Alex

　　I`m sitting in the back of the classroom as Ms Dalon is giving our tests back. I`m neither focused on what the teacher does nor on my friends` idle chatting. I`m looking at her. Kinda. I`m gazing out the window, then glancing at her, then back at the window. Occasionally I answer to a question one of my friends asks me. They know I`m grumpy in the morning, though, so they don`t bug me too much.

　　Which leaves me alone with the gazing and glancing. It`s pathetic, I know. I just can`t help it. Besides, I`m not doing anything bad. I`m just looking at her. I can look at a classmate if I want to. There`s nothing wrong with that. I do what I want with my own damn eyes.

　　The maths teacher is handing her her test, a fond expression on her face - all the teachers adore her. I can see her taking the sheet of paper, then smiling proudly. Brightly. I only notice my own smile when a dumbass throws a paper ball at her and makes me lose it. She doesn`t, though. Lose her smile, I mean. She never lets others ruin her mood. I don`t know how she does it. I`d have broken the guy`s nose if I was her.

　　That`s another thing people don`t know about me, I guess. My being violent when pissed off. I wouldn`t be that popular if they did. A good girl`s not supposed to be brutal, especially if she`s one of the school`s cheerleaders and has long, straight blond hair, and makeup on her face. It doesn`t matter that cheerleading involves carrying and throwing girls you age in the air; it`s girly so, not a real sport, right? Just like dancing or, I don`t know, ice skating.

　　We still have a boy in the team, though. Elliot. Great kid, not that feminine but hella gay. Doesn`t really help bringing the stereotypes down.

　　I look at her again. Her hair`s a mess of long, kinda bluish black locks falling on her shoulders. Like a dark and wild ocean. She`s looking at the blackboard, paying attention and taking notes - like I should be doing. Instead I wonder if she, too, thinks cheerleading isn`t a sport. I hope she doesn`t, though it wouldn`t make a difference anyway.

　　We never talk. I`m the most popular girl in the whole school, and she`s just the nerdy kid everyone makes fun of. I shouldn`t even be looking at her, she`s not worthy of my attention.

　　At least that`s what my friends would say.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

　　Nancy

　　Sasha and Ibrahim are frantic today. They`re whispering furiously when I sit at my usual spot next to Ibrahim, and when I ask what they`re talking about, they hiss at me to pipe down.

　　"Elliot`s gonna ask Sash` out!" Ibrahim says in a breath, and the other boy slaps him on the arm. I look at Sasha with a question in my eyes and he shakes his head, ears red like tomatoes. In the back of my mind, a voice tells me Elliot`s one of her friends. I hush the voice away.

　　"Ibrahim says he heard Elliot talking to Jess about it, but there`s no way it`s happening", he says, looking down at his food.

　　"Why do you think that?" I ask him, but he just shakes his head again. I turn to look at Ibrahim. He rolls his eyes.

　　"The guy`s been like this since I`ve told him! Thinks no one could possibly like him, let alone Elliot. I`ve been trying to convince him all morning but it`s no use. It`s true, though."

　　"No it`s not and you know it", Sasha sighs.

　　I frown. "Why not? You two are friends, right?" I`ve only met Elliot a few times, but he seemed to genuinely care about Sasha.

　　"That`s the point. We`re friends ." He sounds bitter, and I know why. Sasha has had a huge crush on Elliot for two years, and they have been friends for less than one. It took Sash` a lot of courage to even think about trying to befriend him.

　　"You`re afraid to have your hopes up, aren`t you?" I ask, although I already know the answer.

　　"I`m totally out of his league", he mumbles, then louder : "Yes, I`m scared to have my hopes crushed, then stomped on." He sounds hollow so I squeeze his hand in an attempt to comfort him. He immediately pulls it out of my reach to gesture wildly, his voice an angry cry. "Which is what`s gonna happen because there`s no fucking way Elliot-I`m-gay-and-a-cheerleader-but-no-one-cares-`cause-I`m-too-popular- Collins likes me back !" His sentence cracks on the last word and he falls immediately quiet, arms crossed like a shield. His eyes are shining with unshed tears.

　　Ibrahim immediately stands out of his seat to pull his friend into a big hug, muttering sorry s and it`s okay s. I can only stare, body and mind frozen in silent panic. Sasha`s words are echoing in my head, stabbing my heart without mercy. I think about how I took a detour just so I could stare at her back on my way to the cafeteria. I think about how she`s perfect, and popular, and how I am not. I think about how we never even talked .

　　My best friend is crying in the arms of my other best friend and all I`m thinking about is how I`m stupid to think she could bother to even look at me.

　　I`m so selfish I want to cry. Instead I get up and help Ibrahim comfort Sasha.

　　When he`s calmed down, we take him out to play cards on a bench, under the bright spring sun. Nobody mentions Elliot until the end of lunch break, when I leave them to go get my gym outfit out of my locker.

　　PE is the only discipline I`m not good at, and I kind of hate it. But it doesn`t mean I can be late.