anchal's story :)

Posted w/ permission :D
Avani x Readhead Dude is my favorite ship :)

Remember, keep your head low and don’t make eye contact with anyone. I give myself advice all the time. You may think I am giving bad advice to myself, but actually, it can be very helpful. Its just that I am different than the crowd. But i’m not outshining everyone, I’m just hidden under everyone, which suits me just fine. Oh--I’m sorry. Did I forget to introduce myself? I’m Avani Avila. Half-Indian, Half-American. Everyone I meet gets my name wrong. Sometimes I’m Avila Evani, sometimes even Ava Li (that one doesn’t make any sense!).

Nobody bothers to get my name right, probably because I blend into the background so well. Once, my parents didn’t even notice me come into the house. As it grew darker, my parents called the cops, while I was sitting quietly in my room, studying for a math test. Boy, you should have seen how angry they were when they found me in my room. Now, you can probably tell what I’m like. A quiet girl, sitting in the back of the room. Nobody, not even the teacher, noticing her playing on her cellphone in plain sight. It used to bother me some, the fact that everyone forgot me, but now, as I said before, I’m used to it.

Anyways, today is the first day of school, and I expect it to go on like every single first day of school: silently. Every year, the process starts all over. This time, it should be as normal as ever. I mean, what could even happen to a mute girl like me? Well, the truth is, anything could happen.

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I walk through the rusty, blue door, the peeling paint only adding to the sketchy look of our school. Gretchen High School. Bah. I can find homeless shelters that are better looking than this thing we call a school. I slowly walk to the back of the room, scanning for the seat farthest from the teacher’s desk. Unfortunately, one of the two back row seats is occupied by some kid with really bright red hair. Which means that I will have to sit next to somebody this year. How horrible. I tentatively take a seat, sitting on the very edge, my back facing the kid.

“Are you sitting next to me because you feel sorry for me? You know, being alone and everything? Because I don’t need anyone’s sympathy.” says a voice behind me. I start, but don’t completely turn around.

“No…” I mutter, wondering what else to say. Stupid! You were keeping this whole first-day-of-school thing controlled until now. Oh well, at least you didn’t make eye contact with anyone yet. But for some reason, I keep talking.

“I’m not trying to give you sympathy,” I say, completely turning around to face whoever this is. It takes only a second for me to recognize the face. Mixed emotions burst inside my head like fireworks, unable to grasp one of those feelings. As I learn how to breathe again, the blurry image of a skinny, pale boy with flaming red hair slides into focus.

“Avani? Is that really you?” he asks, looking slightly shaken. This cannot be happening. How could this happen?Oh god, why did this happen? Why does it have to be him?

“I….I….?” I’m speechless. I just can’t get it out in words. Here, why don’t we go back six years. Maybe then you’ll understand this lopsided situation that I’m in right now…

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