That One Moment...

Chapter 7

Day 45

Sarah pulled her hair up onto the top of her head. Looking in the mirror, she saw a face she barely recognized looking back. Sarah was wearing the same clothes as usual, a pair of skinny jeans with a few holes in them, a black baggy sweater, and silver scarf, but she felt different.

In the past few weeks she had found a job at a local diner, working around 20 hours a week if she could fit it in. She wasn't the greatest server, but Sarah had found that she was pretty average at the work. It wasn't glamorous, yet it was good for her to get out and talk to people. Sarah had found that she liked engaging with people in such a controlled setting - she was working, she was being paid to talk to people and she had made it a challenge to try and get more tips. It was a game that got her out of the house. Sarah had noticed her dad was drinking more than usual, her mom was more stressed, and Sarah just wanted to make sure she wasn't around.

Slipping on her shoes and grabbing her bag, Sarah headed downstairs to grab some food before catching the bus for another day.

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Hopping off the bus, Sarah started heading towards the door into the school. Moving across the center of the high school towards her locker, Sarah noticed a similar scene to her first day. Near the entrance to the senior wing was a group of more popular students gathered together, most of them wearing school gear. While she was glancing over at the group, she saw Chris give her a wave and smile as he chatted with a girl; Anna from her chemistry class if Sarah remembered correctly. She was pretty nice.

Sarah's eyes were caught by Ryan as he joined the group and a few cheerleaders moved their flirtation over to him. Sarah looked away and headed towards her locker. Ryan had been acting strange towards her since giving her a ride home a few weeks ago. They were still lab partners in chemistry, but somehow Sarah also tended to bump into him throughout the day as well. It seemed to be just chance, yet she had no clue why that would be. How had she somehow been pulled into the periphery of the most intimidating group on the high school campus? She had started out her year like any other, planning to remain a wall flower, hiding out at school and home until she could get out of this town.

Grabbing her computer and lit books, Sarah shut her locker and jumped with a slight shriek. She had not sensed anyone approaching her, just assumed it was people moving towards their lockers and jostling around before the first bell.

"Hey."

"Uh...hi, Ryan." He was leaning against the lockers next to hers, hidden by her locker door until she had shut it. Sarah thought her initial analogy to a Greek God still fit this close up. "Um. What do you need?"

"I saw you walking through. Did you ride your bike in today? It looks like it might rain again." Sarah had to agree. It was one of the reasons she had decided to take the bus.

"My weather app agreed, so I took the bus today."

"How do you get to work if you ride the bus?"

Sarah looked up quickly. Had she mentioned her job in chemistry? "How do you know I have a job?"

"Either you or Chris mentioned it."

"Oh."

At that point, the first bell rang and pulled Sarah out of her reverie. She was still trying to figure out why the most popular boy in school was standing here, talking to her, while students walking around them stared and the girls down the hall glared.

"Shit. I need to get to my lit class in the junior wing." Sarah said as she slightly pushed past Ryan to get between him and some of the other kids in the hall.