CHAPTER THREE: SUSPICIOUS QUESTIONS

' i'm sorry if i seem uninterested
or i'm not listening, or i'm indifferent. '

Paul felt strange not having the big amount of confidence he usually had. Instead, he sat with his friends trying to gain courage to talk to the beautiful girl with the enchanting blue eyes he ran into a few days ago.

"Dude, come on. Stop staring at her and just go fucking talk to her." Jared told Paul who was currently staring at Clary intently as she read a book on the wooden table outside. They were just sat a few tables away from hers, but Paul still could not bring himself to talk to her.

"yeah, it's even creeping me out." Embry agreed. Jared snickered. "Imagine how that poor girl feels about a guy staring at her. I feel sorry for her."
Embry and Seth laughed. "Shut up," Paul snapped, returning his gaze back on the girl he still didn't know the name of.

Clary felt the intense stares on her figure, causing her to nervously move in her seat, trying to grasp a peak out of the corner of her eye of the people that have been staring at her. Finally using the confidence and courage his friends put in him, Paul stiffly walked towards Clary's empty table, sliding into the seat in front of her, gaining no questioning gaze or even a glance.

Swallowing his nervousness and doubt, he spoke awkwardly, "So, reading huh?"
He tried creating a conversation, only to earn an emotionless stare from her. His knee bounced up and down as he stared at his hands on the table when he felt her stare remaining on him.

"Is seeing a girl reading shocking to you?" His eyes snapped up in panic once he heard her reply. "No, no, no, no-!"

"I was joking." She put a book mark in her book, a smile of amusement gracing her pink lips. Looking up once again, she saw his eyes still panicked and she immediately felt a slight pang of guilt. "Uh, sorry about that. I'm not very good at talking to people." she awkwardly gave a quick closed-lip smile to ease him.

Paul gave a chuckle as he looked down, feeling more confident as she slightly came out of her shell. "It's okay," he said. "I'm Paul."

"I know." His dark brown eyes met her wide panicked ones once she realized what she said and she hurried to correct herself. "I-i meant that I've seen you around school," she scratched her head and nervously chuckled. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to sound creepy or anything."

smiling at her social shyness, Paul chuckled too. "It's okay." he glanced up at her again to see her head hanging low timidly. "What's your name?"

She snapped her head up, eyes wide with confusion. It was one thing for him to talk to HER. her of all the girls at school who were more pretty than her and that could actually make a conversation without saying something weird.

Noticing that she was taking a while to answer, Paul looked expectingly at her. "I-its Clarissa. But you can call me Clary," she ducked her head down even more as an attempt to make herself less noticeable of all the envious and rude stares from the girls who watched Paul talk to her. "Everyone does." she muttered.

"Why are you even talking to me?" she asked out of no where, causing Paul to look at her with confusion. "I mean, I've been at this school for two years, and you have NEVER talked to me, let alone look at me. So why start now? Did someone dare you?" she suspiciously asked, narrowing her blue eyes at him. Paul looked taken aback, mouth wide for a few seconds trying to find a response to her blunt question.

"N-no. Why would you think that?"

Clary rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated huff and stood up, starting to gather her books, ignoring Paul's question. "Wait, come on. Wanna talk a little bit more? get to know each other?" he hopefully said, trying to get Clary to stay and talk longer.

hugging her books to her chest, Clary sighed and turned to Paul once again. "Look Paul, you seem nice and charming and all, but I have to go. see you later." Clary wiggled her fingers in a wave as she walked away. She sighed once she got far enough from him, doubtful thoughts filled her head. Why would a person like HIM, TALK to a person like HER? it didn't make sense.

once she walked away from everyone and into the cold forest, she frowned, walking faster as she felt goosebumps rise on her arms under the oversized dark sweater, causing a big pang of guilt to hit her. she hated herself for letting that sweet, innocent little girl die in these cold, quite woods, with nothing but the moons light to guide her way. she didn't deserve it.

she let out a shaky breath, pushing those self-hatred thoughts away. a big tree came into her line of sight, moss and grass covering the huge roots on the ground, small plants growing. Clary set her books down on the side of the tree. standing in front of the tree that towered over her, she took a big, red tulip out of her backpack, staring at its beauty for a few seconds before plopping down on the ground, her jeans getting wet from the moist moss and grass.

she twirled the flower around in her hands before she leaned forward and put it right in front of the tree, the vibrant color standing out against the dark, green grass. she bit her lip sadly, but yet still her same blank look was on her face.

yes, they did find her body lying on the ground in front of the tree after her mom noticed that her young daughter had been missing for hours, even though she said she was coming back. and yet she didn't. instead, they found her body cold and pale, once bright, sparkling blue eyes was a blank blue. it was strange, only two bite marks on her neck.

even though Krista's body was in a coffin, Clary felt as if she was still at the tree, so that's why she would always bring a flower with her to school. No one ever understood why she would walk around with a flower either in her hand or hanging out of her backpack. they didn't know that after school, she would always take the flower to the tree because Krista loved flowers. But they didn't care or know that Clary was Krista's friend, they didn't even care about Clary. if she disappeared tomorrow, they wouldn't give a crap.

because that's the kind of school this is. people love the thrill of mystery and wonder, but it's not a secret that they don't care. it's not a secret that they don't care about Clary, because they didn't even know that she was Krista's friend when no one else was, even though that Krista was the kindest, sweetest girl, Clary has met.

so staring at the tree in guilt, anger and sadness, tears pooled in Clary's eyes as she bit her lip to keep herself from breaking down. but she eventually stopped trying, and big, silent tears rolled down her cheeks freely.

"I'm sorry, Krista. I'm so sorry that I wasn't by your side. I should've been," she leaned forward and held her head in her hands, her frail fingers curling themselves in her pitch black hair, as she sobbed out, "but I wasn't."

☼☾

Clary stared at the pasta in boredom and silence, only the sound of forks scraping against plates was heard. she felt her mother's eyes glancing at her once in a while at the table, but Clary still stared blankly at the food.

"So how was school?"

Clary licked her dry lips and sighed before she spoke, "like always. like shit."
she felt her mother staring at her because of her choice of words. "so how was work?"

"like always. like shit."

Clary snapped her blue eyes up and chuckled at her mother's mocking sentence, but she knew she deserved it. "How's Valerie?"

"Valerie's fine, mom. she's not dead."

She sensed her mother tense and freeze because she didn't hear any noises from her. "We do not talk about her in this house." Clary heard her mothers voice wavering as she spoke. "Why mom?"

"Clarissa, I love you, but go to your room."

Clary quickly sat up and hurried to walk upstairs away from the tense room,

"Gladly"