Think of bullies as sand paper.
They might scratch and hurt you,
But in the end, you end up polished
And they end up useless.

-Chris Colfer

°^°^°^°

"Well, now, won't you at least say hi?" She asked with a mocking smile on her face.

"You're back..." I whispered, backing away slightly, clutching my back pack tightly.

"Yes darling, I am!" She said incredulously, looking me up and down with a disgusted expression on her face.

God, how I hated it!

"Missed me?" She asked leaning against my locker.

"Hey, Maddy!" A girl called from behind me as I continued to stare at the girl who had made my childhood the worst time of my life.

"Oh, hey Jane!" Madeline said with ease, completely forgetting about me standing right behind her.

Screw taking the book.

I awkwardly and hurriedly rushed off towards my history class.

Today was going to be a long day.

****

"So, how did your day go?" Adrian asked with a half smirk on his face as I fidgeted with the end of my shirt, not looking at him.

I got into detention on my first day! I met the girl who made my childhood hell, and now I'm sitting here next to the guy who possibly helped her in doing so, all alone.

Oh wait, the teacher is sleeping as well, that too with freaking headphones! I could die and he wouldn't know.

I would say my day was going just fine!

"I asked you something Alyssa," his voice brought me back to reality. God! It was deep. He had lost the smirk as well.

I didn't plan on sitting next to him, hell I sat on the corner seat only to have him sit next to me, trapping me. I really need to stop getting myself in situations like these.

Me, being the coward I am, couldn't ask him to move.

"Alyssa, I know you heard me." He continued as I just looked down and fidgeted with my shirt even more.

Before I even knew what was going on, his cold hands came over mine. I almost jumped up and my face snapped to his.

Let me correct that- his face , which was awfully close. His grey eyes stared down at me piercingly. I peered at his olive skin, which seemed almost flawless. In this close proximity however, I could make out the light red scar just under his left eye. His Raven black hair had slight curls which brushed his forehead. I couldn't make out any expression in his dreary features.

He stared at me with those glimmering grey eyes and I felt transparent under his stare, like he was looking right through me.

I froze in my spot as he silently studied me. His head was slightly tilted to one side and he strongly maintained eye contact, not shifting his gaze.

His other hand slowly raised up and the rational part of my brain asked me to to get the hell away from him and run!

The stupid part of my brain however insisted he wasn't going to hurt me.

The stupid part won. As usual.

As his hand neared my face, I shut my eyes tightly, waiting to feel the impact of a hit maybe. Nothing came.

I felt his hold on the frame of my spectacles and I held my breath as he slowly, agonisingly pulled it off.

Fluttering my eyes open, I could see more clearly and his gaze nearly knocked me away.

It was penetrating to the very depth of my soul. The back of his index finger brushed against my cheek as he pushed a stray strand of hair from my face.

"You have beautiful eyes, Issa," he whispered, no sense of humour in his tone. I just swallowed, my throat suddenly feeling dry.

"I can see everything you're feeling, looking into them," he whispered thoughtfully.

My heart was racing now. His hands which were still holding mine, shifted as he laced his fingers around mine firmly.

"You're scared of me." He whispered tightening his hold on my hand, ever so slightly. It wasn't a question, just a fact, stated blankly.

He moved closer to me, his cheek brushing against mine and I shivered as I felt his lips on my ear.

I had never in my 17 years of existence been this... intimate with any guy.

It was unnerving.

His lips brushed against my ear, sending my heart into overdrive.

"I promise you," he whispered softly, "I'm going to find out why," he finished as I exhaled out heavily. Sensing the challenge in his tone.

His warm breath on my neck, made my hair rise up at the end and I held back a shiver.

"A-Adrian" I stammered out as he tightened his hold on my hand.

"Hmm?" He hummed out, questioningly.

I wanted to tell him to stop and to just let me go. I had already made my escape plan to Antarctica... because I had a certain liking to penguins and polar bears.

Okay, I'm going off topic!

His breath on my neck brought me back to my senses and I mustered up all my courage.

"I-I" I cursed myself for stuttering again.

"Yes, sweetheart?" He asked in a deep voice.

Oh god! Not the 's' word!

I shut my eyes and huffed out, picking up any pieces of courage I had.

"I need to pee!" I squeaked out. His motions stopped immediately and deadly quiet surrounded us.

Pulling away from me, he stared straight into my eyes, his hand still around my waist.

"You need to... pee?" He asked, incredulously?

The word pee sounded almost cheap when he said it.

I nodded as I bit my lip, looking down at the floor.

Looking back up at him, his lips were pursed in a thin line and his eyes sparkled with amusement.

As I looked at him more curiously, he finally gave in and a deep chuckle fell out.

I crossed my arms over my chest, slightly offended and that gave him an invitation to burst into full blown laughter.

He threw his head back and laughed loudly. My face immediately turned red and I bit my lip, looking down. Slowly his laughter slowed down into mere chuckles until it stopped. He then looked at me as he let go of me. Trying to control his laughter, he got up from his seat and stood outside, giving me way to move out.

With shaking knees, I picked myself up and taking the first step, I almost collapsed but he held me firmly.

"Not gonna let you fall again." he whispered, giving me a small smile.

"Th- thank you..?" I stuttered out making it seem more like a question. He nodded at me slightly before gently releasing me from his hold. With a new found strength, I make my way out and the restroom is where I stayed until the bell finally rang, signalling the fact that we could leave.

Looking outside to make sure that the coast is clear, I made a beeline to the door.

"Hold on!" Someone held my hand tightly and I was spun around. My head collided with a hard chest.

Looking up in panic, I immediately calmed down when I realised it was Luke.

"Luke," I breathed out in relief as he gave me his signature dimpled smile.

"Ally," he imitated me and I smiled at his childishness.

"How come you're still here?" I asked raising my eyebrow.

"I wanted to spend some time with my favourite best friend in the whole world!" He said cheekily and I laughed at his tone.

"OK, coach called us in for practice, last minute." He said rubbing the back of his neck.

"How did that go?" I asked as we walked towards my locker.

"The usual.." he trailed off before giving me a cheeky smile. "The question which should really be asked now is, how did detention go?" He asked wiggling his eyebrows.

Thinking back to detention and Adrian, I felt the heat rush to my cheeks.

"It was okay," I shrugged and thankfully Luke didn't catch a glimpse of my red cheeks.

I turned around to see him dribbling a basket ball. He had that look on his face which he had whenever he was concentrating on something. I almost 'aww'ed at his scrunched up eyebrows.

A memory flashed before my eyes all of a sudden.

.°.*.°.

"Pass it here," the guy behind me said.

The whole class was busy playing with a basketball which one of the guys had brought and for that I was thankful, because it meant they left me alone.

I picked at the vegetables on my plate looking down.

There was nobody next to me... as usual.

I was alone.

Always alone.

Nobody liked me.

Nobody cared.

It had been five years since the bullies left and by bullies, I mean Madeline...

I don't know about the others whose faces I had never seen without the masks.

They were most probably still here.

They were just waiting for the right time to attack.

What had I ever done to them..?

"Watch out!" A voice said from behind me and I turned to see the ball heading with full force towards me.

I closed my eyes in fear and put my hands over my head as a gasp escaped my lips and I waited for the impact, but it never came.

Opening my eyes, I saw someone's back in front of me, the ball held in his right hand.

The girl on the other end hollered with laughter.

"What a loser!" She said in the squeaky, annoying  voice.

"Why is she so scared of a ball?" The guy next to her chuckled out as tears stung my eyes.

"She's just too fat to dodge it I suppose," somebody snickered behind me.

The guy in front of me shook his head and he turned around with the ball in his right hand.

"Hey, are you..." he began but I didn't wait to hear the rest as I had already taken off towards the door of the cafeteria.

I knew how pathetic I was, really. I was fat, awkward and had no friends which just went on to show how everything was wrong with me.

Though I never got beaten anymore, I still felt it would happen anytime as soon as I let my guard down.

I pushed the janitor's closet's door open and shut it tight before leaning on it. I slumped onto the ground, hugging my knees to myself.

It honestly shouldn't affect me. I should not care whatever they want to say about me. But it was tough when everything they said was true.

Times like these were when I yearned for someone to come behind me, tell me it was fine, hug me.

I yearned for someone I could share everything with.

Just one friend and I would be happy.

Two knocks on the door startled me out of my thoughts.

"Um.." an unfamiliar voice started out."You're in there aren't you..?" the voice continued hesitantly.

'Who's he talking to?' I wondered as I held my breath and waited for him to leave.

"Are you... uh.. okay..?" He asked again.

'Was he talking to me?'

No way, must be someone else.

"Alyssa... right?" He asked again and my eyes widened.

He knew my name!

"Look, I just came to see if you're okay... you looked pretty shaken up there.." he said in a quiet voice.

I turned around pressing my ear against the door.

"They're all idiots! Don't listen to them, you'll just lose brain cells," he said in a 'matter of fact' tone.

An involuntary smile crept up on my face.

"Hey, are you even in there?" He asked a little louder this time.

I bit my lip, not knowing how to answer.

"God, I'm just speaking to a door," the guy mumbled and I pursed my lips to control the giggles.

"Okay, I'll take your leave then, Alyssa, if you're in there... or you- white janitor's closet door," he murmured the last part. "I've officially spoken to a door," he sighed.

I could imagine him shaking his head before I heard the click of his shoes on the wooden floor.

I then made the most instinctual decisions ever. One that honestly changed my life.

I turned the knob hurriedly and peeked outside.

The guy most probably heard the door opening and he stopped in his tracks before turning around.

I looked at him shyly not knowing what to say. He in turn smiled, showing his dimples.

He came closer to me, the ball in one of his hands. "Thank god I wasn't talking to a door," he said.

"Yeah... thanks for helping me out in there," I said genuinely, giving him a smile in gratitude. "Are you new here..?" I asked on further thought.

"I joined yesterday," the guy shrugged. "Lucas," he said putting his hand out for me to shake.

"Alyssa," I said taking his hand gingerly.

"Ally," he said with finality, giving me a huge grin.

"Luke," I said in the same manner as I shook his hand.

And the second he gave me a smile and a nod of acceptance, I knew that I had made a new friend.

.°.* .°.

"Ally!" A voice brought me out of my memories.

Shaking my head, I looked up to see Luke looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

I gave him a wide smile and he looked at me incredulously before looking behind himself.

"Is your face okay?" He asked, clearly amused.

I rolled my eyes before reaching up on my toes and kissing his cheek.

"What was that for?" He chuckled, raising his eyebrows at me.

"For being there... for being you," I shrugged.

He laughed before ruffling my hair. "You know you'll always be my number one girl!" He said with a wink.

"Yeah, yeah." I drawled out playfully as we walked to his car.

"It suits you," Luke said suddenly, looking at me thoughtfully.

"Umm, what?" I asked, not quite getting what he was talking about.

"The contact lenses thing you have going on," he said with a small smile.

That's when I realised that Adrian had taken away my glasses.

Holy cheese cakes!