Thread:MsEraserCollector/@comment-4816103-20130616050941/@comment-4816103-20130703045046

I returned to the House with Joy soon, and we went up to our room.

“So, where you from?” I asked, sitting on my bed and watching her set up her side of the room.

“Just about an hour from here,” Joy answered, hanging up a poster of a boy band I’ve never heard of. “You?”

“Same,” I said simply. We were making wonderful conversation.

“Are you excited to go to this school?” She asked me. “I’m excited. I heard its great here.”

Excited? No. Ticked off? Sort of. Nervous? Yes.

“A little, I guess,” I answered, choosing my words carefully. “It is a nice school.” Which it was, at least to her. But I had to act like I didn’t care that my Mom got rid of me on some dumb Candy scholarship, and I certainly didn’t want her to know I just wanted to go home and be with my sister, like I should be.

“You don’t sound that excited.”

That scared me. I didn’t know this girl could tell so easily that I didn’t want to be here.

“Just nervous,” I said. “New school and all.”

“Oh, well that makes sense. But I’m sure it will be fine.” Joy said, with a smile. Her smile worried me a little; it was like she was trying to calm me down, but it just reminded me of how…popular she probably was, which would be a problem if she was like the others. I’d be fine for her, but for me? I was never good at making friends, partially because I was quiet and drove others away when I got protective over my sister.

She went back to decorating her part of the room, and I kept watching her. Maybe she was right, and it would all be fine in the end. I just wasn’t sure how long that would take.