The Girl Across the Street

The Girl Across the Street 12

A/N An early update! Whoo! I wanted to thank you so much for the kind comments left on the last chapter so as a thank you, here's another chapter! Enjoy! (DLG update: printing out the first draft and going through it for inspiration and to find bits and pieces that I want to keep. All is going well!) THanks for your continued support! Much love! <3

I open the door leading into the stairwell and see as all bundle of brown and pink hair, yellow jeans and a white shirt huddled on the ground. She shakes with silent sobs. Emma hasn't realized yet that I'm here. Slowly, quietly, I walk over to her and sit down next to her. Not knowing what else to do, I reach out my hand and gently pat her arm, to let her know that I'm here. She doesn't look up but she leans her body against mine. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and slowly rub her arm.

            Emma hides her face in my shoulder and I can feel my shirt getting damp from her tears. Not knowing what else to do, I wrap both arms around her and pull her closer to me. Her body shudders from her sobs and I rub her back slowly. Eventually, her sobs slow to a stop. Neither of us move for a few moments.

            Suddenly, she pulls away from me. I release her from my grasp and wait for her to say something. When she still says nothing, I gesture to her knee. "Do you want to get that cleaned up?" I ask quietly. Luckily, it doesn't look bad, just a little scrape.

            "Not yet." She replies, her voice is shaky. "Thank you, for finding me."

            "I can't believe that they just stood there and laughed at you. I feel awful and ashamed to say some of them are friends." I admit. "How did you fall?"

            "I was tripped. Someone stuck their foot out while I was walking and because I was trying to put my book into my bag, I didn't see it and I fell. I think I scraped my knee on a rock or something. "

            So Simon was right, she didn't fall on her own. "I'm so sorry Emma."

            "There is no reason you should be sorry. You went to find me after everyone else just walked past. And Simon, that's his name right? He helped pick up my books. You guys are sweet, the only reminders of nice people in this school it seems. Even the teachers treat me like I'm weird." She finally looks at me. I see the little bit of mascara she had on is smudged and her eyes are red and puffy. "Am I really that different from them?" She asks me. I can't tell if it's a rhetorical question or not so I shrug.

            "It's just a small town, no one likes change at first. I'm sure they will come around I mean, as soon as they get to know you, it will all be okay." I encourage. She nods absently, looking at the wall across from us.

            She leans against me again, carefully placing her head on my shoulder. I can't help but wonder what happened to the strong minded girl that I saw really come out in detention yesterday. After that, seeing Emma like this just reminds me of how strong and upbeat she was.

            A silence falls between us but it's a comfortable silence. I try to imagine what we must look like to anyone who could come through this stairwell. A guy and a girl with a bloody knee sitting on the floor, leaning on one another, not saying a word.

            If anyone told me on Monday that I would be here with the new girl, the freak, the weirdo, in the same stairwell that Kate and I have made out in so many times, I would have called them crazy. But, here I am, comforting her.

            After a few more minutes I look at my watch and see the period is going to end in ten minutes. "Hey Emma, we should probably head to the nurse. The period is going to end soon and you should really get your knee cleaned." I propose.