A Likeness with Others
By: Crystal Barajas
Reina got dressed for school at 4:00 in the morning. She tied her light blonde hair in braids as she did every morning. She put her make-up on and her uniform then went to the kitchen to make some coffee. When she got to school she met up with her friends. She ate breakfast then went to her English class. She picked up her routine pretty fast even though she had only been at that school for four days now. She moved from Gothenburg, Nebraska, she hadn't stayed there very long either, only for about two years. Her dad's job required them to move a lot to random cities in the United States. This year was Carthage, Missouri. She would only see her dad at around 10:00 p.m., while she was getting ready to go to sleep. Just thinking over the countless moving and being lonely most of her life made her feel extremely exhausted. She would tell herself that she's already been through a lot of moving and this time it was going to be different. Her day dreaming was interrupted by an unfamiliar face that had caught her eye .She immediately locked her eyes on him to observe him. He had light brown hair covering his left eye, which reminded her of floating slices of cucumbers in a pond. He had a faint tattoo on the back of his neck but his shirt was covering most of it so she couldn't make it out. In short terms, he was very hot!! Suddenly, Mrs. Caldwell burst out in front of the class, "okay you guys! Time to announce who will be partnered for the big poem project". Everyone in that tenth grade class stopped talking all at once to listen. As soon she saw that everyone had quieted down she got out her list and started calling out names. As soon as she had called out the names of the students, the students stood up and went to their assigned partner. Waiting for her name, Reina started getting impatient. There are forty seven students in the class but she felt her name should have been called by now. Finally, she heard Mrs. Caldwell say "Reina Lafayette, you'll be with Trent Mishima". Reina's brown eyes perked up and searched for the one person that she would be with for an entire month.
In the middle of the crowd, she saw the boy who had caught her eye. The piercing gentle eyes meeting her soulless but yet lifeful eyes, she was frozen. Not once had a boy, let alone a perfect stranger ever made her feel this way before. He found a seat beside her and sat down. She hadn't the slightest idea why the boy was right next to her. As she continued observing him, she could not see any Japanese in him! He made her feel so nervous that she couldn't speak!! Finally after a long period of silence Trent tried to start a discussion, "So…. what theme do you want to use for the poems?" She tried to reply barely able to breathe from being so close to him. His scent took over her piece of mind she felt as if she was surrounded by a warm mist of cinnamon mixed with hot cocoa. When she realized this was her partner, she snapped into her senses and responded, "Umm….I was thinking something that describes the real world something that has a meaning to it". Then he looked away with his hair hiding his expression replying shyly, "It's like you took the words right outta my mouth". He faced her with a kind expression. This caused her to stare blankly at his smile thinking about nothing but him and with that came questions that she longed to know. They had discussed enough about the project and agreed that he would go over to her house to work on it. Later that day she met up with him and they began walking to her house. Reina was nervous, but to break the silence she started a conversation, "Sooo…… where'd you move from?", "oh umm Somerville, New Jersey", he said. "Oh", so where do you live?" she asked. "Uhhhh….. I think 1616 Oak Street you know near where the powers museum is" he responded. "Really?!" She blurted out without thinking and then realizing that she had just made a complete idiot out herself by sounding too excited. She blushed and turned away shyly, "It's just that I live about three houses down from you." She said. When she looked back he started giggling "hey what's so funny!?!" She said angrily, "Nothing it's just that you remind me of someone that I haven't seen in a long time", he said.
They finally arrived to her house. It was very messy and there were a lot of boxes stacked in different parts of the room. "Sorry about the mess, my dad and I just moved here a couple a days ago and we haven't really unpacked much". "That's okay me and the old man keep putting off moving the furniture and the boxes aren't even opened yet". "Are you serious?? Oh my gosh you gotta be kidding me…. when did you get here?" "um…….two days ago or somethin' ", "oh then that's not bad, why'd you move?" "Oh I have close family here and my dad got a better job and now we can afford to live in a nice neighborhood like this". She said nothing but her eyes told him that she wanted to know more but instead he stopped talking, letting her curiosity stay without answers. At that point, they decided it was time to start working on their project.
Throughout the next week their friendship began to escalate. They became pretty close. During the day, they would sit next to each other in class and after school they would help each other unpack their boxes. They would also see each other on the weekends. They became inseparable. In just two weeks, they could talk about almost anything from Sesame Street to their favorite music. However, Reina was troubled that she really didn't know Trent as personally as she wanted to. One day, she couldn't take it any more, her curiosity could only hold still for so long so while in her room as they sat across from each other on her bed, she popped the question, "sooo…..what ever happened to your mom??" Seemingly shocked, he turned away clenching his fists and replied "She…..walked out on us when I was five….. the last thing she said was that she didn't want this thing to hold her life back anymore. My dad couldn't take it. He was working all day and part of the night barely affording food and a friggin' roof over our heads and all I could do was watch and let her leave from both of our lives……" Reina watched this pitiful person without imagining the pain he went through. All she could do was comfort him and tell him positive things like any other person would do, "I'm so sorry I had no Idea I….." So now let's hear your story nosy pants" He said. Reina giggled a little then began telling her story, "Well…… my mom was a pediatrician and she always had a warm smile on even when she was sick. She died from cervical cancer. I was four years old. When I started to go to school, I was always the weird kid that didn't have a mom and I didn't make any friends till' I was about nine. But, since my dad and I move all the time, my friendships didn't really last that long, so I try not to get to close to anyone because leaving friends was sad. He looked shocked that's exactly how he has felt throughout his life "you're just…like….me…" she looked up "really?" he replied, "I think we're the only ones that can actually understand each other", She thought for a moment he feels the same things I do? Then would that mean that they had the same feelings for each other? She asked "Then how can this friendship even continue if we both know that it can't last. He looked at her with an obvious look and said, "Don't you get it! If I don't have you then I won't last!!" He turned bright red and started leaving the room. She grabbed him and with tears she said something that shocked him, "you're so selfish!!...can't you tell that I wouldn't last a minute longer then you would if we were ever apart?! Amazed with such emotion, he didn't know whether to respond or let this moment escalate into its own spiral of possibilities. "Why wou-.." he began but as soon as he uttered the word she planted a soft gentle kiss on his lips and at that moment all thoughts…were forgotten. It was as if only her embrace was the only thing that kept him alive at that moment and that his world would be at peace. She never thought in her wildest imagination that she would share such a wonderful moment with anyone and care for someone so much. At that moment, she realized that she was not alone and that nothing could stop the happiness that she was feeling now. She thought that she could never have a likeness with others.
The End.