I'd like to say that lunch was fine, but it wasn't. The two hours we've been here seemed to be like four, and all the time I've been feeling like an out-of-place freak with my nerves on edge.

When we approached Dilara, Valentina and Leo, I was already a nervous wreck. Casy introduced me as a friend, although I was really busy being nervous and sweating to pay attention to that small detail. It made me happy, though. Then she said my name and added a small piece of information telling them I'm the new kid at school. Nothing odd, just the ordinary. They greeted me —the two fucking whores with a stupid smirk on their faces— and Leo with a sweet smile.

Then we started walking. I stumbled a couple of times because I spent all the time staring at Leo as a silly-love-struck girl. However, nobody seemed to notice it, at least Casy and Leo, because the other two couldn't stop looking at me and whispering something among them, as the other kids at school did this morning. It was exhausting, but I wasn't in the position to say anything to them. 

Those two and their attitude wasn't what really bothered me, though—it was Leo. Leo and the way he was eyeing me—when I wasn't busy tripping over, of course. It made me feel small and petty, like I wasn't part of the group or something. His piercing gaze made me feel like a weirdo who didn't belong there, but I preferred to kick those thoughts to the back of my mind.

Soon after the four of them discussed what place we should pick for lunch, they decided to go to the restaurant Casy's already proposed to go to. They said it was a brand new restaurant called Jagger. I didn't like the decoration that much, but the food was delicious.

All of them ordered cheeseburgers with fries, save me. I was okay with a small salad. My deep fear of becoming the fat girl of the class again still weighs on me and having started a new school is not the best time to put on some weight.

These past two hours, the four of them talked about a bunch of stuff that I didn't have a clue about, so I couldn't say much. I wasn't included in their conversation and they didn't ask me any personal questions to get to know me better. Casy asked me a few things, but that was it.

So far, this lunch was a mistake. I ended up feeling that anguish and depression in the middle of my chest. Everything was the same as it was back at my old school. But I didn't let the pain get under my skin. So I decided to have a calm lunch and eat, listening to Casy's voice, which was a familiar sound for me.

Now we all finished our meals and only Casy and I are sitting on the table. The other three went to the bathroom a few minutes ago. Why are they taking so long, though?

"You okay? You haven't talked much during lunch. I'm worried about you," Casy says while she caresses my hand with hers.

I feel her touch and immediately notice something. Something inside of me. I don't know what it is exactly, but the thought alone of finding it out gives me goosebumps. I haven't experienced this in a while. And the thing is that, just very few times someone has any physical contact with me. Even me and my mother stopped hugging each other a long time ago.

I look up and meet Casy's eyes. Her look is sad and uneasy. She seems to be truly worried about me, and that kind of makes me happy, although I know it shouldn't. But, the truth is that Casy is the first person—after my mum, sure, but not that often—that cares about me, at least seems to care, and that's a big deal for me.

"Yeah, sure, I'm... fine." I lie. I don't want her to know the truth. There's a lot to tell and it's neither the place nor the moment to do it. She's not even the person I should be telling that to because, although she appears to be kind and sweet, I don't really know her. I don't know whether she's trustworthy or not.

"No, you're not fine." She says and stops caressing my hand. Her expression is serious.

I hate that people can read me so easily. I don't want to lie to her, but I can't tell her I feel like the odd-one-out and that I would like to be left alone with her. It'll be rude of me, considering that she invited me for lunch and she didn't even have the obligation to do so.

"Yeah I am, but we don't have to talk about me. Why don't you tell me where you come from? Your accent it's not from here, I'm sure."

"Can you tell?" She says with a soft chuckle. "I'm from Edinburgh. I've lived here for five years now with my aunt. My dad was born in San Pedro so I've always had family living here. So... yeah..." it seems like she wants to say something else, but remains silent. She bows her head and stops looking at me.

So Edinburgh... Unbelievable. It must be so beautiful. I would never have guessed she was from so far away, but now everything makes total sense.

As I listen to her answer, I notice her face turns into a frown and her expression is now... melancholic? It's like she's remembering something so sad that makes her feel that way. Could that have to do with the fact that she's living in this town? I don't think so, it doesn't look like she's unhappy living here. Though more questions pop up in my mind within seconds. Why is she living with her aunt? And what about her parents? Her sadness has to do with any of that? I'm sure everything's connected, but I opt not to ask any more questions and drop the subject. I feel like this is not the right moment to bring up such a sensitive matter.

She looks up at me, and my gaze meets her watery eyes. Undoubtedly, I brought up a very delicate subject for her.

I'm so fucking stupid.

I nod a couple of times and take her hand in mine, it's the only thing that occurs to me to do. She gives me a shy smile and we both remain silent for a few seconds. I grin at Casy, trying to comfort her and slowly her normal expression returns.

Our eyes are fixed on each other, and we don't utter a single word. An uncomfortable silence fills the place and we both shift in our seats awkwardly, trying to think about something to talk about. Casy's the first one to speak up:

"Hey, listen, I know you didn't feel comfortable during lunch. I don't blame you, really, and even if you tried to hide it, I noticed it. I'm sorry my friends made you feel that way, but on my side, you're more than welcome to our group. You seem like a nice girl and I'd like to get to know you better. I want you to feel closer to me," she says with a wide grin, caressing my hand.

I look down, with red-flushed cheeks and sweaty palms. I'm in shock, not being able to say anything. I just can't say she's right with the whole thing about me feeling 'unwelcome', she'd be upset. It'd be rude of me to say to her that her friends were talking behind my back, making fun of me and that they barely cared about getting to know me. That's not what I'm most interested in, though. My mind is occupied, focusing on the last thing Casy said: I want you to feel closer to me. What's that supposed to mean? Feeling closer to her? Me being a close friend of hers? Whatever that means, I'm sure it is something good. But I need to stop overthinking every single word she says. Nothing is that complicated—I make it that way.

"Hannah, what do you think?" Casy says, bringing me back to the present.

I want to answer her, but suddenly an unbearable pain takes over my head and my back, stopping me from uttering the words.

The blows... I was so busy thinking about this lunch that I completely forgot about what happened this morning. I felt a bit sore during the day, but nothing I couldn't bear. However, now the pain is so much worse and I can't avoid it. Clearly, the pills aren't making any effect now. Fuck me. 

"Hannah? Hannah, say something please," she begs me. "You look pale," she informs me, while shaking my shoulder carefully.

I react a couple of minutes later. I try to look up to Casy, but the headache is so searing that I can barely keep my eyes open. The pain in my back doesn't allow me to make any kind of movement and I won't push it as I don't want to make the situation of my back worsen. Yeah, it's not the moment of my life, but I somehow manage to speak up:

"I'm... fine... I just... need... a pill... the blows..."

Casy stands up from her seat, fear in her face is clear. She grabs my backpack and rummages in it, looking for the pills I asked for. She takes one from the package and hands it to me with a glass of water she requests from the waiter. I swallow the pill with a sip of water, while Casy strokes my cheek with one hand.

"Are you feeling better?" She asks me.

Again, I can't answer her. A voice that travels from my back interrupts me by saying:

"Well, well, well... look who's decided to join the opposite team," Leo says in the most mocking and annoying way possible. "I didn't have a clue you were a lesbian Castille."

I turn around and face him, hand-in-hand with Dilara and Valentina too, which is something I can't help but notice, but I'm very sore to think about that.

Casy stops cupping my cheek and looks up to Leo. Her piercing gaze fixed on his. She seems very upset for what Leo's said, and she's damn right to be. Although at the same time it seems to me very stupid that just the fact that two girls are caressing each other automatically makes you a lesbian. It's fucking nonsense—caresses can be a beautiful gesture among friends too.

"I'm not a lesbian. She was feeling bad so I helped her, that's it." She explains, flatly.

"And what about the caresses? If I didn't know that you spend every Friday night sucking a boy's dick, I'd totally think that you're fucking lying to me," Leo says with a smirk, that I find very annoying.

I try to hide how shocked I am by hearing those words. Casy? Sucking dicks every night? With a boy? I don't get it. She didn't appear to be that kind of girl. She seems to be... different. But, I can't judge her so fast. Surely there's an explanation for this that I'm missing, and I'm not even sure whether what Leo's said is true or he's only said that to fuck with her. Anyway, I don't understand anything, well, almost anything, because what I do understand is that appearances could be deceptive. Now I'm sure about that.

Casy gives him a harsh glare. I can tell that they don't really get along as well as I thought.

"Shut the fuck up. I don't wanna talk about this. I better get going," she snaps, grabbing her bag and storming out of the restaurant without even looking at me.

"Yeah, I wanna go too. My feet are killing me," Dilara complains, fanning herself with her hand.

Fucking idiot. She's been standing on her feet for only a few minutes and she's already tired. Such a fucking annoying bitch she is.

"Me too, I've been standing on my feet for ten minutes... I'm tired" complains the other useless human being in the room.

"Relax babies, Leo's here," he says, blowing a kiss to his audience of whores and lifts up the both of them, one girl in each arm.

At the beginning he fakes to be the strong man he thinks he is, but fails miserably. His arms start shaking and both girls fall on the floor, Leo included. I stare at the scene, stifling a chuckle, but I totally fail and I can't help but laugh despite the pain on my whole body.

"What the fuck are you looking at? Get the fuck out of here loser," Dilara's snaps at me, drawing the attention of the whole restaurant with her yelling.

I obey, without complaining. I don't want to argue with her, given her state. So I walk out of the bar—now that I'm starting to feel slightly better—with a smile, but it vanishes quickly. This situation was completely... odd. Firstly, I see Casy, Dilara and Valentina together, like they're the best of friends. Then, Leonardo shows up, who is gorgeous as fuck, but hateful. I think the four of them are friends—although I'd never understand why someone so sweet like Casy hangs out with people like them—but they seem to be fighting about everything all the time. Even Casy might not be that sweet girl I thought she was, but I'm not sure. I'm not sure about anything. Everything is so...confusing.

Casy's a very interesting girl, whom I want to get to know better. She seems to have like five different personalities, though and... honestly, that stops me from doing that. I don't know whom I can trust or how should I treat Casy now that I know... this. Everything's so weird.