3there's something different about this one.
it's not the way she smiles or the way she dances.
it's certainly not the way she acts, god forbid she try and turn that into an actual career.
maybe it's the way she carries herself, those deceiving slumped shoulders that make it look like she's easy prey to pick on. though the moment you open your mouth to insult her she stands strong and she fights back.
you're used to people cowering in fear because of you, so it's weird and a little uncomfortable the first time she stands up to you.
but it's different and sort of exciting to see this kind of reaction and you kind of like it. you like how angry she gets with you, how her cheeks turn blood red, a color you really love. at first you get a huge kick out of them but as time progresses you need them like a druggie needs hits. you're the druggie, she's your illegal medication.
you think her reactions are sort of beautiful, actually. her sadness, anger, happiness, confusion, being scared and helpless. so that's why you lie when people ask you why you've started bringing a camera to school daily. you can't tell them that you're taking pictures of a girl. that would boost your creeper status to premium member.
not that you'd care, anyway.
why would their voices matter when late at night, after you're sure everyone's gone to bed, you can pull out her photos and trace a finger over every single feature? when you can go back to a moment you saw and put yourself next to her and live through it?
where you can be with her without any expectations.
so no, you wouldn't care whether they called you a creep.
not until one day when you were just let out of gym and you hadn't had your morning coffee and you were grumpy and careless. when your feet tripped over themselves and your bag went flying and sending all of it's contents out, all of your pictures of someone you claim to be ugly being so beautiful.
the hall is quiet for a moment as everyone stares at you, trying to claw their way inside your brain for a reaction because your faces sure as hell won't be showing anything. you snap, shouting at them to get back to your lives and they do because they're scared at you. none of them are like her, can't they see that? can't they see your purpose?
at lunch she's staring at you from across the table like you've done hundreds of times to her. but so is everybody else, the entire school has probably heard the rumours now and the ones that weren't witnesses are dying to know if it was true.
if you had a hundred photos of a girl packed in your backpack.
you feel like an animal trapped in a cage and all the people around you are little kids tapping on the glass trying to get your attention. you can't take it anymore because even if you howled at them they'd keep tapping, making a joke and a game out of your misery.
abruptly, you stand from the table and make a break for a safe haven: an empty classroom, anything you can get at this point. you can hear laughter from the cafeteria and her telling you to wait. you can hear the click-clack of her boots as she tries to follow you but you're faster. you lose her near the start of your next class.
you're about ten minutes late when you decide to go back, putting on a smirk. after all, you're better than any body when it comes to putting on a show.
but the only person to see your show is the one person who hasn't paid at all.
and you guess that in that moment she realises there's something different about you too. that's the reason she occasionally glances at you in class, a small smile gracing her lips. and normally if you caught her staring you'd bare your teeth and glare at her. but this time you don't. you send a small smile back.
because normal's boring
This short fanfic was inspired by the fanfiction Jade's Private Pictures, which I thought was a very interesting idea.
I'll be getting back to Nonfiction as soon as I can but (i'm stuck in a huge pickle right now with it, woe is me) I'm also writing a new Jori story at the moment, too (which could possibly be the worst thing I've ever done) so this little one-shot was a way to get me back into the business, you know? Anyway, thanks for reading! Drop a review in that pretty little box below and tell me what you think.