So this is my entry for the #SPKSAD! Please vote and comment and tell me what you think of it, guys! :D

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I looked around the high school campus, eying each bench, table and/or steps to sit on for the next forty five minutes. There were a few places that looked remotely appealing. And those were the best seats in the house. Go figure.

The worst part about starting at a new school could easily be trying to find a new routine. Routines that made you content and happy were hard to come by and let's face it, my routine at my old school and home were spot on.

Everything about it made me happy. But now, I'm here. In a brand new town in a brand new school with brand new students who clearly don't like my clothes or hair. At least, that's what I'm able to see from the judgmental looks on their faces.

But, no matter, I suppose.

With a petulant sigh, I watched all my options slowly dwindle down to nothing. Everyone just looked annoyed. At what, who knew? I didn't and to be truthful, I really didn't want to. Only one year remained of my entrapment in the educational system and I didn't need to know anyone's life story as it was irrelevant to mine.

Once again, I tugged on my shorts before nervously pulling at my bracelets. I really felt like I was attracting attention now and that bothered me greatly. But as per usual, I refused to show it on the outside.

To others, I may have looked a bit ... well ... intimidating, would be the proper word. And who could blame them? Dark hair with colorful streaks running through it and shorts with black tights. Converse covered my feet, plaid made up most of my wardrobe, dark make up on my face and many black band shirts that I wore religiously. It probably didn't help with this new crew of kids that a smile had yet to cross my face.

But I didn't mind the sharp edge I had. It only meant that people left me alone and if they didn't care about me, they wouldn't put any effort into getting close. I felt protected and safe within the walls I built around myself in this regard.

I liked it.

However, back to the problem at hand - still no spot to sit. As I turned to walk away from the ground and just go eat lunch in the library, I spotted a guy sitting on his own under the shade of a largish (kind of) tree.

Well ... there were two sides of that tree. Acknowledgement shouldn't even be a requirement, right?

My steps were hesitant as I slowly made my way there, ignoring the looks and confused stares burning into my back. I kept my eyes straight ahead and focused on that treasured spot.

As I got within earshot, the guy who claimed one side (of what didn't see to be that big of a tree anymore ...) glanced up and stared at me. Same as everyone else.

But, same as everyone else, I ignored him completely and walked up to the other side of the tree. He didn't seem to mind, though. Just stared and made me feeling very uncomfortable.

But whatever. I had a seat now.

Adjusting myself so I felt comfortable enough, I pulled my lunch out of my bag. Unfortunately, upon closer examination, the tree didn't possess a very large circumference. So if I turned my head, I could see one leg from the other side of the tree, tapping and twitching.

With a muted sigh, I slumped down and watched the other people in view. Who were talking with other people. Who were their friends.

Which I did not have.

In other words ... this new routine sucked.

* * * * * * * * * *

Things remained that way for the next three weeks. Except after the first few days, the guy stopped staring at me like an alien creature every single time I walked up. Now, I just blended it. I was just part of the scenery. That both brightened and dulled my days.

After all, three weeks into moving here and I still had yet to make any friends, aquaintences even. Perhaps, yes, part of the blame rested on my shoulders, but seriously - did no one see me and think, "Hey, she might be a barrel of laughs?"

Apparently not.

So, needless to say, I felt a little desperate at this point. Which is probably what fueled my actions.

One day, as I sat at lunch on my side of the tree, I peeked around the other side as ninja like as I could at the boot covered feel sticking out. Biting my lip, I glanced down at the large bag of Sour Patch Kinds in my hand and went through a mental debate.

After making up my mind, I hesitantly scooted a couples inches towards the boots, enough to accomplish what I wanted, but not enough to intrude on personal space.

In a nice slow motion, I stretched out my arm, a silent offering. What was I offering?

Friendship?

Comradery?

More?

Maybe I wanted him to eat all the green candies, I don't know, people!

All I knew was that the suspense of his reply killed me.

His foot stopped moving and for a second I wondered if he was listening to music and what kind of music he liked.

After a few moments, though, discouragement sagged on my shoulders and I began to pull the bag back into myself.

But, in an action that nearly ripped the bag, one hand shot out and grabbed a handful of Sour Patch Kids before retreating again.

This time as I took the bag back, I had a smile on my face.

He didn't say thanks and I didn't care.

I felt like a kid in kindergarten. We basically just shared crayons and maybe, we could share again.

I kind of liked the idea.

* * * * * * * * * *

We still didn't talk to each other after that. But I really didn't mind - honest. But we did do one thing.

After a week of stretching arms and popping out shoulders trying to share little tidbits of our lunch with each other (apparently that was our 'thing' now. I started a thing!), our miniscule relationship stepped up.

The guy with whom I shared the tree came a little later one day and instead of immediately going to his side, he slightly faltered and with what might have been hesitancy, sat down closer to my side.

I could see him.

He could see me.

And it reminded how weird I am for trying to share candies with someone who I never saw.

But he didn't seem to feel awkward or weird. Instead, he pulled out a big bag of Sour Patch Kids (something I hadn't brought in a while) and set it down between us, both taking a handful.

I smiled at my lap and he read a book.

I didn't say thanks and he didn't care.

* * * * * * * * * * *

It happened at what I thought to be a weird time. At least to me, anyways.

The days were starting to drop in temperature. Even so, it seemed that neither me or tree guy were too keen on leaving the spot. Because then, we would have to find a new spot that filled all the requirements. And that just seemed like too much work.

At least, I think that's what it meant. We still hadn't spoken a word to each other, but we still like being around each other. I think we both liked the silence in a way. It seemed as though he was just as much of a loner as I, only he dealt with it for a little longer. And now, though in silence, we found a special bond and held onto it.

It was kind of nice it you thought about it long enough. Anyways, we were sitting there, both clad in hoodies, and lunch was about to end. We once again remained silent, but the goodies we brought to share were enough to compensate.

But then, just as the bell was about to ring, I got another surprise. I was about ready to leave, packing my things together when I heard something.

"Daniel."

My head slowly turned to look at the guy next to me and for the first time, saw him looking back. He must have seen my confused face because he smiled light and said again, "My name's Daniel."

Recovering from the surprise, I replied shyly, "Clarisse."

He chuckled a little bit and I cocked an eyebrow. "What's so funny about my name?"

Daniel shrugged and said, "It's just a very soft, feminine name for someone who looks like they could punch me in the throat."

Surprisingly, I chuckled along with him and nodded in agreement. "Yeah ... my parents thought it'd be the perfect name for the perfect daughter," I replied, looking back down at my hands.

I didn't know what in the world made me to say that. But I definitely regretted it now that I could feel the intense stare of Daniel piercing into my side.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I think they may have gotten what they wanted," he told me softly.

The bell rang just then and we stood, brushing off our pants. I smiled at him and he knew exactly why ...

I said thanks with my eyes.

He said you're welcome with his smile.

And as I walked away, I realized I sort of liked that.

* * * * * * * * * * *

When the snow began to fall, Daniel and I moved out conversations indoors, much to our chagrin. It appeared that we both preferred the outdoor world, but living in a climate that loved winter made it difficult to enjoy year round.

So for the time being, we claimed a single table sitting at the very back of the lunchroom for our sanctuary. And as we had done outside, we continued learning more and more about each other at that table.

I learned that his dad wasn't around anymore. His parents parted ways before his age allowed him to understand what happened in his life. He didn't remember much, only that the two of them fought more than the parents of his friends.

He didn't like that.

Daniel learned that while aggressive on the outside, my personlity displayed a very shy individual. With a little coaxing, he also found out that the pressure from my parents to be the perfect daughter helped inspire my look.

"They always wanted a preppy, pink loving, skirt wearing, honor student. They got me instead," I told him one day on the way to lunch.

He just nudged me with his arm and replied with a smile, "They're lucky."

We basically learned everything little detail about each other in such a short amount of time. It felt like skydiving - wonderful and terrifying in the same burst of energy. But it was nice.

And at the end of all our small, unprofessional therapy sessions ...

Neither of us said thanks.

Neither of us cared.

But both of us were happy.

And I really liked that.

* * * * * * * * * *

Winter passed and spring rushed in with flying colors. Spring break rolled around and so did that magical talk of graduation. Daniel and I never really discussed it before, but as the impending separation approached, I realized how much time we spent together and how much we actually needed each other.

We were two loners in the school, those regularly ignored by everyone else. But we managed to find each other and create a kinship. We did so without thinking it through very well.

So during spring break, we deviated. Since there were no lunch tables or comfortable trees to sit under, we decided to meet up at a local pizza restaurant to hang out.

"What are you doing after graduation?" I asked him after we ordered one large pepperoni pizza, staring at him intensely.

Daniel's eyebrows furrowed down so deep that it formed a solid line across his eyes. "I don't think I've really given it a lot of thought," he replied slowly, his napkin the most interesting thing in the room. "My mom and sister need me, so if I do end up doing something, it wouldn't be too far away." Glancing up, Daniel shot me a smile. "And you, Madame Clarisse? What are your plans?"

A shoulder lifted up in a shrug and I sipped my soda. "I guess whatever my parents want me to do, you know?"

Another frown crossed Daniel's face and he shook his head. "No, I don't know, actually. Shouldn't it be your decision where you go?"

He seemed a little confused and I didn't blame him.

"Remember when I told you my parents always has high expectations of me?" He nodded. "Well, I guess this just plays a role in that. I don't have a choice."

Daniel looked me dead in the eyes. "There's always a choice, Clarisse."

And I wanted to believe it. Honest. But it didn't seem that way at all.

"Just promise that you'll talk to your parents about it. Please?" he pleaded, his eyes the most serious that I ever saw them. So I nodded and vocalized my promise.

But I was very nervous about the conversation I would be having with my family. Daniel knew it, however, he refrained from pushing it.

And I really appreciated that.

* * * * * * * * *

When I came back from spring break, I didn't even wait until lunch to try and find Daniel. With news like I possessed, it couldn't wait any longer. Not even a moment.

It took a few awkward and super short conversations with random people in the halls, but I found him at his locker. Making sure no teachers could see me, I ran down and jumped up on his back.

"They said okay!"

After I climbed off his back and Daniel recovered from the scare, he asked what in the world I was talking about.

I took a deep breath and happily told him, "Remember when you told me to talk to my parents about my decisions? Well, I did! And after a little back and forth, they said I didn't have to go law school!" Somewhere in the middle of the conversation, I began jumping up and down.

Daniel put one arm around my shoulder and fist pumped the other one. "That's so awesome! So what are you planning on doing?"

"I have no idea!" I told him, still grinning. "All I know is that whatever do, it's officially my decision."

Looking around, Daniel rummaged through his still half open locker and announced, "This calls for celebration." With that, he pulled out a bag of Sour Patch Kids and let me grab a handful. Raising his hand in a toast, he said, "To making your own decisions."

As we both nibbled on our little treat, I wondered if he could see how thankful I was.

And to be honest, I think he could.

* * * * * * * * * *

Finals were stressful, but the day finally came. Graduation. When the efforts of the past year built into a crescendo and we were right there at the top, the spoils of our battle laying beneath our feet.

We were finally free and it felt amazing.

Daniel decided that he wanted to work in a metal shop, so his classes centered around welding and learning how to work metal. He already started taking a few at the local community college to get a head start.

I liked calling him an egghead for it and he liked to throw candy at me everytime I did.

Which could have been the reason I always called him that.

I decided that I loved art and so my parents enrolled me in the college with the best art program money could buy. I supplimented it with photography and a minor in English and I couldn't wait to start my classes.

But, before I knew it, cheers rang in my ears and caps were falling to the ground around me. A flurry of excitement and cameras flashing surrounded me and I somehow managed to squeeze past the large crowd.

By some miracle, Daniel found me in the large crowd and before I could say anything, he swept me into a bone crushing hug. He never initiated this kind of contact before, so I gladly accepted and squeezed him tight right back.

"I can't believe this day is already here," he said, shaking his head.

I couldn't believe it either. But the subtext behind mine might have been a little different.

I can't believe we already have to say goodbye.

Shaking the thoughts from my head, I focused on another matter. "Oh, I have something for you," I said teasingly. Letting go, I pulled a big bag of Sour Patch Kids out of the purse hanging underneath my graduation gown and handed them over.

He stared at the package for a moment with a fond smile on his face. After all, that's what brought us together, wasn't it? And no, maybe we didn't fall head over heels and maybe we were sort of a crutch to each other.

But we had each other's back and that was all that mattered. That bag of candy represented a whole lot more than a sweet tooth to the two of us.

In seconds, Daniel has swooped me into another hug, this one a little more meaningful than the last.

I never knew exactly where we stood. If we liked each other or not or if we were just friends. But in any case, I loved this moment and if I could, I would capture it in a jar and never let it go.

As Daniel added a little more pressure, the universal signal for 'I'm about to let go', he whispered, "Thanks."

I heard everything he didn't say in that one word.

Thanks for sitting next to me.

Thanks for offering me candy.

Thanks for just being there.

Thanks for being my friend.

A slightly watery smile crept onto my face and I squeezed my eyes shut, whispering back, "You're welcome."

I hoped he could hear the thank you in my voice as well and judging from the look on his face as he pulled away ...

I knew he did.

And as I watched Daniel walk away with his mother and sister to their car, something hit me and made me smile before walking away to my own family for our own celebration.

Maybe new routines aren't so bad after all.

And maybe I liked that.
* * * * * * * * * * *

Hope you guys enjoyed it!