Counting Stars

Chapter Two:

Open Eyes

Tessa’s P.O.V.

My mother slams my door open, startling me awake. And looking at the clock on my nightstand, I’m nearly late for school. It must’ve gone off earlier; I probably turned it off and fell back asleep – like I did all the time. My mom doesn’t wake me up, because she’s always busy prettying herself up, even though she’s probably going to do basically nothing all day. And her main priority is always herself. But, hey, I’m used to it.

Dragging myself out of my warm comfy bed is definitely not the highlight of my day. Because I so much rather be wrapped up in my blankets then to get out of them. Plus when I get out of bed, I have to deal with my brother’s and they’re not very nice to me. They always tell me that I’m a bitch, which should die. So I like to avoid socializing with my family.

My brother’s do whatever, usually, I think James is in football and Rico is too busy acting like he’s a gangster. James is the popular type of person, I think; he always has a lot of friend’s no matter where we move. He’s also pretty ‘perfect’ in the eyes of my mother. Rico just gets himself in a lot of trouble. Then he gets away with it with his charismatic skills that I lack. No one really cares what he does. Now me? I’m too afraid to do anything; I don’t want to get in trouble. I think the worst thing I’ve done is accidentally fell asleep in school while we were doing independent reading in English class, a few years back.

“Tessa, are you ready to go?” My brother Rico was leaning in my door way against the frame. His brown hair was spiked up with gel, in a way that reminded me of every single boy band ever. Rico could probably play the part of a boy-band, if he wasn’t all about ‘swagger’ just because he looks the part. But if he was going to go into anything regarding music, my guess he’d probably attempt rapping.

I turn my face away from his and to the window on the other side of the room. White curtains hung over the top of the windows. They were pretty plain, but it was something my mom had picked out to match the pink walls of every single room I’ve ever had. Everything in my room was what she had wanted, and not what I wanted. This is how it always worked in my house, so I’m used to it.

“Tessa! Answer me now!” Rico demanded, sounding quite mad.

“Sorry… Can you give me a second?” I asked, turning my head back to the impatient Rico. His brown eyes, the same color of mine, were directly on me. I swear, with how mad he seemed if we were in a cartoon he’d have smoke coming out of his nose and ear’s.

“Sure.” He paused, for literally a second. “One. Now I’m done, and I’m leaving, goodbye.” He walked out, leaving me alone in my room.

Rico tends to be a douche, but then again so does James. I‘m used to it. I’m now just numb to anything they throw at me. I can’t lie, and say it didn’t and doesn’t always hurt, because occasionally it does, but I’m mostly numb. If not, then I guess I’m learning how not-to feel. Swinging my legs off of my bed. My bare feet touched the floor, sending coldness quickly through my body. Running to my closet and finding a pair of jeans and changing my shorts into the pair of blue skinny jeans I found at first sight. I left my shirt being just a plan white T-shirt.

Being that Rico left and that James goes to an entirely different school. I’m left to walk alone to school. Which sucks because it’s kind of chilly out and we live a bit far. I hate that my mom only thinks about herself and that my siblings are douches. Maybe my entire family hates me.

Leaving my house and feeling the cold morning’s wing, I immediately wanted to run inside and not ever come back out. But it would get warmer during the day, so I’m not too worried. The school is exactly three blocks away from my house. Which I only know because I’ve practiced walking to it for the past week, since I know no one in my family is reliable. But that was back before my transfer was completed.

The only people at school I knew, just from my first day yesterday, was Annie, Shaye and Elizabeth. Annie is in my third bell Chemistry class, who ended up invited me for lunch for some unknown reason. Shaye and Elizabeth are her friend’s. From what I’ve learned about Annie, she’s one of those girls who try to be something she’s not. Shaye, everyone call’s him ‘Romeo’ sometimes because he recites lines from ‘Romeo and Juliet’ too much, and he kind of scares me – he just seems so mean. Elizabeth is scary because she’s always getting in your face, and I don’t have much to say about her.

I would say Annie greets me when she sees me, but that would be an understatement. Annie engulfs me in a hug. She squeezes me so tight, I’m honestly surprised my head didn’t detach from my body. I’m not used to being hugged so tight. Mainly because I don’t get any affection at home.

“I’m glad you’re here, my new British friend!” Annie is defiantly energetic; I wonder where she gets all this energy from. I don’t think I could ever act like her.

“New British friend?” She’s your only British friend.” Shaye blurts out in his boring monotone voice. I swear his voice could put me to sleep.

“Yeah I don’t think we know any other Brit’s.” Elizabeth chimes in before I could add my two-cents in.

The funny thing is, I’m not even British. It’s a speech impediment I’ve had since I could talk. Maybe I grew up watching too many British T.V. shows or something. Maybe I listened to one too many British singers. Or maybe I just impersonated the accent one too many times that now it’s sticking. Who knows really? Now it’s pretty much easier to say that I am a Brit.

“Guy’s, she isn’t even British.” Shaye looked annoyed, especially when his eyes darted over to me. They were a coal black that surely led to the dark abyss that is Shaye’s mind. Annie and Elizabeth have both known Shaye since he was young, and I’m sure neither of them knows what does on in his head.

“Whoa really?” Elizabeth asked, tilting her head. She, honestly, reminded me of a dumb bimbo. I know how rude and inconsiderate that is to say, but it’s true.

“She told you guy’s that yesterday.” For some reason every time Shaye talks to us he sounds angry or upset. Maybe that’s why the irritable raven haired scared me.

I bit my lip and looked between everyone. Annie, Shaye and Elizabeth, they all had backpacks hung on their shoulders. I don’t have my backpack, I left it at home. Why do I have to be such a spas? It’s really embarrassing.

Awkwardly tugging on the hem of my shirt, someone bumped into me. Turning around to see who it was, I noticed it was the girl from yesterday. The one who dragged me out of Mr. Hartley’s classroom and showed me around. I believe Mr. Hartley called her Miss Jackson. So her first name was unknown to me.

Yesterday the girl had her brown hair down, hanging down on her shoulders and she wore it the same way. Her black boots today were laced up to her knee. She wore what looked to be a pair of ripped up black skinny jeans a sweat shirt that was too big for her thin frame. All in all, she looked kind of intimidating, but she was pretty. I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t jealous of her tan complexion.

“Sorry.” Miss Jackson’s hazel eyes darted away from whatever and fell on me.

“I-it’s fine!” My eyes met hers. I wonder what her name is, but it’d be inappropriate to ask her that right here right now.

She held my gaze for a second, before two people came and bailed her out. They said “Hey whore!” to her, so they didn’t seem very nice. But of course, I could be wrong. They could’ve been joking. And they probably were. Even if not, it’s none of my business is it?

Turning around to face Shaye, Annie and Elizabeth whose eyes were wide and staring directly at me. I moved my hand in their faces to see if they’d come to. But no they kept the same face. Why were they staring at me like that? It’s kind of embarrassing. Can’t they stop? I don’t want all this attention on me. Yes, I’m being over dramatic about the entire thing. In reality, they just stared at me in utter shock.

“Yeeeessss?” I tilted my head to the side slightly. I wished I would’ve at least brought my books; I could be hugging them to my chest right now. Maybe then I wouldn’t feel this insecure?

“Do you know who that is?” Elizabeth asked her pale freckled face suddenly really close to mine. This is why she was scary.

I arched my back and head away from Elizabeth. “N-no.” I looked away.

“She’s a lesbian, so watch your back. You don’t want her to be your friend.” Elizabeth said, while Annie and Shaye kept quiet. They weren’t defending the girl Elizabeth was talking about why? She doesn’t seem like a bad person.

“Why?” I took a step back away from Elizabeth and folded my arms over my chest. I felt really uncomfortable right now.

There’s a sigh from behind Elizabeth and Annie steps forward to stand beside her. “There’s a rumor where it says she sleeps with every girl who talks to her, even if it’s against their will.” Her green eyes looked really sympathetic.

That can’t be true, can it? Can one single girl do that? She seems so nice, so not like that. Tell me Annie and Elizabeth are lying. I mean, she wouldn’t force someone to sleep with her would she?

Glancing around the courtyard, we were like the only group left and if we didn’t head out now, we’d surely be late. After saying bye to Annie, Shaye and Elizabeth, I ventured inside the two-story high school. And as if answering my question earlier, I saw Miss Jackson have a girl pushed up against the lockers in the front of the school. She was so bold, making out with a girl in the middle of the hallway. I had to catch my breath and I felt my face heat up. The girl she was sucking face with had violet hair, which matched her snow white complexion. The violet haired girl had a look of ecstasy on her face. Miss Jackson’s hand was leading its way up under her shirt. She ended up pushing Miss Jackson away and said. “No.”

“You know you want me.” Miss Jackson got intensely close to the girl and found her wrists and pinned them above over her head and smashed her lips over hers.

Was she really about to do this in the middle of the hallway to her? Did she not realize I could see them? That there’s other people in the hallway too? Or did she just not care? As if playing the rule of superman, one of the administrators from the office pulled Miss Jackson off the violet haired girl.

This entire event made me realize that maybe Alex is like how Annie, Shaye and Elizabeth said she was. Even if I didn’t want to believe it, or think it.