third day

Another day of school, but somehow my spirits have been lifted from yesterday's event. I'm glad Henryk brought me along. I hurry to class and grab a seat, the same seat.

A moment later, a girl moves up to Mason's seat and takes it. I don't really mind, but I can't help but move forward and tap her shoulder. She turns and I tell her, "I don't think you should sit there."

She gives me a curious expression, "Why not? Wait! Don't tell me, there's a new class bully that sits here! Oh my god! I'm moving." She quickly stands, almost toppling her chair and moves to the seat behind me.

Moments later, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around and she states, "You still haven't told me why I can't sit there."

"You moved, so I guess it doesn't matter."

"Is your boyfriend sitting there?" She challenges.

"No! The class bully is slightly more accurate."

"Ahh. I didn't know, it's my first day here, I got sick on the first and second." She explains.

"Cool." I reply.

"Anyways, I'm Kiley." She smiles and reaches out to shake my hand. I take it.

"I'm Skyla." I tell her.

"That name is very familiar..." She starts and I can feel my heartbeat quickening. I grow tense and my hands start to sweat.

"You have a brother, Henryk! Am I right? I got your picture from Instagram! You two are like the cutest!!" Her enthusiasm relieves me and I nod. "Could you follow me on Instagram, please! I'm pretty sure you have a million followers there!" My mind goes blank at once. I've never had an account before, I forbid myself to have one.

"I don't have one." I start, "But I can get my brother to follow you." I finish off and she's staring at me with wide eyes.

"Are you serious? Sí por favor!" And so she speaks spanish.

"Sí." I reply her.

"You speak spanish too? Wow, sorry. I was just so excited and the words just came out." She squeals.

"Yea, my mum taught me. She knows like seven languages!" I smile at Kiley, glad that she's so willing to be my friend. Kiley opens her mouth, about to reply me, but someone interrupts.

"Skyla Styles, the principal wants to see you in her office." The class goes quiet and then the class releases a, "Oo..."

"What did you do wrong?" Kiley asks and I shrug.

"You can leave your belongings," My teacher says, "you'll only be gone for a while, no trouble."

My heart can't help but skip a beat. I head down the hallway and several students shoot me curious looks from their classrooms. The principal's office is near the entrance of the school and I knock on her door.

I hear a loud and clear, "Enter." I push open the door and step inside.

The woman in front of her desk smiles at me and orders, "Sit."

Her smile fades a little when I sit, and she speaks, "Thanks for coming so quickly. You're probably wondering why I called you here. You're not in trouble, I just wanted to check in on you. I've heard, you've had some past complications." I gulp and she continues, "Being homeschooled is not an easy task, but I'm here to tell you that your grades are fine, but to add, your calculas didn't quite meet the line. I think you didn't study pre calculus but we still take you in. I'm offering you extra classes. If not, you have to sit for a paper."

I've never been a math person. Gemma loved math from the bottom of her heart. She wanted to be an accountant someday.

I swallow the bile that arises from my throat and hold back the tears in my eyes. I hate math now, after what happened... but I need it, and there is no way I'm sitting for a paper, so I nod and reply, "Thanks, Miss Beckett." I stand and am about to leave when she calls me back.

"If you ever need help, I'm here for you." She says it in a forceful tone, like, "You better tell me what's going on so I can file a report on your sister that went 'missing' fifteen years ago." I nod and walk out calmly.

The moment I'm out of sight, I run to the toilet and sob my eyes out. My eye rims turns red and my lips quiver with fright as I recall the day I was sent home. For good.

"Mr and Mrs Styles, I've come to drop off Emma!" That voice, that stupid husky voice.

"Coming!" I hear mum yell and my heart flutters with relief, but her face drops the moment she sees little me. Little me started to cry but doesn't speak, I didn't tell my parents what I've seen. Alex turned to glare at me, his grip tightened around my little wrist.

Alex smiled sweetly at my mum and told her in a sympathetic tone, "I've heard your little Gem went missing, me and my brothers will try our best to help you find him. In the meantime, don't lose hope."

I've already lost hope...

During dinner that day, I hid in my room. I heard my parents telling Henryk, "She's miserable, so we've decided that we're not taking her back to her babysitters, please take good care of her."

Till now, Henryk takes good care of me, and I know Gemma is thanking him from God knows where. My mind replays the times I've yelled at my parents, it frightened them when they took me back to preschool.

I yelled at my friends, told them I hated them, and when they used their parents' phones to call back, I hung up. When they repeatedly dialed my parents, I answered back and told them to go away. I became an introvert and my parents never tried to get me back in school. Henryk tried a few times, but failed to my parents' dismay.

I take a few slow breaths and walk out of the toilet after rinsing my now red and hot face. I head back to my classroom and my heart stops when Mason stares at me from his seat. He holds a worried expression and I'm guessing that the class told him about my whereabouts.

My teacher, I think Mr Cole, smiles at me and says, "Me and the class were just discussing about this coming Friday's Valentines. Any chance you've already found a date, Skyla?" I freeze and my face turns hot with embarrassment.

I shake my head, "No, sir. I'm not going." The class which was chattering, smiling and mumbling to each other, probably because I haven't gotten a date, all of a sudden, had faces washed with confusion. I am so close to my table... so close, but now my feet stays rooted to the ground.

"Girl, no one skips valentine." I hear Kiley whispering loudly. I shoot her a 'so what?' look.

"Oh." Mr Cole finally finds his voice and he waves at me, "Alright then, sit down. What are you waiting for?" I flush in embarrassment and rush to sit down. My hands grab the side of my chair tightly, Mason doesn't turn around, not that I expected him to.

Did I say something wrong? Am I supposed to be going to the school dance? It is my choice though.

I hear Mr Cole talking about all of us having to move into our dorms starting next week but my mind isn't really in the classroom.

After class, Kiley yanks me to a corner around the area where the lockers are situated. "Valentine is college life! What the hell? Are you seriously not going?"

"Yes."

"I'm not gonna let that happen! I saw the way you were looking at Mason, you're into him!"

"No!" I yell hysterically. "I just don't wanna go, plus, Mason was staring at me like he had something against me." He does...

"Who cares? I never get love wrong!" She shouts back and I notice some heads turning over, interested.

"Well, you got it wrong this time." I mumble and turn away from her.

"Fine, but please reconsider, you're such an introvert it really sucks. I don't even know how people act a— forget it." She turns to look at something else and her eye catches someone. Four girls run over to us and greets us cheerfully, the last thing I needed.

"Who's this?" Someone who has an eery resemblance to Kiley asks.

"Skyla, meet Riley, my twin sister. Riley, meet Skyla, the new girl." She smiles and part of me wishes she'd call me her friend. Kiley continues speaking, "These are our friends, Ivy, June, Cleo and Tanya, we were in the same high school."

I watch as she nods at each girl while saying their names. Ivy is a brunette with emerald eyes, her skin is extremely fair and she has perfectly straight hair. June is a blonde, her eyes though are dark but friendly, her skin tone is average and her hair is slightly frizzy. Cleo is also a brunette with hazel eyes, she reminds me of a cat. Tanya, she has dirty blond hair with blue eyes.

These girls are all slim, and good looking, and I suddenly feel so compared to them. They're figures yell 'perfection' and I'm a sick girl.

"Hey, nice to meet you." I say to them just as a few boys walk over, one of them is Mason.

Two of them slide their hands around Tanya and Ivy's waists. "Be my valentine." One winks at Tanya and she gives a sassy nod. The other whispers something in Ivy's ears, too close. Ivy giggles and whispers back an, "Okay, baby." I try my best not to look at them or Mason.

I feel Mason's eyes piercing into me but I ignore him. He's definitely already gotten a Valentines. Someone suddenly notices me and asks in a surprised tone, "Ah, isn't that the girl who doesn't do parties?"

I see Kiley glare at him and I place a hand on her shoulder and answers firmly, "Yes."

"I bet you'd change your mind if I take you." I look at his physiques. Not bad... broad chest, strong arms. Maybe I should live a little. Give him a chance. But why should I? "So, what do you think, hottie?"

"Alex!" Kiley warns strictly.

"What?" He laughs innocently.

"Kiley, it's fine." I say, "I'll go."

"With him?" Kiley's eyes widen, "Alex, you aren't joking, right?"

"Why would I be? I'd like to try her, she seems like she's worth a ton." He smirks and I gulp. Mason's eyes widen. Everyone is suddenly staring at Alex.

Oh no.

"Wow... it's just that Alex doesn't just take any girl out." Riley explains to me soft enough for only us to hear. "He's totally worth it. You see those girls at the corner, they're your opponents, they're always tryna get his attention, since high school. Of course, Alex paid no attention to them, or us, for the record. Ivy tried to date him but he just treats us like good friends." I listen to her talk and laugh softly.

"And I don't just take any boys out." I tell Riley, this time loud enough for everyone near us to hear. Alex raises his eyebrow in amusement and takes me by the wrist.

"Come on. I want to talk to you." He says and I raise a brow questioningly before he moves his head towards the dorms. "So, you don't date?" He says once we are out of earshot.

"Never."

"So I'm your first?"

"Probably." I refuse to think of the past, so I gulp and smile coyly at him. His hands move down to my back but doesn't go further. So, he does have genuine manners.

I walk with him and he stops at a door, 121.

"This is my room, anything you need, I'm here." He winks and adds, "I also spotted yours on the ladies' list. You are in room five fifty-five." I stare at him, speechless. Room 105 is enough, you give me a number of all fives, that's just... too much bad luck. "I only know of this because you share a room with Riley." I wished he'd say Kiley. What if Riley talks too much and wants to know more about me?

But I sigh and nod.

"Thanks, I'm beginning to like you." I admit and he smiles triumphantly.

"I already liked you." This is probably the first time someone likes me so quickly, and something about it makes me feel like I'm finally fitting in and I don't want to let this feeling go.