stairs. My steps echoed slightly, as I reached the main floor. I went straight ahead, and then it was just a left turn and there was the girls’ bathroom. But as soon as I reached the lockers that were in the middle of the hall, I bumped into someone that had crossed my path purposefully.

“Hi.” I looked up to find Eric, his brown eyes sparkling.

“Hum, hey.” I took one step to the side, with the intention to keep walking. But as I took the first step forwards, Eric grabbed my left wrist, keeping me back. I let out a cry of pain, and he let go of it immediately.

“Are you hurt?” He asked, taking one step forwards.

I stopped clutching my wrist, and looked up to him. “No, no, it’s nothing.” I hid my arm behind my back. “So, you wanted something?” I asked him.

Eric croaked an eyebrow at me. “Yeah, hum, I needed to talk to you about something. But I guess I’ll catch you later.” I looked questioningly at him, and he looked over to the end of the hall, where Aurora was walking to us on a quick pace.

“Oh, sure.” Dang it, I’d have to be more careful.