'Because nobody likes you, I said. That's why. Nobody likes you.'
I picked up my Happy wagon, and looked at the pebbles inside. The number had been dwindling for the past few days, and that conversation with Leo today had been the final straw. I tipped it upside down, and the stones inside clattered out, across the hard wood shelf and onto the floor. I picked up one. A single stone.
I threw it inside the empty holder with such a force, I had half expected the stone to crack into dust, and the wooden wagon to splinter and disintegrate in my hand.
With warm tears running across my cheeks, I stamped my feet on the floor. I suddenly felt extremely cold, even with the late evening sun spilling through my window and over my body.
My foot caught the edge of my skirt, and I stumbled slightly. I grabbed hold of the edge of one of the books on the shelf. I pulled it over the edge as I drew my hand away, and pictures and notes fluttered from between the binding. Oh. Peters Biography.
As I kneeled on the floor and scooped up the pictures, I had an epiphany. What was I doing? I looked down into the face of the young boy, and sighed. The top picture was one I had taken about 2 weeks ago. His friend had just pushed him over while tackling a football away from him, and his expression was one of pure shock and hurt. Why had I wanted to capture that moment? I shoved the pictures and notes back inside the binding, and ran out of my room.
I climbed up the cold metal ladder at the end of the hallway into the attic, and I pushed open the trap door over my head. I threw the book through the crack that I had opened up, and I jumped back onto the floor.
Walking back into my room, I could hear Cinnamon snuffling in his playhouse. He only fussed that loudly when he sensed I was upset. But I had things to do.
Right, Leo wants normal? I thought as I pulled off my long skirt, threw it into the laundry basket, and opened my wardrobe door, regarding the dresses, the robes and the skirts.
Then that's what He'll get.
'Two days later Stargirl vanished.'
