Make-Believe Ballroom

Through habit, she dropped into her usual seat in the maths classroom. That was until her eyes met the desk. A large lump formed in her throat and she felt pressure pushing at her eyes. Knowing she couldn't bare the constant reminder, she moved along, falling into the seat where Max sat instead. Not being bothered by his harmless message to her.

Yet there was no possibility of her eyes avoiding what he had written in what must have been permenant marker underneath what she had put last. "I honestly am too babe. I'm Josh btw"

She allowed her head to rest on her arms that she had folded on the table. Taking calm and collected breaths to avoid making a scene at the beginning of the day. That would be asking for awkward questions, when really she had what would be a pathetic reply to anyone she told. Yet to her, it was the most heartbreaking thing.

She was always compared to her best friend.

Their personalities were seemingly opposite. Saskia was the quiet girl that threw her soul into achieving. Extremely shy around everybody but a select few, and completely disorganised but with a great fear of forgetting anything. Lauren dedicated her energy in impressing people, getting along with everyone. She coasted through school with minimal effort and couldn't handle being talked down to. Not many people could figure out how the two got along so perfectly.

She knew Lauren was well liked, she knew people would choose her over herself in any circumstance.

Exchanging messages with someone who didn't even know them, the person being so interested in her and pushed for conversation when it was absent. It was a blessing for her, the girl who stepped in her best friends shadow.

Some how, she had that stolen from her as well. Josh believing she was the perky brunette. Her urge to understand how that possibly happened overcame the desperation to not look at the work surface. Her eyes scanned for something that could have hinted that she was somebody else.

The laughed bitterly, seeing it underneath what started it all. Now she has the knowledge that he had always thought she was Lauren.

She quickly reached into her pocket, pulling out what she was aiming for instantly. A difficult combination of relief and despair swept through her as it connected with the desk.

♥

"Max, come on, we need to get there before the bell rings." he rushed his friend along who was trailing behind, preoccupied with pulling faces through every classroom window they passed to get students that snickered in trouble.

"Chillax Jish-Josh." Max grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet to become in line with Josh, as he groaned at the words that had left the other boys mouth.

"Do not start the again Heyler." he warned quickly, opening the double doors in front of them with his shoulder, not taking the consideration needed to leave it open for others following behind in his determination.

It swung back and hit a small red haired girl, and he instantly felt guilt trickle down him. Along with the smack he recieved from Max.

"I'm so so so so so sorry." he turned around to say quickly.

She laughed, and shook her head to show it hadn't phased her. "Don't worry about it. Could either of you tell me if I'm going the right way for Mrs. Humpherson's Maths class?"

Frantic arm waves and shrieks of 'Don't do it, save yourself' errupted from Max. The other two watched him with amusement, and it caught the disapproval of passing members of staff.

"That's Max and I'm Josh. I won't be offended if you choose to never speak with us again." he introduced them with laughter in his voice.

"Miranda, and I wouldn't mind spending time with that kid if he's like it all the time."

Josh was sure he would have blushed if that was said about him, yet it was a compliment his friend wore with pride and a wide grin, before proceeding to peer through into the classroom they would be entering shortly.

"Your little writing buddy isn't there." Max informed him, noticing that there was only a girl sitting in his place closest to the window.

He was shoved out of the way, to make room for his friend to see for his own eyes something that would drag down his mood considerably. His posture fell, due to him never being able to disguse his emotions in the slightest.

The group inside broke free from the room that had been keeping the captive for sixty minutes too long, many knocking into the three that were waiting to get in.

He hadn't been expecting any alterations to his table top after gaining knowledge of her absence. A tiny sentence that had been stenciled in would have come as a shock to him.

But the change that he was greeted by created a nauseous feeling in his stomach.

All that remained as evidence that he had ever spoken to the girl in the lesson previous to him, were the things they had written in pen yesterday. Every mark that was made the shiny steel colour that pencils made had been erased.

It no longer contained drawings, or witty comments that had made the other laugh. In it's place lay the residue of used rubber that had been an assistance in it's removal. Someone had sat there, scrubbing at the surface to ensure everything they were capable of deleting from existance had disappeared.

"I'm really glad we do this"

"I honestly am too babe. I'm Josh btw"

"I'm not Lauren, btw"