The Girl That Fell From The Sky
My alarm didn't wake me up for school...again. I woke up to my little sister, Hannah, coming into my room, and having to forcibly shake me awake. As I came upstairs into the kitchen, I saw my little brother, Sam, eating a bowl of cereal while my mom was standing in the kitchen with her arms crossed. "Stayed up until 3am watching cartoons again, huh?"
"They're not cartoons. It's called anime. They're two different things, Mom."
"Okay, up until 3am watching anime. You're in high school, and you need to do well. You aren't getting enough sleep."
"I know Mom. I just..." I couldn't bring myself to tell her the truth. How could I? She gave a look I knew too well by now, a look that she knew something was wrong, but knew I didn't want to talk about it. It was a look I got a lot, ever since that night, 5 years ago.
The bus arrived, and after getting on, I made my way to my spot in the 8th row on the right side, and sat down. It was all a routine now: sit down, put in some ear buds, and let the world melt away. As usual, I lost track of time, and didn't know we had arrived at the school until Rachel tapped me on the shoulder. It had been like that for 2 years now. I walked with Rachel into the building. Students were herded into the gymnasium, and onto the bleachers. "Thanks for waking me up."
"We've been friends for 3 years now. You don't have to thank me." Friends...something So abstract yet so valued. Rachel was the only person that fitted my definition of a friend. Besides her, my family, and a few other people, everyone else just kind of...existed. They were neither good or bad, they were just there.
Rachel had begun fiddling with her hair. "Speaking of which, I wanted to ask you something." She really nervous. " When we met, you were...distant to the rest of the world. Over the years, I think it's gotten worse. You don't talk to anyone but me, and you don't ever go anywhere, and you don't come visit me anymore." A wave of guilt hit me, and I felt horrible.
"I'm sorry. Things have just...gotten tough. I'll try harder, I promise." Rachel looked away.
"You don't have to apologize for anything. I was going to ask if something had happened. You'd tell me if something else happened, right?"
I thought about it for a while. I had spent years keeping myself locked away, and keeping as much distance between myself and the rest of the world.
"Yeah. I'd tell you." At that moment, the bell rang, and we separated in the crowd heading to class.