Dreams of Tomorrow

Athalya hadn’t reached the bus stop that her name was being called. She turned around, taking one of her earphones out.

“Hey!” he said, stopping next to her to catch his breath, he had been running.

“Hi” she replied, smiling softly as the poor kid had difficulty to breath normally.

The bus arrived and they both got in. Athalya took the seat by the window while Jonathan sat next to her. She placed her CD player in her backpack as he was starting to ask her questions and she didn’t wanted to be rude and get distracted by BJ4s voice.

“I’m 16” she replied.
His eyes widened,

“How come you are a senior then?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I just am… I mean, if I hadn’t moved here, I’d be in my last year of high school in France, I guess that’s why I’m a Senior. We only have three years and here high school last 4 years. I think that’s why.” She said, hoping her explanations weren’t confusing.

“You’re not so much older than me then, I’m only fifteen.” He said smiling.

“I’ll be seventeen soon…” she trailed off, looking outside.

“When?” he asked.

“Soon” she replied vaguely.

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?” he asked.
She shook her head just as the bus stopped and the kids got up from their sits, walking out of the bus.

“Do you wanna eat with me at lunch?” he asked as they both were making their way towards the school.

“If you don’t have anything better to do, then okay.” She replied, shrugging.

“Cool! See ya later!” he said smiling and then ran off. She raised an eyebrow as she watched him disappearing in the crowd of students. She ran a hand through her hair and slowly made her way towards the hall.

“Hey Frenchie!”

Athalya turned around and saw Valary waving at her, from her spot next to the tree. She smiled and made her way to her.

“Hey guys.” Said Athalya, dropping her bag at her feet as she noticed that the guys were here as well.

“So, what do you have today?” asked Val. Athalya reached in her pocket and took her timetable.

“Hum… double biology and then History…” she said trailing off.

“Oh, I have biology too!” spoke up a girl that looked like Val. Too much like Val.
Val noticed the confused look on Athalya’s face and smiled.

“Athalya, that’s my twin sister Michelle. Sis’, that’s our new friend Athalya.” Explained Val.

Athalya waved at Michelle, as she smiled back.

“She doesn’t consider us as her friends” muttered a boy with a baseball cap, lifting up a little so he could see Athalya. Zacky. She glared at her and grabbed her bag.

“Listen. If your definition of friendship is just people who are sitting together at a table during class, or are eating together at lunch then okay, we are friends. But I do not have the same definition. So I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.” She said, as she swung her backpack over her shoulder. “I never said I didn’t wanted to be friends with you! I just arrived here and if you hadn’t noticed yet, I’m French, and France and America are from being the same. So do yourself a favour and pare yourself the trouble of dealing with me. Leave me alone.” She sighed, turned around and started to walk towards her classroom. She still had trouble finding her way through but after a moment, she found it and took a sit at the back of the class. She took her book, notebook and pencil case from her bag before placing it on the stool next to her.

One by one, the students made their way into the class, taking their sit, chatting with their friends. Athalya started doodling on a piece of paper, thinking back to what had happened just a moment ago. She felt bad for over-reacting and blowing off at him, but his comment had strike a nerve. He shouldn’t have brought it up again.

“Is this sit taken?”

Athalya looked up only to see Val’s sister, Michelle, smiling at her. She grabbed her bag and put it at her feet, smiling shyly at Michelle as she sat down next to her.

“I want to apologize for Zacky’s behaviour.” She said, rolling her eyes when she spoke his name. “He was being an ass, but he really isn’t most of the time. You guys just don’t share the same view on things. And Zacky’s part Italian, that makes him kinda stubborn…” she said with a smile.

“You don’t need to apologize. I shouldn’t have blown up at him. It just bothers me than some people can consider others as their friends not even a day after they met. I mean, you guys don’t know anything about me, I could be the biggest bitch ever…” said Athalya.

“And I understand, but I think Val, Zacky and the rest of our group just wanted to make you feel welcome. We know it must be hard for you to end up here, in a foreign country and in a new school…”

“And I appreciate it, really…” she said, “But I have no idea how long I’m going to stay here. I don’t want to bond with anyone…” replied Athalya.

Michelle nodded understandingly.
“I know what you mean, but are you going to stay by yourself the whole year? It’s only September 3rd.”

“I know, but I’m only here for a… I don’t know how to say it…” she muttered, frowning. “Ah yeah, it’s only temporary.” Said Athalya, running a hand through her hair and playing with her pen.

“You are going back to France soon?” Michelle asked.

Athalya shrugged,
“Maybe.”

Michelle nodded and took her stuff out of her bag just as the teacher came in, smiling brightly.

“Well, well, well… Let’s start the lesson, shall we?”

**

“Listen Athalya, if you want to have lunch with us or just hang out with me and Val, you’re more than welcome, okay?” said Michelle, as Athalya and her were walking down the hall towards their next class.

Athalya nodded as she stopped in front of her classroom. Michelle smiled and walked off.

As Athalya made her way into the classroom, she saw Val talking with a guy. The guy was balancing himself on a chair while Val was sitting on the table, her feet resting on the chair. Athalya sat at a vacant table, dropping her bag at her feet.

“Oh, hi Frenchie!”

Athalya turned her head to the side only to see Val waving at her, smiling. Athalya waved back shyly. Val was about to ask her to come over but the bell rang.
She got saved by the bell, literally.

Val jumped off the table, grabbed her bag and went to sit next to Athalya.

“You don’t have to, you know…” whispered Athalya, feeling bad for Val’s friend.

“I know.” She replied, smiling before she took her stuff out of her bag.

**

“You sure you don’t want to eat with us?” asked Michelle. The three girls were making their way towards the cafeteria.

“Nah thanks. I promised I’d eat with him.” Said Athalya.

“Okay… Well, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find us!” said Val. Athalya nodded and then they went their separate ways. Val and Michelle went into the cafeteria as Athalya headed outside.

She was making her way towards the oak tree where she had sat the previous day when Jonathan waved at her from a table. She smiled and walked over to him, she sat down setting her bag on the bench and took an apple from her bag.

“How was your morning?” he asked, unwrapping a sandwich from its plastic bag.

“It was pretty good. I’ll have a lot of words to look in the dictionary, but that’s fine. And you, how was your morning?” she asked.

“Okay, I guess.” He replied, smiling but his smile quickly fell when he noticed the red apple in Athalya’s hand.

“Is that all you are eating?” he asked.

She shook her head and took a bottle of water out of her bag and placed it on the table. He sighed.

“You need to stop doing that.” Was all he said.

Athalya starred at him for a moment, wondering how to feel about his comment. Was he talking about the apple? Or about the fact that she wasn’t very talkative, or maybe both?

She opened her mouth to speak but forgot what she was about to say when some boy walked up behind Jonathan, holding a finger to his lips, telling Athalya to stay quiet as he rose his other hand and smacked it on the back of Jonathan’s head.

“Oï!” he yelled, turning on his sit to glare at the boy.

“S’up little brother?” the boy asked, grinning.

“Fuck you.” Was Jonathan’s reply.

“Eww no! That’d be incest baby bro!” was the guy’s smart reply before he walked away, laughing and went to join his friends.

“Sorry about that…” mumbled Jonathan, blushing.

“Don’t worry Jona…” she stopped mid-sentence and frowned. “Do you mind if I call you Johnny? Jonathan is too long…”

“I don’t mind.” He replied smiling. She smiled back and took a bit of her apple just as loud cheering came from a few tables down to theirs.

“Don’t worry, that’s just my stupid brother and his friends.” Said Johnny before Athalya had the time to move an inch.

“I wasn’t planning on turning around…” she replied, and smiled, hoping Johnny wouldn’t get offended. He nodded and took a bit from his sandwich.

They both ate in silence. Athalya didn’t mind, but you could tell Johnny wasn’t used to.

“You don’t talk much…” he said after she had taken a mouthful of water and had swallowed it.

“You’re the second person to tell me that in less than three days.” She said, putting the cap back on the bottle.

“And who was the first?” asked Johnny.

“Zack something…” she replied.

“Baker?” asked Johnny.

She shrugged.

“Does he hangs out with a guy named Matt and a very tall guy, Jimmy?” he asked again.

“Oh yeah, that’d be him.” She replied, nodding. “You know him?”

“Yeah, he and his bunch of friends sometimes hang out with my brother, and Zack’s younger brother, whose name is Matt, is in most of my classes.” He explained.

“Oh okay…” she whispered, unsure of what to say.

“So, you didn’t answer my question…” he reminded her. She looked up from the table to meet his gaze.

She wanted to play dumb and ask him what his question was, but decided not to.
“It wasn’t a question. It was an affirmation you made Johnny. But yeah, I don’t talk much because I find it useless to talk when I don’t have anything to say.” She replied.

“So, it doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that you’d rather be with your friends?” he asked shyly. Athalya’s eyes widened.

“Of course not Johnny. I’m just really quiet most of the time.” She replied smiling.

Johnny smiled, relieved.
“So, you won’t mind if I start rambling about Metallica or whatever?” he asked.

“As long as you don’t speak too fast and eat half of your words, I’ll listen.” She replied smiling which cause Johnny to smile brightly.

Athalya sat quietly, nodding every once in a while as Johnny was telling her about every band he was listening to. The bell rang, causing them both to realize it was time to get to class.

**

The afternoon went by fast and soon Athalya was waiting for Johnny to get out of class. They both made their way towards the parking lot.

“Do you need a ride?”

Athalya turned around, only to see Michelle leaning against a car.

“I’ll take the bus… but thanks for the offer!” Athalya replied, smiling. Michelle nodded and waved at her as Athalya caught up with Johnny who was still walking.

“Why didn’t you go with them?” he asked. She shrugged.

“I like the bus.” She explained. Johnny raised an eyebrow but said nothing. And he sat down next to her.

**

Athalya was sitting at the table in the kitchen, doing her homework. She was currently looking up definitions in the dictionary.

“Merde!” she swore when the house phone started ringing. Her grandparents were in the backyards. She got up and ran in the living room, taking the phone off its base and placing it next to her ears.

“Allo?”

“Suzan?” asked a man’s voice.

“No, it’s her granddaughter.” Replied Athalya as she hurriedly made her way back in the kitchen and to the backyard.

“Oh Hi! Well, may I talk to your grandmother?” asked the man.

“Sure, here she is.” Said Athalya as she handed the phone to her grandmother. She thanked Athalya and took the phone.

“Oh hi!” spoke her grandmother in the phone, making her grandfather smile. It was obvious he knew who was calling.

“Yeah, she is but you’ll see that for yourself soon enough.”

Was the last sentence Athalya heard before she walked back inside.
She went back to her homework, not knowing that her life was about to be turned upside down in a few days…