All That I Need

Episode 9

Klarissa’s POV

I didn’t see Lily at school for a full week, which made it pretty boring for me.

It had been an endless cycle of schoolwork being piled onto us class after class. We were midway through the year, so it was always the teacher’s favourite time to drown us in schoolwork.

I was so damn sick of it.

The only thing encouraging me to get up every morning and drag myself to school was the fact that Lily might turn up again any day. She was still a stranger to me. Still the new girl that I knew absolutely nothing about. But I was hoping that would change. I was excited to get to know her beneath her gorgeous face, and hopefully befriend her. I needed a decent friend right now.

Sarah and Kiara hadn’t been bothering me. It was like I had never even existed. But that’s the way I wanted it to be. I wanted them to leave me the hell alone. It was almost too good to be true.

———

I saw her again exactly a week after the day I had met her. In the exact same place.

A feeling of déjà vu washed over me as I walked into the toilets to find her brushing her teeth in the sink again.

“Oh. Hey Klarissa,” She said, smiling at me after she had spat her toothpaste out and rinsed her mouth out with water.

“Hey Lily. It’s good to see you again,” I said, smiling back at her.

“So you caught me in the exact same strange situation that you did last time. So you must think I’m really odd. But mum leaves early for work, so I get dropped off early. I don’t have time to brush my teeth before I come to school,” She said, blushing as if she was embarrassed.

“Don’t worry. you don’t have to explain yourself. At least it means you care about your teeth and gum health unlike half of this school. Actually; I’d say more like three quarters of this school. I’ve sat beside many people who stink like filth as soon as they open their mouth,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“It’s not pleasant.”

“That’s true,” She said, laughing half-heartedly.

“Anyway, I have to go to the office to hand in something. Do you want to go for a walk with me?” Lily asked, pulling a note out of her bag.

“Sure. What’s the note for?” I asked curiously, in the hope of starting conversation, and followed her out of the toilets.

“I’ve always struggled at school. So mum wanted to send a note in to suggest I get added to the class for slow learners until I get the hang of things,” she said, moving her hair from out of her eyes and behind her ear.

“I’m dumb. That’s all,” She was blushing, obviously embarrassed again.

“Oh okay. Don’t be embarrassed about that. I’ve been dumb my whole life at school while in the mainstream classes. You’ll catch up quickly, and you’ll be smarter than me and get thrown into the A-graded classes soon enough. I bet,” I said encouragingly. 1

She smiled at me. She was so damn pretty when she smiled.

“I hope so,” She said.

We arrived at the office doors, and I waited outside for her while she headed through the glass doors to give her note to the ladies at the desk.

“Where did you move from, anyway?” I asked her when she came back out, hoping my questions weren’t too nosy.

She hesitated. I wasn’t sure why. Maybe she’d had a rough past, and it was too personal for her to share with somebody she was yet to know well.

“Umm; my mum and I wanted to move to Brisbane, here, from Sydney,” She said, looking at the ground as we headed towards a lunch table.

“Her and my dad broke up last month, so we moved away. I never liked him anyway,” she frowned.

“I’m sorry. I hope life will be good for you here,” I said, not knowing what else to say, as we sat down opposite each other at the dirty lunch table near the canteen.

“Yeah. Me too,” She said, and we faded into silence.

My eyes flicked over to her as she played with her hair.

She seemed shy, and nervous. Maybe she was worried about making new friends.

“What was Sydney like?” I asked, watching her.

“I-it was good,” she said quickly, avoiding eye contact.

Oh shit. I was asking her too many questions. No one likes being asked too many questions about their life.

I heard her clear her throat, and looked over at her to listen to what she was saying.

“Have you always lived in this area?” She asked, obviously attempting to make conversation. She was looking into my eyes again.

My heart beat a little too fast at the fact that a girl was asking me about my life. Like she actually cared. Even if she was just being polite, and giving me a chance to talk about my life the way I had let her talk about hers.

“Yeah. With my mum, dad and six annoying siblings. Pretty boring,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“You have six siblings?” She asked in surprise. The same way that everyone reacted when I told them about my family.

“Yep, I know. Wild. It sucks. What were mum and dad thinking?” I said, laughing.

She smiled her heart-fluttering smile at me.

“I think that sounds awesome. You’ll never be lonely. I’m a single child, so I would love to have a sibling at home. I’ve been lonely my whole life, and never even had many friends,” She said, a grim expression on her face.

“I don’t know what friendship feels like. Or what it’s like to have a big loving family,” She smiled sadly.

“I’m so sorry. I guess my family isn’t that bad. I don’t think about how lucky I am to have them, even if they suck sometimes. Anyway; this probably sounds super lame, but do you want to be my friend? I think it’s upsetting that you’ve never had a proper friend before. And you seem like a lovely person. Like somebody who deserves a friend.”

It sounded like a question kindergarteners ask each other, but I didn’t care. I really, really liked Lily. And she was so sweet and lovely. Plus; she seemed like a good upgrade from Sarah and Kiara. Those fake, nasty bitches.

She smiled. The biggest smile I had seen on her face since I met her. “That would mean so much to me.” She said. “You seem like a really lovely person, Klarissa. And it also helps that I have somebody to hang out with while I’m new here and still learning my way around,”

I couldn’t help the blush that spread across my face. I probably looked like a tomato. She was going to be my friend. And just that. I didn’t need her to be any more than that. Even if I found myself attracted to her already. But I wasn’t such a desperate lesbian.