Davina ran away from her class in a fit of tears. She had told herself thousands of times “Big girls don’t cry”. Now she was ready to fling that motto to hell. She sat outside in a corner where no one would see her cry. Never had she felt so ignored.

Hr so called friend, Sarah had brought a jewel to school. Everyone wanted it and envied her.

Davina had been left in a corner to rust for a month.
A month.
Davina wiped her tears with her sleeve and stood up. There were still 20 minutes of class left and she would look like a bi-polar fool if she didn’t go back.
Her footsteps were silent as she stepped back into her 5th period. Every step felt like a mile and every heartbeat like a punch to her chest. Every stare felt like a telescopic stare except for one.
Shawn’s
The tall boy’s eyes were naturally large, and his stare was that of wonder and sympathy.
Her eyes met his. Suddenly all of the stares in the room felt as if the people were looking at her through the wrong side of binoculars.
Davina turned away and sat down in her desk. The 20 minutes dragged by but 5th period was finally over.
She was prepared to break out in a mad dash, but something stopped her before she could put one foot forward.
A stare.
A completely fascinated stare.
Davina swiveled around.
Shawn was standing behind her with his eyes boring holes into her neck.
Davina’s skin got goose bumps.
“Are you OK?” Shawn asked, moving his eyes to hers.
“Yeah,” I’m better now.”
There was an awkward silence. But Shawn continued to stare.
Davina sighed, “Can I help you?”
Shawn nodded, “Can you tell me how you just burst out like that? I never could’ve done that.”
Davina sighed again, “I’m not usually like that, I’m really kind of shy. I guess I finally popped.
Shawn laughed, “Why?”
Davina frowned, “I’m tired of gathering dust. I want people to listen to me, to see me, to notice me. Instead give my friends something shiny and I’m left in the attic like an old toy.
Shawn shook his head, “I noticed you.”
Davina couldn’t meet his gaze anymore; those huge eyes were getting the best of her. She looked at the ground and said, “Thank you.”
In 7th period that day Davina was loud, loud, loud! The agitated teacher had to send her to the English room.
She felt a stare.
She turned her head in the direction that the all too familiar stare came from.
Shawn.
Again.
For how long?
50 minutes?
An hour?
2 hours?
Her whole life?
Davina slumped in her seat and shivered. She said one word to Shawn.
“Stalker.”
After an impossibly long time 7th period was over. And so was Shawn’s creepy stare.
Or so she thought.
He ran up to her. “So what did you do this time?”
“I was being loud.” She answered flatly.
“Is it because you want to be noticed?”
She nodded.
Shawn laughed.
He laughed.
At her.
She was ready to release a hailstorm on Shawn, but Shawn had put up a hand to stop her. “Davina, if you want to stand out, what better way to do so than to own what ever you do? What ever you do make sure that you do your best. Jump higher, scream louder, and think harder. If you own what you do you’ll stand out. Be it debating, fencing or even, jump roping. People will notice you. You don’t need to get into trouble.”
Shawn got on his bus and Davina on hers. Digesting Shawn’s words all of the while.
The next day, Davina sat in front of a blank test. She sighed. Her first impulse was to scream like a wild animal and behave like one too.
No.
Never.
Never in a million years.
She took a deep breath and started to make sense out of all those numbers that floated on the pages.
She finished and turned it in.
The day after that she received her test.
97%
Davina sat quietly admiring her 97%. She didn’t want to scream. She didn’t need to scream.
All eyes were riveted on her anyways.