India

Monday morning came around way too soon, and India didnt know if she was even ready for it. She slid herself out of bed unwillingly, going to the bathroom.
She turned the lights off and undressed herself, turning on the shower. She couldnt even put into words how much she hated seeing herself like this. Seeing all the fat on her body, and the scars that covered her forearms and her thighs. She hated it all.
Self hatred was a term used very loosely, in her opinion. Everyone had parts of themselves the didnt like. However, it took a certain amount of self hate to not eat for days. To drag a blade across your skin just to numb some of the pain inside.

India got in and out of the shower as fast as she could, wrapping a towel tightly around herself. She pulled on a pair of black tights and a white cotton shirt that covered everything it needed too, pulling on an oversized dark cardigan and a scarf. She left her hair to dry, and sighed a little at the hideous girl she saw staring back from the mirror.
India didnt know why she had been cursed with being like this, she absolutely hated it. She looked fat and repulsive, and she really wasnt ready for school. Kids in Baltimore could be horrible to her, or they could be lovely. She didnt know which one yet.
India grabbed her bag and walked downstairs, going straight past the kitchen. She took the lunch money her Mum had left her on the table and ignored the note, going out to her car. Her Mum never being home was something she was painfully used too. Ever since her Dad had left, she'd been alone. It was like loosing both parents at the same time,

She shut her car door behind her and started the engine, pressing play on the stereo, Green Day blaring through her speakers. Her car wasnt much really, but she loved it. The light blue paint was slightly faded and chipped, and the seats could probably use a bit of attention. India liked it that way though, it had character.

The drive to school was a little longer than she would have liked. Dulaney looked like a very typical highschool, one she had seen a million times before. There was the football players sitting on the hoods of their flash cars with the cheerleaders around them, giggling stupidly and twirling their hair.
She saw the goth kids, dressed in black and looking like they would rather be dead than at school for another day. She could honestly say she felt the same.
There was the weird hippie kids, the nerdy kids, the kids who dont really fit in anywhere. Then there was India.
She parked far away from the school, hoping she hadnt taken anyones claimed spot. Eyes were on her from the second she walked out of her car. The stares made her so uncomfortable, all she could think of was the fact that people must be thinking how ugly she was. How fat she was.
She kept her head down as she walked, pulling the sleeves of her cardigan down over her hands. All she had to do now was figure out where the office was, then today should go smoothly. She just needed to stay quiet and avoid people as much as possible.

Alex pulled up at school not long after her, driving to his usual spot right near the front of school. He parked and got out, tugging on his backpack as people instantly said hi to him.
He returned their smiles and words, highfiving a few of the people he actually knew. He always found it slightly weird that everyone knew his name, yet he knew barely any. Alex was the definition of popular. Everyone cared about what went on in his life. Who he hooked up with, where he was, who his friends were, it was all common knowlege in Baltimore. Every town has that one kid who's popular for no reason other than the fact they drink far too much and have rooted half the school.

"Alex, dude you arent late!" Jack Barakats voice came.
Alex felt the skinny boy slam into him in a hug, and he laughed.
"Never am late man. How was your weekend?" He asked, walking into the school with his best friend by his side. He felt slightly bad about ditching on saturday evening.
People parted side to side like the red sea as the two boys walked through the halls, a few people daring to say hey to them.
They always answered politely, though still absorbed in their own conversation. Being popular was strange, almost like an out of body experience. Nobody else mattered much except them and their immediate group of friends.
"Rumour has it theres a new girl." Jack said, stopping off at his locker to grab a few books.
"Hmm. Hot or not?" Alex asked indifferently. New people didnt really catch his eye. If it was a girl, he knew he would end up sleeping with her sooner or later, he didnt mind when.
"Dunno, havent seen her yet. Apparantly shes got killer legs though." Jack said and shut his locker, a small grin on his face
Alex shrugged. "I'll judge when i see her. See you second period." He grinned and slapped Jacks back, heading off to his first period class.

India stepped into the office cautiously, going to the reception desk.
"Morning there sweetheart, what can I do for you?" The lady behind the desk was friendly, her purple framed glasses pushed too far down on her nose.
"Im new, im here to get my timetable?" India asked quietly, biting her lower lip slightly.
"Of course. Whats your name?"
"India Hamilton." She replied, watching as the lady typed her name into the computer, printing her out a timetable and a map of the school.
"Have fun sweetie, come back if you need anything." She smiled, handing the small girl two pieces of paper.
"Thank you, I will." She smiled weakly and took the paper, walking out into the halls. She'd already recieved a decent amount of strange looks, which only kicked her self confidence down more.
India sighed, looking down to see what class she had first. History had never really been a strong point for her, but she didnt really care. School wasnt something she could avoid.
Staring down at her converse for a second, India began to walk, following the map for about 10 minutes until she finally found her classroom.
She figured she was still a little early, as there were still plenty of people in the hallways. Most of them had their eyes fixated on her, whispering to their friends. New people were always so fascinating, she knew that. She was nothing special though.
India opened the door and walked inside, going and sitting in a seat on the far left side of the room, about three rows from the back. She stayed silent, getting out her book. Making a fuss was not something she intended on doing, being invisible was all she wanted at this school.
Her ribs and hips still hurt from her fall at the carnival, which definitely didnt make this whole thing any more comfortable. She got out her Ipod and stuffed her headphones in, pressing play as she played aimlessly with her fingers.

Alex groaned a little as the bell sounded, signalling the start of the school day. He started to walk towards history, making sure he wouod be the last person to walk in. He always was.
The door swung open, and he strolled in, giving his signature smirk to the teacher.
"Sorry Miss, wont happen again." He said cheekily and walked to the back of the room, sitting down in his usual seat between one of his best friends, Rian, and a cheerleader named Kara or something of the sort.
"Make sure of it Alex." The teacher sighed and continued writing on the board, instructing the class to get out their books.
Alex elected to ignore her and started up a conversation with Rian, shifting his desk closer to his friend.
"Jack says theres a new girl." Rian said, raising his eyebrows suggestivly.
"I heard, hopefully shes hot." Alex replied, chuckling.
Rian nodded forwards, and Alex looked confused.
"Three rows up, far right." Rian mumbled under his breath, pretending to look at his paper.
Alex frowned a little and looked up, his eyes stopping on a head of long blonde hair sitting in a seat that was usually empty. Something about the girl seemed weirdly familiar, even though Alex was sure he hadnt seen her before. He didnt think so anyway.

India could feel the eyes of everyone digging into her back as she copied down whatever the teacher wrote on the board. She was so terrified that this school would be as bad as her last, she decided just to not speak to anyone. She knew they all thought she was fat and weird and ugly, so it shouldnt be too hard to remain invisible. India felt sorry for the boys at the back who were talking about the 'hot new girl.'
They were sadly mistaken, and in for a whole world of dissappointment. India bit her lip and pulled her hair over one shoulder, pulling the sleeves of her cardigan down over her hands. The day had to go faster than this, she just wanted to go home and be alone again.

As the bell rang to signal the end of first period, the mysterious blonde girl was the first to stand up. She slid her things into her bag and put it over her slim shoulder, and that was when Alex recognized her.
The tiny stature of the girl, complete with the oversized top and black tights that clung to her tiny legs. It was the girl from the carnival, and Alex was in pure shock.
He got up faster than he thought possible, shoving his bag on and taking exactly three long strides over to her, trying to remember everything he knew about talking to girls.
India looked up when she felt a presence beside her, caught off guard with the eyes that stared back at her. Her gaze averted quickly to the ground, her heart pounding a million miles an hour. There was no way the boy from the carnival went to her school. This couldnt happen.
Alex frowned when she looked down again, catching the glint of fear in her eyes. He didnt know what had caused it, but he didnt like it at all. She shouldnt be scared.
"You're the new girl?" He half smiled down at her as the classroom began to clear.
India replied with a small nod, starting to walk off. She couldnt make any friends here, it was too risky.
"Hey wait a second." Alex chuckled lightly and reached his hand out, catching her wrist. He was surprised at how tiny and fragile it felt in his hand. The baggy sweaters did a good job of hiding her frame.
The girl cowered slightly, tugging her arm from Alex quickly. Her eyes darted up at him, wide and filled with terror. She walked out of the room quickly, turning left down the hallway before Alex even had the chance to say another word. For the second time, she had slipped through his grasp and left him completely speechless.

"Dude whats up with you?" Jack laughed a little, chucking half of a cookie at Alex from his side of the table in the cafeteria.
"Huh? Nothing man, nothing." He replied, waving it off.
"New girl caught Alexs eye." Rian piped up.
"Shes hot?!" Jack asked, ignoring the slightly hurt look on the face if the cheerleader who was sitting on his lap.
"Not really, i saw her earlier. Way too skinny, hardly any boobs." Zack answered with a small shrug.
"Shes not hot, i dont know. I dont know what she is." Alex said, still trying to figure out why she looked so scared. Was he really that intimidating?
"What?" All three boys said, looking at Alex as if he had just said the most outrageous thing in the world.
Alex panicked. "Shes hot i guess. She needs to change how she dresses though." He mumbled a bit, covering up what had just slipped past his lips.
"Yeah, the whole big sweater thing is weird." Rian agreed.
"Shes got weird eyes though, the craziest shade of blue." Zack said,
"Maybe she wears contacts." Jack shrugged.
"Theres no way her hair is that colour naturally either."
"You reckon she'd be easy?"
"Probably. All girls are easy if you say the right things." Jack grinned, high fiving Zack across the table.
"Guys shut up." Alex asked, wanting to avert the conversation from the new girl. He didnt like how they were speaking about her, something about it just made his stomach turn.
Alex looked around the cafeteria and sighed a bit. He could see everything from their table, it was right in the middle of everyone elses.
The only thing he couldnt see was the blonde girl, and that bothered him more than anything.
"I have to go guys, I needed to talk to Ms Patterson about failing math." Alex laughed as a cover up, standing up. He recieved high fives from his friends and walked off. People parted for him as usual, not daring to get in his way. Alex preferred it like this though. It was orderly. He was at the top, and he intended to keep it that way. Nobody questioned the status quo of the school.
He didnt really even know why he was so popular. He didnt play sports, which was usually what popular kids did. He was more known for his wild partying and his rep for sleeping with more girls than the rest of the guys in school combined. He was proud of his rep, it was really all Alex had.

India had managed to find her locker after a good 15 minutes of searching. She put in her combination and put a few of her books in, trying to stay as unseen as she could. If nobody knew she was here, nobody could hurt her. Thats all she had to do here, not stand out in any way, shape or form.
After everything that had happened a her last school, she was terrified to even speak to people here. She didnt know the dynamic of everything yet, how things worked. She needed to sort out who the popular kids were and who the people were that you didnt mess with, and stay away from them. It would just be easier that way. High schools were incredibly complicated places to be at times
The other thing India wasnt sure about, was the boy who had talked to her in history class, who was also the same boy who walked into her at the carnival. She didnt like the thought of him. He looked like the popular type, one who couldnt be trusted. All she knew was she definitely didnt want to find out anything else about him.