Emily's highschool

chapter 7

However, as our collaboration flourished, I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the back of my mind. Mia and her friends continued to cast judgmental glances in our direction, their whispers echoing in my ears. I tried to ignore them, focusing on my writing and the joy it brought me, but the weight of their disdain was hard to ignore. It felt like a shadow looming over our creative process, threatening to dim the light of our newfound friendship.

One afternoon, as Zoe and I were deep in our writing, Mia approached our table with a smirk. “So, are you two still playing pretend with your little stories? How cute,” she sneered, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment, but before I could respond, Zoe stood up, her expression fierce. “We’re not playing pretend, Mia. We’re creating something meaningful. Maybe you should try it sometime instead of tearing others down.”

Mia’s eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, I thought she might back down. But instead, she laughed, a harsh sound that echoed in the quiet library. “Good luck with that. You’ll need it,” she said before turning on her heel and walking away.

I was taken aback by Zoe’s boldness. “I can’t believe you stood up to her like that!” I exclaimed, a mix of admiration and disbelief in my voice.

Zoe shrugged, a determined glint in her eyes. “We can’t let people like her dictate how we feel about our passions. We’re writers, and we deserve to be proud of our work.”

Her words resonated with me, and I felt a surge of gratitude for her friendship. I realized that I didn’t have to let Mia’s negativity affect me. I was on a journey of self-discovery, and I was determined to embrace it fully. The encounter with Mia had ignited a fire within me, a desire to prove not only to her but to myself that I was capable of creating something beautiful.

While we were at the cafeteria, Bryan and Sarah joined us then we began hosting. Sarah continued to lament about Mia and her friends while she was at it, we all noticed bryan’s face. He blushed on hearing Mia's name. The three girls glanced at each other with a surprise look. "Can someone explain what is happening here?" Emily ask in a confused face. Sarah shook her head notifying Emily she didn't know what was happening either. While Zoe pushed Bryan off the sit.

Bryan coughed "I've been to tell you guys about her. Mia had always been my crush right from junior high but unfortunately for me I found out she was deeply involved with maxwell and I wouldn't want to be made mess of so I just admire her from afar instead. Sarah looked at Bryan with an so much expression written on her face. "Wait, you mean she is dating Maxwell? Omg, that boy doesn't deserve her for real or what do you think Emily"?.

Emily was lost with the whole conversation, she didn't know most of these students not until today. She only knew Mia because she flaunts her beauty and popularity a lot, plus the club. " I really don't know what to say, I have no idea who Maxwell is ." Zoe and Sarah shared a glance at each other before looking towards Mia giving her a surprised stare not believing what Emily just said. " What???”

Who doesn’t know the Almighty Maxwell who bullies anyone. I’m happy for you thou but make sure you don’t cross his part. And as for mia “Sarah rolled her eyes “every guy in the school wants to date her. She thinks she is the Barbie of the school “. “Not gonna lie she is the barbie of the school” Zoe interrupted and their table was filled with total silence.

“Emily it’s fine if you don’t know anybody. We all know how much time you invest in your arts, than the things happening in the school.” Bryan said softly. Zoe scoffed. “I hope you’ve known them now and don’t go out there to embarrass us. I need work on your social life.” Emily nodded her head in agreement to everything her friends said.

The gang left the caf, laughing and enjoying their moments together as they continued with their activities. As the days turned into weeks, our collaboration continued to flourish. We spent late nights brainstorming, laughing, and sharing our dreams. The story we were creating became a reflection of our friendship, a testament to our shared passion for storytelling. We would often lose track of time, our laughter echoing through the empty library as we crafted plot twists and character arcs.

One afternoon as i sketched absentmindedly in my notebook, a voice interrupted her thoughts. “That’s really good,” a cool voice said. She looked up to see Mike, the boy who addressed them at the welcome gathering, standing there with an appreciative smile. “Thanks,” she mumbled, feeling a flush of embarrassment. “Seriously,” Mike continued, “I never knew you were also good at art? I felt your passion was just for writing alone but I guess I was wrong. You seem to be more intentional about art compared to writing. I’ve seen your work before. You have a lot of talent.” Emily’s heart skipped at the compliment. “Thank you. That means a lot.” Mike sat down across from her, his presence surprisingly comforting and uncomforting. “ I heard you just joined the school. It’s nice to be blessed with the appearance of a multi talented student you know. She isn’t just perfect with writing, her drawing is amazing. “Emily shrugged, trying to hide her emotions. “welI now that you are here, I guess luck is on our side then.” Max smiled.

As the night wore on, Emily felt a sense of fulfillment wash over her seeing herself in the midst of other students, and being spoken intensely to someone she admires, meant a lot to Emily feeling determined and excited.