Chapter One
"Chasing Clouds"

"Hey, Z. Over here!" Tom calls, waving me over to our table in the canteen.

Most tables in the canteen are exclusive to certain groups, so you can imagine how cliquey it is. There are some spare seating for outcasts, such as the tables besides the bin or the toilets, but not even Stinky Steven in year twelve wants to sit in those seats– and that's saying something, considering that the guy who has literally been called Stinky Steven on a daily basis for more than six years even has his own sense of standards.

At the minute, however, my mind isn't exactly focused on sitting with my friends or thinking about Stinky Steven's standards. All I can think about is Evie Mae and our conversation in art class. Would that pass as a conversation or rather a moment of awkwardness?

I didn't see where she went after the class finished, I was too busy attempting to get paint out of my hair to focus on anything else.

I can't help but want to speak to her again, I want to prove to her that I'm not as awkward and hopeless as our first encounter made me out to be.

So, in a moment of impulse, I shake my head at Tom. "I need to go speak to my art teacher, I'll be right back."

My friends nod and go back to their conversations, but I can't help but feel awful for lying to them because I'm not going to speak to my art teacher, and I won't be right back.

I'm going to find Evie, but I doubt they will ever approve of me going to chase down someone like her; she's basically a nobody in their eyes, and they would never, ever feel the need to associate with a loner like Evie.

But what they don't know won't hurt them, right?

I leave the canteen determined, but when I find myself at the schools greenhouse, there is still no sign of her.

Leaning on a tree, I huff and fold my arms over my chest. Suddenly, my phone buzzes with a text message from Tom. I pull it out of my pocket and stare at it.

Where r u?

I roll my eyes.

Feeling sorry for myself. Gone for a walk.

He replies instantly.

Is your teacher being a twat again? We can skip science again if u want?

"Skipping classes is bad." Evie says, casually reading at my phone over my shoulder.

"Ah, shit!" I scream and jump back.

I tuts and shakes her head. "If you get caught you'll be put in a weeks detention."

"You scared the crap out of me." I gasp, holding my hand to my heart. She shrugs her shoulders and sits down on the grass with her back against the tree.

"Sorry."

"It's fine." I tell her and sit beside her.

She stares at me with her brows furrowed. "Uh, what are you doing?" I stare back at her, confused. "Why are you sitting here? We're not friends."

"So, you can invade my privacy and read my texts but then I can't sit next to you?"

She nods. "Exactly."

I let out a shocked laugh but stay where I'm sitting. "Fair enough."

She pulls out her art folder and begins to draw something, I attempt to look over her shoulder but she simply glares at me and shuffles away. After that, we sit in silence with only the quiet sounds of pencil against paper.

It's not long before the school bell rings, signifying that lunch has finished. She closes her folder and puts away her things, standing up and throwing her bag over her shoulder.

She stops and looks at me over her shoulder, "Your hair is still a bit red at the side."

"Well, it would've been nice for you to tell me." I say.

She raises her eyebrows slightly, almost playfully, and then turns around to walk away. "Where's the fun in that?"

Notes

I was half asleep when I wrote this, oops.