[h3][color=a187be]Melanie[/color][/h3]

So uncomfortable....

It was like bugs were crawling and slithering across her smooth porcelain flesh, the girl shivering as if in spasms as her tired, bloodshot eyes gazed down at the sheet of paper set before her.  It was one thing to try and talk to people in the hallway, but...online?  They could be anyone, even...even one of those girls from the cheer squad who kept harassing her all the time.  A lump was forming in her throat, and she was sure she could feel the salty sting of tears welling in her eyes from the overwhelming fear she felt rising in her gut, but nevertheless a deep and ragged sigh parted her quivering lips and her pen was pressed to the parchment, scribbling out her name, age, and all that other personal information.  It wasn't like the teachers were gonna share this shit with everyone, but still...Melanie was apprehensive.

Maybe she would make a friend out of this?  Friend...yeah right.  Who was she fooling?

Sighing to herself again, she handed in the form and was off to lunch, sitting at her usual spot outside on the campus grounds underneath the tall, shady sycamore.  With what money she had, she had purchased a sandwich, turkey with avocado and light mayonnaise on wheat, her favorite, not to mention a granny smith apple, a small bag of salted pretzels and a green tea.  She was used to eating alone, surrounded in utter silence with only her thoughts for company.  Well, there was also her music.  She pulled from her pocket the small pink iPod nano, sticking the buds in her ears and pressing play.  In seconds [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN-CqIytN2U]Mt. Washington[/url] was belting tenderly into her ears.  She closed her eyes, leaning her back against the thick trunk of the tree...just letting the music carry her away...from everything...