[https://i.ibb.co/C83MjYv/ch4.png]

Her eyes felt like they were on fire, forcing them to open widely. The morning light illuminated the room with a glint reflecting off her metal desk lamp right into her face. She sat up straight and rubbed her eyes. An odd feeling enveloped her as she surveyed her surroundings. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, everything was as she left it the night before, and she was already used to the room at this point. Yet, she had this eerie feeling as if she was a stranger in another room.

“Lucy,” a raspy female voice pierced her bedroom door, “if you're still here, I'm heading to work. I can't make you breakfast so, like, order something,” followed by the sound of the front door closing.

Lucy sat on the edge of her bed for a few moments looking dazed. “Another weird dream. I should just forget about it.”

--

“11538A” Lucy repeated the number printed in the slip the main office had given her. After a few moments of going through the lockers in the hallway, she stood in front of the one with the same number etched on its plaque. While she turned the dial, she heard footsteps. Ignoring them at first, “Hey,” a girl with red hair and freckles along with two other girls appeared next to her. “You're Lucy, right?”

“Yeah,” Lucy responded with wariness.

“My name is Rachel. I saw you during gym class last week.”

“Oh... Hi Rachel.”

“You seem pretty cool. You want to hang out with us?”

Lucy noticed that Rachel's two other friends giggled at the request. Ignoring them both, “No, I'm good.”

“Come on, Lucy. We've noticed you haven't made any friends. You can hang out with us.”

“Thank you but I... I don't want to...”

Rachel and her friends surround her. “Come on. Don't be a loner.”

“I'm fine being alone.”

Rachel hung her arm around Lucy's shoulders, “Don't be so difficult. Besides, I have more friends who want to meet you. We hang out at the back of the school. Let's go over there right now.”

Alarms blared inside Lucy's head as she removed herself from Rachel's grasp. “I don't want to go anywhere.”

Rachel's smile had not changed and it is only now that Lucy noticed the condescending look on her face. “What are you doing?” Rachel said with a smug tone. “I just want to be your friend. Why are you being a jerk about it?” She tried to grab Lucy's arm but it swiped away before she could have a chance.

“Leave me alone,” Lucy attempted to say with vigor but it just came out too weak.

Rachel's two friends continued to giggle among themselves as she continued, “Oh, we're going to have some trouble with you, aren't we?”

“Hey!” a voice echoed as all four see another girl with blonde hair enter the scene.

“Beat it you slut,” Rachel shouted as the new girl arrived on the scene.

“I may be a slut, but at least I'm not a bully like you.”

“I said beat it.”

“Make me.”

Rachel and her friends started approaching her. “Why do you always got to butt into my business. Don't you think you've had enough before?”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“You're the one who had enough, running away like a crybaby.”

“I didn't run away, you did.”

“Is that what you tell everyone?”

Both girls clenched their fists but before further conflict proceeded, a security guard entered the hallway, causing Rachel and her cohorts to back away. “Don't believe her,” Rachel told Lucy. “We're just trying to be your friend. Besides, she's a slut and her mom's a whore. She's nothing but trouble.” With a final glance at the blonde girl, the group of three took their leave.

The new girl approached Lucy. “Don't listen to them. I've been here for a whole year and they're so messed up. They were trying to trick you so they can mess you up in private. You must be new, right?”

“I came here recently.”

“Yeah, I've seen you around. Lucy, right? My name is Jenny. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask, alright?”

“Sure. Thanks, Jenny.”

Jenny's attention diverted and gasped before running off. With confusion on her face, Lucy turned and saw a boy had entered the hallway. His stopped in front of a locker a few feet away from hers. Without giving her any attention, he opened the door and pulled out a small box. “I got it,” he said loudly at two other boys. He closed his locker and sprinted back to meet up with his companions.

Lucy couldn't figure out what had transpired, but neither did she have any interest. She returned to mind her own business only for Jenny to return. “That's Jonah. He's one of the cutest boys in the school. You're so lucky to be his neighbor.”

“Oh, great...” Lucy said to herself.

“Oh my gosh, I'm so trying to get the guy in charge of the lockers to change my locker to be close to his locker, but he won't change my locker because he keeps saying there's no other locker available. What a jerk.”

“Really? Because I just got this locker today.”

“I knew it. He was lying to me.”

“But they didn't give me a locker when I first came here. Maybe another student transferred to another school and it was now available. I'm just guessing.”

“Oh, man. If only I knew, then I could've convinced him to give it to me.”

Lucy couldn't help but smile when she told Jenny, “Well, if you want, you can have this locker. You want to trade?”

Jenny's eyes lit up. “Really? You're willing to trade?”

“Sure. Just take me to yours and I can help transfer your things.”

“Oh my gosh! You're my hero!” Jenny gave Lucy a great hug that she wasn't prepared for. The slamming against the other lockers emitted a loud boom across the hallway that surprised them both. Jenny released herself from Lucy. “Sorry, I just got a bit excited.”

“You're telling me,” Lucy said still shaking. “I'm more worried that you attracted unwanted attention. Let's go before we get in trouble.”

Jenny couldn't control her excitement as both headed out of the building and into the school grounds. “Did you see how cute he was? I can't believe you were so close to him. I'm too shy to approach him. I wish I had at least one class with him. But I wouldn't be able to concentrate in class because I would be watching him all day long. I believe that's called 'admiration'.”

'I think that's called being obsessed,' thought Lucy.

“He has such shiny hair that glimmers in the sunlight!”

'Looked a bit too greasy to me.'

“Did you see the dimples he made when he smiled? He's like an angel!”

'More like he's too scrawny and needs a better diet.'

“He's also so sensitive, but can be a real man when he needs to. He's so mature, unlike the other boys.“

As Lucy listened to Jenny's excessive adoration, in the distance, she looked on as Jonah placed a june bug on the back of a girl's neck, followed by him and his friends cackling when the girl gave chase.

Trying not to look too confounded, she faced Jenny with a more neutral look. “Why do you like him?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, is there a reason why you like him?“

“No, but it's one of those things.”

“What things?”

“Come on, Lucy. You know. When a girl sees a boy and she starts to have tingling feelings inside of her.“

And her neutral face got replaced with one of revulsion. “Not that,” said Jenny giggling and nudging Lucy with her hand. “What I mean is that I'm in love.”

Her revulsion was now replaced with one of bewilderment. “Did you say love?”

“Oh, Lucy, you must still be young and don't understand. I bet you just came from elementary school.”

“You look around the same age as me.

“Let me tell you, as the more mature person here, it's the most wonderful feeling in the world, to find the man of your dreams.”

“Dreams!?”

“Someday you'll know that warm feeling that makes you smile. Oh, I can't contain myself knowing that I'm truly in love!” The school bell rang. “We'll have to do the locker thing later. Let's do it during recess, okay?” After slapping Lucy on the shoulder, Jenny ran off.

Students scattered in all directions heading towards their destination but Lucy stood in place, clutching her heart, breathing heavily, her eyes starting to water. Running to the side of a building to hide from public view, she wiped her eyes but the tears would not stop. Her legs buckled forcing her to lean against the wall. A strange heat emanated from her person yet she shivered as if it was the coldest day of her life.

Trying to hide by covering her face with her hands, “Get out of my head,” she said in a quivering voice. “Why are you bothering me so much? Just get out of my head! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!“