I walked into my third class, more nervous than I had ever been before. They were all staring, and I wondered why. Mom had told me I was different. That people were cruel and would do anything in their power just to see me suffer.

At the time, I just thought she was being dramatic. Turns out she was right. Not even my science partner from second period would speak to me, and we had a worksheet to complete together.

It wasn’t how I looked, was it? If anything, I blended into these kids like a chameleon. I was pale, with straightened, brown hair and blue eyes. I was wearing a solid light blue t-shirt and jeans, with some black and white Vans. I was probably one of the most basic kids there.

It wasn’t the way I spoke, since I barely spoke at all. I hadn’t really made any type of impression on anyone at this school, so why had they been staring and avoiding me. I decided towards the end of my third class that I would silently power through the rest of the day and lock myself in my room, never returning to this place again.

But something strange happened as I was walking to lunch. A girl with brunette, voluminous hair and golden brown skin walked up to me rather quickly and grabbed my hand, smiling at me.

“Hey, do you wanna sit with me? I mean, only if you want to. But I’m sure you do, right? I mean, who wouldn’t wanna—“

“Do I know you?” I abruptly cut off her ranting, taking my hand out of hers. “I’m Alexis, but everyone calls me Alex.” She put her hand out for me to shake. I looked down at her hand and back up at her, and took my hand in hers once again. We only embraced for a few seconds, as she was the one to pull her hand away first.

“And you?” she asked. “Huh?”

“What’s your name?”

“Ellyssa,” I replied a bit discreetly, walking with my head down to wherever my newfound friend had been heading. “Ooh! Found a booth,” Alex mumbled, most likely to herself. She took my hand again and dragged me over to the booth, taking a seat on one side leaving me to sit on the opposing one.

“So, Ellyssa, right? Can I call you Ellie?” she asked, and I only nodded. “Sure. Nobody really calls me that, but— it’s nice, I guess.”

“I like you already, Ellie.”

I smiled at her remark as she began almost instantly talking about something else. I hadn’t been listening at first, but soon I would find out that this exclamation of hers had been more important than the many others.

“So, Ellie, wanna hang out this weekend? I mean, since we’re friends now.. n stuff.”

Probably a new restaurant in town or something.

“Never heard of it, but I’m sure This Weekend has great food,” I smiled, “do they have a website? I’ll look up the menu right now.”

“For what?“ I could see her expression become slightly confused, but it was exaggerated in a way. I could tell there were other emotions she was trying to hide.

“The restaurant you were talking about. This Weekend?”

She looked at me with concerned looking brows, and took both my hands in hers quickly before looking down at her lap and mumbling something.

“Wow— they were right about you,” she exhaled, gliding her thumb over my knuckles, “the rumors were true.”

I looked at her with a genuine look of confusion. “What are you talking about, Alex? What rumors?” She looked pained by having to speak to me about it.

“Ellie, do you really don’t know what a weekend is?”

“The restaurant? Well, I do now, you just told me!”

She let out another stressed-out sigh.

“That— that isn’t what a weekend is. A weekend is Saturday and Sunday, and you get the day off from school and stuff..” she struggled to find the right words to explain whatever the heck she had been talking about.

“Oh!” I exclaimed. “Is that why everyone has been staring at me and avoiding me? All because I didn’t know what that was? I mean, I’m sure there’s tons of people who don’t know—“

“Everyone knows what a weekend is,” she started, “it’s common knowledge.”

“So, why didn’t we have them back where I’m from? We did the same thing on Saturday and Sunday as we did any other day.”

“Well, that explains,” she sighed. “Just, if anyone asks you what a weekend is, tell them ‘Saturday and Sunday,’ those exact words. Okay?”

“Okay..” I responded in an unsure tone.

“See ya around, Ellie,” she patted me on the shoulder before shooting up from the table and disappearing into a crowd of people.

Well, that was weird.