January 3rd, Tuesday

                                                                                                      The Lone

                                                                                                          7:30

The brisk chill of the morning air stings her face and neck as she swings open the heavy wooden door. The soft glow of the overcast sun warms her cheeks as she takes a single step onto the prickly doormat. A doormat that once had the cursive white word Welcome across the middle. All that remained of the word now was a faded Wel and half of a e in the hay brown bristles.

Solaforma gently closes the front door ignoring Ansidara’s impassable stare as a pretty older girl named Luna asks him, “How are you?”

“Uh, uh,” He stutters, distracted by Solaforma's presence. “Fine, thank you’.”

He slides by the girls throwing one of his irresistible smiles as he rushes away. “Please excuse me.” He grins wider.

Solaforma walks just a bit faster as she strolls down the long sidewalk toward the corner of the street, where the large yellow school bus would stop. She has allowed only a sliver of hope to creep into her heart as she so delicately tries to give Ansidara the hint that she does not want anything to do with him or the aristocracy society he grew up in.

He catches up beside her, matching her long strides. “Hey,” He greets her with a disgustingly sweet smile.

She ignores him walking at a slower pace now that she knows he couldn't grasp her hint or he had just decided not to.

He tilts his head into her view. “Are you ignoring me?”

She glances at him with weary eyes. “I would rather be by myself.” Her voice is brisk cold steel, almost impenetrable.

“I wouldn’t want that.” He says placing a hand to his chest.

“I wasn’t asking what you want.” She answers, her voice as emotionless as always.

He mumbles through clenched teeth. “Then why should I care about what you want.”

Spoiled. She thinks as they fall into silence.

He watches her with inquisitive eyes as she walks across the sidewalk halting on the corner of the street where the large retro yellow school bus would soon come.

She stares straight across the street in thought of how to get rid of Ansidara but before she can devise a good idea he interrupts her train of thought. “I know what you’re thinking.” He says with slight bravado. She looks up to him, her red pony tail swaying as she stares at his soft grin that holds malice. “Well guess what,” He turns his whole body toward her his eyes crescent in a waxing moon shape as he speaks to her. “There is nothing that can get rid of me,” he speaks quieter just as the bus pulls forward. “Consider it part of your punishment.”

He examines her and she can tell he is searching for some emotion that may just surface past her mask but there is nothing, she is blank as she stares past him. Not at him. There is no emotion in her, nothing left to show and she trusts that he will soon realize that just like every other person that was like him, searching for something she didn't have.

“Leave me alone.” She commands then walks onto the bus that has just slowed to a halt.

I don’t think I want to. She thought she heard him say.