Creative Predicting Piece

Gang of Outcasts

Author's Note: This is my creative version for the ending of the book Ten Miles past Normal. I also wrote this for Sentence Fluency.

Slowly, I looked around the library, desperate to find someone like me. I hated this, having to hide in the library for lunch while other people were sitting in the cafeteria, laughing with their group of friends at their own table. Yet again, I was disappointed. 

No one seems to be noticing me, I thought as a surveyed the space. I saw a few guys crowded around a computer, quietly shouted “YAH!” as one of them playing some war game. There was also was a popular girl from my science class, reading a physics book, looking very confused (she was probably try finish the science report last minute, of course. Good thing I finished mine already).

Then, I saw her. A girl in the reading corner of the library, her nose buried in one of my favorite novels, The Heart that Can’t be Broken. How was it possible, that I found the perfect person so quickly? How is it possible, that she is right there? How is it possible?; it has to be some sort of sign. Calmly, I take a deep breath, stand up, and slowly walk over to her.

Shaking, I say “He-hey I’m Janie”. Quickly, I try to think about what to say next as she looks up. Before a can say anything else, she says “Hi I’m Chloe”. Chloe gives me a weird look, almost if wondering why I’m talking to her. I panic.

“Um, well…” I say as I casually look around, looking for something to say. Why didn’t I think this through? “I was wondering…if you know where the fiction books are?” I asked, even though I could have found them blindfolded.

Chloe points toward them then returns to her book. I start to walk over there, but as I do I remind myself, The same person never comes to the Library two days in a row. You know that. It’s now or never! Just say something.

I turned and walked back her. She looked up from her book,  probably wondering why I came back. “Hey, I love that book!” I say, finding something to talk about.

“Oh yeah, it’s great isn’t it! I’m almost done too, so don’t ruin the ending.” Chloe said, smiling. This was my chance!

“I won’t, trust me. So, would you ever want to eat with me in the cafeteria?” I say a little more confidently.

Listening, Chloe soon looks confused why I would ask that and then says “Never. Well, I mean, it’s not you, it’s just that it’s a madhouse in there. I just started coming to this school a week ago and even I can see that.”

 I can’t hold it back; I have to tell her the truth. “Yeah, I know right! The cafeteria's crazy, especially when all your other friends are in A lunch and you have to sit alone. It's awful. Well, I just sort of want someone to sit with, I guess..”

At first, Chloe looks a little shocked. She replied “Well so do I. I have no friends here yet. Do you think you could sort of show me around, show me how this school works? Then maybe we could eat in there.”

“Of course” I say and sit in the chair next to her. Chatting, I realized I had finally found someone.

***

From then on, me and Chloe started going to the cafeteria.Smiling, I would enter it, finally feeling free. It felt nice not having to eat by my locker and spending the rest of lunch in the library. Eventually other “outcasts” like us started joining us. This was like the first step to not always feeling like such a farm girl. Our gang of outcasts is probably what would finally help me survive high school.