Status: Complete
Just a Feeling
07
In the morning, Delaney did her best to be quiet, so as not to wake up Rowan. It might have worked, too, if she didn’t trip and spill the contents of her make-up box all over the floor. Rowan groaned and sat up, staring around the room in confusion until memories of the day before came back to her.
“That really happened?” Rowan whispered to herself. She had been convinced it was just another of her dreams, filled with longings and wishful thinking. Yesterday’s elation came back to her.
She was here. She was going to a new school, and she never had to go back to that orphanage. She would have friends. Rowan scowled at herself for that last thought. She couldn’t have friends, she reminded herself. She couldn’t.
They wouldn’t last, and then she would be crushed as surely as if she got in the way of a rockslide. She couldn’t let that happen.
Rowan decided on a compromise. She would befriend these people, but she would not allow herself to get close to them. She would absolutely not trust them. And she would not fall to pieces when they found out what a freak she was and left her.
She didn’t know how well that would work, but she was sick of being an island. She was lonely. Something in her told her that she needed this and, being the queen of emotions, she listened to it. When you’ve got nothing else, sometimes you just have to go on instinct.
“…so sorry, Rowan. I just tripped, and I didn’t mean to wake you up. You could have slept in for hours yet,” Delaney was saying.
“Huh?” Rowan shook her head and brought herself back to the present. “Oh, don’t worry about it. I’m glad I’m up. I’d like to do a little exploring today, since I won’t have to go to classes- which, by the way is, is strange. I mean, they brought me here on a scholarship in the middle of term, and I’m not even actually going to the school part of this place?”
Delaney’s mouth gaped open, and she looked shocked. Truth be told, she was. She really hadn’t expected Rowan to volunteer so much information about herself. She recovered and replied, “They have their reasons. You should enjoy the break while you can. Once you really start school here, things are going to be pretty crazy.”
And that, Rowan noted, was nothing but the truth. “Should I be worried?” she asked timidly.
Delaney actually laughed. “No way. You’ll be able to handle it.”
“Thanks,” Rowan said sincerely. “And have a great day of school.”
Delaney waved over her shoulder as she left, and smiled at Evan and Luke, both of whom were waiting in the hallway. After she shut the door, she whispered, “She’s awake. I’ll see you later, I’m running late.” And with that, she sprinted down the hallway, barely avoiding a collision with the door as someone opened it.
Evan chuckled under his breath. “That girl’s really something,” he said to himself, then blushed. He’d forgotten he wasn’t alone. Luckily, Luke was pretty easy-going, and didn’t comment.
“Rise and shine, Rowan,” Evan called through the door, knocking. She opened it quickly and stood back to let them in.
“I was hoping you would come,” she said, smiling. The two boys exchanged glances. Whatever reaction they had expected from her, this wasn’t it. She grinned wider at their confusion. “I was hoping that someone could show me around. Is there a library here? What about a music wing? And I’m afraid I don’t remember the way to the cafeteria.”
Luke remained silent, his eyes boring into hers. Those eyes made her shiver, so she looked to Evan. He was smiling and looking distractedly out the window. Rowan glanced out and saw Delaney sprinting across the grounds, and suddenly she thought she understood his reaction whenever Lane was near.
The boy had it bad.
And judging from Lane’s reactions to him, she had absolutely no idea. Interesting.
“That really happened?” Rowan whispered to herself. She had been convinced it was just another of her dreams, filled with longings and wishful thinking. Yesterday’s elation came back to her.
She was here. She was going to a new school, and she never had to go back to that orphanage. She would have friends. Rowan scowled at herself for that last thought. She couldn’t have friends, she reminded herself. She couldn’t.
They wouldn’t last, and then she would be crushed as surely as if she got in the way of a rockslide. She couldn’t let that happen.
Rowan decided on a compromise. She would befriend these people, but she would not allow herself to get close to them. She would absolutely not trust them. And she would not fall to pieces when they found out what a freak she was and left her.
She didn’t know how well that would work, but she was sick of being an island. She was lonely. Something in her told her that she needed this and, being the queen of emotions, she listened to it. When you’ve got nothing else, sometimes you just have to go on instinct.
“…so sorry, Rowan. I just tripped, and I didn’t mean to wake you up. You could have slept in for hours yet,” Delaney was saying.
“Huh?” Rowan shook her head and brought herself back to the present. “Oh, don’t worry about it. I’m glad I’m up. I’d like to do a little exploring today, since I won’t have to go to classes- which, by the way is, is strange. I mean, they brought me here on a scholarship in the middle of term, and I’m not even actually going to the school part of this place?”
Delaney’s mouth gaped open, and she looked shocked. Truth be told, she was. She really hadn’t expected Rowan to volunteer so much information about herself. She recovered and replied, “They have their reasons. You should enjoy the break while you can. Once you really start school here, things are going to be pretty crazy.”
And that, Rowan noted, was nothing but the truth. “Should I be worried?” she asked timidly.
Delaney actually laughed. “No way. You’ll be able to handle it.”
“Thanks,” Rowan said sincerely. “And have a great day of school.”
Delaney waved over her shoulder as she left, and smiled at Evan and Luke, both of whom were waiting in the hallway. After she shut the door, she whispered, “She’s awake. I’ll see you later, I’m running late.” And with that, she sprinted down the hallway, barely avoiding a collision with the door as someone opened it.
Evan chuckled under his breath. “That girl’s really something,” he said to himself, then blushed. He’d forgotten he wasn’t alone. Luckily, Luke was pretty easy-going, and didn’t comment.
“Rise and shine, Rowan,” Evan called through the door, knocking. She opened it quickly and stood back to let them in.
“I was hoping you would come,” she said, smiling. The two boys exchanged glances. Whatever reaction they had expected from her, this wasn’t it. She grinned wider at their confusion. “I was hoping that someone could show me around. Is there a library here? What about a music wing? And I’m afraid I don’t remember the way to the cafeteria.”
Luke remained silent, his eyes boring into hers. Those eyes made her shiver, so she looked to Evan. He was smiling and looking distractedly out the window. Rowan glanced out and saw Delaney sprinting across the grounds, and suddenly she thought she understood his reaction whenever Lane was near.
The boy had it bad.
And judging from Lane’s reactions to him, she had absolutely no idea. Interesting.