Invisible - l.h

Chapter 8

"She doesn't want the entire school to know she exists." It was getting me upset. She was a sweet girl & I hated that our school had pinned this label on her that she was now too scared to be anyone else but that. "I hate this."

"Sorry." Calum put his hand on my shoulder. "Maybe she'll come around. You aren't doing anything wrong."

"Hey." Our friend Scottie looked at me. "Why were you running after that girl this morning? Who the fuck is she?"

"It's none of your business." I answered. "Seriously, don't worry about it."

"Okay...fine."

-

For the rest of that week, Ellie continued to stay her quiet self. Now that she knows where we stand in the morning, I think she walks past us faster. & at lunch, she looks up less from her book.

Sure, I could easily just go sit by her at lunch or I can continue to walk with her to her locker but I also didn't want to upset her. If she didn't want to be my friend, I couldn't change that.

I wanted to. But I couldn't.

At least not yet.

But then I thought more about it & I realized that if I don't continue to try, then I may never have the chance to be her friend. We only have a few short months left before exams & then it's possible that I may never see her again.

I had to continue to show her I could be her friend, that this school doesn't have to define who I'm allowed to be friends with.

On Friday, I rushed at my locker & then I went to the hall that Ellie's was in. I waited at the end of the hallway for her to grab what she needed & once she made her way towards the door, I caught up to her.

"Hi Ellie."

"Hi." She quickly looked at me before she continued walking.

"So how was your day?"

"Luke?" She stopped walking for a second. "What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to be your friend."

"I don't need one." & then she started walking away from me.

"Everyone could use more friends."

"Well I don't."

"But you're always alone at school & I don't like that."

"I have basically been alone at this school since I moved here & it's fine. I can handle a few more months of it."

"But I can be your friend. I want to be your friend."

"Look at you." She stopped walking again & she pointed at me. "You are Luke Hemmings. I'm Ellie Walker. Even if we wanted to be friends, it'd be a joke in this school. Everybody knows you & nobody knows me."

"So?"

"It wouldn't work Luke, okay!?" She yelled at me before she pushed the door open as she started walking toward the direction of her house. "You're Mr. Popular & I'm Miss. Who is she?"

"Ell-"

"& besides, you never wanted to talk to me ever until you saw me on stage. I was hidden to you for the past three years too & now all of the sudden you want to be this super nice guy who shows that popularity doesn't have to mean anything & you can befriend the shy girl but you had three years to do that. Now that you know I'm not as weird & as quiet as people assume I am, you all of the sudden care about me. Haven't you cared about me not having friends the past three years? I don't think so. So thank you but no thank you. You can't just become friends with Ellie Walker now. I'm sorry but I need to get home."

& then Ellie left me speechless.

She left me completely speechless.

Because she was right.

I was just as bad as my friends. I spent the last three years staring at Ellie like she was some freak who couldn't make friends, who was too shy to say a word. I spent three years listening to people whisper about how strange she was. I was one who listened to all of the rumors when she disappeared for three months. I never bothered to look her up on social media until I knew her band name.

I had no desire to be Ellie's friend until I saw her on stage.

I mean I do want to be Ellie's friend for who she really is, for the girl I was able to talk with in the sand the other night...it's not just the Ellie on stage that I care about. But from her point of view? It sure looks that way.

Ellie really did have this entire school system figured out.

Now I had to figure out how to change it.

-

A/N help! the third year at uni is hard as fuck. seriously. these 400 level classes like i am dying & it's the beginning of the second week. but one of my roommates turns 21 in a few days so we're having a big party & then my cousin is getting married this weekend so that should be cool :)

but don't grow up.

-

cathy