The Castaways

Chapter 4: April

                                                                                    April

                I was walking in the hallway when I saw him. With shaggy blond hair, high cheek bones, and blue eyes that looked like they held the ocean, the new kid looked like he belonged in a Hollister advertisement rather than the school’s hallways. He didn’t notice me like I noticed him, but he didn’t seem to notice anyone as he moved through the crowd nimbly; he kept a safe distance from everyone he passed, and it seemed like he wanted to disappear from everything as he hid behind his oversized hoodie.

                Although seeing Rune made my day a great deal better, even that didn’t distract me from the fact that I was walking to the cafeteria for lunch. I pushed away the images of yesterday’s incident and took my normal routine by walking directly to the bathroom.

                The lunchroom was filling fast while I was passing through it, the growing noise of teenage gossip abundant. While passing the tables, I heard an unfamiliar voice; and turned to see Rune sitting at a table with two others. I recognized Fae, if only for the pink hair she used to have, but I had forgotten the name of her Asian friend. The fact that Rune sat aside them surprised me; I assumed that he would sit at Brook’s table with the popular crowd.

                The three started laughing at something Rune had said, and pang of loneliness hit me. When was the last time I had been part of a group? Truly laughed along with something someone had said? I didn’t want yesterday’s reaction to happen again, but I would rather risk embarrassment than spend one more day spending lunch hour in that bathroom stall, reading wall graffiti .

                I started to walk towards them, and tried to make each step insinuate me possessing confidence. Fae spotted me first, and tilted her head. She reminded me of a confused puppy. “Hey,” I said as I sat down at the table. “You guys don’t mind if I join, do you?”

                Fae smiled, “Of course not! How are you, April?”

                I gave her a forced smile, “I’m good, Fae,” and then turned towards Rune, turning my chair so that I was facing him. He was the reason I was sitting here, and he deserved my attention.  “So, you’re the new kid.”

                He gave me a crooked smile, “Yeah, just arrived this week. I’m Rune.”

                “I know,” I replied, and flinched. I sounded like a stalker.

                He laughed it off, though. “I didn’t know I was already so popular here.” My eyes involuntarily glanced towards Brook’s table, and a fresh wave of embarrassment and pain washed over me.

                “We don’t really get new kids that often,” Fae said, in between bites of the school’s foul-smelling ravioli. Her friend- Peter? Palmer? - nodded with her, staying quiet.

                “But even if we did, I’m sure you’d still be noticed,” I said while giving my best attempt at a flirty smile. I knew I was a little out of practice, and prayed it didn’t look moronic.

                “I’m flattered,” he said, actually blushing. The conversation turned toward a chemistry project, and I was disappointed. I wanted to know as much about Rune as possible, and right now he was as mysterious and unknown as the bottom of the ocean.

                I zoned out of the conversation, uninterested in a class that I wasn’t taking, and studied the people residing at the table. I still couldn’t remember the quiet guy’s name, and he sat listening to the conversation between Fae and Rune, still quiet. His face was neutral, but something would flash once a while behind his eyes- jealousy?