There is nothing more depressing than being alone, even if you're surrounded by others.

Of course, that is how I feel everyday. From the moment I wake up to the early rays of dawn till the darkening night of dusk. Still, I couldn't complain. That was how I was raised: Alone and sad. Sometimes I wonder if this is just fate's way of trying to teach me some moral value or important life lesson. Either way, I don't care anymore. My interest in company is as miniscule as the particles I learn in those godforsaken Chemistry classes.

Perhaps the main culprit of my loneliness would be my parents. Ever since I was twelve, old enough to be able to take care of myself without any major damage, my parents have left me to my own resources. I don't know why they disappeared, I just woke up one day to an empty house. I waited and waited, hoping that they would appear soon. They never did.

The sun had barely risen above the horizon as the birds started chirping away madly. Though the forests have started to deplete and pollution is spreading like a wildfire, the fauna still thrives. Several decades ago, the government has finally come to the conclusion that the Earth is dying and we need to help it. Fast. Yes, it took that long for them to come up with a simple act to save our beautiful world. Luckily, they came to their senses quick enough and the Earth was slowly returned to its prime.

Today, I wake up as I normally do, beating the alarm clock by a good five minutes. It's still a mystery why I keep that around, I always wake up earlier than it. Maybe it was just for reassurance, I don't care. The first thing I check is the calendar. It's the first day of Autumn, the beginning of the school year. Well, that explains why it seemed colder today. Counting today, it has been a good three years since my parents' disappearance. I doubt they will ever return. It has been much too long, after all.

The room I sleep in is small and dimple, sort of like myself. I was, after all, shorter than a normal fifteen year old girl. It was a fact I hated since some people confused me for a child. I make sure that everything around me is neat and tidy, which isn't that hard since I don't have that much stuff to begin with. Yes, my parents left me a bank account filled with money. It was left on the dining table on the day they disappeared. It's not that I didn't have enough to buy some things for myself, I just don't find it all that necessary.

Cleaning myself up was simple enough, as I'm not much of a rough sleeper. I usually just need to take a bath and put on some nice clothes. Everything else I just leave it to nature. Make up and perfume was a big 'No' to me. A simple girl: That's me.

After making a light breakfast and locking the house door, I leave for the place where I feel at ease most: School. I know, it's cliché, but who cares? That is the place where I feel the least bit lonely, even if it is just by one person. Popularity was also something I let slip by as my life carried on, but fate is such a cruel mistress. The road I usually take was still empty, as I always wake up early. I walk past the usual houses and shops, take a sharp right turn and walk straight ahead, seeing the grand and magnificent school looming ahead.

Maybe you're wondering, why did I just make an oxymoron about school? For starters, I have only one friend, so it makes me feel a little less lonely. However, everyone else there isn't really helping much with the lonesome issue I'm struggling with. Oh, they don't ignore me. Problem is, the only thing they don't do is ignore me.

"Hey, dude, did you just see the Ice Princess over there?"

"She's looking at me, right?"

"Yeah right, you know she doesn't give a damn about you"

"Ugh, she's back. Wonder why she even bothers to come back"

"At least that one girl keeps her company. What was her name? Sonia?"

Famous amongst all the boys and infamous amongst all the girls; a teenage girl's dream. You see, that is where I stand out. I hate attention; it draws me back to the fact that my life is as lonesome and empty as ever. I never asked for any of this. Ever since my first day, the boys were all ready flirting with me and the girls got jealous fast. It's not that I hate the company; it's the way the company is presented to me.

I was never early enough to come to school. Everyday, I would have to make sure that the house is truly safe and secure, which takes up most of my morning. Walking past the grey lockers and the cheeky teenagers, most people who have nothing better to talk about, talk about me. I'm still questioning the government's decision to mix middle school and high school together. After all, thirteen year olds don't mix with eighteen year olds.

As I walk though the halls, ignoring everyone I meet with my face staring down and my bangs covering most of my eyes, I try to imagine a better life. Yeah, that's so sweet. Yes, I daydream about how my life could have ended up much better than it already is. What would it feel to have your parents around to support you through school? What does it feel like to be surrounded by friends who like you for who you are? Can I even find happiness for more than a few minutes?

My train of thought stops as I run into someone else, the only person who dares to stand in front of me as I walk through the halls.

"Hey, cheer up! If I'm gonna tell you that everyday, I should've just recorded it"

A small smile creeps on my face. Sofia, the only girl who I would consider a friend. Her long black hair, much longer than my blonde hair, sticks out in some places like she was in a rush to comb it, which she usually is. I question her why she didn't just cut it, she replies she likes it longer. I look down at her body, with measurements that make her the talk of the school since day one. No one talks to her about that face up, though. She wasn't suspended from school three times for fighting within school grounds for nothing.

Being a year older than me, she acts a little like an older sister I never had. At times, people avoid talking about us in fear of what Sofia would do to them when she catches word of it. With a tendency to pick fights, not even the boys from the wrestling club could beat her. The only person she acts kindly to is me.

She brings me to our special spot, the roof of the building. Feeling the wind against my hair as it blows past, it just feels relaxing. She passes me a bun she must have bought in one of the shops, as she does every morning. I scold her for doing this for me, but she never listens. I remind her that I have already eaten breakfast, but she forces it into my mouth nonetheless. No use trying to get her to change her mind.

"So, anything new?" Sofia asks as she allows the wind to blow her hair and jacket

"I thought I told you I gave up on looking for my parents" I reply

"Pfft, I know that. I'm wondering if anything new happened to you"

"Same old, same old. Sometimes I wish something... I dunno, amazing would happen"

"You reap what you sow, remember?"

I staggered. Did she just use a poetic phrase? When I look at Sofia, she was throwing away the plastic of her bun into the air and start fidgeting with her headphones. Before I even get to ask her, the morning bell rings and the two of us have to run to the classrooms to avoid being tardy. Maybe I'll ask her about it after school.

Hours pass and I finally sigh in relief as the final bell rings. Students all around start cheering as they start running around and leaving the school behind. As always, I wait for Sofia and we head home together. The thought of her poetic words was completely lost during recess, but I remember them now. Sofia was no genius, and she was as much a poet as she was a diva. I wanted to joke about it, but the words escape me. There was no way I was going to start a conversation.

"Hey" Sofia finally starts talking after a few minutes "Wanna go to that forest near your place?"

"For what?" was all I replied

"Nothing, just to clear up our minds and all that shit, okay?"

I nod, and we pass my house without a second glance. Another weird thing about her today, Sofia never wants to be away from home for too long. If possible, she wants to get back and start ripping heads off of her enemies in some of her video games like God of War or Tekken. The thought that I've never actually gone to her house crosses my mind. Her parents were also a mystery to me, they never come to the parent teacher conferences.

As we cross the field that leads to the forest, a sudden burst of wind blows us back. I started to regret wearing only a white sweater and a skirt today, but the wind stopped as suddenly as it came. I never even got the chance to think before I heard Sofia calling me to hurry up. Heh, easy for the girl in jeans to say.

We roam around the jungle for a few minutes before we reach the river. It was so calming to be nearby, but I could sense that something isn't right. Sofia, she was acting strange the whole day. Not once did she threaten anyone or throw insults at our moustachioed principal. She didn't even show her middle finger to anyone. If anything, she seemed to be tense, waiting for something. I could see her gloved hands rubbing tightly together and her mouth kept muttering something.

Another gust of wind, and I hear the distinct noise of splashing.

A boy was flailing madly in the river, screaming at the top of his lungs. My eyes widen in shock as I try to remember whether or not someone was in there just now. I look at Sofia, but she only seems to be grinning a little madly. Her usual grin.

"You wanted something amazing, right, Everlyn?" Sofia laughs "Well, there you go!"

I cursed silently, and jumped into the river. Whoever that person is, I am not leaving him in there to drown.