?Pretty’s On The Inside?
[The World thinks She’s ugly but He sees her Beauty?]
By; Authoress Kamara
Episode 5
?Paris Myers?
“Okay, Miss Myers, you make take your seat”.
“Um … “.
“Just right next to Marion”.
I pause as she says that before breathing in and then heading towards the seat. He isn’t even looking at my side as I sit down.
?Ugh! Can you believe that ? She gets to sit with Marion!
?I know right. Lucky her!
?Too bad he’s not going to notice her with that disgusting thing she call a face
I touch the side of my face realizing that my hoodie was let down all this while. I raise it up over my head again while laughter rolls out behind me.
I look down at the desk in front of me trying to ignore the rumbling laughter but I can’t.
It hurts that people think of me as ugly.
I heard a mutter beside me and look sideways noticing that Xavier singing beneath his breath lowly with a bluetooth speaker connected to his ear.
Wow! I can’t believe I’m sitting next to him.
I could see his features closely, his baby eyelashes, curly dark hair that flops over his forehead and dark brown eyes with red lips which fits his flawless skin.
I wish I could just reach out and cup his face into my hands feeling its supple skin.
He glance at me almost immediately and I quickly look away feeling shy. I pause for a while before looking at him again and this time, he was staring at me.
I look away fiddling with my fingers and I heard a snicker coming from him. He rests his arms on the desk as he stares at me.
“Whats up with the hoodie?”.
And it was as if my world just stopped. Did he just talk to me? Like, for real?
Oh Em Gee!! Xavier Marion just talked to me.
I did a mental dance in my head and then took a deep breath before answering him.
“It was my Dad’s”. I reply nervously.
“And thats it?! No story behind it?”.
I look at him confused. “Huh?”.
“Do you wear it because its your Dad’s or to cover up your face?”.
I wear it to cover up my face. I wear it to hide my face from people. To avoid being taunted by others.
“Both”. I whisper lowly feeling a choking burn in my throat as I say that.
I always get that feeling whenever i get reminded of my Dad. Whenever I always get reminded of my Mum.
I could have saved them.
I could have saved Rio.
Its all my fault.
?And you should know you are beautiful just the way you are
Hearing his soft voice snaps me out of my depressing thoughts. I immediately realize that whatever he’s singing, is to me.
?And you don’t need to change a thing, the world can change its thoughts
Wait. Is he talking to me?
But how can he just compose a song out of the blues like that? Is he that talented?
?No scars to your beautiful. Scars to your beautiful
“Xavier!”. The teacher shunned him. “You do know singing during class is prohibited “.
?Scars to your beautiful
“You sing again and you are out from my class”.
The whole class gasps as most of the girls began whispering. And then Xavier stands up.
Okay. Whats happening?
He gestures towards me to move without speaking and I comply making way for him to go through.
I watch in silence as he walks towards the entrance of the class and then walks out of the class.
*
*
*
?Xavier Marion?
I walk out of class feeling the need to be alone all by myself. Just wanting to on my own after doing that earlier.
After talking to her.
But why did I even speak to her? Maybe it was because of the vulnerable look which showed on her face.
But I know there’s more to her. Somehow, a part of me is curious about her.
I don’t know, but just her sitting next to me is just … Is it weird that I want to find more about her?
Like for instance, why is she wearing that old hoodie? It must be for painful reasons.
Oh G©sh! Xavier! Why the h.eck are you interested in that anyways? Forget about her, you have Sam.
Yeah. I have Sam.
“Xavier!”.
I stop hearing that annoying familiar voice and then turn to see Diamond behind me.
“The h.eck! Aren’t you supposed to be in class?”.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in class?”. She retorted back.
I sigh softly. “Why are you out here? Thats what I’m trying to ask”.
“Mr. Reynolds gave me a D and asked me to report myself to the principal”.
“A D in what?”. I ask chuckling amusedly.
“Music”. She mutters lowly.
I laugh again. “Music? And you are supposed to be the youngest award winning songwriter?”.
“Stop it, Xavier!”. She whines stomping her foot on the floor. “I was supposed to get an A but I’m pretty sure Mr. Reynolds hates me a lot”.
“You know, for a 16 year old, you talk way too much!”.
“So singing in class, huh?”.
I roll my eyes and walk away from her.
Trust the students of Berkeley High to carry news so fast.
Me singing in the class like a minute ago had immediately been in the school feed.
Always trust the T3 to sort that one out.
Tiffany. Tamara. Tania.
I pause at a certain stop in the hallway and decide to head towards another direction.
Where I know she’ll be.
“Violet?”. I call walking in the Arts studio.
“Go away, Xavier”.
I sigh sitting on an empty seat as I watch strum the guitar silently singing to herself.
Violet isn’t just my childhood friend. She’s my best friend, the only one I’ve ever had all through these past years.
And it seems pettish to have a scuttle with her all because of Sam.
“Looks like you’ve been training a lot, you are good with the guitar now”.
“But not better than you”. She jokes and we both laugh.
Thats how it has always been.
Violet always make mention of the fact that I’m so better than in everything, even her own favorite thing, guitar.
Well I can’t help it.
Among all the instruments that I use to perform on stage, I always love making use of either the piano or the guitar.
Somehow, just strumming those strings gives me a relief. And I’ll certainly love to meet anyone who has the same passion for playing the guitar like I do.
“Xavier. Did you think of the consequences ?”.
Oh God! I know what she’s talking about.
“I thought it through”.
“No! No! There’s no possible way you could have thought this through, Xavier”.
“Of course, I did”. I snap at her.
“Oh really? Then if you did, tell me how out of all the billion females in the world, why you decided to date Sam? Huh? Or wasn’t there any girl at all?”.
“Any girl?”.
“Yes, any girl”. She says softly.
Somehow, a part of me figured out that Violet was actually referring to herself and another part of me was thinking about somebody else.
The girl in the hoodie.
*
*
*
?Paris Myers?
“And don’t forget to group yourselves in groups for the weekend”. The teacher said.
I watch nervously as other students stand up talking excitedly to each other as they form themselves in group.
I sight Tiffany and she rolls her eyes at me going over to meet two gorgeous girls who were dressed in matching outfits.
Oh Jeez! Who am I going to go with for this project now?
“Hi!”.
I look in front of me to see a slightly plump girl whose hair was packed in a ponytail.
“H-Hi!”. I stutter feeling surprised that she could talk to me.
“You must be Paris Myers, the new girl, right ?”.
I nod slowly. “Um, yeah”.
“I’m Elaine Gilbert”. She stretches her hand out for a handshake. “School’s President”.
“I’m Paris, I guess you already know that”. I say accepting her handshake.
“Since we’ve gotten to know each other, you heard the project, Mrs. Briggs talked about, right? Mind if we are partners?”.
“You want to be partners with me?”.
“Like she has a choice”. A girl mutters as she walks past me.
“Ugly and fat, best combination”. Tiffany adds striding out of the class as she laughs along with her friends.
“Just ignore those nincompoops”. Elaine says softly. “You are not ugly and I’m no where near fat”.
“Thank you”. I say meekly.
“So partners?”.
I smile a little. “Sure. I’d love to have you as a project partner”.
“Awesome!”. She squeals and pause staring at me. “Why you wearing a hoodie? It isn’t hot or is it?”.
“Um, no”.
I made part of my hair cover my left burnt face as the hoodie plays a part in hiding it as well.
Elaine attempts to say something when I get a call from my cellphone. I take it out of my pocket and glance at the screen.
Aunt Jenny.
“Sorry but I have to take it”.
Elaine nods and smile at her before swiping the answer the call.
“Hi, Aunt”.
“Paris”. Her voice comes up. “Are you busy?”.
“No, I just got off class, why?”.
“We are in the hospital now where I intend to get a surgery done for Rio’s legs”.
“And?”.
“The specialist there took a test done for him”. She adds.
“Aunt, what happened? Is everything okay ?”.
“I’m sorry, Paris but it looks like Rio won’t be able to walk again even if a surgery is done!”.
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